Freddy: Why I don't find him as ridiculous as I should

[LoneCenturion]

Now, don't get me wrong. I think his inclusion is rather ridiculous, and a bit of a shark jumping moment.

Do I necessarily find this a detriment to the game? Not at all.

See, there's this ongoing belief that this move will either lead to the game not being taken seriously, or people think it's "gimmicky bullshit."

Well, MK, quite frankly, is FULL of gimmicky bullshit.

1. Fatalities. Let's face it, Fatalities are what made MK into the household franchise it is today. The crude violence and gore is what got us all interested, and the controversy that surrounded it especially gave it notability in the world at large. It's because of this aspect that many people, who may not have been interested in fighters in general, decided to give it a try.

This also includes: Babalities, Friendships, Mercy, Brutalities, etc etc.

2. The return to "MK's roots" (making the game 2D, including characters who only appeared in MK1-3, as well as retro stages), let's face it, was a gimmick to get the fans to react well to the new addition to the series. It wasn't just a smart decision from a gameplay and presentation standpoint; it was also a way to market the game both to new players, and fans of the series who had become disillusioned or bitter at the 3D incarnations of the series.

3. Kratos, Mokap, Meat, Bo Rai Cho, Johnny Cage (especially given he was originally supposed to be Jean Claude Van Damme) are all massive joke characters who, in and of themselves, are shark jumping.

Overall, the series and game itself is rather ridiculous and full of gimmicks. Has that really taken away from the overall experience? No. In fact, it's part of the reason we love the series as a whole. It's ridiculous, over the top, yet violent, and a good game overall.

Adding in Freddy only adds to that. So, in much more tl;dr terms:

Shut the fuck up, enjoy the ride, and FINISH HIM!

*disappears in a puff of smoke*

 

[doomfarmer]

People are only mad because they wanted their favorite 3D character in it. These are people that bought a game where batman and superman could fight raiden. They even bought a game that had Kratos as a character. Now... Freddy has "crossed the line". LOL... I dunno man, I don't get it.

I mean, on one hand I understand. I'm 28 years old, I grew up with MK, i've loved this fucking series like it was my own (although I never played MK vs DC, sorry). But I can see people like that thinking WHAT THE FUCK, DON'T TOUCH MY BABY.

I guess I can only really say that I, PERSONALLY, am excited for Freddy. He looks awesome. Period. So what if he's a "joke" character... RAIN IS A JOKE CHARACTER. Everyone went apeshit for him but I wasn't starting polls "Lulz wut is this Rain garbage". It comes down to... he's a DLC character. He wasn't included in the game... like Kratos. Why are people not all in an uproar about Kratos? At least Freddy is an OPTION. You don't HAVE to buy him. You don't HAVE to download the compatibility pack. He's just a BONUS. I think it just comes down to people wanted to see X character... they didn't make it... so they're upset. THERE IS STILL HOPE FOR SEASON 2 PEOPLE.

ant3:

 

[Altsa]

As much as I dislike having quest characters, it could have been MUCH worse.

Find people who dont play MK or watch horror movies and I bet they will never quess Freddy isn´t a MK character. Most likely he´ll fit in just fine.

 

[Konqrr]

I guess I can only really say that I, PERSONALLY, am excited for Freddy. He looks awesome. Period. So what if he's a "joke" character... RAIN IS A JOKE CHARACTER. Everyone went apeshit for him but I wasn't starting polls "Lulz wut is this Rain garbage".

Rain is such a joke. I was meh when I heard about him coming, then I saw the video and was impressed, then I played him and I'm back to meh. Kenshi ftw ... When Shinnok and Tanya come, I'll be happy. Oh, also my MK1 Cage and MK2 Shang costumes too.

 

[Tim Static]

Now, don't get me wrong. I think his inclusion is rather ridiculous, and a bit of a shark jumping moment.

Do I necessarily find this a detriment to the game? Not at all.

See, there's this ongoing belief that this move will either lead to the game not being taken seriously, or people think it's "gimmicky bullshit."

Well, MK, quite frankly, is FULL of gimmicky bullshit.

1. Fatalities. Let's face it, Fatalities are what made MK into the household franchise it is today. The crude violence and gore is what got us all interested, and the controversy that surrounded it especially gave it notability in the world at large. It's because of this aspect that many people, who may not have been interested in fighters in general, decided to give it a try.

This also includes: Babalities, Friendships, Mercy, Brutalities, etc etc.

2. The return to "MK's roots" (making the game 2D, including characters who only appeared in MK1-3, as well as retro stages), let's face it, was a gimmick to get the fans to react well to the new addition to the series. It wasn't just a smart decision from a gameplay and presentation standpoint; it was also a way to market the game both to new players, and fans of the series who had become disillusioned or bitter at the 3D incarnations of the series.

3. Kratos, Mokap, Meat, Bo Rai Cho, Johnny Cage (especially given he was originally supposed to be Jean Claude Van Damme) are all massive joke characters who, in and of themselves, are shark jumping.

Overall, the series and game itself is rather ridiculous and full of gimmicks. Has that really taken away from the overall experience? No. In fact, it's part of the reason we love the series as a whole. It's ridiculous, over the top, yet violent, and a good game overall.

Adding in Freddy only adds to that. So, in much more tl;dr terms:

Shut the fuck up, enjoy the ride, and FINISH HIM!

*disappears in a puff of smoke*

When MK came out in the early 90's, it had to seperate itself from SF. So the gore and Finishing Moves were the gimmick used to make people buy the game. Been using gimmicks to sell it ever since, and that includes X-Ray, Kratos and Freddy.

Its not even really a 2d fighter. lol its a 3d fighter on a 2d plane. And it plays exactly like that. needs 2d in 2d. hotboxes are goofy in MK9.

Cage is basis of the series, thus is trolling on fans since Day 1 lmao

Good post.

 

[Jamison]

Well I agree LoneCenturion. Freddy Krueger is going to be a cash cow because it is a great way to sell more games, and in turn get more people exposed to this great game. With this additional exposure it then could give us increasing numbers of people online and in tournament play. However, current players are gonna have a tough time with this new addition to the roster, but you can't blame NRS they are looking for some additional cash, proof being the longer three week ramp up before Freddys release. I believe it will be a success for NRS and hopefully this success will continue to inspire them to make MK 10 even better then 9. A litttle gimmicky, but I'm not hating. Now if they could only release Jason and we could have the cheesiest face off ever, Freddy vs. Jason.

 

[LoneCenturion]

Well I agree LoneCenturion. Freddy Krueger is going to be a cash cow because it is a great way to sell more games, and in turn get more people exposed to this great game. With this additional exposure it then could give us increasing numbers of people online and in tournament play. However, current players are gonna have a tough time with this new addition to the roster, but you can't blame NRS they are looking for some additional cash, proof being the longer three week ramp up before Freddys release. I believe it will be a success for NRS and hopefully this success will continue to inspire them to make MK 10 even better then 9. A litttle gimmicky, but I'm not hating. Now if they could only release Jason and we could have the cheesiest face off ever, Freddy vs. Jason.

Me personally?

I want Alice as DLC to be Freddy's rival character.

 

[doomfarmer]

Now if they could only release Jason and we could have the MOST EPIC face off ever, Freddy vs. Jason.

fixed

 

[Jelan]

At first I was disappointed. Just like now, but I don't hate on it. It's kinda like slapping your fans while shouting "FUCK YOU ALL" but if it ends up doing good for the game by getting people to play it, I'm fine with it. At least I'll have the perfect character to practice on.

 

[LoneCenturion]

At first I was disappointed. Just like now, but I don't hate on it. It's kinda like slapping your fans while shouting "FUCK YOU ALL" but if it ends up doing good for the game by getting people to play it, I'm fine with it. At least I'll have the perfect character to practice on.

Do tell me how it's a big "fuck you" when, quite frankly, the gaming industry is still an industry, and they have to find SOME way to market the game to the casual crowd?

Before the game came out, they tried to hit casuals with nostalgia by giving classic ninja costumes as a pre-order bonus.

Then they gave us 3 DLC characters who appeal SOLELY to MK's hardcore fanbase.

However, all fighting games, whether they're tourney heavy or not, need to cater to the casual market to gain sales. SF, MK, Tekken, you name the game, there's a gimmick to sell it to casuals.

 

[Jelan]

Do tell me how it's a big "fuck you" when, quite frankly, the gaming industry is still an industry, and they have to find SOME way to market the game to the casual crowd?

Before the game came out, they tried to hit casuals with nostalgia by giving classic ninja costumes as a pre-order bonus.

Then they gave us 3 DLC characters who appeal SOLELY to MK's hardcore fanbase.

However, all fighting games, whether they're tourney heavy or not, need to cater to the casual market to gain sales. SF, MK, Tekken, you name the game, there's a gimmick to sell it to casuals.

I know it's an industry and money is the lord, but still, all my friends and me felt like we've been told "FUCK YOU ALL" and got slapped by Boon.

 

[MKF30]

If MK has gimmicks then so does every other game and console for that matter....but that would be a long ass list lol. From Capcom to Namco to Halo to WB to Sony to Nintendo to M$$ to everyone....they've all done moves like this for business profit, period. People must deal with it already.

And MK's fatalities I never considered gimmicks because it had to be different from SF and it is and was, now look how many games have "fatalities/finishing" moves after MK came out or in general....so even MK has been an inspiration for other games...it had blood, first fighter if not games in general in that era to have it and shock value which SF didn't have. And it was a fun way and apart of the gameplay after you won to say "haha I won, now die" to your opponent.

That being said, I don't see the rants for Freddy....it's not like he's apart of the canon storyline, so the storyline buffs shouldn't complain. It's not like he's auto banned/or not banned at future tournaments and we don't know yet if he'll be really strong, weak etc. I mean, Rain vid came out I was sure he was going to be hard to deal with but he's not that bad and the online kills Rain IMO compared to offline.

But I will just say what I've said to others, if you don't like the move simply don't purchase Freddy. If you like it, get him. That is all.

 

[doomfarmer]

all my friends and me felt like we've been told "FUCK YOU ALL" and got slapped by Boon.

how did you guys feel when MK vs DC came out?

 

[Jelan]

how did you guys feel when MK vs DC came out?

These two are different things, MKvsDC was a crossover game to begin with.

 

[LoneCenturion]

These two are different things, MKvsDC was a crossover game to begin with.

Yet, it was still a gimmick to make money. And a T-rated gimmick, at that.

 

[Jelan]

Yet, it was still a gimmick to make money. And a T-rated gimmick, at that.

I don't care about Fatalities, so for me that's totally irrevelant if it's M or T. And for me these two are different 100%, as I said, MKvsDC was a crossover game while MK9 is not. I don't care about Kratos, I'm on 360 and he's banned from tournaments, so he's pretty much non-existent. I can understand the decision though, I'm just not happy about it.

 

[Jamison]

These two are different things, MKvsDC was a crossover game to begin with.

No matter a gimmick is still a gimmick. Mk was tired of all their previous titles after 3 becoming huge let downs so a gimmick had to be inserted. Therefore, we get MK vs DC T-Rated to ensure it was family friendly and with the addition of DC attracted a broader fan base. My nephew who had NEVER played MK, bought this game and of course every time I played him he picked a DC hero as his fighter, while I picked traditional MK characters. I think this is what NRS can expect from adding Freddy to the roster. Depending on the tier level of Freddy the MK community could start seeing some decent Freddy players emerge.

 

[Risergy]

(I wrote some of this is the DLC reveal thread, so I apologize for sounding like a broken record.)

Your average fighting games tend to take one route and stuck with it, whether it be Kung-Fu, Horror, Anime, etc. But Mortal Kombat was different. Mortal Kombat was and continues to be a driftnet for popular culture -- absorbing and paying homage to films in the action, kung-fu, fantasy, sci-fi and horror genres. It was this Tarantino-esk attitude towards game design that made it so appealing and it's no coincidence that horror fans such as myself came to love MK as the genre itself has had a big effect on MK.

I mentioned Tarantino. Remember Hattori Hanzo in Kill Bill? The legendary swordsmith played by the even more legendary Sonny Chiba? The laymen may be unaware that Kill Bill was far from the first time Sonny Chiba played one of the desendance of Hanzo. Hanzo is from the series Shadow Warriors. But Kill Bill isn't a sequel to Shadow Warriors, so why does a Hanzo descendant play such an important role in Kill Bill? Because it's a tribute, acknowledging the inspiration both Sonny Chiba and Shadow Warriors had on the movie. This is why I can't help but think of Freddy Krueger as a tribute, like Hattori Hanzo, coming around to be in something he helped inspire.

Perhaps Freddy Krueger is just a cash grab and I'm giving the fine folks at NRS too much credit. But if I am it's only because I'm not a cynic. Cynicism is a quality that prevents you from enjoying the things meant to be enjoyable. And if that's what Mortal Kombat fans have become, a group of miserable cynics, I'm afraid they may have missed the point of Mortal Kombat entirely.

 

[jtom]

you all are absolutely right that mk is historically a gimmicky game and that Freddy pretty much falls in line with what youd expect from an MK title nowadays...thats not the problem.

the problem is in my humble opinion, that NRS was 'supposedly' looking to graduate beyond that in MK9. then they release freddy krueger (WTF) as dlc and what do ya know, trick was on us apparently.

and to be honest i have no problem with MK wanting to remain a casual game. ill continue to play it for shits and giggles when friends are over just like NRS apparently wants us to.

 

[LoneCenturion]

Because, clearly, adding in Freddy also installs a patch that removes character balance, allows Freddy and Kung Lao to do 100% combos, and clearly means they don't want it to have a tournament life.

*rolls eyes*

And this is why a lot of MK fans bug the shit out of me.

 

[Risergy]

Characters and ascetics don't determine a games tournament worthiness, man. It's hitboxes, frames and gameplay that matter.

UMvC3 has Rocket Raccoon in it. ROCKET RACCOON.

 

[jtom]

umvc3 is a crossover game, to be frank i could care less who they include in that cast. same with sfxt and their inclusion of cole. soul caliber was and still is a trash title so its no surprise to see yoda and vader make their way into their game. unfortunately mk is quickly moving more and more into the soul caliber class, except for the fact that mk is actually fun to play and a novelty.

It's hitboxes, frames and gameplay that matter.

yes exactly, when all of those things are currently in shambles, its tough to take a dlc add of freddy krueger as a positive

 

[Risergy]

I suppose it's easier for me to take as a positive because my favorite MK characters are Bruce Lee, Time Cop the Ninja Mime and Highlander the Thunder God.

 

[Kickzilla]

Why is it even gimmicky if it's a legit character with balance and competitive play as consideration put into its design? The biggest thing that stands out in my mind when someone moans about this is.. how can you think marvel vs capcom or the myriad capcom vs anything..and the plethora of ridiculous cartoon over the top characters that exist in those competitive games are fine.. but suddenly MK doing stuff like this is somehow blasphemy. Oh no a fake virtual world that introduces a fake virtual character that isn't in line with my fake virtual preference? Really?...

 

[Kombo]

I really didn't see why I was so upset at this at first. But now I'm starting to realize that this is alll one big joke. I never should've took MK seriously in the first place but I got caught up in all the tournaments and streams. I didn't buy MKvsDC for the same reasons I am not going to buy Freddy but I'm not going to sit here and whining and complaing in every single Freddy related thread. Hell, I saw this coming and I still bugged the fuck out yesterday. I guess MK makes us passionate like that.