This is what I know a lot of you have been waiting for!

First let me start of by thanking the MK Development Team for be kind enough to answer my questions and for making this new MK game! I would also like to thank Konqrr and danadbab for producing those excellent videos that demonstrated some of the problem areas of MKD.

Now, to put all of your minds at ease, the MK Team was well aware of the problems inherent in MKD. I put together a very comprehensive problem and solution write-up which incorporated all of the questions that you, the MKO members were kind enough to post in my thread. The dev staff noticed a large consensus of the need for throw escapes and get-up attacks. The need for a Wake Up game was a really big request that many asked for. I let them know of the need to give slower moves a reason to be used vs. a quick jab. I gave them scenarios in which players pull off infinites (they called them loops) and free throws.

I explained to them the reason why a wake up game is necessary and how it could have prevented many of the problems with MKD, and how a throw escape could have eliminated all of the infinite combos in the game as well as the free throws.

I am happy to report that the MK development team was very receptive to the information that I provided to them in the form of written documentation and video. They were happy to get all of our user feedback and are eager to resolve the issues when the show is over. I’m also happy to report that they already had plans to incorporate get up attacks and throw escapes even before I presented them with the information! I had a great and informative time speaking to Jim Terdino (Online mode programmer) Steve Berand (Producer) I forgot the other guy’s name in the yellow shirt, but he really knew his stuff. He has been working with midway since he was 16. He met Ed boon during the time of the 1st MK and was offered a job as a tester. He moved up in the ranks and is now head of game play development.

Paulo Garcia was also there at the show, I didn’t get the chance to get revenge for the ass whoopin’ he gave me in 2004 with Night Wolf lol! He seemed really happy to receive the videos and documentation that I brought for them. Word spread rather quickly about the information that I brought because Ed Boon already knew about it when I spoke to him. I don’t want to hear anyone say that Ed doesn’t know about fighting games, he knew what I was talking about when I mentioned a wake up game. He and the other members of the MK Team are some of the nicest guys you will ever meet and it was a pleasure to have spoken to them.


Now, onto the Game Mechanics for the E3 build.
No Free Throws! (Except one)
There seem to be no free throws possible other than in Coy Lee Fut, but even that was tough to do. They have slowed down the ability to immediately perform a throw after any basic attack. I tried to side-step then throw, but it didn’t happen for me (thank jebus!)
The missed throw animation leaves you somewhat open to attack and looks like the character is performing a neck strike. There are no juggle throws so far, hopefully they will not make a return.
Note: One of the MK Team members let me know that the throw escape gives you 2 frames to react in order to escape the throw, otherwise you get thrown.

The Parry
So far there is only one type of parry, the high parry. There will be a low parry in the future but on to its function and reliability. I would like to say that the parry will not break the game; in fact it made the game GREAT! It’s performed by pressing back+block. You cannot just spam the parry and win, you have to time your parry or you will eat the attack that was coming your way. You cannot parry in the air while being combo’ed. You can only parry the first hit of an attack for it to work or you can block and attempt to parry while someone is performing a string. It’s not easy and it will take practice to master. The animation for a successful parry staggers the opponent in which they go into a stagger animation routine (they kind of turn their back to you wincing in pain) for what seems to be less than a second. If you do not attack right away, they get to block or attack you! So far, I like the parry, they just need one for low attacks. Not everything can be parried. Fireballs cannot be parried but special moves that use the characters body to attack will be parried! You have to be quick!

Side stepping
Side stepping seemed to work, they knew about the universal tracking glitch and fixed it. I was told that there are certain moves designed to auto track but during the programming of the last game, they fixed some moves that didn’t auto track not realizing that unintended moves would auto track if you held up. No the case in this game. (Update) The moves that you have to hold up to execute will still track you but normal moves will not.

Air Combos
The air combos in this game are FUN!!!! Everyone seems to be able to start the air combo with 1, 1, 2 then 1, 3, 2, 4(to air throw). You can only get two air throws off per air combo and then it stops you from attacking. If you know how to keep the air chains going you will cause some serious damage! The thing about that is if your opponent knows how to roll out of the air throw once they hit the ground, your long air combo is thwarted. Again, to roll out of the air throw when you hit the ground requires perfect timing like the parry. Right now, there is no damage scaling so there are some VERY damaging air combos!
(Update) So far it seems like everyone has a universal air combo system. Keep in mind that this demo was only for E3 and that the team advised me that there is way more to the game back in the Chicago headquarters.

Projectile attacks
The projectile attacks in this game have been sped up considerably. They are no longer easily escapable, Serena’s blades come to mind when I thing of the increased speed. The speed increase comes from the testers knowing that projectiles were practically useless in MKD. They can be done repeatedly at extreme rates of execution. Debilitating or stunning special moves such as Sub-Zeros Freeze and Fujin’s Wind lift have delays to balance them out.


Jump Kicking
Jump kick and jump punch attacks sent the opponent flying away from you. No more jump-kick then free-throw nonsense! (Update) The jump kicks seemed to have a bigger role in this build. The neck kicks add depth to the game, but you cannot combo off of a neck kick. Who knows how they will tweek this in the future.

Attack Recovery:
Attack recovery seems fast like it was back in MKDA. I didn’t notice any slow jabs like in MKD.
(Update) The Team is planning on speeding up the jab moves even further and reduce the lag that was in the MKD jabs


Taunting
Taunting in the game will give you small amounts of life back. Each taunt performed will yield smaller amounts of life recovery similar to Havik in MKD.


Kreate a Kharacter
This mode is incredible! There was SO MUCH to choose from to create the look and feel of your characters. Forget what you have seen on some of these videos, those guys have no artistic vision! There were guys who made Akuma, Ken, Paul Phoenix, and some original characters that look fantastic! I give credit to this guy who made Chameleon! She looked awesome! Sorry Chameleon is not really in the game. The moves are selected from the entire cast of characters moves and can be mixed and matched in any way you want. There can be some really cheesy styles created but you will have the choice of playing against them online. You will have to assign every punch and kick to each of the four attack buttons as well as the combinations that they will be used in. You can choose your characters voice, win pose and taunt. I will get more information on this tomorrow.

VS. Screen Makes a return in MKA
(Update) They are no longer static screens and you can see the background on which the battle will take place complete with little animations in the background


Boss: Giant version of Blaze
The boss seems to be a genetic splice between Blaze and Onaga. He can only be seen sitting on top of the pyramid during the arcade mode’s character ladder.

Secret Mode: This mode will not be revealed until August. Be Patient!

(Update)Create a Fatality
This part of the game is really fun! There is actually a challenge in trying to pull off as many fatality strings as possible before your timer meters run out quicker and quicker. The trick in perfoming the longest string possible is to input the combo while the other one is in mid motion similar to how the throw chains work in Tekken for all you Tekken fans out there. To start a fatality, simply tap F,F+X then you can begin stringing together some very easy commands such as B,F+X, B,B+X, F,F+Y, U,U+Y, B,F+A, F,B+B and so forth. I basicaly button mashed a fatality sequence and pulled off some really cool ones. It's that simple folks, no more memorizing fatalities..except if you want to perform a character specific ender! More on those will be revealed in time. I have to be honest, I didn't really think I would care for or like this feature but they proved me wrong! It takes skill to pull off the longer fatality strings which I find strange even using the word skill and fatality in the same sentence. It's a welcome change.

(Update) Jumping
Jumping has more of a presence in this game by far. The characters no longer feel like they weigh 300 pounds when you jump (Except the Boss Characters, which was expected). Your character feels natural in the air and is a welcome addition to the action.


Characters for the E3 Build

Reiko: Alternate costume is from MK4
Reiko is a powerhouse! He has Noob Saibot’s shadow throw from MK Trilogy, some extremely quick ninja stars, a charge move similar to Night Wolf in which Shao Khan’s helmet appears on his head in a blue ghostly form, and a quicker Li Mei Klock Kick. He was in the Pi Gua stance which made him a threat! His specials are very good making him very difficult to beat.
Weapon Stance: His weapon stance was very similar to Kenshi’s but he uses a nicer looking sword. The sword looks kind of like Cloud’s from Final Fantasy, but with glyphs on it.


Rain: Alternate costume is like the primary without the cape
Rain is very broken as far as his water teleport is concerned. I was advised that he will not be able to repeatedly perform the water teleport like he can in the E3 build. He has a Water Shot that shoots a stream of water about a half screens distance. He has an unblock-able lightening bolt that sets opponents up for air combos. His water kick looks kind of goofy but it seems effective as a combo ender.
(Update) Rain will be a Top Tier Character thanks to his teleport move. At the moment, the move can be done repeatedly without delay amking Rain a very trick fighter, more so than Raiden. I was appearing in front and back of my opponents in the blink of an eye and could mix them up between mids and throws. His Water Kick hits mid and is pretty safe on block. His Water shot actually hits full screen, not half screen like I previously mentioned.


Scorpion: Alternate costume is from MKD
Scorpion had a new fighting style called Hua Chuan. He has a new Fire Teleport punch that is done on the ground. The move is quick and leaves a transparent image of him in front of you while he appears in back of you with a flaming fist that sets you on fire, very COOL! He also has a new throw move that knocks you up in the air in which he performs a spear to bring you back down to the ground, very sweet looking sequence! He loses his Tele Kick from MKD but keeps his other two specials.

Jarek: Alternate is a modified version of his MK4 costume
I really didn’t use him too much but I will report more on him tomorrow. His rope grab has a very short range and he has a quicker Ermac-like ground pound.
(Update) Jarek's Rope Slam reaches half screen and is not safe on block! Be careful when using this move. His ground pound is similar to Ermac's with the exception of not floating in the air. It comes out VERY fast!!!
Weapon: Some kind of axe that played a lot like Ermac's Axe.


Sub-Zero: Alternate is from MK Deception
Oddly enough, Subby was using Raiden’s fighting style. In addition to keeping his current special attacks, he gains a new move called the Ice Pillar. This move is pretty good and it comes out fast to keep jumping opponents in check. It does leave you way open if you miss.

Kintaro: Alternate is from MK2 (without ponytail and he has spiked shoulder pads)
His fighting style is called Tiger fist or something like that. He has command throws that catch the opponent from a distance. The Moloch like vacuum throw is good and so is the lunge throw, which is a standard Shokan beat down throw. He plays a bit similarly to Goro.
(Update) Kintaro when played correctly will be a threat! His Command grab is UNBLOCKABLE! It lunges out at you from a short distance and does about 20% damage. Be very wary of this move.

Fujin: Alternate costume looks kind of like he is from the school of Raiden complete with cape and Raiden’s hairstyle.
Fujin can be dangerous in the right hands. His special attacks are a wind projectile that sins the opponent in place, a wind lift similar to Ermac’s Tele- lift, an Air Dive kick and a stationary wind spin that vacuums in close opponents. He was using Mian Chuan, Mileena’s bread and butter stance so he was my best player at the show.
Weapon: Very similar to Shujinko’s weapon.


Shao Khan: Alternate Costume is a black armored costume
Shao Khan is a power character that relies heavily on planting moves. His charge causes a plant as does many of his basic attacks. His projectiles come out extremely fast and his knee charge seems quite useful for surprise attacks.
Weapon: War Hammer, it seems to slow to be much of a threat and doesn’t cause much damage.

Sheeva: Alternate is from MK3
Welcome the new Dairou! Sheeva has a quick ground stomp that launches an opponent no matter where you are. The range of the launched opponent is much shorter than MKD Dairou but it is just as annoying if you are not looking for it. I learned that Dai has be severely toned down and will no longer be the powerhouse that he once was. Sheeva’s ground stomp can be seen as she performs it which makes it more balanced than Dai’s. She has the second fastest projectile in the game which makes her deadly! She also has the standard Shokan Stomp and a lunging Shokan Beat down grab. She seems like a top tier player at this point.
Weapon: Some type of Sai blades that are really fast! Her weapon has no recovery frames at this point in the build but it will be toned down before release. She is too good right now.

Shinnok: Alternate costume is more of a garb with the same design and color.
Shinnok was using Liu Kang’s second style which made him nasty! His special attacks include a flying bone fist, a Teleport move where he hits you with his back after he appears on the other side of you (can be used in combos). He has a Skeletal Hand grab move that appears right in front of you, picks you up, shakes you around, and then slams you down causing a bounce. I was unable to juggle off of the bounce. He has something else but I can’t recall it right now. I will update his moves tomorrow.
Weapon: His weapon was a scepter with an amulet on it. It had some moves from Sindel’s weapon.

Stryker: Alternate Costume looks like a masked Swat Team agent
Stryker DOES NO SUCK! He has some of the best keep away moves in the game. He has a high and low grenade toss, a stun gun that shoots a wire about half screen distance, and a machine gun that shoots ground and airborne opponents. He was really fun to play as in the game.
Weapon: Stryker uses the Batons that Jax used in MKD. They are very quick and have little recovery time. They seemed pretty balanced, but that may change with online play.


Kai: Alternate costume is a modified version of the MK4 costume
Kai seems like more like the type of character that only experts will make into a threat. He does have one pretty good special, the Sliding Flame Kick, but his other specials will require extensive knowledge of spacing. You will have to know you opponent well to land his other moves such as the Hopping Flame, the Flames from Above move and the Thrust Flame Kick.
Weapon: His sword was similar to Kenshi’s


Goro: Alternate costume is from the Game Cube version
Goro is pretty much the same as he is in the Game Cube version of the game. He is not overly dominating at all but he does have a rather useful spinning arm move that was also available in the Game Cube version. He also has the standard Shokan Beat Down and Stomp move.
Weapon: The Dragon Teeth from the Game Cube version


Sector: Alternate costume is a sleeker looking version of the original design complete with a Predator like helmet and dreads, very cool!
Sector has a forward shooting missile and an upward shooting missile that goes off the screen and then comes down similar to Ashra’s and Kai’s. His is much faster and is great to set up missile traps. His Tele-Uppercut creates a green portal on the ground where he will appear and come out much quicker than Smokes. He has this rather effective flame thrower move that is great for zoning your opponent. Welcome back Sector, you will be upper middle tier.
Weapon: The light saber that Cyrax used in MKDA


Sareena: Alternate costume is from MK Sub-Zero Mythologies
Sareena take the prize for the FASTEST projectiles in the game. She can launch the blades at blinding speeds causing the ultimate fireball traps. She has a lunging overhead punch that can be repeated over and over, there is a slight recovery time allowing for counter attack. She also has a Fire kick that if connected, kicks that opponent 3 times in the chest, if blocked you at a frame disadvantage and open for counter attack. Her Fire Kick is best used for ground combo enders’. Sareena will easily make upper middle tier.
Weapon: (Update) Sareena was using the Demon Blade which for the moment uses Li Mei's weapon style.


I have more pictures from the show that I will send to Konqrr if he wants to add them to his site.


(Update) In conclusion, I would like to once again thank the MK Team for taking the time and energy to make the latest version of our favorite franchise and to all of the MKO fans who made my documentation and vidoes on the issues suffered by MKD possible. The rest of the game is in the MK Team's hands and it will be up to them to provide the missing gameplay elements that will make Mortal Kombat Armageddon the best possible MK in the series history. Good luck MK Team! Peace