Mortal Kombat is the prime example of mediocre. Never bad enough to be retired along with other fighting games, but never holding its own in the big leagues with titles like Street Fighter, Virtua Fighter, and Soul Calibur.
This post is ENTIRELY inspired by MK vs DC (Or is it MK vs DCU?), a game that, really sounds like a bad april fools day joke (I mean come on, Marvel vs. Street Fighter. I don't have to point this out.) I'll admit to not having personally purchased an MK game in, well probably a decade now, but thankfully I have a friend who still religiously picks up the series so I've played my share through the various installments. And, being a bit of a fighting game enthusiast, I can see that the series is a decidedly casual one. It lacks depth, sophistication, and proper balance, and instead has large, large lists of similiar characters (often looking as though you took similiar models and slapped fresh clothes on them, down to similiar standing, moving, punching animations), through in lots of blood, gore, and fanservice (minigames aplenty.)
That's fine, I've got no problem with it, it works in its own way, but it really is just an average series that through properly playing off controversy has managed to worm its way into the hearts of millions, and then to tear said hearts out at the sound of 'Finish Him'.
Changing gears, DC is one of the top comic book publishers in the U.S., and depending on who you ask it's either just above or just behind Marvel (you'll find, I think, the fanboyism has died down a bit, I find fewer and fewer people insulting one of the series to bolster the other.) That being said, DC has never produced good games. While Marvel has been hit or miss, DC has been almost entirely miss (save for a few Batman titles here and there. No wonder he's the one on the cover of MK vs DC.) One of the main problems is that DC heroes are very poorly 'balanced', and I don't mean Batman vs. Superman, that's a more even matchup than most might think. It's easy to translate heroes like Spiderman and Wolverine into games, they're both skilled fighters who get by on stealth and agility as much as strength. Batman is in a similiar vein, allowing player skill to translate into his stats. But characters like Superman are just too hard to make a game about, with so few things damaging him (and to be honest, he's not the most disciplined fighter, more from the 'I'm so much stronger and faster than you I don't need technique' school of fighting.) When you watch Marvel vs. Capcom in action, you somewhat 'believe' that Ryu and Spiderman could have an even match. Could Scorpion really stand up to the Flash?
It'll depend on the gameplay, it's way too early to say, but I'm going to ask two questions here, and we'll start with the most important, CAN MK vs DC work?
Yes. It can.
MK needs to remember what appeals to its fans, which is, basically, fan service. Unfortunately, a non M rating is going to take the needed gore out of the game, but little nods and asides to the series can make it.
DC fans well, they've never been pleased before, they've had nothing but garbage thrown at them, and all they need is a fun game. It doesn't have to be stellar, it doesn't have to reinvent the wheel, but it needs to be entertaining. Superman is a wash, he'll never be made fun in a fighting game and I think most people accept that. But Batman, the Flash, these people can be, and they need ot be done up properly, fan service wise, by taking a lesson from Marvel vs. Capcom.
Let's look at one of the more popular Marvel choices from the vs series, Spiderman. He's got all of the web moves, and he mentions 'spider' in his attacks, he even has web shielding. But what makes Spiderman memorable in the series? His fighting stance, bent over, shifting back and forth. It's classic spiderman, that's how he looks when he fights, performing flips and jumps, unnecessary feets of agility to keep his opponents on their toes. Another good example is Wolverine, his bestial nature is well captured in all of his character animations.
Midway needs to take a look at the incoming DC bunch and do them properly, the Flash will not look right in the standard MK fighter pose of one arm forward, one tucked in, rocking back and forth from one foot to the other. If they'd just done Spiderman standing up straight he'd never have had the appeal he has now. The Flash needs to churn his feet in place, probably have some blur effect going. His movement speed needs to be fast, and his dash should probably be barely watchable. Balance is not what is important here, you can go for balance, make his attacks weaker and easier to hit with, but balance should come after you've made the character 'feel' like the Flash. It'd have been easier in 2D, but in 3D, there's still a shot.
Also, it needs online play. Online is the new Arcade for fighting games, and lag free online play is huge for a game.
Well, if it can work will it work? That really is the question that's harder to answer, but if I had to bet?
No, it won't.
If I had to just guess, I'm going to say it'll come out 'Ok'. The MK people will look, feel, and play like MK people, and the DC people will look, fell, and play like MK people. DC fans will be somewhat happy to have a playable fighter with their heroes, but Batman will feel less like actually using Batman and more like using another ninja. Considering DC is more protective of their franchise, it'll be less likely to see them in big bobble headed puzzle minigames and the like, and I think MK fans might realize how much they actually miss the tongue in cheek way MK realizes that fighting itself is a very small part of it's overall game property.
The game won't be an epic fail, but no ones going to be playing it for years to come. Still, it's too early to nail it in the coffin, and as someone who often ends up playing MK, and who has some fondness for DC (I rather hope The Question will be in it, though I'm going to assume Rorshach is just getting my hopes up too high), I want them to succeed. I'll keep a half eye on it, not something I'm really looking all that forward to, but they'll have to do a lot of convincing to get me hyped.