The Mortal Kombat Series

[Sky10w10w]

As the Mortal Kombat with one sequel after another, what do you think about the changes that were made?

I feel that MK2 was the pinnacle of the series. MK2 played well (in 2-player mode, anyway. MK AI was always incredible cheap!), and had great atmosphere.

Although I like how MK3 incorporated a 'run' button into the series, I didn't like MK3 nearly as much as MK2 because it looked drab (it was set in barren city locations instead of the outterworld) and too many key characters were absent.

MK4 felt like a 3D remake of MK3. MK4 watered down the MK3's gameplay mechanics and felt oversimplified. Its main draw was its 3D graphics and the Outworld-ish battle locations (in other words, it undid what MK3 did in terms of promoting atmosphere).

I don't care much for every 3D MK since MK4. Why? They no longer play like MK games. Every fighter has a completely different moveset, which is good for variety but terrible for remembering what button to press if you want to execute punches, kicks, etc. Furthermore, I dislike how jump attacks became seriously de-emphasized in every 3D MK since MK4.

[kbf_private_joker]

As the Mortal Kombat with one sequel after another, what do you think about the changes that were made?

I feel that MK2 was the pinnacle of the series. MK2 played well (in 2-player mode, anyway. MK AI was always incredible cheap!), and had great atmosphere.

Although I like how MK3 incorporated a 'run' button into the series, I didn't like MK3 nearly as much as MK2 because it looked drab (it was set in barren city locations instead of the outterworld) and too many key characters were absent.

MK4 felt like a 3D remake of MK3. MK4 watered down the MK3's gameplay mechanics and felt oversimplified. Its main draw was its 3D graphics and the Outworld-ish battle locations (in other words, it undid what MK3 did in terms of promoting atmosphere).

I don't care much for every 3D MK since MK4. Why? They no longer play like MK games. Every fighter has a completely different moveset, which is good for variety but terrible for remembering what button to press if you want to execute punches, kicks, etc. Furthermore, I dislike how jump attacks became seriously de-emphasized in every 3D MK since MK4.

I totally agree. MKII was the greatest in the series.

[Mister Zero]

Agree as well.

[magcollector]

I prefer the Mortal Kombat games with 3D characters and Arenas since that's the way MK should be from MK4 onwards, 3D characters restricted/caged in 2D environments is a waste of resources and a drawback in the series, MK was the fighting series that better adapted to 3D, way better than Street Fighter Plus or Tekken, Dead or Alive, etc, is the best Fighting in 3D, real and full 3D not so called 2.5D Mortal Kombat 2011 aka MK9 looks like amazingly good looking MK3, if nostalgic people want to play 2D MKs then should consider go play old good SNES, SEGA, Playstation or Arcade version this one can also be played in a faithful way in MAME emulator, no need to make more Mortal Kombats the way the were made in the 90s not because of nostalgia but because of hardware restrictions

[tedart]

Agree, MK II was the best. It had great fatalities. I do enjoy the newer games, but the more they make, the more I feel is left out from past games, like cooler characters that they don't pay attention to anymore.

[dc2142]

Agree that MK 2 was the best. 

 

I didn't like 4 very much and the PS2 era 3D games were OK but not as good as the first 3.  The last two games (MK9 & MKX) are outstanding.  

[giorgaras]

As the Mortal Kombat with one sequel after another, what do you think about the changes that were made?

I feel that MK2 was the pinnacle of the series. .

III the characters started to look goofy too.

[consumer]

I was literally just thinking about this the other day, and I too am quite fond of MK2 (so far as MK games go, anyways). And while I agree with most of what was said, we diverge some, when I say that MK3 was better than MK2. The desolate backgrounds don't bother me, but with combinations an expanded character set, and more backgrounds, the game was the last one to press the series forward.

[shinobi33]

I also agree MK2 is the best out of the bunch.  It was a nice upgrade for each character to have 1 extra fatality plus all those friendships and babalities and hidden characters.  I think the UMK3 update improved MK3 a lot.  Loved the new outworld type stages and extra characters.  Personally I like the 3D ones too.  One of my buddies and I still play Deception and Armageddon to this day.  

[greenfoot2001]

I loved MK 3 Ultimate because it had the most finishers of the SNES bunch and the most characters.

[BigWilly]

Yup MKII was the high water mark in the series.

[Sky10w10w]

Having played MK9 after starting this thread, I can say that it is a great throwback to MK2, albeit with 3D visuals. It plays like a 2D game, and is almost as good as MK2, but with a much better sense of plot.