DoA isn't even that good imo - the story and the characters are rather bland.

Tekken and VF are pretty good i must admit - but even still, my praise for them is rather limited.

what people don't realise is that MK invented the fighting franchise, all of new games just spawned off Mortal Kombat and went into different directions: -

DoA for Perverts and anime geeks
VF (admitidly) was the first real decent Fighting game - but the story and gameplay are just so bland compared to the other fighting games.
Tekken is probably the only one that stands out a little - however imo the story is rather similar to street fighter 2 - and therefore lacks origionality.

What does Mortal Kombat offer thats different to these games?

Blood and Gore
2 Fighting styles per character
1 Weapon Per Character
An origional Fantasy and a diverse Alter Ego Universe
Fatalities (finnishers)
Tons more Characters
A better fighting system (at least compared to the above 3 (street fighter currently rules the roost i'm afriad)).
Lots more Hidden Content and Unlockables
Character Creations
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All the other games, are just modern day fighting games set on earth with an evil corperation thrown in and the winner recieving a cash prize. Mortal Kombat winners recieve ultimate fame and glory as a fighter (and immortaility)

I also noticed they bring in pointless new characters to the series, surely if your going to kill off a character - you obviously do it for a reason so why bring in there sons, friends, fans etc. I mean they have:
Kuma
Kuma Jr
King
King 2
Armoured King
Law
Forest Law
Yoshimitsu
Jenimitsu (whatever the fuck shes called)

And they all share the same moves pretty much and nearly the same looks. And yes Mortal Kombat isn't a good example to use for arguing bad characters - but at least they put more effort into them.

I do enjoy playing any Fighting game - but people need to learn that the ultimate fighting game is mortal kombat and not these copycat games with failed ideas and even poorer story lines. And considering all the MK games have had better sales than any other fighting game surely means something.

Hey that's fine, just leave them where they are. Indeed, they are the ones who know nothing about fighting games.

point one: Why the hell would I want to play the same old Street Fighter over and over and over again? Oh they just realized their mistakes and now want to impress me with SF4? I don't think so.

Second point: DOA I did play, and I like more TK and SC and VF, yet it is still a pointless and generic game. Characters are good, background design is okay, but like the above user pointed out, it is too anime. ....Moving on.

Tekken. Ah yes. Supposedly I am supposed to bow to this game? Then why does the fighting engine suck? Where are all the projectiles and different types of weapons? At least MK started to introduce different weapons since the late 90s with MK4

AHHHH My personal favorite to beat up on. VF. Every year we get the same characters over and over again. WTH is the the point of this?

Conclusion: I like my MK just fine thank you. What i want is different characters and different gameplay styles like Konquest and even throw in a mini game here and there. You know....test your sight and all that.

MK are where all the goodies are at man, I really hope you don't go anywhere. Unless you want to lower your standards of expectations, stick around for a little while. I am sure the news will roll in very fast.

The only thing MK lacks is gameplay balance and a sensible fighting engine.

To say however that Mk is superior because it has projectiles and special moves is stupid. I am not keen on projctiles in fighting games at all. MK is perhaps trying to be innoative, I can give you that. Better gameplay wise in balance?

No. Not yet.

To ellaborate a little on what Chrome said:

Learn what these things are about and you'll see his point, is absolute

Gameplay for Dummies"

Feel free to post questions in there btw.
=========

Now, as Chrome stated, Mortal Kombat doesn't lack a thing besides an excellent gameplay mechanism...So, what you're gonna get from those other sites "inhabitants", is grief, and lots of it.

The thing is, it's a video game, and if things don't work right(especially when you're trying to "kick someones ass"//win [[timing and button compliance to the action on the screen]]) most people will not tolerate anything about the game. Cuz it doesn't work right...Or, the character on the screen won't do, exactly what you want them to do, exactly when you tell him/her to do it...OR, because there is too many inadequacies the way of options and control. Which is what MK's main problem is..

ex: Imaging the old Super Mario Bros 2? Well now, take the fact that Mario needs to jump to do certain things in the game....and make him duck when he's supposed to jump...but just sometimes. Wouldn't that aggravate you to no end?

Probe them about this, and you will find that this is the main gripe. The gripe they have about Mk's story is just a recent complaint about MKA...

Now, although Mks gameplay mechanism hasn't such a dramatic effect as my example above, when you know better, and you are able to recognize a flaw(s) in gameplay (such as inadequacies in a martial arts style, or smooth//continuous//fluid animation, parries, unblockable throws, no or minimal ground fighting options...ect) you start to realize the same gripes they are so blatantly harsh about. And those gripes, become your own gripes..

Alot of Mk fans recognize the gaping flaws that they speak of in MK. BUT, for alot of the same fans, the pros outweigh the cons about MK. And for the rest of them, they just don't know better, and can't see the flaws in MKs gameplay.

Story: Is a HUGE factor that keeps people around MK. Mortal Kombat kills the competition as far as it's story element comparisons. Those naysayers, aren't looking for the same thing we are, from our fighting game.

From what I am able to gather, MK fans want an immersive, character sensitive, universe to explore. Not just a brief character description. None of those other games come close. Well, maybe they are getting better lately. I know SC is at least.

Blood, Gore, Terror..ect: It's like the other games are scared to get, "scary". Like they can't recognize that fighting is a vicious art to master in the first place. Instead, they wanna make fighting seem like a "fun" and beautiful thing, instead of a visceral, and terrible thing.

It's like they're purposely trying to ignore the fact that fighting....even in trained martial arts, is dangerous, nasty, and dirty.

MK faces the fact ALOT more than they do, which is a likable quality. Says that, if you're fighting, there absolutely WILL be blood, there WILL be some horrific qualities...even though these individuals are using martial arts as means to defeat their opponent.

Secrets, Mood ect..: The mood was that of a "bad dream". Placed real people, in surreal environments and situations.

SC4 is getting closer to this, but theirs looks to be of a "good dream" instead of a bad one(lol)...we'll have to wait for that games release to really tell however. aheh, But they're still trying to make fighting "pretty" when it's not a pretty sport.

A "bad dream" or "night terror" contributes to the secrets, because it's what makes people sensitive to what next move they might make. Which is also an accurate interpretation that MK portrays adequately.

Characters: MKs characters are far more appealing than just about anything else out there in the same genre. From origin to design, they're more interesting to look at, and care about when we play with them. There's mythology//fantasy, popular media, and reality balanced in Mks roster.

Not so much in these latest games, but it's still a very prevalent quality about all of them.

Risk: Mk is willing to take crazy risk, which in turn makes the franchise continually interesting over time.

All these other franchises are so stricken to a rule that they never quite establish a difference from the next fighting game. And so they lack, and so we are not amused.

=======

So anyway, while the technical side of MK definately needs some work, SO DO THEY need some work. They need to individualize, they need personality....they need a waay better story and fantasy element for a fighting game, instead of some pretty fairy tale....They need "video game" swagger".... hahaha...

They need to get the stick out of their ___ just because they can program well, and experiment waaaaay more with everything except for their mechanics. I don't even think VF5 has online capabilities because of shit like this.

people open your eyes,and be realistic please.
'm a huge fighting game fanboy so i'm aware of the standards reached by DoA4 and tekken n recent years.
so i admit graphic wise this games are better.

look all the sagas very closely:

STREET FIGHTER SAGA. i love it.Great characters,good charisma and good gameplay.Until few months ago the saga was dead and buried but someone had the great idea to ressurect it,and the results are under everyone's eyes:an excellent mechanic tha mix up 3D with 2D.I can't wait to play SF4

SOUL CALIBUR. overrated.The same unoriginal guys with the same stereotypical likenesses(Lizard man is clearly a reptile rip off),as well as Voldo is a baraka wannabe,and i can go on endlessly.
The only good thing about the game are his interactive and multiple endings.the gameplay is broken,way more than Armageddon,i win that game using the same button and the same 2-3 hits combo repeted to death.Instead when i tried to change my inventory of moves i get my ass kicked.The only thing you need in this game is TIMING:ait the attack of your opponent and then hit him without mercy.
i really don't see wh a charactter that falls in the water should die....ok not everyone can swim,and maybe someone have some troubles to swim in the water while wearing an armor...but there are certain characters that seems to be maden of sugar and dissolving in the water,at least mk used the green acid
the minigame(don't remember the name tough) was horrible.it was some kind of strategic game with beat em up features....kinda bland and crappy
way worse than konquest mode(especially the one of armageddon)

VIRTUA FIGHTER: good and i have a lot of respect for the franchise...but is that frenetic'is that quick'is that brutal?No...it's just old,slow shit in ewhich all you have to do is trin your response time.too slow,i get bored easily...

DOA: exactly the same gameplay ad Virtua Fighter...with higher speed.
and actually i think that DoA 4 is the best fighting game ever,or at least the best for the new gen consoles.frenetic,funny...i really hate almost every female character and all the manga stuff in there.
however is full of problems:certain characters are way too unbalanced(someone said hayabusa?) and sometimes it become unplayable.
however it is one fo the most impotant Microsoft licenses,just after Halo and gears of War so i expect huge improvement for DoA 5

TEKKEN: does something changes from tekken 3?
no.
I want to tell youa story.A friend of mine laughed at me when i taslk about him of Stryker's move in Ultimate Mortal kombat and Armageddon,in which he uses his gun.Weird.he was shocked and really embarassed when in the first trailer of tekken 6 Brain Fury shooted a character with a shotgun.

so i tought:a lot of people is good at complaining and insulting other franchise but i think that's some kind of jaelousy of the Mk franchise.
tey think to have the best fighting game only for graphic or some good idea.
Mk instead have a lot of good idea,a decent graphic and good gameplay(a bit flawed but ok).
this problem will settled with MK8 release,with stunning graphics and darker style.

the only problem of Mk franchise is his low popularity in japan...but i don't like manga style so i don't see the problem.
I LOVE MK.
LONG LIFE TO MK

Mortal kombat has the best of every thing best story and charicters and has the most uneque game play. Now a days all fighters play like Tekken of DOA. They all feel the same! Mortal Kombat is diferent, so it will atracked diferent kinds of people. . .

Then do not be suprised that the majority will like other franchises. MK is especially group specific. And quite outnumbered if you look at the japanese and their exports in games.

QUALITY EXPORTS, because if something MK lacks quality in gameplay. The other stuff means shit in the long run.