Complete Noob (Not Saibot) needs some advice

[LWZ]

Sorry for just coming in here not knowing anyone and asking for help, but a birdie told me that this site sports some hardcore players. I have played MK occasional since Sega says, but never played it enough to learn everything and play well, just learn my favorite 3 button combo and 1-2 special moves and call it a day.

Anyway…I really like MK this time around (change of pace from games I’ve been playing I guess) but I realize I suck really bad. I can’t even play on medium and get past the first few people. I play with my 13 yr old nephew (I’m 25) and I easily get schooled, haven’t played online yet and probably wont since I know it would be more annoying than fun.

I play on 360 and the only people I’m even relatively decent with are Johnny Cage, Cyber-Sub Zero, Freddy Krueger, and Jax all of which I pretty much just spam their specials.

Basically what I’m looking for are some cheap pointers like:

-are there characters that are more noob friendly than others? By this I mean really easy long combos, or cheap moves. Who?

-are you guys using the analog or the D-pad? I’ve been using the analog (unless doing a fatality) because I find it easier to use special moves with it, but it makes me jump to much (I realize this is user error not the controls), and I can’t seem to play as fluently if I use the d-pad. If one does have an advantage over I will stick with it.

-Fatalities, I find I have to enter them really slow to get them to work (even if the tutorial says I did the buttons right) does this same logic apply to combo’s? Because I’m usually trying to do a combo fast (panic) and usually fail short.

-Shao Khan: How do you beat him without being cheap? Even on beginner I can only get him by crouching, upper cutting and waiting for him to trash talk. On story I had to let the time run out just to win (final battle on beginner). Is there a strategy to him I’m missing?

-x-ray: I tend to use them in advanced moves rather than waiting for it to build all the way, is this advisable or should I always be saving it?

 

[NKZero]

First off man welcome to TYM. You will definitely pick up a lot of information to improve your game here.

Anyways onto your queries:
1. The most important thing is sticking to the character you enjoy playing (no matter how hard he may seem). Once you learn how to play, it will come easier to you eventually. If you are still determined to have this question answered, I'd say that Liu Kang is the typical brain-dead combo character. Cheap moves? Maybe a keep-away character who 'spams' such as Kenshi (if you have him) or Noob Saibot.

2. I personally use the d-pad because I find the inputs significantly easier. That being said I play on the PS3 so I really don't know how it would work on the X-Box.

3. Combos don't work in the same way as fatalities. Sometimes you have to input them before they come out on the screen and sometimes you have to time it with the action that is occurring on the screen. Either way combos require much faster execution than the lenient fatality inputs. Find the right timing and don't panic. Keep working on them in training till they're easy.

4. Shao Kahn is cheap. End of. You beat cheap by being just as cheap. I've tried to play a normal game against him e.g. low pokes, block string pressure etc. He blows it all up with armour. The best thing to do is be patient. Block until he throws out an unsafe attack and punish. When you knock him down, time your cross over jump punch correctly so that he will miss that swinging hammer attack and you can get a combo. You can also walk back so you are always full screen away and duck/block projectiles (remember hammer is unblock able). Once you see him taunt, get in and punish or throw a projectile.

All in all, if you want to get good in this game, this is the right place to be. I also would recommend SOME online just so you get experience against a variety of players. Don't take it too seriously though!

Hope this helps mate

 

[LWZ]

thanks man

 

[Plop]

Yeah, pretty much was Zero said, but I'd just like to add a little bit to that.
The combos in this game are actually really simple compared to the likes of Street Fighter or whatever. Go into training mode and look at the moves list. Most of them are just 3 button combos and pretty simple. Try those out for a bit just to get the feel of the speed and stuff. You simply have to just dial inputs in, kinda like a phone number. You dont have to be lightning fast or anything but you'll work all that out after a few minutes. Characters with nice and easy bnb combos, i think, are Reptile, Sub Zero, Noob, and of course Easymac (Ermac). As Zero said, Liu Kang has pretty effective, yet braindead 3button combos, but the spacing can be quite tricky with those for a beginner, so I'd recommend having a crack with Reptile or Ermac first just to get a feel of it. (Btw, Freddy's combos have to be some of the trickiest in the game).

On the topic of the d-pad, i'll have to say, the reason you're having any trouble is because the 360 pad fuckin sucks. Before i had a ps3, my brother had MK on his 360 and i used to pull my hair out trying to do even the simplest things, such as fatalities. You press forward or back and end up getting a jump. Its stupid. I've got a ps3 since then and now i have no problems with anything ever, so i'd suggest maybe investing in a different pad.

Also, yeah as Zero said, you gotta try online. I was quite scared at first cos i thought i was gonna get bodied and then ridiculed and stuff. I did get bodied, but not ridiculed (however, i did get messages of ridicule when i first played Street Fighter online> How bad is that!). After a couple of matches you'll find someone you can beat and that'll give you a confidence boost. Real people play fuuuuuuuuuuck all like the computer. I can beat the ladder mode on expert without losing a round but then i go online and get perfected and babality'd by people using the simplest tactics. Playing the computer all day will leave you with bad habits. Trust me on that one, im a prime example! But after playing online for a bit, you kinda iron yourself out.

 

[LWZ]

I've started my quest in selecting who I want to get good with. I am doing this by doing ladder matches with every character and the ones I beat it with move on to the next round (higher difficulty). The ones I can go the furthest with on the highest difficulty will be my pick. So far this has only been Scorpion (basically did with ermac too but got cocky with Shao Khan and was goofing around then...X-RAY...dammit), but I've only made it to Jade (started from top left) so I still have alot to go. Its weird how easy it was with scorpion compared to the struggles I have with the others on the bosses (Khan, Goro/Kintaro and Shang)

I also went out and bought a new controller, found a generic one that had a nice D-Pad, didn't realize it until I got home that the whole controller is smaller which apparently makes it a lot easier for me to do combos and stuff. I'm also starting on the tower which is helping since its forcing me to play in different ways than I'm comfortable with.