SDCC 2008 Mortal Kombat VS DC Universe

Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe Gameplay Impressions, Panel Announcements, and Gallery

I was a huge Mortal Kombat fan back in the day. Mortal Kombat 1, 2, and 3 were games that I spent way, way too much time with. When Mortal Kombat made the jump to 3D in part 4, my interest began to wane. The digitized characters I knew were replaced with blocky polygonal dudes and the game was a little messy. Then the series made the jump to the PS2 and Xbox. The character models looked much better than part 4, but the series also took on a radical departure by using a brand new fighting system for Deadly Alliance, Deception, and Armageddon. I bought the games and played them, but I could never really get an excellent grasp of the newer fighting mechanics. While the alternate fighting styles were a cool idea, the dial-a-combos weren't doing it for me at all. I still liked the classic characters and mainly just played them enough so I could keep up with their parts of the story. I attended the Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe party on Thursday night of the San Diego Comic-con and got in some solid time to play the game. At first I was expecting it to play like the newer 3D MKs from the PS3/Xbox era, so I was expecting to get beat into a pulp since I hardly remembered any moves from them. I tried playing it like them, attempting the few moves I did remember, but didn't I seem to be getting anywhere in special moves or combos. Then I started using the D-pad and playing it like the old MKs, the MKs I grew up with, of which I still remember most of the moves. My ass-kicking had begun.

I played both the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, but since I found that I preferred using the D-pad as opposed to the Analog stick, the PS3 version became my main console for the night for its much better D-Pad. There were eight playable characters, four on the Mortal Kombat side and four on the DC side. On the MK side were Scorpion, Shang Tsung, Sub Zero, and Sonya. The DC side had Batman, Superman, Catwoman, and the Flash. I tried out each of them during my three hours or so of game time. Throughout that time my favorites (so far) had become Scorpion, Sub Zero, and Catwoman. Apparently Ed Boon's favorite character is currently the Flash. I came up with a truly awesome combo for Scorpion which utilized only special moves that my opponent for most of the night didn't mind falling prey to just because of how sweet it was. In turn, he made spectacular combo with the Flash that was a sight to behold.

MK Vs. DCU has some new gameplay elements that were in place during the limitless bouts I fought during the night. There is a new Freefall Kombat mode that begins when one character knocks another off of a ledge. Both characters then enter a freefall, somewhat like in the Dead or Alive game, but the characters can fight each other all the way down. The character on top delivers the blows, but the other can reverse and make the top combatant take bottom punishment. Every hit landed during the freefall fills up a meter. Once the meter is halfway the player can unleash a super move or fill up the meter all the way for an even more powerful super, but the chances that the freefall will be reversed are greater. As Ed Boon said in the panel the next day, it's risky to fill the meter all the way, but worth it if you do. Another new gameplay element is the Klose Kombat, which is a new system for grabs and throws. The throw button now begins the Klose Kombat fighting where the player can perform some close-quarters moves on the other. However, like the freefall, the other character has a chance to counter and reverse the situation. The third gameplay element is when one player charges towards the other and busts them through a series of walls. This is similar to the Test Your Might mini-game from the original MK where you had to mash the punch button to break the blocks. The mashing of the buttons here determines how much damage the assaulted character will, or won't take. All three of these new modes can do some big damage, but none of them are unfair since the other player is able to reduce damage or reverse the fight.

A few things I immediately noticed were the amount of blood and damage to the characters. I was aware that the blood had been turned down for this game due to the DC appearances, but the amount that was actually in was surprising; I thought there would be much less. The other great thing was the battle damage taken by the characters. The damage models are very well done with ripped clothing, cuts, scars, and bruises. Some of the clothing became so torn that I almost thought we were going to see some Sonya or Catwoman nipples at from the massive rips in their tops. Scorpion's damage was especially cool as he would get a large hole in his chest, revealing bones and tissue. And I've never seen Superman look more ragged and beaten, which I suppose is good news for all you Superman haters out there.

There were only three stages in our early play of the game; a hell pit (probably Scorpion's stage), Metropolis, and a newer version of the old woods/graveyard stage. A few times my fellow combatant kombatant?) and I intentionally chose the same characters, but the characters did not have alternate costumes yet. Our Flash Vs. Flash fight was especially confusing. At the end of the night I left the party with a reawakened interest in Mortal Kombat. I wasn't because of the DC characters, although they do help, but the gameplay elements and familiarity of the controls that I remembered from my old Kombat days. I was looking forward to the MK Vs. DCU panel even more so.

The MK Vs. DC Universe panel started with a trailer, but was cut short due to a crucial lack of sound. Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon and writer Jimmy Palmiotti took the stage to inform us of the hard-hitting facts of the game. A special note was made of Ed Boon's prized Superman Vs. Spiderman comic. For those of you keeping track, MK Vs. DCU is Mortal Kombat 8. Ed explained that about 10 years ago there were talks to do a Mortal Kombat Vs. Street Fighter or Tekken game, but plans fell though. It was by chance that Ed got a call for an idea to place MK characters with DC ones. Without going into any story elements, Jimmy explained that he had to think of how Superman, Batman, or any DC character, would react when encountering a MK character and keep it true to each one.

The two got word that the sound was fixed so the trailer began running, this time in full. The crowd whooped and hollered during brutal and painful moves. At the end Scorpion was about to do his fire breathing fatality on The Flash. Fatalities? Yes, there will be fatalities in the game, but more on that in a bit.

Ed and Jimmy then answered the question of why would anyone want to pick a character besides Superman since he's the most powerful character, um, pretty much ever? Jimmy stated that as seen in the comics, Superman is weak against Kryptonite and magic. The MK universe is filled with sorcery and magic, so Superman is brought down to the level of the other characters, though he is still probably the most powerful character in the game. This is all detailed in the story, which they assured everyone makes total sense for both the MK and DC universes. One hint was that on the DC side, it seems that the MK characters are invading.

Ed then detailed the new fighting elements that I got to try the night before. He also stated that the game is more of a return to Mortal Kombat II's style, which explained why I was so much more comfortable using the D-pad on my MK Vs. DCU binge the night before.

Then the big announcements came. The booming MK announcer voice said the names of the previously announced characters with a slide for each. I, along with others at the panel, must have missed the previous announcement of Shazam and Liu Kang because each was met with cheers, rejoicing, and loudness. Then Ed said they would announce four more, right now. The newly announced characters were Jax, The Joker (insert massive fan explosion), Kitana, (an obvious, but great choice) and Green Lantern (insert massive fan explosion x2). Ed then joked about a hidden Jimmy character with a matching slide of Jimmy's head poorly imposed on Johnny Cage's body. He said the character would be really, really hard to find, but to keep looking. They would not reveal the final boss of the game, but said it was "...something really cool" and that the fans would be very pleased with it. Other characters will be announced in the next few months.

The announcement of the Mortal Kombat Kollection for the PS2 came. The $30 pack includes Mortal Kombat: Deception, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, and Shaolin Monks. Ed than announced the MK Vs. DCU Kollector's Edition which includes an exclusive comic by non other than MK co-creator John Tobias. As a long time fan of the series, especially the first few games, this was hugely cool news.

Ed said that the MK characters and DC villains would have fatalities, and that the DC heroes would have brutalities. As for how far the fatalities will go they did not reveal, but I'm sure decapitations and spine rips are out of the question. Scorpion's flame breath is probably the extent of the gore factor that they are allowed to do with the DC characters, but Ed said that DC has been willing to go further with the brutality in the game than even he expected. Plus, Ed and Jimmy both stated that what we have seen so far is only the tip of the iceberg. With the crowd's strong, positive reactions from the trailer, they were excited for us to see what else will be coming.

It was question time and as fans worshiped and asked their Q's, slides cycling on the screen showed new screenshots and revealed concept art for the Fortress of Solitude, Gotham City, the Bat Cave, the Mortal Kombat fighting arena, and a hanger. That's at least five other fighting areas in the final game. The one question that I, and the people around me, got sick of was asked at least three times by various fans. They asked whether Ed would like to do a Mortal Kombat Vs. Street Fighter, or MK Vs. this or Mk Vs. that. He already answered that question during the first half of the panel! Stop asking it! Yes, Ed stated he would like to do MK Vs. anything, didn't that click with you guys?

There were some better questions, one of them being the status of console exclusive characters. Ed said that he doesn't want to piss anybody off, so both console versions will have the same characters. Midway is also looking into DLC content. That is very good news for all. Another question was on a new Mortal Kombat comic series. Depending on how well the game is received could be a new MK comic. After playing the game myself, I know it will be very well received, and I would also like a new MK comic (komic?) series. A question came up on the story to which Jimmy replied. The game is very heavy on story with elaborate cut-scenes that progress each individual character between fights, making this the most story-heavy of the MK games. As for mini-games like those form the PS2/Xbox games? There will be no mini games like Chess Kombat or Kart racing because the focus in MK Vs. DCU is on the characters and gameplay, as it should be, and as it showed the night before. And no, Sektor and Cyrax will not be in the game. At one point a fan asked Ed to do his Scorpion voice. Ed then said, "get over here," in the most unthreatening and unexciting way that he could. Hilarious.

I was a huge fan of the old MKs and was skeptical on MK Vs. DCU, but my opinion has changed greatly after playing it. Its release this November is in a fighting game lull between two other big fighters, Soul Calibur IV (now) and Street Fighter IV (next year), which is a perfect time to release the game. I think people will be surprised with how brutally fantastic Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe really is. I sure as hell was.


Ashrah in the flesh. And possibly drunk.	Batman asks only the important questions at the MK Vs. DCU panel.	Raiden 2 asks the final question of the panel... no, it's not for a cheeseburger.


"I'm the only one who gets to flash around here!"	"No means no! Even for supermen!"


This fight is about to get hot.	"Good thing I wore my spear-resistant cape today."


"My boot. Let me show you it."	"Get over here... I just want to pet you."

Shang Tsung steals one of Catwoman's lives.