Fast Tube by Casper Blood and guts of the console version all accounted for, and more!
Okay, here’s a pretty awesome bit. Mortal Kombat is coming to Sony’s new portable, and it’s looking freakin’ impressive. Not only will MK Vita get everything that was available in the console versions, but also tons of added content:
• 16 New Alternate Costumes
• All Additional DLC Characters Available
• Playable Shao Kahn
• New Challenge Tower Levels
• Gameplay utilizing the PS Vita’s Touchscreen
The Gamespot preview above shows off nicely why this game is going to be something to watch out for this Spring. Now THIS is why Netherrealms is reaping rewards- they’re pushing and going the extra mile, doing what they worked and adding even more stuff, more of what they know fans will enjoy. Definitely this will be one of my Must Buys on the Vita once I get my hands on it. Bloody exciting!
So now I’m wondering, what is the BIG bonus at the very end this time? Hmmm…
Some recent game-to-movie news. Survival Horror Hit Dead Island will be coming to theaters care of Lionsgate Films, while Warner Bros. has given MK Legacy Maven Kevin Tancharoen the Go Ahead for a Theatrical Reboot Release of Mortal Kombat.
Fast Tube by Casper To star Adrien Brody and a CG-youthenized Dakota Fanning. Kidding.
Zombie movies are all the rage these days- will that still be the case in a couple of years, when Dead Island’s theatrical debut hits? Probably. We’ve seen so many permutations of the shuffling/stalking/running undead/infected genre (still quite a few coming, like Juan of the Dead and World War Z), so what does Dead Island have new to offer? Bikini-clad zombies is a good start I guess, but then according to a press release by the L.A. Times, the film will feature “family ties and non-linear storytelling”.
Based on that, my impression is that they’re going to take that emotional debut trailer as inspiration, which I feel is kinda off the mark. Downer films just don’t hit it with me- and really, that story of the tragic family in the ad? It’s been told, and it’s DONE. Do we need to see an hour and a half version of that? Perhaps a more tongue-in-cheek Zombieland (Zombie Island?) approach would be better.
Fast Tube by Casper The short film that started it all.
As for the future Mortal Kombat film, Kevin Tancharoen’s web series was mostly awesome, so this is pretty great news. He’s supposedly going for ‘more realism”… well, as real as a story with ice-throwing ninja and thunder gods-in-the-flesh can be. With a bigger budget (but less than 100 million, supposedly) perhaps we can have awesome scenes in Outworld without having to resort to animated cut-aways.
With the next MK movie due in 2013 (supposedly coinciding with the next MK game), there’s really no reason to worry about this till the first trailer hits. Anything is possible, I guess. Let’s cross our fingers that this next theatrikal release avoids Annihilation.
Fast Tube by Casper Soul Edge’s PS Intro: Always start a story with a rousing opening!
Ah, the Fighting Game genre. It’s certainly my most favorite of all videogame categories- my most beloved guilty pleasure in gaming. I’ve been playing fighters since I got into this hobby, from Streetfighter II on the Super NES to today’s Tekken 6 and Mortal Kombat remake. Many get into these games for the simple pleasure of owning someone else- the unabashed satisfaction of proving your dominance in the most blatant and base way possible- by sheer physicality or superior skill. Really, in the end, fighting games do of course boil down to a simple equation most eloquently shouted out by bloodthirsty masses in Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome- Two men enter, one man leaves. Well, sometimes Two women, or two THINGS. You get the picture, right?
Anyway, I think it’s a mark of a fan of these games themselves and not the sheer act of fighting that despite it being sheer gravy, that I put great importance on an aspect of these games that most often is glossed over- The Story.
Fast Tube by Casper The Fight- and The Story- is All.
Why is all this fighting going on, anyway? Who’s the ‘good’ guy? Who’s the ‘bad’ buy? What’s at stake? Should we care? In all seriousness, it does add to the enjoyment of a story that we know the backgrounds of each and every single character in a fighting game’s often voluminous roster of Playables, and to follow their blood-slogging climb to the top of the tournament ladder. Drama, comedy, horror, evil, good, jealousy, courage… all encapsulated in what basically is about two guys hitting each other until one goes down and stays down.
Hell, if man going mano-y-mano with one’s fellow man didn’t make for good drama, then Homer’s Iliad wouldn’t have been certified a classic since the freakin’ Ancient Greeks. But hey, wouldn’t the Iliad make for a damn awesome fighter?
Fast Tube by Casper MK didn’t always have great production values for it’s cutscenes…
This is probably something that fighting games spearheaded apart from other games- no longer did players fight to reach the end just to see a high score- they wanted to see an ENDING- something that couldn’t be quantified into any single number- but the satisfaction of reuniting your electronic avatar with his family, missing sibling or long-sought-after prize of revenge. Or a meeting with his country’s premier!
Anyway, relating a Fighting Game story has been done in various ways since the beginning. For the most part, the easiest and most expected way is the simple End Cutscene. Streetfighter II did it back in the day, rewarding the player’s victory over M. Bison with a bunch of screens with minimal animation and text. So effective was this that every game afterwards seemed to follow that same template- the ending was the reward, the narrative carrot dangled before the combatant. From SNK’s many brawlers like King of Fighters to Samurai Shodown to the original Mortal Kombat to every 90′s wannabee Streetfighter, it was all there in varying degrees of campiness.
Fast Tube by Casper Your usual, run-of-the-mill Story Mode ending.
Of course there are a few games that didn’t bother to tell their story- the most significant being Sega’s Virtua Fighter series. All semblance of narrative was placed firmly outside the games, in arcane literature or dictated by actual game tournaments. In many ways, I think, that’s why VF has never found a certain closeness to gamers, with the most hardcore fans of this particular brawler more invested in game mechanics, frame counts and simple gameplay.
Fast Tube by Casper Virtua Fighter’s Intro hints at a deeper story behind the fighters.
A benefit or detriment? Well, let’s just say that the fan support for VF, while rabid, is perhaps the smallest of all the big fighting game franchises. That’s not to say that the Virtua Fighters don’t have a story- it’s there, certainly, but just not being told as much. Perhaps when we are given a trail to follow and care for, perhaps that’s when VF will bloom to the emotional masses.
Fast Tube by Casper A Tekken CG Ending waaaay back in the PSOne days.
As game technology and CG animation got better, ending cinematics became slicker and more elaborate. Perhaps the series that most surely chronicles not only it’s characters’ personal sagas but also visualizes the gradual leap of graphical and animation quality is Namco-Bandai’s Tekken series- from the very basic and simple end cutscenes of the first Tekken on the original Playstation, the cinematic cutscenes have raised the bar with every installment afterwards.
Fast Tube by Casper Despite being an unpopular chapter, Tekken 4 placed more emphasis on story than most other installments in the franchise.
The series has now the reputation for these eye-catching cinematics, with perhaps the culmination of that reputation being the somewhat controversial Tekken: Blood Vengeance movie- perhaps the most complex cutscene yet for a fighting game.
Fast Tube by Casper Tekken 6 endings are gorgeously animated, but the stories told range from the cool to the downright silly.
Ironically, Tekken 6′s Scenario Campaign is actually a very different way of telling the game’s story, albeit the mode proved unpopular with some players. I actually found this a very engaging and enjoyable mode, though perhaps it could do with some improvements.
Fast Tube by Casper Mortal Kombat’s Story Mode is Epic in so many ways.
But CG visual quality isn’t the end-all and be-all of Fighting Game storytelling- Mortal Kombat proved this with it’s 2011 remake’s quite revolutionary Story Mode. It may have been a bit of a gamble on paper- a long and involved story told in real-time, in-engine graphics, visualizing the whole MK saga from the beginning to the future and back to the present, running many, many hours long and throwing the player into the boots of various warriors. But ultimately, it WORKED. Gamers got into the story, they loved it and acclaim for this way of doing the till-then tired Story Mode was pretty much universal. The one best thing about MK’s Story Mode? It showed one thing that other games always get wrong- The Ending is NOT the Story.
Mortal Kombat showed us that it was all about seeing the fighters’ tales unfold, seeing plots twist and turn and end up in outcomes we didn’t see coming and snowball to something we fear/await/dread was entertaining and kept us going hour after hour, through every fight till the very end.
Of course, MK isn’t the only fighter to have a long and involved Story Mode- just the most visible and perhaps the one boasting the highest production values. Truth be told though, 2D fighter Blazblue has a very involved and complex Story Mode as well, though told mostly in text or voice-driven static cutscenes but boasting multiple endings and paths, sometimes dictated by your victories or defeats.
Fast Tube by Casper Blazblue’s anime-style storytelling makes for many hours of battle, voice-acting and battling voice-acting.
Dead or Alive Dimensions on the 3DS was able to summarize it’s entire enigmatic decades-long saga with it’s rather long but entertaining main Story mode (. The upcoming King of Fighters XIII will also boast a Story mode bursting with replay value for multiple playthroughs when it arrives later this year on consoles.
Fast Tube by Casper The Soul Calibur series often featured interactive endings, where a button press could change the outcome.
Going back a bit, Namco-Bandai’s almost ill-fated Soul Calibur series has had a past filled with exceptional story modes. The original Soul Blade on PSOne had interactive endings where you could change the outcome of your fighter’s fate with a fast button press. Soul Calibur III had a Tales of Souls mode which boasted multiple paths and alternate endings- it encouraged multiple playthroughs so you could see all the possible endings and cutscenes, or unlock a very challenging boss encounter.
Sadly, SoulCalibur IV dropped many things from the previous installments, many of them conceivably fan favorite aspects that were sorely missed. Gone were the multi-aspect Story Mode and explorative minigames, in their place a generic Story Mode with a repetitive and generic cutscene and rather enigmatic endings. The Tower of Lost Souls, a challenging ladder game, proved to be more frustrating to many players than anything else. Perhaps the result? SoulCalibur IV was almost the last game in this long-running series, apparently only saved from the brink of oblivion by fan requests and support.
And so, what have we learned from all this? One important thing.
The Best Story Modes should be about The Journey, NOT the Ending. It’s about a story that’s compelling throughout, not just a prize waiting after all that’s said and done.
But would other fighters learn from this example? Only future fighters will tell. Or, perhaps, the next wave of fighters will.
Fast Tube by Casper Soul Calibur IV’s Endings looked great, but the overall storytelling left much to be desired.
Soul Calibur V, set for release in First Quarter 2012, looks to have a Story Mode that hopefully has been influenced by recent games. Though we’ve yet to get any solid information on the gameplay, we’ve seen screens showing a map screen, which should bode well for the chance that this won’t simply be a series of fights leading to one ending. At the very least, cutscenes and a pathways chosen by the player may be included, and hopefully challenges and encounters that add and encourage replay- something the series is not a stranger to, as we’ve seen.
With the future of this fan-supported fighter perhaps lying in SCV’s performance, I’m hoping they make the story something that really gets players involved and wanting more of this Tale of Souls and Swords for years to come.
Fast Tube by Casper Soul Calibur V, set 17 years after the last game, looks to have a story more dramatic than ever before.
With the current resurgence of Fighting Games as a popular genre in gaming, there will surely be more emphasis on the Story Mode. Thanks to Mortal Kombat’s high-profile success, we may expect even more epic storytelling to come from beat ‘em ups in the years to come. Hopefully we’ll see the Fighting Game story evolve into something truly enjoyable and interactive for gamers, so that our favorite fighters continue on and have their Tales Eternally Retold.
Fast Tube by Casper Ed Boon and friends wax nostalgic.
The latest episode of the Mortal Kombat-centric MKast brings us Ed Boon and some old friends reliving the memories of the glory days in the arcade for the bloody beat ‘em up franchise. It’s all quite a nice bit of walking down memory lane, particularly for us gamers old enough to really have experienced those times of quarter/token filching and taking turns battling or watching in the smoky arcades.
Of course, this is all just to tell gamers that Mortal Kombat Arcade Collection is coming at the end of the month for PSN, PC and XBLA, for the reasonable price of $9.99 or 800 MS Points. The games will be coming in their original looks, rather than the HD remastery that has been the case for Capcom’s rehashes- apparently HD and the original games’ frame rates do not mix. Oh well… the clearer and more hi-res the old MK’s are, all the easier to see the tacky outfits, I guess… heheh. Anyways, I won’t be picking up MK Collection, just as I didn’t pick up the also-out 3rd Strike re-release… I prefer to live in the NOW, not in the past. I’ll be fine with the new Mortal Kombat and SSFIV, thanks. Anyway, nice vid in any case.
Fast Tube by Casper The first season of Legacy ends on an particularly strong note.
Aaand it’s back! Now up officially on Machinima’s channel, here’s the finale of Kevin Tancharoen’s groundbreaking web-series. It’s been a ride, with episode being anticipated by MK fans the world over. In the end, I think that the series has been a success- while it has it’s highs and lows, overall it was well-shot and excellently thought-out, with several standout episodes (Raiden, Johnny Cage’s and the Cyborgs). For me, this series worked best when Tancharoen allowed himself to play a bit- what I found so intriguing in the original Mortal Kombat Rebirth. Some episodes played out too predictably, which watered down their appeal to me. This final installment, with a simple, direct-to-the-point storyline, impressed simply from the production values and brutally impactful fight scenes.
Though I understand this series was probably made as a support to the game’s marketing and a prequel series, it would be awesome if it were to continue, but on the other hand as it is, it’s already something special and something that MK fans can always enjoy, and an aspect of the franchise that can always be looked upon as a mark of quality. Whether it continues into a second season or not, this Legacy has already proven its worth.
The Mortal Kombat panel at Comicon, which had MK Legacy director Kevin Tancharoen and series creator Ed Boon present, debuted the episode 9 of the web-series Mortal Kombat Legacy. This time we see the origin of the Cyborg Ninjas, Cyrax and Sektor, as they are transformed from human assassins to the mechanized war machines we know.
I was fortunate enough to see the episode uploaded on Youtube, but it has since been taken down. Machinima, which has the rights to it, should be posting it on their own channel eventually. I have to say, I’ve never been a fan of these particular fighters, but this episode is easily one of the best in the whole series. The pacing is quick and tight, and the two fight scenes show off the best action I’ve seen in the show so far. Visually as well, the production of the episode is very impressive and consistent.
Good to see Legacy end with a very good note and hopefully we’ll see this web-series continue onwards to a second season. Thanks to TheWushuFan for posting this!
Earlier today this bit of news hit like a ton of bricks at Comicon- the reveal of the fourth (and perhaps final) DLC fighter for Mortal Kombat. Undead serial killer/horror movie icon Freddy Kreuger, the star of the Nightmare on Elm Street series of films, has come bearing his blade-fingered glove, old hat and striped shirt into battle.
It would be pretty easy enough to just say COOL! but there are quite a few things that rub me off the wrong way a bit. For starters, the character model for Freddy doesn’t have the likeness of the original (and only, for me) actor for this character, Robert Englund… I’m not sure if they got the likeness of the more recent remake film with Freddy played by Watchmen’s Jackie Earle Haley. In any case, he seems kinda generic.
Also, Freddy indeed looks badass and scary- but he’s not a fighter. He is, bottom line, a monster- a murderer whose prey consisted of scared teenagers and whose power rested in fear, given to him by some weird dream demons. On more than one occasion, he has had his ass kicked by women who refused to be his victims, though several times he was able to bounce back due to his then-immortality.
That all said, I don’t think he’s at all the league of most, if not all, of the MK fighters. I don’t believe ANY MK character would be given to fear Freddy, whose sphere of influence is limited to a little town. Does this kind of thug, even empowered by some random evil force, really stand up to a Thunder God, Cyber Ninjas and Destiny-led Warriors? Heck, Scorpion would easily make Freddy his bitch in any scenario.
Aaaanyway… maybe I’m reading into it too much. All said and done, Freddy’s in and what the heck, at least visually he fits into the MK aesthetic. Just color me kinda iffy, but I’ll probably download him like I eventually downloaded all the rest of the extra fighters just for the sake of completion (and novelty). No news yet on when Kreuger is available, but count on it by next month.
At least they could have kept Englund’s face, darn it…
Mortal Kombat is several months old but it’s still being supported so far by Netherrealms with some cool DLC. Even if you’re not ready to fork over the $4.99 for DLC characters, you can still get some cool free skins simply by downloading and installing the Compatibility Update Packs. These patches basically just let you see DLC characters such as Skarlet, Kenshi and Rain if you fight them online, but also give you a bonus of extra classic skins. The latest pack, Compatibility Pack 3, gives you the classic, original MK2 costumes for Kitana and Jade.
These are pretty simple costumes- even simpler than the MK3 classic outfits (also available as DLC), and they’re totally palette swaps in terms of look. However, they look quite excellent now, and I really like my kunoichi wearing the more practical flat-soled boots than those ridiculous high heels in the contemporary outfits. I actually just downloaded most of the DLC, so I think I’ll be playing some retro-looking MK later this week. Man, this brings back memories.
The free Compatibility Packs/Classic Costumes are now available on PSN and Xboxlive. Get ‘em while theyr’e hot!
Fast Tube by Casper Look who’s come to rain on everyone’s parade…
Another DLC character for Mortal Kombat is set to arrive- for now, feast your eyes on the kick-ass debut trailer of the purple ninja, Rain. A fan favorite like previous returnee Kenshi, Rain has been long requested, and now Netherrealms has acquiesced. Rain’s water powers look quite impressive, even if it does remind me of the waterbending from that awful Shaymalan Airbender movie. He’s got crazy combos aplenty and his fatalities look sick as heck. I’m thinking this guy’s gonna be popular. He’ll be available next week on PSN and Xboxlive.
Fast Tube by Casper He’s blind, brutal and badass.
On the heels of the bloody Skarlett is the blind swordsman, Kenshi. This deadly fighter debuted way back in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, and now he’s back in the rebooted MK. A gifted warrior blinded by Shang Tsung’s treachery, Kenshi’s story stretched into encounters with the US Special Forces agents Sonya Blade and Jax Briggs and battles with various criminal organizations such as the Red Dragon. He eventually fought in and met his end during the final battle during Mortal Kombat Armageddon. But of course, all that is past and prologue- Kenshi’s back and deadlier than ever as the trailer above quite vividly illustrates.
I’m really hoping that these DLCs sell- they’re quite cool and I’m hoping even more additional characters make their way into MK as we wait for the inevitable sequel. For now, check out Kenshi and his unique brand of ass-kickery. The swordsman should be available for download on PSN and Xboxlive on July 5.
