The reason why many people didn't like MK3/UMK3 was because the fatalities looked stupid, and that the combos and run button were weren't any good. I could care less about the fatalities, but how people said that the combos and run were useless were VERY wrong. These two elements in the gameplay are what made the game FUN, and it's still fun to this day.

About MK4, the graphics were good for the time. That's what you judge the graphics on. Not now, but when the graphics came out. However, the gameplay in MK4 just plain sucks. I mean, you can get a few good matches here and there, but mostly it's pure crap. All the button link combos were the same for every character, and all the uppercuts, sweeps, roundhouses, etc. looked the same for every character. Very stupid.

MK3/UMK3 is still my favorite game. MKT is good, but I prefer the good ol' arcade games.

I sort of disagree. When MK2 came out in arcades MK was at its prime in terms of popularity.Like most games today, people can be swayed by the hype of game game. So it was with MK2. It was the game to play everyone just jumped on the MK bandwagon. parents,kids,teens,adults and even politions were all over it. This hype made MK2 a bigger success and not just money wise, but membiable wise as well. Thus created the MK2 *fad*

2 years later MK3 rolls out. By that time the MK hype has gone, also keep in mind that 3-D games start to roll out as well. Also by this time fatalites and MK fad had past. By this time the effect of MK2 had taken. I mean it was because of (two of the few games on the gaming market back then, , but 2 of the biggest) reason why the whole game rating system was put into place. MK3 is disliked because as you mention above by critics and gamers, because of its combo system, cartoonish fatalites. Years later I find it funny that critics mark the return of MK with MK: DA yet MK: DA is still based on the combo theory that MK3 layed the ground work for, which I dislike mag/web site/most vid game critits.Also IMO combos and the run button helped MK3-MKT a much better fighting game than MK1 and MK2.I mean MK3 had much to offer compared to past MKs at the time. It all fell on death ears thanks to Mortal Kombat 3 not hyped and put into question by parents and stuff like that, well when it came to raising some concerns of parents from there kids compared to MK2. Thus the saying " Mortal Kombat hasn't been good since MK2 was born". Out of the blue a good majority of critits are giving Mortal Kombat ( MK: DA and MK: Deception) thumbs up because its ok to like Mortal Kombat again. Instead of based on the games themselfs. As a MK fan I've pretty much like all MK games, and enjoyed each games inprovement to MK,MK2,MK3,UMK3,MK4, and MK: DA regaurdless of any mainstream gaming critic. IMO in general Mortal Kombat had its spotlight with Mk2 and lost it with MK3 till present since. That to me is the main reason why ( besides the people that don't like MK: DA and MK: Deception's fighting system) never really came back for a 2nd look.

To this day, haters will say "dial-a-combo" with a sneer. I hate when people cop an attitude like that. UMK3/MKT is my favorite combo system ever.

I like mk3 alot not 4.Mk3 was the step in the right direction umk3 and mkt improved the fighting engine.I kind of also think after the mk movie came out people where turn off with it i mean the mk movies they where awful worst actors ever. So damn cheesy especially Cage with his dumb ass remarks he sounded like matthew perry then you got Kano since when did he turn into the crocodile hunter.

I love Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 and I still play it to this very day. The game is a lot of fun. The gameplay is what is addicting for me. The fatalities, granted, some were cheesey but I could care less right now. With the recent stir of combo videos and what not, I am really really into UMK 3 like never before, trying to get the biggest baddest combo possible with as many characters as I can. The dials are a lot of fun and challenging at some points to execute.

Mortal Kombat 4 is another story. When MK 4 first came out, I loved it. I used to go to the arcades every chance I got and picked up the N64 game when it came out. It was a lot of fun then but now, I can't stand to look at it. It literally hurts my eyes. The game just isn't as exciting. characters had the same combo chains as previously mentioned and it didn't feel like MK. The big boss was selectable which wasn't something I was too keen on. Although MK 4 did have one of my favorite all time characters, in Quan Chi.


Mortal Kombat 4 was good for the times but its one that belongs in the history vault.

I would have to say MK Trilogy is my absolute favorite. Good music, nice stages, and it had every character in any MK up until 4. It used some old sprites for classic characters, and the bosses were playable, which I liked.

I've just recently purchased a Dreamcast (Weird, huh?) and bought MK: Gold (MK4 with extra stuff.). It's cool, and there's a cheat where you play as Goro and Sector, but the stages are too dark, the music, while good, makes me a little bored and tired after a while, and the weapon system back then was just too annoying. I liked the ending movies, though.

I think both MK3 and Mk4 were good games. However, I didn't like the gameplay that much in MK4. At times, it seemed akward to control the characters. But, seeing as how it was the first MK game to be in 3D, this was new for the MK team, so I understand why it was the way it was.
MK3 was a great game in m opinion. I did think "Pit III" was a stupid stage though.

Since you're talking about bad reviews, in general. I thought I'd mention the review for Deception given by GMR. They get so much info wrong it's not even funny, and the issue came out after Deception did!

Other than that, I can't think of any bad reviews for the older MKs, other than the "over the top glorification of violence" crap you always see.



Ka-Tra

MK3 got bad reviews mostly from kids that played mk for the fatalities.And didnt know how to use the run button.MK3 was great for its time sure umk3 made mk3 look like crap.I dont think any mk game after 2 had much of a chance because the expectations where so high.

i liked mk3 and mk4. 1-3 were my favorites depending on what mood im in. MK4 was ok but nothing special. MKDA was ok but nothing special to me, i didnt even feel like mortal kombat. I havent played deception yet but when i do i hope its alot better than MKDA.

Some fatalities in MK3 were a bit idiotic. Like Jax growing to huge proportions and stomping on the person... but I still loved the game, although not as much as MK2... I have never played MK4 and probably don't plan too. The only reason I can think of for me to buy it on PC is to see how Tanya has developed. But its not even worth it, the graphics are way dated now.

I personally hate it when people won't buy something because the graphics are dated now. Were they good for the time? Yes. I bought Half-Life recently and those graphics are really dated, but in it's prime, they were the best around. Plus, Half-Life is still freakin fun.

Please, people move on... would you buy a rusty old banger when you can afford a nice luxury sports car... I think not. What would you rather, a VHS recorder or a DVD player?? Technology is changing, things are getting better. Sure games were good in their time, that old banger may have been good, and so might that VHS, but their time is over now, there are much better things out there and when you try to go back to the old stuff its hard to adjust knowing how much better things have become... knowledge is powerful, its all we knew back then but now we know different. Basically the old stuff that were good just look like crap in todays world.

somnambulist Wrote:Please, people move on... would you buy a rusty old banger when you can afford a nice luxury sports car... I think not. What would you rather, a VHS recorder or a DVD player?? Technology is changing, things are getting better. Sure games were good in their time, that old banger may have been good, and so might that VHS, but their time is over now, there are much better things out there and when you try to go back to the old stuff its hard to adjust knowing how much better things have become... knowledge is powerful, its all we knew back then but now we know different. Basically the old stuff that were good just look like crap in todays world.



I agree Technology is getting better but.The mk fighting engine isnt lol the new one is ok but nothing compared to umk3.

Its a shame there isn't as much focus on gameplay quality as there is on graphics. I mean, IMO, what you say is an argument for UMK3 over MKD. A better car gets you someplace better. A DVD is better then VHS because it shows you the movie better. For a fighting game to be better, the fighting itself has to be better, and MK4, MKDA, and MKD all failed at the actual fighting. Maybe if it was not a fighting game, but instead a Graphical Demonstration, or Cinematic Experience, or something like that, I'd say the newer is the better. But gameplay wise, having the better graphics has apparently given these game developers the notion that the graphics are all that matter, and they are obviously sacrificing the gameplay in the end.

My reason for saying this is, there wasn't the improvement in gameplay between MKDA and MKD that there needed to be. I could almost accept MKDA because it was the first time they tried that style of engine, but when they sank tons of resources into the next one, and left the gameplay in such a trashy state, it was just sad. I mean they refined gameplay with every release between MK1 and UMK3, and then its like they just gave up.

But, I am a fan of the gameplay of fighting games. MK has often relied on graphics and gore to sell, and that seems to be what they are doing again now. That's what the popular opinion calls for as most people are lookie-lews and not actual fighting game fans. Thats why games like MK3 get bad reviews because of fatalities and costume design when the gameplay itself is pretty damned near revolutionary. Because popular opinion cares about the flashiness and goriness instead of replayability, because popular opinion is often extremely misguided.

That's one of the best posts I've seen. I agree with every aspect of it. Well said dreemernj.

Well I personally think the gameplay in MK:D is actually quite good, so the gameplay isn't bad just because you say it is... its just your opinion. I had no problem controlling the characters or on the actual fighting part, I can even do some combos, so no problems there. I was impressed with it. Nothing can take away from the greatness of MK2, MK3 because they were so great in their time, but you can't make a comparison of their gameplay to Deceptions since most of the fighting in those games were the same simple high kicks, low kicks, uppercuts etc for every character. Mortal Kombat has improved a lot over time in both Gameplay and Graphics... but you might still prefer the simplistic controls..

Do you have problems controlling characters or doing some combos in MK3?

I actually prefer a more balanced game, and I do like the deeper gameplay that I found in MK3 and UMK3 over MKD. I don't really care for how broken and untested MKD and MKDA are compared to the older ones. I mean, MKDA was broken WIDE OPEN within a couple of weeks of it coming out, with tactics and combos that were cheap, simple, abusive, and required no skill. That is not fun. And then MKD comes out with side stepping canceling move disabling and that crazy style switch jump that lets you fly around. Its just ridiculous. I am tired of fighting games that want to flat line their learning curve. I think the proper place for the MK series would be somewhere between SC2 and VF4e (closer to VF4e) as far as learning curve if they want to make it a serious fighter again. I like a game that you have to learn to get into, because if that requirement is not present, the gameplay is going to suffer terribly.

Give me the better tested, better tweaked, higher quality gameplay and more precise controls of UMK3T any day. Its far from perfect but far better than any of the current MK games.

Nicely said dreemernj not to mention the the new engine is so damn slow you cant even do air projectiles or any good jump kicks its all face to face combat. So basically who ever doesnt block first usually wins there's not much strategy in mkd at all. Its a real shame the direction mk is going these days now there making another adventure game i just dont get it.

You don't get it because you are looking for the gameplay and that is far less important then the look where the MK Team is concerned. Look at all the honors that MKD has gotten. Its because its reviewed and considered by people that only take a glance at the actual gameplay. And, as far as I 'm concerned, you can play the game for a long time and still only see a glance of the gameplay if you aren't playing some actual competition.

I don't know how many people have access to G4-TechTV, they have a show called Judgment Day where a reviewer panned GGXX for having dated graphics and bad gameplay because he said that you could always win by hitting the same button over and over again. People like that are deciding the direction of MK because the MK Team is targetting the biggest public acclaims. They are looking for the highest honors and the biggest sales and, at least in the US, that does not mean good gameplay. Games with a steeper learning curve just don't sell as well because there are a lot more people that say "Oh shit look at all that blood!" then there are people that say "Oh shit that character is mother luvin' balanced!"

Deep gameplay is just not sought after enough, thats why US fighting game fans have to settle for Japan's table scraps so often.

MK3 is the first step towards gayness of MK.
MK2 was best and stays best.the whole gay thing with running and actual combos just makes it G A Y.........if midway would keep the same char craphics and patterns, and wouldnt create new ones, MK now would be similar in structure to MK2 , and that kicks ass.......+ not all ninjas would have same stance, omfg , and they gayofied the ninjas super duper much, their outfit is gay, LIVE LONG MK2!

I of course have to agree whole heartedly with DreemerNJ.

Matt

Ahh, one of these things. What are these called? The ones that join, don't say much and then try to burn everybody up? Flaming troll or something?