My Mortal Kombat-Related Pet Peeve

[pepharytheworm]

Am I the only one that thinks holding back for block is more lazy? Its easier and makes a lot of players just block hogs. The MK block may be a little harder but it seems more real. Don't you think its cool to actually block a opponents attack and not just holding back that automatically blocks when the other player attacks.

[brunoafh]

That's the thing, I'm not "bashing" the series at all, I really like it. I just feel that assigning a button to block as opposed to holding back in a 2D fighter is just poor design.

Can you really fault MK for that? It did come out during a very early period in the genre when these 'standards' weren't really set in stone yet.

Well... yeah. Street Fighter.

That said, I'm honestly not bothered by the controls. I'll play MK any day, but that doesn't change the fact that I think the idea of a dedicated block button for that type of game is shit.

[AppleQueso]

That's the thing, I'm not "bashing" the series at all, I really like it. I just feel that assigning a button to block as opposed to holding back in a 2D fighter is just poor design.

Can you really fault MK for that? It did come out during a very early period in the genre when these 'standards' weren't really set in stone yet.

Well... yeah. Street Fighter.

And you can see exactly what MK was going for then. It wanted to stand out from the other games that were 'street fighter clones'.

[SplashChick]

The problem with Mortal Kombat is the block button. That's what makes it the lesser fighter.

Why? The main thing I can think of is that a block button eliminates cross-ups (the obvious ones, the ambiguous ones, the fake ones, the special moves that cross-up from only certain ranges, and others?).

The "Run" button on the other hand... that was a horrible inclusion in MK3. And so was "side step" in MK4

Why do you think run and side step are horrible inclusions?

The Block button is an asset, not a disadvantage. Assigning block to a button allows you to keep your method of movement free, rather than having to dedicate it to blocking.

LOL no. The Run button was by far the best thing to happen to the series.

Here's a list of using run and block button in high level play (specifically UMK3) I found in a comment on shoryuken.com. (Do you have anything to add to it?):

1. Hidden blocking. This was achieved by holding the block button while mashing jabs. Less experienced players saw these random jabs as an opening but it's actually a defensive tech.


2. Fake running. You could cancel your run multiple times to make the opponent compromise or hesitate. This was also used in footsies and to intimidate.


3. Re-Block. This was cancelling your crouch block into another stand or crouch block. Sounds silly but the animations of standing, crouching and blocking used to fool a lot of people (they see you release block, so obviously they think you are vulnerable).


4. Spam block. A form of de-persuation. The idea was simply to spam the block button. Making the opponent realize you have the firm intention of turtling and that throwing random dashes isn't going to work very often.


5. Running jab. Multiple throw attempts to try and bait a reversal or crouch tech.

Kara jabs. Pushing the run button after a jab will speed up its recovery time. Certain advanced combos(KOMBOS?!?) require this.

Blue blocking. Recovering from the blocking stance while crouching takes longer than recovering from blocking stance while standing. However, by pushing block and down at the right time, you can block a low hit before your character crouches, putting them in the standing block animation. This makes punishing sweeps much easier.

Tekken did without it just fine. There's no excuse for it, the hate for block buttons is simply pure laziness and a lack of will to learn a new control scheme. That's all there is to it.

Not really. Fixing block to any button other than back in a 2D fighter is a stupid idea. It's not that you have to get used to "a new control scheme", it's that you have to adjust to a dated unintuitive and unnecessary mechanic. That's probably why MK ditched it.

*looks at MK9*

WHEN THE HELL DID THIS HAPPEN?!?!?

Isn't this what Weekend_Warrior is talking about, judging MK games by their horrific console ports? Yes, holding start on a Genesis 3-button controller to block IS fucking stupid. I 100% agree there. That's also by far the worst way to play an MK game. I never liked a 6-button Genesis controller for MK games, a 3-button controller is just unusable.

If it's a 2D fighter, allocating block to a unique button is stupid period, be it start on your controller or a button on a cab.

I'd like to add some info about MK's blocking that hasn't been said yet. It allowed you to input moves without moving. This wasn't just limited to fatalities and moves that forced you to use block (to avoid jumping). You could use block to input any special move. Block also doubled as an aerial attack sometimes. In MKII, pressing block in air next to your opponent would cause Scorpion to do an air throw or Jax to do a back breaker.

Block acts as a buffer when inputting moves in all fighting games, and is more practical during block strings anyway (i.e. while holding back), so I'm not sure where you're going with this.

I'm kinda sick of hearing haters bashing MK for stupid reasons like having a block button. Get over it. So it isn't exactly like the fighting games you like, that's what's called diversity and innovation and whatnot. It's like saying the Donkey Kong Country series isn't any good because there's no power ups like in the Super Mario Bros series. You never hear MK fans bashing Street Fighter for NOT having a block button. It is what it is, let it be.

I'm not an MK hater nor a basher, I love MK. I grew up with it. I'm just saying that it's defending it's blocking mechanics is silly. They suck, plain and simple.

Block buttons suck because I say they suck and that means they suck WHY DON'T YOU GUYS GET THAT GEEZ

I don't think having a Block button makes MK a lesser or greater fighter - just different.

I personally have a really hard time learning to use a Block button after all the years upon years of using back. It's no problem with 3D fighters for me, but it's a real pain to get used to on a 2D Fighter. Still, I don't consider that MKs fault.

I do, however, feel that the block button really makes the game lend itself far more to using a pad rather than a stick. Having the block button assigned to a trigger button just makes far more sense to me than a face button - not to mention that you have to hold block and do a special attack to do the 'EX' versions of those attacks, which is a pain in the ass if you have to hold a face button while inputting a special move with another face button. That's like some Primal Rage shit.

Plus, a lot of the special moves (Back, Back, Low Punch) lend themselves far more to dpads than arcade sticks, which to me have always been more about quarter circles, 360 motions, etc.

As an avid MK player for over a decade who moved from a strong preference to pads to sticks, I can tell you with ABSOLUTE certainty that an arcade stick is MUCH better for this game. The MK layout is set up perfectly for your hand to play it. The block button is solitary in the center, in the perfect spot for you to dedicate your middle finger entirely to it. From that place, the punch buttons are both directly under your index finger, and the kick buttons are directly under your ring and pinkie fingers. If it's MK3 or 4, Run is set directly under your thumb. You never have to move your middle finger off of it, and it works perfectly. EX moves are the same as SF, so I don't know where you're getting that. The precision of a stick is much better for a game like MK that requires so much technical skill and accuracy.

That's the thing, I'm not "bashing" the series at all, I really like it. I just feel that assigning a button to block as opposed to holding back in a 2D fighter is just poor design.

I'm not bashing it guys I'm just saying the controls are shit and it's poorly designed and it fucking sucks which is TOTALLY DIFFERENT WHY DON'T YOU GET THAT

Am I the only one that thinks holding back for block is more lazy? Its easier and makes a lot of players just block hogs. The MK block may be a little harder but it seems more real. Don't you think its cool to actually block a opponents attack and not just holding back that automatically blocks when the other player attacks.

No, it IS more lazy. Assigning block to back simply encourages turtling and limits movement. That's ALL it accomplishes. Do you know how annoying it is trying to move back, but you can't because an opponent is attacking and forcing you to block? It's stupid. It's acceptable in SF because the game already has 6 buttons, which is the absolute limit for fighters, but other games are just trying to emulate SF because it's successful.

[Ziggy]

I'm kinda sick of hearing haters bashing MK for stupid reasons like having a block button. Get over it. So it isn't exactly like the fighting games you like, that's what's called diversity and innovation and whatnot. It's like saying the Donkey Kong Country series isn't any good because there's no power ups like in the Super Mario Bros series. You never hear MK fans bashing Street Fighter for NOT having a block button. It is what it is, let it be.

I'm not an MK hater nor a basher, I love MK. I grew up with it. I'm just saying that it's defending it's blocking mechanics is silly. They suck, plain and simple.

That's great, but I don't think you understood what I said. First off, I wasn't talking to you alone here, just anyone that makes this argument. You don't like the block button in MK games, I get it. So keep it to yourself. It's your opinion about it, that doesn't mean it IS a bad thing. That's just what you think. That's why I compared DKC to SMB as an analogy, it's just pointless to argue something like this. It's for the birds.

Block acts as a buffer when inputting moves in all fighting games, and is more practical during block strings anyway (i.e. while holding back), so I'm not sure where you're going with this.

Of my last post, only the top paragraph was actually directed toward you. That's why I drew a line under it, to separate it from the rest of my post. My second paragraph, about blocking, was trying to add to the list that zxqdms posted. Not really add to the list so much as expand on what blocking is capable of in MK.

Not really. Fixing block to any button other than back in a 2D fighter is a stupid idea. It's not that you have to get used to "a new control scheme", it's that you have to adjust to a dated unintuitive and unnecessary mechanic. That's probably why MK ditched it.

*looks at MK9*

WHEN THE HELL DID THIS HAPPEN?!?!?

I was thinking the same thing.

[brunoafh]

That's great, but I don't think you understood what I said. First off, I wasn't talking to you alone here, just anyone that makes this argument. You don't like the block button in MK games, I get it. So keep it to yourself. It's your opinion about it, that doesn't mean it IS a bad thing. That's just what you think. That's why I compared DKC to SMB as an analogy, it's just pointless to argue something like this. It's for the birds.

Yeah I was probably being a bit of a jerk about it.

As for the MK9 block thing, I could have swore when I played the demo the controls were changed. Must have just remembered wrong. The demo (or game in general) difficulty was all messed up though and it was super easy even on the hardest setting, so I probably wasn't even thinking about blocking much.

[darthmunky]

I prefer them on SNES.

[Ivo]

I'm biased as I like the block button, but I think it is good design, not poor design.

Having a dedicated block button (among other things) lets you go back when being attacked, which is a valid strategy - then there are several other things pointed out by splashchick and others.

I don't oppose the run button in principle, but in a game with a dedicated block button already (MK3), it started to be clunky for me to have 2 dedicated "non-attack" buttons - so I did not like it when it was first implemented.

Ivo.

[Gamerforlife]

And now for something completely different, anyone check out Mortal Kombat Legacy yet? You can see it by going to machinima.com for the latest episodes or find some on youtube


http://www.machinima.com/

[o.pwuaioc]

And now for something completely different, anyone check out Mortal Kombat Legacy yet? You can see it by going to machinima.com for the latest episodes or find some on youtube


http://www.machinima.com/

I literally just found out about those today after watching some Sonic for Hire. Pretty decent, although I didn't care for the animated segments. Otherwise, I'm a fan. Already they are much better than the movie.