Welcome to a new edition of Retro Arena and for the first time we have two classic arcade fighters going head to head. The 90s were a period of fighting games entering its first big boom of hit titles. Between the popular grandeur of Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat truly set the genre for great things. Eventually, clones were bound to pop up with some being bad while others tried to follow the golden standard. The first contender is Killer Instinct that saw its development come from Rare. Out of all titles in the Arcades only Killer Instinct stuck out the most since it followed its own theme and gameplay style. Now, the second contender to enter the arena doesn’t need an introduction. MKII is a title that took what made the original great and amplified it further then the first could ever do. The second game also took the series in the right direction, despite Capcom already doing that with the genre. Will KI’s stylish gameplay and visuals overtake one of the elites of the genre? Or will MKII continue being a dominate force from its traditional ways? Gameplay Killer Instinct The thing that separated KI from MK and SFII is its stylish gameplay. It has all the traditional mechanics the genre always had between punches, kicks, throws and blocks. The one feature KI had over MKII was the combo system and Rare sure did it like no other in the mid-90s. Even though Capcom brought this first with Super Street Fighter II, Rare was a couple of steps ahead of the game. Each fighter had several combos to their list and required the right timing and execution to pull them off. There is definitely a learning curve to the system but once you figure them out and performing these regularly it’s not a problem. The greatest thing KI’s system introduced was the combo breaker and now cheap players couldn’t spam the same moves several times. Cheap tactics like constantly using projectiles and turtling was always a problem in those early fighting titles. For once a development team finally answered that by making it harder to perform these cheating tactics. It’s the reason the combo breaker was made and to also not let players dominated the other with the same combo. KI also has finishers as well, but the difference is, these aren't as brutal compared to MKII. These were called No Mercies and each fighter would have two. However, this does not include knocking the opponent off a tower platform as that’s classified as a stage fatality. Of course, you can’t have a 90s fighting game without some humor found in the humiliations. It might be unpopular compared Friendship or a Babality but seeing serious combatants dance off always had me snickering. I just notice how similar Chicago looks to the one in Perfect Dark because of the Blade Runner type design as seen around the skyscrapers. You can say that’s where Rare got the idea for one of the stages in Perfect Dark. Mortal Kombat II With a new sequel comes more features and MKII does this in the best ways possible. The basics attack and defense maneuvers are used as usual however, MKII doesn’t have a combo system to call its own. A strategy to use depended on which fighter you picked as your choice and based on the roster’s move sets. If you preferred a fast one, then Mileena and the male ninja was a great choice. Now, if a balanced character is the next option well that’s where Kung Lao, Johnny Cage and Lue Kang come in. Let’s bring up the new improvements as each combatant has two fatalities and a few more stage kills. There were more specials to use through the fights like Kung Lao’s teleport or Reptile’s Force Ball. Of course, let’s not forget the humor finishes between Friendship and Babalities. These were always great ways to make fun of the other player after beating them. The biggest issues that plagued the sequel is the broken AI that would cause the game to spam attacks repeatedly. If attacks like the Fan Float from Kitana wasn’t used, then they would always throw me constantly. I got so mad that slamming my fists on the controller broad or in this case a desk was the usual reaction. Of course, the two player gameplay were another thing that got on my nerves. It stems from cheap maneuvers from half the opponents who always used projectiles from a distance to win their matches. Yes, the Fan Float and Fan throw from Kitana were attacks often used without these players actually playing against me. MKII might have fixed some issues from the original but the AI and cheating players wasn’t a couple of those things. Adding more environment fatalities was needed and the sequel does this well without being too much or very little. What made this even better is how varied the fatalities are between being impaled on spikes (first pic), getting thrown into a dead-pool and falling on to jagged rocks. Even though each fighter had its own unique way to pull them off unlike in the original, it’s still a great visual to perform. Of course, the game has the issues I talked about and in the second pic has Kitana doing the Fan Float repeatedly. When I played MKII last February, she did this three times straight and it wasn't just her but half the roster as well. Conclusion: In this first round, KI takes the win as it had more variety to the gameplay that MKII lacked. KI took the combo system from SSFII and provided further improvements to the formula. With each fighter having several to do especially with the finishers truly made this unique. Not only was the gameplay stylish, but it even had an answer to the players who exploited the system thanks to the combo breaker. That alone is why KI had superior features and no longer did I have to worry about others cheating their way to victories. The problem with MKII is it seemed behind most of the genre by 1994 and using basic mechanics made this feel simplistic. MKII did improve many things from the original game as noted in my review. Having more fatalities, extra characters and additional move sets did what a sequel should do but the gameplay was still behind the standards. The broken AI and the players who exploit by spamming didn’t help the outcome as I often felt frustrated. If there’s one thing, the second game has over KI is the fatalities were bloody and brutal. Graphics/Presentation Killer Instinct Throughout the majority of the 90s, many studios would incorporate digitized software as a middle ground for sedo-3D visuals. It’s no surprise how expensive 3D technology was in that decade as only movie studios were able to afford the costs. That is where digitizing came in as Rare used this to get around the costs of the technology. KI showcased better visuals then most in the genre could do by 1994 with massive landscapes and broad character models. As mentioned, both the environments and characters were pre-recorded then put on sprites. The environments were very diverse in their themes from techno Blade Runner style areas to ancient places, KI really covered most spots. Rare obviously went the Capcom route for environmental design as in SFII the stages always had diversity in many cultural places. The effects within these stages coupled with expansive landscape made for the best scenery in the arcades. When Donkey Kong Country came out, we all thought digitized 3D figures were top notch well Rare took it further. Each combatant had a personality to get behind whether they were evil or good. Orchid and TJ Combo represented the pop culture during that decade while Jago and Spinel carried ancient battle styles. Of course, we can’t forget the “monsters” of the game with Fulgore, Riptar, Glacier and Eyedol—the roster really reflected the “XTREME” persona in many ways. You have to give Rare the credit they deserve for making these environments believable and lively. They took what was learned in Donkey Kong Country and made the environments and models look real. However, the CGI might have looked like the best thing about the presentation in 1994 but now it has a fungi plastic appearance overall. Rare obvious went the extra mile as not even the 3D fighters had these within their intros and endings. One can’t help but notice the stiff animation and fungi visuals shown here when we are in 2020. Unfortunately, time hasn’t been nice to this game as the CGI and 3D models looks as if they were made from plastic. It looks so bad with the low ploy textures that it’s as if the characters came from Dollar General’s cheap toy line. Their personalities also came across as dated with the “XTEME” gimmick the media used so often at the time. It’s a good thing Rare today did modernize these old gimmicks as no longer do they have a dated 90s persona. The only feature that really aged well was the Killer Cuts soundtrack. Even though the music does have an old feel however, it’s still better compared to the characters its supposed represent. One of the finest features that made the OST stand out was the fact there were lyrics sung by actual singers. When compared to MKII, each song came off lively with energy instead of sounding monotone. The inaugural main theme was so good that Mick Gordon created a remix for the 2013 reboot. It’s not often to see an original main song from any series get remixed especially in this genre. That’s something the Mortal Kombat series never did despite it having more games under this brand. Mortal Kombat II Similar to Rare, Ed Boon and Midway also programmed digitized software but instead of 3D models they used live actors. MKII utilizes a realistic design to go around the limitations of the then expensive 3D technology. That was the smartest thing Ed Boon and John Tobias could do and made the series truly stand out compared to SFII and SNK’s lineup. The beauty of the stages is the dark mystical concept that Boon’s team were able to produce. In the original title, the stages were designed after those classic martial arts films you would usually find from Bruce Lee or Chuck Norris. They knew the concept had to change for the sequel, and that’s what it does in the end. The best ones come from the Living Forest, The Armory, the Wastes of Edenia, Kombat Tomb and the Pit II. These all provide the dark mystical appearance needed to take the series forward and helps immerse players into the surroundings. As you can tell MKII is light on the story since there was no way for them to present one in a 2D manner. During the original trilogy you just simply picked the character based on your gameplay preference, and that was it. I do find this hard to get into the gameplay when the current games have the story so heavily integrated—we have obviously been spoiled by modern trends that it’s easy to forget what brought the games to the dance. The visuals did its job to immerse players into Outworld's dark mystical environments in several ways. In the Pit II stage (pic one), it not only does a great job creating better scenery but gives a bit of a mystery in the background. I will admit this drove me insane trying to think who the mysterious figures were on the other ledge—even when MK4 was out nothing came to me about their origins. It turns out they answered this in MK: Armageddon as Blaze is the guy on the right and Hornbuckle is on the left. However, now that I think about it Hornbuckle, is a fan created thing and not from Boon himself. Another thing is it’s just Lue Kang's sprite reskinned, so the mystery is now wasted. The next one is how ridiculous and plain the costumes appeared as if they were going to the gym or a sleepover. These looked even worse in MK9 as unlockable retro outfits, so it makes us wonder what Boon and Tobias were thinking getting the costumes from Walmart. The live actors made these characters look believable compared to the anime design that flooded the market. No doubt the costumes today look like cheap Halloween designs you would find from Walmart. I mean, why are they wearing pajamas and gym gear to a fight to the death tournament? I can’t understand why we didn’t question these designs back then when it was obvious how terrible they looked. The only ones to age decently is Kung Lao, Raiden and the male ninjas. The soundtrack used a different tone this time as gone are those old fashion martial arts film themes. On this occasion, low tones and an overall melancholy feeling is heard in their dark themes. It definitely fits the dark mystic environments when death and destruction are highlighted throughout most of the stages. The songs that comes to mind as the best of the OST is The Tower, The Armory, Living Forest and Portal/Khans’ Arena. Nothing really sets the mood while fighting to the death then these tracks playing in the background. Conclusion: For this portion both games tie each other out based on how they have aged. The visuals today for these two have regressed badly to the point it’s just laughable. Digitizing live actors, 3D models and environments was nothing more than a middle ground to get around expensive hardware. Unless the publisher was Pixar or some billion dollar Hollywood Studio you weren’t going to afford expensive 3D technology especially before 1998. Overall, everything looks as if this got produced by amateur college kids who were trying to finish their homework assignment. When your designs look like dollar store quality mixed with Photoshop imagery and 3D Max produced models doesn’t favor either game. Don’t get the wrong idea from me as back in 1994 this was top of the line for gaming and the closet the industry was to movie quality. Digitizing Tech was obviously a steppingstone into the next generation when the industry would finally have 3D software accessible. The one thing that has really aged well comes from the OSTs since they represented the era and these themes. Features/Content Killer Instinct The arcades for this genre were a haven thanks to the large roster of characters and some hidden stuff. KI was a game a fan could master with the whole roster if they took the time to learn each move set. The beauty of 90s fighting titles is how there is a character for everyone to pick. Spinel and Fulgore were never my choices as that went to Orchid and Jago. If someone likes to go with the powerful then Fulgore and Riptar was their choice. You can’t have a list of combatants that play the same, and KI truly delivered a diverse cast of many styles. Its roster is limited to 11 fighters to choose but even that amount can create replay value. Of course, Rare included a cheat similar to Super Street Fighter II Turbo to play as Eyedol. For some reason the MK team always got such a code wrong many times. Take MK1 on Game Boy, and you can unlock Goro as a playable character. However, since the GB port of the original was terribly programmed, it winds up getting wasted. They even would make the same mistake with the MK3 series where in the first two releases had Shao Khan and Motaro playable only on two players. The best part of Eyedol is he doesn’t just have a couple of powerful attacks. In fact, as mentioned in my review, you can perform combos in a limited fashion. Of course, the only downside is he doesn’t have an Ultra, Ultimate or a No Mercy finisher. The arcade fighting games always had the mysterious lure of potential hidden characters. Before the internet became a major thing, all we had was word of mouth between players and magazine writers on the subject. Us gamers weren't sure if these were mere rumors or a prank unless you saw those said characters appear for a few seconds. Rare programming Eyedol with no cheap gameplay and a decent move set follows the Capcom standard. Mortal Kombat II It’s obvious the second entry took the ideas from the first and double the effort to produce better content. Unlike the original, there were 12 fighters to pick from and similar to KI it had something for everyone. You could pick from a power type like Jaks or choose the balanced ones between Lue Kang, Kitana and Johnny Cage. Of course, the next ones come from the fast and elemental base combatants like Scorpion, Reptile, Raiden and Sub-Zero. That is why MKII is touted as a fan favorite in the series and its diverse cast always gave plenty of replay value. Even though the second game doesn’t have a playable boss, but it does have hidden ninjas as a challenge. These coded messages were a bit hard to figure out when the hidden ninjas appeared before a fight. Basically, the computer required the player to win a match a certain way before your fighter landed on the “?” square. The only problem I see from these challenges is they programmed Smoke and Jade as faster versions of Scorpion and Kitana. Probably the worst one came from Noob Saibot where you needed to win 50 matches in two player mode to face him once. Only the hardcore would ever waste their time doing that but in 2020 it’s not even worth the effort. It’s even more so when Noob Saibot is just a darkened Scorpion with Sub-Zero’s MK1 stance. However, interesting how they gave people a hint to who he was and the fact his name spelled backwards is the creators’ own. Conclusion: It appears KI took the last round based on how Rare executed their replay value. On paper both appear to have similar rosters with something for everyone to choose. The thing is KI produced an actual hidden character for you to play as. Following Capcom’s style from SFII, Eyedol is the equivalent of picking guys like Bison and Akuma aka the bosses. Even though Bison and Akuma have better move sets compared to Eyedol but he was playable and wasn’t riddled with cheap gameplay. Now had MKII made Smoke and Jade as pickable fighters instead of secret bosses reskinned then it would have won this round. If only Boon and Tobias’s team considered putting in codes to pick them would have went the extra mile. Of course, possibly adding in Noob Saibot himself with Be-Han’s ice attacks could have made this greater than SFII. Final Conclusion After witnessing this brutal battle between two classics, the winner was clearly KI in many ways. It came down to the gameplay as KI’s mechanics have aged decently with the combo system. With eliminating cheap tactics and the broken AI provided a smoother experience. The visuals from both just don’t hold up in the slightest in 2020 especially when everything looks like a college project. Even the art styles feel outdated and would go through many revisions to better each series throughout the years. The greatest features did come from the soundtracks as even today they hold up and on various occasion I listen to them still. KI and MKII’s content do come across as limited when in modern times the rosters have more variety. KI was also the true victor in content with featuring a boss character to play as using a traditional code. For once the final boss had a proper challenge without using the “developers vs players” programming. Now, MKII’s traditional style mechanics felt old when we compare it to SSFII. The lacking combo system and the old mechanics created problems for the players who wanted a competitive game. Boon and Tobias should’ve known better then to use the “developers vs players” mentality which by the early 90s was a mistake to incorporate. It might have worked in the 80s but by the next decade should’ve been phased out for more assessable features. MKII could’ve also featured hidden fighters to pick through a code rather than making them faster versions of two roster members. It looks like MKII got killed by the Killer Grove. The winner is Killer Instinct. Winner: Killer Instinct
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Retro Gamer has over 25 years of gaming experience and played many classics since the Golden Age. She has been an avid fan since the day the NES graced her life and changed it forever.
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