It's no secret that Mortal Kombat (2011) is called MK9 by the fans (and Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is called MK8 even if it's obviously NOT CANON and a stinker to many). I was wondering if MK9 could've benefited from a delay in its release. The reboot was released on April 19, 2011, which many were hyped. Yet, looking at the timeline - the first Mortal Kombat game was released on 1992 and not 1991. In short, it was 19 years after the first game was released. This is where I asked myself if the game was prematurely released. There was the hype but it seemed Netherrealm Studios may have not known what it was doing by releasing it a bit too early. Though, take note that the Komplete Edition was released in 2012 - the twentieth anniversary of the first game!
This is my opinion that the game, in all its hype, could've learned a lot. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 came out on the arcade on September 2011. Mortal Kombat was a game no longer interested in the arcade market. Heck, I don't even miss going to the arcade at all! I was thinking about Tekken 6 could've been learned from in some way. Maybe, the staff behind MK9 should've taken a look at TTT2 on the arcade and say, "We can learn from this!" I still feel that the game could've benefited from a delay to 2012. Just remember this is another rant that I want to talk about.
I have the Komplete Edition (thank the Elder Gods) over the initial release. Though, I was looking at some parts where the game could've benefited from a delayed release. Sure, some glitches were fixed already but it seeks the Tag Team Mode is not very liked by pro-players! It's almost like the gossip I hear that TTT2 isn't that well-liked by pro-players! Still, I felt that there were some stuff that could've been done. Maybe, implement better graphics, try to fix the way the background darkens before a fatality is done (because I hate it when the backgrounds DISAPPEAR), and I could say think of many ways that the game could've been improved.
Okay, it's no secret that I rejoice over the fact that Motaro is freaking not in the game. I believe that Netherrealm tried to implement Motaro and found out he'd be as freaking difficult as NANCY-MI847J in more than one way. So, Motaro was left out, and rightfully so. Though, there could've been other things that I believe could've been done like...
I think Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa could've been Shang Tsung
I still think that it'd be cool if Tagawa himself were Shang Tsung in the game. Sure, I love how Andrew Kishino still made Shang Tsung a threat. Still, Tagawa himself would be better. Tagawa did manage to make a return in Mortal Kombat Legacy as a different Shang Tsung and in Mortal Kombat 11 as another Shang Tsung. Shang Tsung's design in MK9 is obviously based on Kabai Singh - a character played by TAGAWA himself.
If the game was delayed - maybe there would be negotiations with Tagawa himself. Tagawa could've arranged to be the voice of Shang Tsung in the game. It would be cool to hear Tagawa's "YOUR SOUL IS MINE!" in the game intro. I really would've loved to hear Tagawa's calm yet villainous voice. If there were delays - I think Tagawa would've been available. I feel Tagawa was fully loaded last 2011 to be part of the reboot legacy.
I think the bosses could've been a bit more polished
Sure, I can always dance to the tune about how much I HATE MOTARO. But I feel the bosses themselves could've been more polished. I was thinking about the nostalgia was also thinking about the bosses could've been handled. I have VERY LITTLE complaints about Shao Kahn. However, I've had issues with the two sub-bosses (and three if you count Arcade Shang Tsung) with how they were dealt with...
I think I'm in the minority (or not) that thinks having an OP Shang Tsung in ladder mode can be a stinker. Though, it might be intentional because Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat II really was a very tough CPU opponent. Yeah, I remembered how Shang Tsung would morph into the other characters and I HATED THAT. I'm glad that Playable Shang Tsung could only morph into the opponent. If there's any boss fight that I think is deadly annoying - it's against Arcade Shang Tsung! Trying to fight Klassic Jade required me to be cheesy. Use Scorpion, set to beginner, and spam his infamous flip-kick combo.
I think some things could've been dealt with. For one, why is the fight against Arcade Shang Tsung at his throne room ONLY if you can perform a fatality on the boss character? I still think there should've been no Arcade Shang Tsung being OP and just making him fight like the regular Shang Tsung you play as. Secondly, I think the fight should've been done at THE PIT for obvious reasons. I really have the guilty pleasure of using Liu Kang against Shang Tsung (against a human player) at The Pit and ending the match with a stage fatality. Instead, that opportunity is only left to human players.
My other complaint would be the Shokan warriors. There are times I wish both Goro and Kintaro had depowered versions of themselves playable. However, I think it's best to keep them non-playable if the aim was to make the players suffer. However, I do have some complaints that Goro and Kintaro had. I think the designs are somewhat dopey. The fight stances are somewhat making them look "cute" instead of the fearsome behemoth. Just think about MKX when Goro, though depowered for human player use, still stood tall and warned you by merely looking at him. Instead, these guys don't look as fearsome as they should.
I looked at the old designs. TBH, I miss the Old Timeline Kintaro who had a more fearsome design way back in 1993. That design was truly going to terrify players even before the fight begins. I could remember seeing someone fight against Kintaro only to run out of quarters. The horror was there. MK9's Kintaro doesn't look too fierce. Goro doesn't look as scary as he was in MKX or some of his old timeline designs. I feel the people at Netherrealm simply rushed the designs without thinking about, "Let's make them scary!"
Some stage designs may have had many overlooked flaws
Make no mistake that I love the stages (most of them). However, I felt that some things were most likely left out or just got passed out of whim.
I'd love to use the Living Forest as an example. It's no secret that I think the MK9 design for the Living Forest doesn't look as scary. How is it that a game in 1993 with lower technology looks SCARIER than the seventh-generation consoles? I looked at the sixth generation console, I played Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks, and how is it that the Living Forest there is MUCH MORE SCARY than what the reboot could offer? Sure, I enjoyed Stage Fatality but the trees just look so funny! They almost look like they were taken from Scooby Doo movie instead.
I felt that with HD graphics - why not take the frightening design of the trees in MKII and make them scarier? Do what was done in MK Shaolin Monks instead. The trees in Shaolin Monks really looked ready to eat you. Here, the faces of the trees look like the face of a grumpy old man than that of something ready to devour. Just where are the razor-sharp teeth and the frightening features? I could be getting overly nitpicky but again - I felt like the Living Forest design was a weak point. The fatality was well done but the design was a flaw IMHO.
I think about the other stages too. I think it's understandable that The Portal from MKII was missed out because of a variation of The Roof scene. One variation had an open portal so I guess that explains that. Meanwhile, I do have my complaints about stages I wanted to be put like The Warrior Shrine instead of Shang Tsung's Gardens or The Kombat Tomb should be there complete with the spikes on the roof. Then again, I think Netherrelam decided to exclude The Kombat Tomb BECAUSE the spikes on roof would be redundant since we have spikes on the bottom. The Bell Tower's fatality was removed to avoid redundancy.
The story mode did lack some depth and features
I did remember playing the Story Mode and it was cool. However, the frustrating feature is that you can't load any section you want. Instead, you have to finish the whole story mode before you can play the beginning all over again. I can't decide which is dumber between how Tekken 6's Scenario Campaign be at times or this one. Both great games still possess some glaring flaws that deserve to be pointed out. Sure, it was finally fixed in the later MK games. I think a delay could've fixed this rather glaring oversight.
Another issue I had with Story Mode is some lack of potential. I think Goro was rather underdeveloped. Goro was the guy who fought the Great Kung Lao. I think Goro should've been involved more like he was in the Mortal Kombat (1995) movie. We could've benefited from a scene of Goro talking with Kano and then Shang Tsung arriving... LIKE THE MOVIE? I mean, we even have tons of references to the movie like the boat or Sonya Blade looking like Brigitte Wilson! Goro was unfortunately put on oversight. Even more, I felt Kung Lao's chapter should've had a conversation about the Great Kung Lao. Is it that hard to have it, "You beat my ancestor! Now I beat you!" Just think Kung Lao avenged his ancestor in that chapter. Yet, it's not given the depth it was needed!
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So far, here are my thoughts. I love the game but as said no game is perfect. I think that the game was good but somehow got rushed and failed to meet what could've been done.
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