Scorpion’s Magic Punches
The above video is from Game Trailers, with the narrator explaining some of the decisions made in the new Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe game. I haven’t been keeping up with this game that much since I’m a diehard Marvel vs Capcom 2 fan (I’ll take Wolverine vs Megaman over Superman vs Scorpion anyday), but I just found this video a little interesting and odd.
The first thing gone over in the video is the inclusion of Superman and how the developers took his powers into account when making the game. So how did the game developers manage to balance the game while keeping the characters true to their roots? They did it with a plot device.
I was hoping for something cool, as if the developers had locked themselves in a room for months just trying to figure out “How do we make Superman a normal fighter?” But instead we get some excuse about how Superman is weak against Kryptonite and magic, and since Mortal Kombat takes place in a universe of sorcery, everything works out just fine on its own. Even this plot device excuse is a little weak, seeing as how in the video Scorpion is hurting Superman just by punching him. Does Scorpion have magic fists? Is this explained in story mode as well?
This seems to me just another example of how awkward these two themes fit together. If they had said something along the lines of Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe Villains, then I could see how that would work out. Both fighters from either side would come into the battle with the same goal – total havok. But to have the Flash fight some guy with a bicycle kick and expect us to think it’s totally rational? Does the Flash have a fatality?
I’ll admit that Marvel vs Capcom 2 kind of has the same problem, and I’ve already stated I love that game. But Marvel vs Capcom just goes right around the issue. There’s no plot, no reason, just a bunch of people duking it out. Marvel vs Capcom doesn’t try to explain itself, it just is. Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe could try doing the same, but then the basic premise of fighting and fatalities is comprimised by DC’s do-gooders. It’s not just in the storyline where the two mis-match, it’s in the basic theme.
Anyways, I just thought this was weird.