You watched the fight announcement preview -- now the ScrewAttack DEATH BATTLE is finally here! It's an all-Japan main event as the wandering world warrior Ryu (Street Fighter) takes on the lost soul bent on revenge Scorpion (Mortal Kombat)! Spoilers ahead:
The classic rivalry between arcade fighting kings Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat is so storied - it's already produced two previous Death Battles!
One NetherRealm Studios producer once descried a crossover between the two series as "inevitable". Perhaps that's because cross-pollination between companies kept the idea alive on the Capcom side, as well. A similar notion was shared by Christian Svensson right around the same time.
While this history of comparison has kept each series in the others' purview; the Japanese fighter's earlier arcade release and definitive mechanical complexities has meant the battle for minds, hearts and video game supremacy hasn't always been an even fight.
Could a clash between franchise mascots, therefore, be subject to the same history of pretensions and cult preference? Some fans certainly expected so, suspicious of past acknowledgements. By their own terms: Death Battle professes to look at the games and characters' abilities to determine their outcomes. If you haven't watched their verdict [embedded above] - this is your last chance to teleport away before we plunge into the pit of spoiler Hell!
Toasty: Scorpion unleashes Hell in his MKvsDC fatality.
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Where some fans have seen an unfair bias in the Screw Attack analysis - we tend to think the disadvantage lies in match-up selections. Thor vs Raiden illustrated how one character can have a perceivable inherent advantage over another - in that case; a lightning manipulating god against a god who turns into lightning.
The potential for Scorpion to bear the burden of being an invincible berserker seemed a distinct possibility. The trope of the powerful punching bag is a standard one - particularly for a franchise predicated on lethal violence. Within Mortal Kombat, Scorpion is arguably best known for his defeats and frustrations. Conversely, Ryu is the quintessential golden boy - noted for his struggles with darkness, but remembered for his victories over boss tier characters; Sagat, Bison, Akuma...
The home crowd may have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a Scorpion victory [results top], but understanding and respecting Ryu makes it easy to conceive of his victory. As an opponent, they don't come much tougher. He is the hero of martial arts epic - defined by his mastery over fist and spirit. His rejection of the killing aspects of his Ansatsuken fighting style is not a weakness for Mortal Kombat's more freely fatal fighters to capitalize on - but a strength of Ryu's true artistry.
Because of this - we were a little surprised by Scorpion's victory!
In our recent Halloween Top 10, we equated Scorpion's ninja spectre skills and thirst for vengeance with the unstoppable determination of horror icons The Terminator, or Jason Voorhees. It was those qualities that Death Battles picked up on, delivering the win through the much lauded advantage of being an unstoppable deadman.
We've got to give full credit to the environmental advantage. More than any other MK Death Battle - it was Scorpion's ability to take the fight into the Netherrealm itself that tipped the scales. Ryu arguably struck a victory blow - but while in the confines of Hell itself, Scorpion wasn't about to stay down. Would it have gone differently in a strict, neutral plane? That will be one the Street Fighter fans will be debating for quite some time, we're sure!
History of Violence: Scorpion was handed lemons and made hellacious lemonade.
Did ScrewAttack Death Battles get it right? Or do you harbor a forbidden respect for Ryu that wonders the great what if? Register to share your thoughts on the forums!
Catch-up on Mortal Kombat's previous Death Battles: Akuma vs Shang Tsung, Thor vs Raiden, Bison vs Shao Kahn & Fulgore vs Sektor! With today's result, do you still see a bias? Discuss each match and post your own in the Fan Koliseum! Check out more video content via the Mortal Kombat Online: YouTube Archive!
