My first thought and most lasting impression when I heard of the reveal was, "Aw, goddammit... the Khronic Komplainers are going to have a grand old time with this one."
As much as I'm curious what role he's going to play, what side he chooses, how his gameplay and fighting style has developed and so on... it's hard to escape the sense that the backlash against the series' original main characters (the ones who gave players their first impression of "Who is Mortal Kombat?") seems to overshadow the characters themselves.
Luckily it's only certain segments of the audience, and Kano has enough fans to make him feel at least somewhat welcome in a world that he helped set the tone for way back in the beginning.
I think NRS is smart enough (hopefully) to view any backlash against main stay characters as short minded peoples whining for a roster spot that is not a 3D era.
People who are content with things do not speak up... so hopefully they do not view the backlash as a consensus of the populations opinion and just a few butt hurt people.
The sooner people realize that 3D era characters are not coming back, & that NRS has chosen to move forward with the mk9 characters and new mkx characters, the better.
Kano is a cool character & solid anti hero.
Well said! AMEN!
I'm a fan since the og game in '92 and yes I prefer the trilogy characters and didn't care as much as for the 3d era. Most of the people asking for the 3d chars are younger or newer fans who made the jump once MK started to look more like f'n Tekken and played like crap. I stuck with it because I love MK that much. Yeah I'm happy to see Kano but would have also a accepted his son. I mean I survived Jarek so surely I can deal with a better designed Kano rip off right? Does being an oldhead mean I should be heard over the new/younger fans? Of course not. But there are certain characters who because of their status as mk1 or 2 characters will always be sacred. They tried leaving out Scorpion/Kitana in MK3 figuring fans would prefer some new blood. Cyrax and Sindel replaced them respectively. Those characters are loved now but only after they brought back Scorp/Kitana for UMK3 because ALOT of fans at the time got pisssed, lol. I can cite a long history of "classics" being replaced with new people with a similar playstyle. It rarely went well. Sorry.
To the person who dismissed the Sub-Zero/Scorpion tea scene in MKX: Sub-Zero performing a "Cha no Yu" tea ceremony for Scorpion was an awesome touch as that is a sacred, ritualized ceremony that conveys absolute respect and dedication to honorable diplomacy! It was extremely culturally significant to both characters and a very huge deal for both story and for fans of those two like myself!
Kano has never really come off as a major fan favorite to the hardcore fans, but I think a lot of that has to do with the repetitious saga with Sonya. I've personally always kind of loved Kano, and I think his graduation from thug to "I don't care if I betray the entire human race for my own survival" has really elevated him as a "survive at any costs" character. He's iconic for the eye, the knives and the Heart Rip. His inclusion makes sense and is probably wise, because I'm sure there are plenty of people who either love to play as Kano or play against him, because it's what they know.
Rumors suggest that he is going to have a child in the story. I'm...okay with that. I don't really like the generational fighter thing, but he seems like the sort of dude who might have kids scattered around that he never cared for. I hope they don't go with a son and give him a daughter though. She'd have a lot of reasons to be pissed off at Daddy Kanes. Would she be an ally or enemy to the Special Forces? I'd make her Red Dragon as opposed to Black Dragon, and I'd possibly have had her infiltrate the Shirai Ryu. Ties her into stories with Kano, Scorpion, Kenshi, Takeda.and Sonya.
I also hope she is the one that gets to kill Kano. Perform his own Heart Rip on him in a cut-scene. So much symbolism there, and you just know that would piss off Sonya.
I guess to throw in my two cents, I'm a decent fan of Kano. I like the more minimalist look of mk11 over the numerous gadgets of mkx and I think they should have some great potential for customization.
Sometimes I see people lauding Bo Rai Cho because they like the idea of an outworld character serving the other side and I never understand why the same isnt applied to Kano. An earthrealmer who plays all sides and has clear, character goals (greed and power) seems strong enough that I figured he would have more fans.
It's also probably worth noting that people who are content with something feel the need to yell about it less often than upset people. Many who like Kano may just not bother to post about it. Ive found that whenever something gets backlash, theres usually a silent majority that doesnt care or is at least slightly positive.
Never shake hands with a man who wears his heart on his sleeve.
Sometimes I see people lauding Bo Rai Cho because they like the idea of an outworld character serving the other side and I never understand why the same isnt applied to Kano. An earthrealmer who plays all sides and has clear, character goals (greed and power) seems strong enough that I figured he would have more fans.
I've seen people say that Erron Black is stepping on Kano's toes for the Earthrealm-traitor soldier-for-hire role. While I don't agree that it's a strong enough reason to exclude one or the other (a bitter rivalry, as is hinted in some of the intro dialogues, would be great) it does sound like a point worth considering.
You guys think we will get Kano gameplay tomorrow during the Kombat Kast?
You guys think we will get Kano gameplay tomorrow during the Kombat Kast?
I think we will but I also hope we get another reveal as well.
I wonder if they will consider Liu Kang and Cassie as reveals ( since we know that they are in 100%) or they will jump straight to new people.
MK3 had the biggest balls. They didnt have reptile, scorpion, raiden, johnny cage or a ninja sub zero. Thats almost an entire roster change to MK1 and they still had a fantastic roster with Kabal, Cyrax, Smoke, Sektor, nightwolf and sindel taking over and the best sub boss they had unique wise was motoro. It was the most spiced up roster we ever had. I almost forgot scorpion wasnt in it cause kabal was my favorite and ice clone sub zero.
Never shake hands with a man who wears his heart on his sleeve.
MK3 had the biggest balls. They didnt have reptile, scorpion, raiden, johnny cage or a ninja sub zero. Thats almost an entire roster change to MK1 and they still had a fantastic roster with Kabal, Cyrax, Smoke, Sektor, nightwolf and sindel taking over and the best sub boss they had unique wise was motoro. It was the most spiced up roster we ever had. I almost forgot scorpion wasnt in it cause kabal was my favorite and ice clone sub zero.
Yeeeeah, but...
"While it offered seven new characters, the total roster was only 15, meaning several favorites had to go. Scorpion, Kitana, Mileena, Baraka, and others were all cut down, much to the dismay of fans."
"While the new 'cyber-ninja' characters were popular, the loss of so many favorites from the roster left many players feeling left out. A new Mortal Kombat was impossible to ignore, but the response wasn't quite what Midway had hoped for. Rather than starting on a fourth game right away, they instead got to work on an updated version for both arcades and the home consoles.
"Before the end of the year, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 had hit arcades, and was on its way home. In addition to character tweaks made to help balance the game, and improvements to the spotty AI, they brought back the greatly missed ninjas: Kitana, Mileena, Scorpion, and Reptile, joined by Jade, who was an unplayable secret character in the second title. The revision helped to win over some frustrated fans, but followers of Johnny Cage, Raiden, and Baraka remained perturbed." ~Courtesy of IGN
... So the moral of the story is, you kinda need to find a balance between a "risky" roster and a "safe" roster. Because the more fans of the classic characters you alienate, the worse off you are where it comes to maintaining the series' identity and core following. These were the characters who made Mortal Kombat what it is, after all, and for that reason they'll always be important. There was quite some outrage at Baraka being unplayable in MKX, about as loud as the calls for 3D characters it seemed -- and he's a series mainstay. I have little doubt that this factored in to him being one of the first reveals for MK11: "Stay calm guys, we already put Baraka back for you."
Between the lessons they learned from MK3, and having many of their newcomers in MK4 and onward taking serious flack with audiences (don't forget, most of the 3D characters were rather unappreciated in their time and many still are) it's not a huge surprise that the team now seems to err on the side of brand familiarity. In MKX you can almost hear the developers in the background reassuring the audience, "Don't panic now, just because we brought in some new characters doesn't mean you can't play all your old MK1-2 favorites anymore."
MK3 had the biggest balls. They didnt have reptile, scorpion, raiden, johnny cage or a ninja sub zero. Thats almost an entire roster change to MK1 and they still had a fantastic roster with Kabal, Cyrax, Smoke, Sektor, nightwolf and sindel taking over and the best sub boss they had unique wise was motoro. It was the most spiced up roster we ever had. I almost forgot scorpion wasnt in it cause kabal was my favorite and ice clone sub zero.
Yeeeeah, but...
"While it offered seven new characters, the total roster was only 15, meaning several favorites had to go. Scorpion, Kitana, Mileena, Baraka, and others were all cut down, much to the dismay of fans."
"While the new 'cyber-ninja' characters were popular, the loss of so many favorites from the roster left many players feeling left out. A new Mortal Kombat was impossible to ignore, but the response wasn't quite what Midway had hoped for. Rather than starting on a fourth game right away, they instead got to work on an updated version for both arcades and the home consoles.
"Before the end of the year, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 had hit arcades, and was on its way home. In addition to character tweaks made to help balance the game, and improvements to the spotty AI, they brought back the greatly missed ninjas: Kitana, Mileena, Scorpion, and Reptile, joined by Jade, who was an unplayable secret character in the second title. The revision helped to win over some frustrated fans, but followers of Johnny Cage, Raiden, and Baraka remained perturbed." ~Courtesy of IGN
... So the moral of the story is, you kinda need to find a balance between a "risky" roster and a "safe" roster. Because the more fans of the classic characters you alienate, the worse off you are where it comes to maintaining the series' identity and core following. These were the characters who made Mortal Kombat what it is, after all, and for that reason they'll always be important. There was quite some outrage at Baraka being unplayable in MKX, about as loud as the calls for 3D characters it seemed -- and he's a series mainstay. I have little doubt that this factored in to him being one of the first reveals for MK11: "Stay calm guys, we already put Baraka back for you."
Between the lessons they learned from MK3, and having many of their newcomers in MK4 and onward taking serious flack with audiences (don't forget, most of the 3D characters were rather unappreciated in their time and many still are) it's not a huge surprise that the team now seems to err on the side of brand familiarity. In MKX you can almost hear the developers in the background reassuring the audience, "Don't panic now, just because we brought in some new characters doesn't mean you can't play all your old MK1-2 favorites anymore."
Exactly this! Can you post this in my thread 'Discussion about MK's history (roster)" or can I quote you? Maybe fans seem to forget how much flack Midway got for leaving out those staple characters and about the newcomers in the 3D era.
MK3 had the biggest balls. They didnt have reptile, scorpion, raiden, johnny cage or a ninja sub zero. Thats almost an entire roster change to MK1 and they still had a fantastic roster with Kabal, Cyrax, Smoke, Sektor, nightwolf and sindel taking over and the best sub boss they had unique wise was motoro. It was the most spiced up roster we ever had. I almost forgot scorpion wasnt in it cause kabal was my favorite and ice clone sub zero.
Yeeeeah, but...
"While it offered seven new characters, the total roster was only 15, meaning several favorites had to go. Scorpion, Kitana, Mileena, Baraka, and others were all cut down, much to the dismay of fans."
"While the new 'cyber-ninja' characters were popular, the loss of so many favorites from the roster left many players feeling left out. A new Mortal Kombat was impossible to ignore, but the response wasn't quite what Midway had hoped for. Rather than starting on a fourth game right away, they instead got to work on an updated version for both arcades and the home consoles.
"Before the end of the year, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 had hit arcades, and was on its way home. In addition to character tweaks made to help balance the game, and improvements to the spotty AI, they brought back the greatly missed ninjas: Kitana, Mileena, Scorpion, and Reptile, joined by Jade, who was an unplayable secret character in the second title. The revision helped to win over some frustrated fans, but followers of Johnny Cage, Raiden, and Baraka remained perturbed." ~Courtesy of IGN
... So the moral of the story is, you kinda need to find a balance between a "risky" roster and a "safe" roster. Because the more fans of the classic characters you alienate, the worse off you are where it comes to maintaining the series' identity and core following. These were the characters who made Mortal Kombat what it is, after all, and for that reason they'll always be important. There was quite some outrage at Baraka being unplayable in MKX, about as loud as the calls for 3D characters it seemed -- and he's a series mainstay. I have little doubt that this factored in to him being one of the first reveals for MK11: "Stay calm guys, we already put Baraka back for you."
Between the lessons they learned from MK3, and having many of their newcomers in MK4 and onward taking serious flack with audiences (don't forget, most of the 3D characters were rather unappreciated in their time and many still are) it's not a huge surprise that the team now seems to err on the side of brand familiarity. In MKX you can almost hear the developers in the background reassuring the audience, "Don't panic now, just because we brought in some new characters doesn't mean you can't play all your old MK1-2 favorites anymore."
The legit truth. 100% confirmed. Looking back it's like "Huh wonder how a character like Reiko or Tanya would be redesigned for the new age." Back in the day reading about their development, I was more like "Whoah wait. You were going to put Noob Saibot and either Kitana/Mileena/Jade as main roster but didn't have enough NEW characters. So Kitana/etc. became Tanya (Roll to Drill, Fan/Sais to Fireballs/Boomerang, New Kiss of Death, etc.)." Didn't stop me from co-maining her at the time with Scorpion and Cage but Kitana is my nunber 2 so damn. "And Noob became some Nightwing looking dude with all the moves they were gonna give Noob but switching one for the weird kick. Then they gave him the Shao Kahn helmet ending with NO explanation just to troll us. WTF?" Home version had an secret play as Noob Saibot code through Reiko too. That's why Noob and his bro Sub started using shuriken from time to time post MK4. Reiko's shuriken where Noob's. Anyway... yeah what he said. Also Kano is awesome. Actually the first character I ever beat MK1 with as for some reason I struggled with Scorpion at the time but Kano was just so cheap and easy, lol. Hope his Kustom moves allow for some mix between Commando and Cut Throat styles. His knives and roll are his main go to but I really liked him as a fast command grappler with counters using the roll and knives as back up plan/zoning. He's one of those characters I don't really main per se but always have in my top 5 or 10 and dust him off to wreck my friend and leave him demoralized.
Never shake hands with a man who wears his heart on his sleeve.
Exactly this! Can you post this in my thread 'Discussion about MK's history (roster)" or can I quote you? Maybe fans seem to forget how much flack Midway got for leaving out those staple characters and about the newcomers in the 3D era.
Quote it if you like. If I do it myself I feel like I'm gonna cross the line to seeming too pretentious about the real value of my insights/opinions. "Look at that guy, copy-pasting the same rant around like it's a message from God that all must receive!"
Probably crossed that line already for a couple people, haha.
