Garlador Wrote: If you played Street Fighter II ages ago, well Street Fighter IV is basically the same game with better graphics and some tweaks.

Garlador Wrote:Street Fighter, though popular, has barely evolved in how it plays.

StatueofLiberty Wrote:

IamTheS Wrote:
The only reason I liked his MKvsDC design was because he finally had a damn shirt.

Cliffhanger Wrote:

RazorsEdge701 Wrote:


Also, I forget who said it first, Keith or queve, one of the usuals from the Sonya fanclub, but I definitely agree that she needs the gloves from MKvsDCU with the long armbands.

Bezou Wrote:
Once upon a time, there was a Tomb Raider....

Garlador Wrote:
Okay... I'm going to throw my hat into the ring. Prepare yourselves for greatness.

Sonya Blade has ALWAYS been the hardest girl for the MK team to design and in all my years of being on this site she's always been the most heavily criticized in how she's portrayed..........
In retrospect, ALL of these looks have garnered acceptance and even admiration and love, and I see this look being no different. When compared to her prior looks, this may be her toughest look yet.

Garlador Wrote:


Now allow me to breakdown why the look works:
- For starters, her actual body looks fantastic. The anatomy is very good, and she has a very tight balance of femininity and strong, athletic features. Her breasts are, as usual, kind of big, but they don't look soft and doughy; her chest looks firm and chiseled. Her arms are toned, and she's sporting washboard abs. She's got thighs and calf muscles that rival those of Chun-Li, Miss Thunder Thighs herself. Her shoulders are broad and sturdy; she looks like she could ACTUALLY hurt you, badly, in a fight. As much as I loved Sonya in practically all her prior installments, she always looked just a tad "dainty", with the exception of the "gorilla" version in MK:DA. Here, she looks ripped and ready for battle.

- And yet she still looks beautiful. She's not oversized or bulging with muscles. They suit her as a woman to make her strong but not large. Her face is easily the best it has ever been, showing a ferocity her former versions lacked. She's beautiful without looking soft, but strong without looking butch. They nailed the balance.

- The ponytail. I love it. In a fight, you never want your hair flying around loosely, and that bothered me in MK:DA, but here she's tied it back. The bangs still show signs of how gorgeous she must be when she lets her hair loose, and it gives it a sort of tough, messy look, which I find hot.

- The pants. I love them. She's got a very unique black and green color scheme going, and the pants, I imagine, have more detail to them than being straight-up spandex I hope a larger render or some screenshots will reveal. They're formfitting, which is almost a nice throwback to her "aerobics" gear, yet militant enough to appeal to her character. I can already imagine her leg grab move, wrapping those powerful legs around some poor victim and cracking their skull open by tossing them headfirst into the ground.

- Boots and gloves, I have no problems with either. I liked her gloves in MK vs DC, but I see nothing wrong with them here. She looks more than ready to pound someone's face in and to fling the blood off of her knuckles or to kick their teeth in with her oversized boot.

- The vest. Arguably the most controversial change to her. "It shows too much skin", I keep hearing, and I agree to a small point, but honestly, the first time I saw it, I thought it was an immediate throwback to Commando.

Sonya's rocking a tough look leather vest, and you can't tell me that if a woman with that body walked into a bar wearing that you wouldn't think she was one tough cookie. I PREFER the lack of undershirt, because her chest and arms are so sculpted and toned that I WANT to see the muscles she's sporting unhindered. Nothing about her pose, her build, or the rest of her says "slutty' or "stripper". She's sexy, yes, she always has been, but she looks more like a strong, tough down-and-dirty chick that knows how to fix a motorcycle, doesn't mind a little mud, dirt, and grime, and likes to arm wrestle other soldiers in her down time. And I find that to be super hot, more so than any cleavage she could show.

- The details. I love the dogtags, the weapon holster, her belt... most of the little accessories she's sporting seem right in line with her character and her past.

Now for the things I'm not so fond of:
- The straps. I'm okay with the ones on her leg, because they seem to serve a purpose, to hold a knife or weapon. And maybe the ones on her arm do as well, but I don't see it. So she's got straps and belts on her arms, her legs, her chest, her stomach.... and after awhile I start to wonder if she's lost on her way to a Final Fantasy convention. It makes her design perhaps a tad too busy.

- A resemblance to Nina Williams. Sonya came first, and even did the blonde ponytail with bands look first, but Nina Williams has kept that same look for years, enough so that almost any fighting girl with the same look, regardless of whether they came first, gets compared to her. Sarah Bryant in Virtua Fighter, Jill Valentine in Resident Evil 5, and even Samus Aran have been compared to her, and there IS a resemblance, but that's a minor, minor thing.

- Could be MORE military. I'm hoping her pants have some subtle camo details or she's sporting more military details (radio, emblems) to accentuate her profession.

In the end, I find this to be a fantastic look for her. She reminds me greatly of strong heroines in cinema, such as Ripley in Aliens, Sarah Conner in Terminator, or Michelle Rodriguez (in any role she's ever played). She's beautiful without a doubt, but she looks the fiercest she's ever been. I'd compare her to a lioness, sleek and majestic yet absolutely deadly and efficient killing machine when the need arises. She could kill a man a thousand paces with that stare of hers before she would ever need to use her fists and strong legs to finish the job.

Welcome back, Sonya. It's great to see you again.

Garlador Wrote:


I think she "looks badass" with a leather vest. I don't see why the effect is diminished just because she has breasts. She's got guns of her own and muscles to kill.

Beyond that, you're not looking at the entire picture. No, one vest does not a badass make. But that's like saying the badass woman below isn't a strong, tough woman just because she's wearing the same black bikini as someone else.



How a character acts, carries herself, talks, and fights ultimately determines more about her "strength" than a vest.

Because if Arnold was trying to look "badass", there are more than a few male strippers that have that same tight leather vest motif. It's all about the bigger picture, and Sonya's big picture is, I believe, pitch-perfect for her.

Garlador Wrote:
Sonya's outfit notwithstanding, why isn't there more hoopla and hurrays that the first lady of MK has been officially confirmed to begin with?

RedSumac Wrote:
Her new nickname should be "LaNa" or "NiRa".

~Crow~ Wrote:
If someone showed it to me without telling me it was Sonya and without it being in this context (Scorpion) I would have guessed it was Nina and not Sonya.

tonytrash Wrote:
queve and everyone,

i dont think she needs the undershirt.

this is a REBOOT. people are bored with sonya because she's too cookie-cutter good girl and boring looking at times.

this freshens up her look and makes her look much more intriguing to non-boneya fans.

she looks badass now. this makes the DC costume look preppy and took underdog like. she looks like a force of nature.

MrHoppyX Wrote:
Sonya's new look takes aspects of her previous ones, without being the same old same old. It's less of a departure than her default outfit in MK:DA was.

The lower part of her costume: dark pants, belt, combat boots, is similar to MK vs DC and MK:DA, only executed better now IMO. She's worn closely fitting pants since day one. Her identifying colour has always been green, and her outfit is more green now than it has been recently. Also she's gone back to a ponytail and no beret, which in my eyes is more classic Sonya than MK:DA style loose hair and/or with beret. FWIW it's more practical too! Upper body stuff is different in all these games. Not just MK9.

For me this new look incorporates the best classic Sonya identifying features from her spandex exercise video days: green, ponytail, tight pants, and joins it with the military vibe, with combat style boots, dog tags, knee protection, gloves that started in MK:DA. I think as an aesthetic ensemble, the new outfit is her best yet.

I'm not saying people are being prudes, but if someone thinks the new outfit is a huge departure, the only thing I can think of that is "new" is being able to see some cleavage. She's always exposed her midriff, FWIW.


It's hard to see her boots but they like sweet. They look like the kind of high heel combat boots that seem to be in vogue IRL. An awesome juxtaposition of sexy and badass practical awesome.


I'm stoked I might even do some fan art. :)

Garlador Wrote:

Sonya, by comparison, is still VERY much Sonya. She has the blond ponytail like MK3, MK4, Shaolin Monks, and MKvsDC. She has the dogtags like DA and MKvsDc. Her pants resemble her MK3 leggings. She's gloves like these for several games. She often wears vests and jackets in her appearances. I would immediately assume she was Sonya if I saw her in material divorced from the game.

I still find it weird as well that people are so stress that "she's showing sex appeal" when MKvsDC had her fighting bra-less (with VISIBLE NIPPLES), thong-tan lines, and wearing the smallest shirt the world has ever seen. MK3 and MK4 had her with very form-fitting clothes as well. You can argue that "Sonya is too professional" to be showing skin, but that's just it; she HAS always shown skin. A lot of it usually. Her very first appearance was in tight clothing that showed off cleavage and midriff, so the precedent has been there for almost two decades. I'm sure she'll have a more conservative alternate (like in DA), but has there ever been a single "main" outfit of hers that didn't have sex appeal in it?

She is not just a military soldier, she's a fighter, and she's a sexy woman. And I think this look captures this perfectly.

~Crow~ Wrote:
Sub-Zero is iconic looking, and yes I would easily guess Sub-Zero no matter what costume he was wearing. His Deception alt is about as extreme as he's every gotten from his original design, but it is an alternate costume after all.

T-rex Wrote:
Seriously,the more I look at this design,the more I like it.

NRS,if you guys are reading this:

THE ONLY THING SHE NEEDS TO BE GREAT IS A T-SHIRT. Preferably a black one,just like in MKSM.

This is literally the only thing you guys have to do.

ActingArtist Wrote:
Well I never really post on here, but I've been a member for years and years and years and I lurk.

Let me just say that I am so excited about Sonya's new look. She has always been my favorite character. I am loving the vest, the cleavage, the pants, the hair... all of it. And yeah, it may not be exactly practical for her to have her tits all exposed, but oh well... this is a GAME. I'm a hardcore fan like all of you, but honestly, chill out. This is a game with fictional characters. And maybe I can say that because I am loving the look. Sex sells, and I can be a whore.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Sonya's new look and I can't wait to play with her. She looks edgy and revolutionized. Major props to the team for making her look AWESOME. Can't wait to see a high res render. Only thing that I can nit-pick about is that I really like the hat she wore in MK4. I thought that was a good touch, but I'm digging the ponytail. I hated her soccer mom hair from DA.

YAY I am excited. And I'm glad that Queve got to post first on this because I think he might be a bigger Sonya stan than me. Queve, I believe that I read you got a PS3 a while back. When the game comes out, we have to play online together, k? Don't forget about me.

NS922 Wrote:
For everyone asking, "Why can't MK have a female that isn't a slut, skank, or whore?", I say:

Ashrah.

RazorsEdge701 Wrote:
To the people saying Sonya has few-to-none design elements that carry over from game to game and make her obviously Sonya, I slightly disagree. She does have a few. Her looks are not even remotely as consistent and iconic as the ninjas, it's true, but she's always had a few specific things:

1) She is, of course, the only blonde woman in the MK universe to date. And she wears her hair in a ponytail in every game except MK1 and MKDA.

2) She almost always has something on her head. In the vast majority of games, it's a black headband. In MK4, she wore a black hat. In her MKDA Alt and MKvsDCU, a green beret. I would say the lack of a headband or hat of any kind is the biggest factor that's making this Sonya look too much like Nina from Tekken or other fighting game blondes.

3) Green is of course her signature color. Between "Mortal Kombat", "green clothes", and "blonde hair", that's really enough to tell you a character is Sonya if you see any given picture of her. She wore predominantly green in MK1, 3, and 4, and a green jacket in MKDA. Shaolin Monks deviated a bit, but camo is almost green. (And personally, I've always liked the slightly loosefit camo best for her as opposed to the tightpants in every other game.) Usually she's got black and white as secondary colors. The lack of any white is one of the problems with this outfit IMO. For me, it's not just that an undershirt is the biggest thing this costume needs to be better because there's too much cleavage, it's that specifically a white one is needed, to also add that color back into the wardrobe.

4) Bellyshirts. She's showing off her bare arms and stomach in every single appearance. (And in two games, thong straps peek out, and in one the thong is gone but the tanlines from it remain. I would actually like the thong to become a consistent recurring element, I get that some fans think it's slutty, but I like it because it reminds me of the green underwear-outside-the-pants from MK1 but in a more modern, non-goofy lookin' way, AND it stands out as something that people actually notice and remember about the character's clothes, which is exactly what she needs more of, even if the memorable elements are disliked ones.)

5) Belts around one thigh, particularly two on the left. (though the first time it was used was one on the right in MK4) This is a much newer addition to the overall Sonya iconography, and most people probably don't even notice or care, but I appreciate that they're at least trying to be consistent at one thing. On the subject of very small details, I like that dogtags and a utility belt with some sort of badge for the belt buckle have carried over from MKvsDCU to this game. I hope that becomes recurring for all Sonyas from here on out. I also hope that thing that looks like a badge on her chest is indeed one. Any little thing that makes her costume identify her as on-duty for the Special Forces (or OIA depending on the game) more is good.

Anyway, as far as this design goes, it's got problems: the.......arms are just plain boring, and we've all pointed out the cleavage is a bit ridiculous for the character, too blatantly "sex appeal just for sex appeal's sake". But I think it's too early to judge the vest or pants because we can't see the details and I still maintain they may in fact be much more detailed and interesting than we can see from this tiny, low-rez shot.

And as far as Sonya not being military enough, you have to keep in mind that the Special Forces in this universe are NOTHING like the real life army. This is a completely fictional specialized, almost mercenary unit akin to comic book and cartoon characters, so a much more casual dress legitimately makes sense in that context. Hell, after MK3, Sonya and Jax form a whole new agency, which for all we know doesn't even answer to the U.S. gov't since it seems to have worldwide oversight. It's more like Nick Fury and SHIELD.

Would I like to see Sonya wear some camo and a headband or beret? Maybe bring back her MKDA jacket? Sure, that can only be an improvement. (although in this case, the vest seems to fill the jacket's same role, just without sleeves)

Do I ever expect in my lifetime to see a Sonya that has a long sleeve shirt and/or her belly covered in her Primary costume though? Absolutely not, and that doesn't bother me at all. She doesn't actually have a job that requires fatigues and a helmet, her universe's Special Forces are more like some sort of superhero-FBI than soldiers who go into warzones and fire rifles from foxholes. Again, think of SHIELD, not the real world.

Noobsmoke92 Wrote:

Thanks to queve that he linked this thread to NRS and Hans said they are reading it.So they have got our opinion.Listen to it or not it is up to NRS.

DigitalAssassin Wrote:
I guess it's safe to say that 80% of the MK community agrees that sonya looks like a whore.

Vomit Wrote:
Let's be optimistic for a minute, gentlemen. I'm quite pleased to hear (or lack thereof) that no one has had any complaints about her face or hair. One of the biggest setbacks from MK vs DC was the butch face & emo hair-cut. I'm glad NRS made her more appealing this time around, and I'm fairly certain a lot of you here are also satisfied... otherwise you would have been throwing hissy-fits by now, right?

WarriorPrincess Wrote:
Hmm, I'm not quite getting it. Sonya, has worn no less than this in previous installments. Her arms have almost always been bare in every MK, and her mid-riff has always been exposed. Only thing new I am seeing in this image is the vest, which isn't much of a big deal at all considering we could see her nipples pressing against the fabric of her cropped top in MK vs DC. So they choose to let Sonya bare some cleavage THIS time and all of a sudden its "too revealing" when in fact she's dressed like this consistently through out the series? And mind you, is wearing PANTS! And we all know how revealing pants are! {that was sarcasm, obviously}

LeoBrZ81 Wrote:
While I'm incredibly thrilled to be looking at a full-body shot of my chick, I will not eyegasm until I see her in a gameplay video, or at least in a high-res render. Just trust me and be prepared for a sorority-bitch-style-freak-out-post when we finally get to see her in action unhindered.

So many heavy opinions in this thread, which is fine and welcomed, but please, do keep in the mind the size and quality of the picture you are all looking at. I can guarantee, 100%, with all certainty, that when we see her in high-resolution, and especially her intro (which just the thought of incites a mini-panic attack), you will all notice plenty of details that are simply indiscernible in this little snippet of a magazine cover. So do think twice about comments like "uncreative palette" or "lack of details" or "too simple and bland".

I have read every single post in this thread instead of sleeping following two days of incessant work and bad actors (a story for another day), and I have to say Garlador has most closely stated my thoughts on my Blade.



I found myself mentally nodding continuously as I read your post.

I see where you're coming from with the things you're not fond of, but I personally don't share the negative views. I, for one, am not a demanding fan when it comes to keeping Sonya "military" throughout. I embrace the fantastical elements of MK's "Special Forces" and "OIA". I honestly have never seen Sonya as an "army chick", but rather, as has been said before, as an Earth-defender "superhero" of sorts in a world completely parallel to ours, where everything is futuristic, slick, and sleek. She can rock all the tight-fitting pants and crazy leather bands she wants. I want Sonya to look cool and futuristic, as I have said many times before, and elements like these add to it. That is why I liked the MK4 model, and the MKDC model (my favorite up to this point). You could buy that she was military/law-enforcement/secret agent-type, but probably many decades in the future, where everything is simply much cooler-looking, even if unrealistic to our standards.

The vest. Oh, little vest, what controversy you have stirred...

Sorry queve, you're the best, but I like the vest. Honestly, I'll take that vest any day of the week. Do you guys remember her MK4 model? We got sideboob action in that, too. Check her out when she's talking to Jax in her ending and the camera revolves around her:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_QiXFldb5s

The only different was that it was showing the outer side of the melons. Now we're getting the same cleavage flash, but the inner side instead, and so I, like Keith, do not see what the big deal is. And let's remember that this vest doesn't just consist of some flimsy, thin leather band barely covering the nipples. it's an actual jacket-type vest, it wraps around her entire back, and when taken in overall, it is the equivalent of a jacket on a female that has been zipped open just a little too low. And while on the subject, let me just say how I love the exaggerated collar of the vest that wraps around the back of her neck. I loved it on the select screen pic, and I'm still lovin' it.

I can't wait to see a high-quality shot of Sonya so I can dissect the details we're definitely not seeing right now. Are her boots high-heeled, or just combat boots? It does seem like her heel is elevated in that shot. Does the boot on her left leg go up further than the boot on her right leg? Kinda looks like it, possibly. Very interesting, given that only the left leg gets the bands as well. She's definitely wearing make-up. Her lips are red, not pink. I may be seeing some semblance of eyeliner, or maybe it's just the low-res pixels. Want to see her face up-close so bad.

LOVE the new bangs, specifically how the bangs on the right side are short, and the ones on the left side go past her freakin' chin. Sexay as hell.

You want a complaint? She's missing the MKSM belly piercing. It would have looked sooooooo freakin' sexy on this anatomically-majestic Sonya. Now, I may have more complaints and gripes, and less (or more?) compliments to shoot at her new attire, but I'll save final judgment for when we can see EVERYTHING in clear view and IN ACTION.

Come oooooooon, Brazil!!!! Be the one to give us Sonya!!!!

oracle Wrote:
Woo, this thread.

I remember when that first leaked picture of Sonya was released I thought it was Sindel or maybe even Sareena because of the amount of cleavage we were seeing. Sonya has always been attractive and sexy and showed off a little skin but this is a little too much.

I saw a few people mention the MK4/G side boob but that was so subtle compared to this.
She needs a shirt, that's so far the only problem with the actual outfit.

And I'm sorry but this does look like Nina Williams, it's because of the bangs. She definitely needs the MKvsDCU bangs back and the beret or a hat or something.

RazorsEdge701 Wrote:
I thought her bangs looked like some sort of ugly goth/punk/emo chick style in MKvsDCU. I think her hair looks much better in this game, more like she looked in MK3.

I still say the solution to the whole "She looks like _____ from another game" problem would be the simple addition of the classic black headband. Though a beret would be fine too.

QueenSindel(TheBitch) Wrote:
11 pages already?

Sonya's causing quite a riot! Atta girl!

Chrome Wrote:


Yeah. Frost perhaps.

queve Wrote:

But, have you check out the edited pics were she is sporting a shirt inside the vest?.....Much better and even more sexy, if you ask me.

fedegita Wrote:
Right. But what are the chances of seeing them this time around? Nope, looks like we'll have to deal with the MK team's pubescent fantasies for now.

fedegita Wrote:
<
Then again, I wouldn't pout it past boon et al to turn even those two characters into sluts. After all, it's what the fans want, right?

queve Wrote:
No beret please! I'm quite tired of it.

fedegita Wrote:


Right. ...

Jaded-Raven Wrote:
You've been busy queve. ;P

MrHoppyX Wrote:


I prefer it as it. Trying to leave sex aside (I can't totally divorce my sexuality from my appreciation of aesthetics : they're inextricably linked), I find the outfit more pleasing as is. The vest makes it look more busy.

MrHoppyX Wrote:


About modesty. MK characters aren't modest. MK is in about in your face, unashamed badassery. Garlador's Arnie example is a great one. Someone else might wear a muscle top and people whould think they were effeminate, or a show off or something. Most people think Arnie looks like a badass, and the few that don't wouldn't say it to his face. Besides, Arnie knows that he kicks ass.

Also, modesty is about a person's perception of how others percieve them, or something. I can't envisage anyone in the MKiverse ever saying "ooh who does she think she is", or "put it away". Societal mores are different there. Besides, Sonya's concentrating more on beating up ninjas and robots than what the Pope thinks about her wardrobe. :)

Jaded-Raven Wrote:
It has become a quite common for fighting games to have their female characters clad very lightly and sexy, to attract the male audience.

queve Wrote:

I don't think that's a good enough responce-reason to justify, say, half naked Kitana or Sonya showing that much cleavage.

tonytrash Wrote:
Yeah let's give her her matronly alt costume in Deadly Alliance and give Sonya fucking Ashrah's modesty. Sonya should be the girl that all the guys want to bone. Like she was in MK4.

oracle Wrote:
Men would've bought the game anyway. This really isn't an excuse anymore unless they start doing fan service like DOA.