Go to the rant thread or something...

I think I might give an answer to that. The short answer: NeRdS became money whores after the Midway bankruptcy. The long answer: the reboot of A Nightmare On Elm Street was released the year before – premiere in 4.30.2010: smooth marketing, eh? – and obviously Warner Bros. didn't want to ditch the new Freddy right away, making it being overshadowed by the old Englund films that don't show a lot of potential making profit any longer, but instead put their new official consumers (MK fans) to a test.
I guess there are people with radically different tastes but I warn you: Do not watch the reboot. It's simply horrible with the victims' idiocy, Freddy's idiocy, Freddy's annoying looks, the lack of proper motifs for the killer a.k.a. Frederick "Freddy" Krueger and the ridiculous cliffhanger. I ended up watching it only because I was going to rent a movie from a small kiosk with a petit range of options. You can make the change – don't watch horrible, money-milking movies. I agree: Robert Englund would've been better but it's all about profit nowadays with big companies. If you desire further analysis on why the movie sucked, see the user reviews on IMDb.

Thanks, Zmoke. I don't have any interest in the reboot, but it sounds like it's as bad as I figured. Wasn't sure when the reboot had come out, but now that you mention it, I can sort of understand them wanting to focus on the new one. Still, NRS could add Englund's Freddy as an alt costume. That way both versions are represented, and the new one still gets the primary look so WB is kept happy.

Now if they added Jason as another DLC character, we could have our Freddy vs. Jason deathmatches. I imagine Jason's got quite a few potential fatalities up his sleeve from all the killing he's done in the movies. Corkscrew in the eye, anyone?

Honestly, though, I'd prefer they add no further non-MK characters to the series. I just like to be facetious sometimes.

From my understanding they made Freddy look different from both Robert Englund and Jackie Earle Haley.

Honestly, I don't hate Freddy. I think he's kind of cool.

I think Kratos was much better though. I'm one of the few guys who likes guest characters. I'd like to see a new guest character for MK10.

If not, that's cool too.

While Freddy Krueger in MK9 isn't Robert Englund nor Jackie Earle Haley, I find him really fun to play as.

Yeah, I don't really like him as a character but is gameplay is fun as hell.

I hasten to add that certain moves, combo names, quotes and fatalities from (game) Freddy are references to the original (Englund) Nightmare films.

But the reason is mainly that (game) Freddy is the CHARACTER and (film) Freddy is the ACTOR.

I definitely think Freddy is fun as hell to play as but they should have put Robert Englund's Freddy in since his version of Freddy is more iconic. Hell they could have at least made his version a alternate costume, that would be cool to see.

A cross-promotional character like Freddy guest starring in something is all about marketting, man.

Warner Bros. wants to sell more DVDs of the latest Nightmare movie and more tickets to the next one whenever it comes out, so OF COURSE they're going to have them use whatever the CURRENT version of Freddy is.

That's probably why they put Freddy in, not because he would & is a cool character in Mortal Kombat but just to sell more DVDs of the newest Nightmare flick. What a cheap way to advertise, those sneaky b's.

Or, for a more optimistic approach, NRS is showing some thanks towards Warner Bros. for resurrecting Midway, reforming the company into NetherRealm Studios, and supporting MK. Expressing this gratitude by making Freddy Krueger a guest character in MK9.

That honestly makes a lot of sense. NRS could just be showing their appreciation towards Warner Bros. for buying Midway & supporting MK.

The only thing that bothers me with Freddy being in MK 2011 (other than the absence of Englund), is the game's lack of the creativity that was shown in his films.

I've seen him become an enormous puppet master.

I've seen him turn into a giant worm and eat a woman whole.

I've seen him create a monster out of his own shadow.

I've seen him whoop Jason's ass!

Every vast area he's in when he kills, be it a mansion or an entire city, is of his creation.

Freddy is pretty much a god in the dream world. NRS should have incorporated that into his fighting style and fatalities.