HOT TAKE: New Mortal Kombat characters should be ninjas.

[theotherguy]

( and people complain about Jacqui and Cassie's design being basic)

Well they are. Hide their head and neither outfit screams Jacqui or Cassie. Hide the head of any of the ninjas and you can still make out who they are if not only by the colour, but also any design features of the costume (icey bits/spear head/jewels etc).

For me part of the draw of the game was the asian fantasy elements of the first two games. The ninja's were a big part of that. Since then with them adding some more "odd" characters doesn't fit as well for me, and for that reason still play more of the classics.

The exceptions of late would be Kung Jin, only because i'm a sucker for anyone with a bow and arrow, just looks cool. And Kotal Kahn, because he's got that Aztec vibe going on.

So back to the point, I think there's enough ninjas, but i'd like to see some more fantasy/mystical elements come in and less of the special forces stuff. At least sonya and jax had some strange moves (energy rings/wave) instead of your run of the mill guns.

 

[mr_papageorgio__]

Back to their roots like... MK3...? Which didn't have a tournament.

MK4...? Which didn't have a tournament.

Deadly Alliance...? Which didn't have a tournament.

Deception...? Which didn't have a tournament.

Armageddon...? Which didn't have a tournament.

I actually agree with you that I'd love to see a tournament storyline done justice with NRS's new tech and writing. But to suggest that this is somehow a brand new development for the MK universe is silly. The only games that have ever prominently featured tournaments are MK1, MK2, and MK9. That's it.

roots... where it started. never said this was new,Just want less magic and time travel and more combat. maybe in mk12 the super duper elder God from the super realm will resurrect every charachter and makes them fight to the death again to control all the worlds.

 

[HeavyNorse]

Deadly Alliance...? Which didn't have a tournament.

It did, actually... but Li Mei was the only contestant.

 

[pure.Wasted]

It did, actually... but Li Mei was the only contestant.

Poor Li Mei. Always playing with herself.

Technically didn't Deception have a tournament as well? Since Shujinko ran into a bunch of people preparing for MK1.

 

[MKF30]

I think if not this game, then MK 12 they need to bust out Chameleon again, Tremor and create a few newer ninjas. Maybe a wind ninja? I mean I know we have Fujin but since he's getting so much respect in the past decade from NRS, why the hell not? lol We have one that controls water, ice, fire and the earth(ok Tremor may be debatable but he has the ninja like mask and is a badass so lol)

 

[HeavyNorse]

Poor Li Mei. Always playing with herself.

Technically didn't Deception have a tournament as well? Since Shujinko ran into a bunch of people preparing for MK1.

Well, that was literally the MK1 tournament. It wasn't a new tournament.

 

[MKF30]

Erron Black was the least played new character in MKX, and the second least played character overall after Reptile. Lol.

Really? I find that hard to believe since he was so hyped in MK 11, he had to be played more than Ferra/Torr and Jacqui though I'd imagine lol

 

[pure.Wasted]

Well, that was literally the MK1 tournament. It wasn't a new tournament.

Yeah but I counted MK9, which was the MK1/2 tournament all over again. But yeah basically across 11 primary titles, we've only ever had 2 tournaments and various retellings of them from different timelines and perspectives.

 

[PapaRegadetho]

I get that playtime isn't the same thing as popularity, but how do you go from "28th character out of 29" to "actually more popular than 6, 7, and 10." Like, what in the world are you basing that on?

My impression from MKX and pre-MK11 release is that at least Cassie, Takeda, Kotal Kahn, and D'Vorah are all more popular new characters than Erron.

Well, I do know he was everywhere at the begining in Mkx,but overtime people moved on because he was being the most nerfed character which shot him down to low tier. And it might be that I see the demand for the character all over social media,even tho the character itself isnt doing anything but just look the way he looks. And effortlesly might I say compared to Takeda and Kotal. Even when he was just a comic book character that stood idle in the background,people were losing their mind over him. Even Kung Jin has more personality and flare but somehow he didnt sit right to the community. And look,he is even being brought back for MK11, lul.

 

[pure.Wasted]

Really? I find that hard to believe since he was so hyped in MK 11, he had to be played more than Ferra/Torr and Jacqui though I'd imagine lol

[source from 2016]

[source from 2018]

He was at first. Seems like he was middle of the pack for a while at the start (never higher than Takeda, Cassie, and rarely higher than Kung Jin) but then he started to drop at the end of year 1 and presumably just kept dropping.

I definitely don't think he was a less LIKED character than almost all others (e.g. Ferra/Torr), but I don't see any basis to call him the most well received newbie.

 

[StormGoddess]

Well they are. Hide their head and neither outfit screams Jacqui or Cassie. Hide the head of any of the ninjas and you can still make out who they are if not only by the colour, but also any design features of the costume (icey bits/spear head/jewels etc).

For me part of the draw of the game was the asian fantasy elements of the first two games. The ninja's were a big part of that. Since then with them adding some more "odd" characters doesn't fit as well for me, and for that reason still play more of the classics.

The exceptions of late would be Kung Jin, only because i'm a sucker for anyone with a bow and arrow, just looks cool. And Kotal Kahn, because he's got that Aztec vibe going on.

So back to the point, I think there's enough ninjas, but i'd like to see some more fantasy/mystical elements come in and less of the special forces stuff. At least sonya and jax had some strange moves (energy rings/wave) instead of your run of the mill guns.

LOL...if you say so-
IMO
PALETTE swap is the definition of generic...

the fact that some much fan art can be made to represent these so called "unique "ninja designs further proves my point that nrs is actively moving away from palate swaps ninjas.

---when NRS tries to update and redesign these "ninjas" to make them unique - most cry about them not looking generic

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

as far as the special forces being generic,
so is Liu, Johnny , erron black
(during mkx i heard people asking for Cage to have a tux.. that pretty basic)
so are the classic ninja designs.
what it is that you just like the ninja design over special forces.
which is like just your personal choice and whatever to each his/her own...

 

[DuskyDile]

Do people not realize that they used pallet swaps for all the ninjas back in the day because the characters were digitized actors, so they saved money instead of getting different actors and costumes for all the ninjas.

 

[HeavyNorse]

Ermac is a genderqueer MK ninja.

 

[MateoFoShizzle]

Mortal Kombat X

Kotal Khan? Not a ninja.
D'Vorah? Not a ninja.
Ferra / Torr? Not a ninja.
Cassie Cage? Not a ninja.
Jacqui Briggs? Not a ninja.
Kung Jin? Not a ninja.
Erron Black? Eh. Not really a ninja. Maybe a cowboy-ninja and that's me being generous.
Takeda? Eh. Somewhat of a ninja. Should look more the part though. Full face mask and stuff.

Mortal Kombat 11

Geras? Not a ninja.
Cetrion? Not a ninja.
Kollector? Not a ninja.
Kronika? Not a ninja. Yes, why not an elder god ninja?
The returning MKX characters aren't ninjas either.

Am I crazy to assume that most of us fell in love with Mortal Kombat due to the many cool ninjas the franchise has at its disposal? Ninjas are always cool. It's not like they're cowboys and have lost their appeal with the death of wild wild west movies.

To me it feels like Mortal Kombat is losing its identity with MKX and MK11. Now I'm not saying that they're getting worse storywise or anything. Obviously they are not. But when it comes to characters... Most of them strike me as so forgetable.
And while the 3D era added mostly non-ninjas as well, these old characters didn't age well. Kenshi has become a fan favorite, but Kenshi too has some ninja / samurai elements to him. I don't think that 10 years down the road Kotal Khan and Jacqui Briggs will have won as many players over as Kenshi did. They're just there. Yes, it's interesting to see how Kotal Khans story will unfold, when (if at all) he meets Shao Khan. Or D'Vorah. But once that part is over, we're left with Ancient Ogre. While at the same time most fans would take Smoke and Rain over Kotal Khan in an instant. And these two characters are arguably less fleshed out storywise. But just by being ninjas they are so much more appealing.

I legit wouldn't have complained at all, if we would have gotten more new ninjas. Give them another color, make them do crazy stuff and you have my attention. Force feed me two soldier girls, who are copying their parents, and you lose my interest.

I mean... I like the idea but there's not too many unique colors left..
Orange? ...pink?

 

[theotherguy]

PALETTE swap is the definition of generic...

Yes it is, but they haven't been palette swaps since UMK3. The most recent games the characters have become more distinct thanks to more design elements showing off their characters beyond just the colour.

---when NRS tries to update and redesign these "ninjas" to make them unique - most cry about them not looking generic

I must have missed those posts... although NRS almost always has a classic costume to cater to those people. So still win/win.

as far as the special forces being generic, so is Liu, Johnny , erron black

Their characters are stereotypes, yes, but in the game how many others wear what they do? Closest would be Liu/Johnny if cage is wearing his tournament outfit, and even then, Liu's is always red, Johnny is blue.

Cassie/Jacqui, both grey, both military style, both tight fitting/armoured. They are the new pallet swap.

what it is that you just like the ninja design over special forces. which is like just your personal choice

Yes it is, and i explained why in my post. The same way i explained why the new SF ladies aren't that unique visually.

 

[superbn0va]

They should atleast look like they can fight or have some eastern/martial arts influances. Why eastern? Bc MK is about a martial arts tournament (martial arts is from eastern parts 9 out of 10 times)

I defenitly like to see more ninjas, shaolin warriors. or some like old in kung fu fantasy movies. Unfortunatly the new kids @NRS rather ignore the eastern martial arts side of MK..

 

[Scott The Scot]

smoke is a robot

 

[StormGoddess]

AH, poor Scott(the scot)

 

[Cassie Cyrus]

I’d like to know what Takeda would have looked like in 1995, probably a orange pallet swap ninja.

 

[Vslayer]

Cassie and Jacqui had ninja cosplays XD

I wouldn't mind more ninjas honestly, but there are a limited amount of colours they can use. Unless they mess with tints. MK45 welcomes the newcomer, Diamond! The teal-coloured ninja that can materialize diamonds!

 

[Lokheit]

Erron Black was the least played new character in MKX, and the second least played character overall after Reptile. Lol.

I think it had way more to do with casual players not being able to use 21122 and DBF inputs (and the series of nerfs as Sonic made him look better than he was) than people not thinking he was cool.

 

[NSR]

 

[SaladPlateLover]

The special forces characters were mystery to me in mk9 since all the other characters were either kung fu, ninjas, cyborgs, or monsters

 

[PapaRegadetho]

" I am NOT chaineeese, I am Kooorrrrrrreeeaaan "

 

[Rip Torn]

I have always been a fan of the ninjas.