Here's my idea for gameplay:

A hybrid between Shaolin Monks Vs. and Smash Brothers.
All characters have the same amount of moves, and each have their own platforming advantages. for example, Donkey was heavy but strong, same w Goro, Mewtwo was weak when hitting, but had very strong throws, same could apply to Kenshi/Ermac.

Now. in Smash bros characters incorporated a whole lot of their personal moves (think Link's arsenal, Kirby's powers) into a pre-determined, universal set of button combos (if u press up and B, they do their third and last jump, smash down and A gives u a strong low attack, and so forth)
this way, the game is not about mastering inbalanced characters like MKDA/D/A... but to master the character u have to master their platforming skills.
This system was partially incorporated in SM... they all had a projectile (chargeable), they all had a special physical move (teleport, fly kick, slide, etc) so reacing a hybrid of both systems should not be hard at all....
now... the system should keep SM's 3-d instead of SSB 2-d... but it should add more sets of moves besides specials and punches and kicks... they should add low attacks, high attacks, a defensive move (could be universal block like both games had.. block in SM and sheild in SSB)
I also think that like in SSB and in MK:D, once ur off the stage, u automatically die.... unlike SM... where u just loose a bit life...
instead of a light flash and a scream like in SSB, I think MK8 should have deathtraps, like SM (think the Snowy peaks and the dead pool... when u throw an enemy off, they show a little death sequence... put this in place of mario flying in the back of the stage and dissapearing into the horizon)
I think MK's characters have GREAT potential for this kind of gameplay... all of them have a projectile and a phys. special... and some have more than one projectile
(altho personally, I think Goro should NOT have projectiles, he should be purely physical, like donkey)

Ok, thas was gameplay, and some may be wondering by now "Doesnt this jackass know most MK characters are gonna die? why is he talking Goro and Kenshi and Ermac!?!?!"
well.... I think the best course of action for MK history would be a universal remake, by this I mean to make it a difeerent universe... NOT a distant universe in the stars where ppl fight with light sabers... but a universe like the Ultimate universe of marvel, or the Crisis of DC... think like that... a revamp/modernization of all characters... now... their core stories may be the same/similar, but key elements change and make them more interesting characters... here are some I though of as an example:

Overall universe: There are not so many realms anymore... no vampire realm, no zaterra, no chaos/order.... there is Outworld, Earth, and Netherrealm
The tournament is hosted by the elder gods (not absenc entitities) who are capricious, all-powerful beings, who organize the tournament as entertainment for themselves and to wager on the results. The winner of Mortal Kombat is awarded one wish.

Kung Lao- Bitter loner who works as a hitman/bounty hounter since he believes his ancestor to be a weakling and his family to be unworthy... very self hating. Competes in MK to finally find a true purpose in life

Sindel- Wife of Jerrod. She married him so her COUNTRY(not realm... it's only a part of outworld here) of edenia could have more power...she used her vocal powers to seduce and influence Jerrod'd long time advisor and brother Shao to kill the king so he would became the new one. Sinel could not control Jerrod since he was smart enough to inmune himself to her siren's voice. Now she rules through Shao Kahn. Had two doughters, Mileena and kitana. Competes in MK for absolute power

Kitana- Sindel's oldest daughter, fathered by Jerrod. her mother killed her father when she was still a baby. She is arrogant, prissy, spoiled, and so on. She is instructred in many deadly martial arts as protection. She prefers the fans since they are as graceful, beutiful, and deadly as she is. she has a very tense relationship with her family. She competes in MK to obtain eternal beuty

Mileena- Sindel and Shao's daughter, concieved shortly after Jerrod's death. Her birth was cursed by Jerrod's loyal followers, and she was born a monster. Hated by her step-sister just because of her appearance, Mileena is driven away as a child and wonders into Outworld's wastelands. Almost killed by a stampede of Centaurs, she is found by the nomads, and adopted as one. here she feels at home. She is tought to fight by the mutants, and since she has no natural blades, she is given two sais to compensate for this. She is bitter and angry towards her old family, but protective and loving towards her new one. She and her long-time friend Baraka enter the tournament to give a better life for their people.

Quan Chi/Sareena/Scorpion - Three agents sent from the netherrealm by Shinnok's soul to find shinnok's reincarnation on earth(Sub Zero 1) and free the fallen god from his dormant state. They know this reincarnation will participate in MK. they are ordered to kill the human so that his true self may take over the body. Quan is distracted by his own agenda to win the tournament and rule netherrealm. Sareena is the first to find Sub-Zero, but falls in love with his younger brother and cant bring herself to kill him. Scorpion murders old sub zero in cold blood.

Sub Zero- Reincarnation of Shinnok, enters MK so that his little town of icemasters in Siberia will be safe from ragin mobs who believe them to be demons. he is killed in cold blood by Scorpion before the tournament begins and the evil soul of Shinnnok takes over, becoming noob saibot. Noob enters the tournament to get to his old comrads the elder gods and kill them

Sub Zero 2-the younger brother, he follows his bro into the tournament to help him become his old self.

Sonya- An ex-police officer, her hursband was kidnapped and tortured by psycopath mafia thug Kano so she quit. She became an alcoholic and deeply depressed. When informed of the tournament by Shang Tsung, the messanges of the elder gods, she enters to try to bring her husband back to life.

Kano- Crazy mafia thug. he is arrested by Sonya, and taken to jail. during a riot in jail kano is brutalized and half his face is gone, replaced with prosthetics. falling deeper into his madness, he kills Sonya's husband. Now follows sonya arrounf trying to kill her, so he enters the tournament

Shang Tsung- A ghostly creatute that works for the elder gods as a messanger and does their dirty work. Has the hability to suck someone's soul to imitate their chi powers (think Kirby when applied to gameplay)

Ermac- A strong Psychic from outworld. he served as a divinator for the royal family. he sees through sindel's manipulations and sees a future where her tyranny rules everything. enters the tournament to free outworld from tyranny, but his psychic powers detect the presence of Netherrealm evil. He also finds his mind extremely susceptible to Shinnok's darkness.

Tekunin- A high profile japanese mafia, their members are called the Red Dragons because of their red uniforms. They are extremely technologically inclined, and provide Kano with his prosthetics in exchange for winning the tournament for them. the leader is a robotic genius, known only as Sektor.

Brothers of the Shadow - The Chinese counterpart of the Tekunin. Because of this and because they wear mostly black, they are called the black dragons. they are skilled assassins who have mastered the art of the ninja illusion. their leader is Smoke, a misterious ninja who uses different tricks to create the illusion of great power.

Rayden - The son of one of the elder gods and a female human. he stands agains the tournament and enters it to end it once and for all.

Cage- A heir who uses his influence to get himself roles in movies, but is called a phony and a joke. One day he is kidnapped by the Tekunin for a monstruous ransom. trying to prove himself, he beats his captors and infiltrates the Tekunin fortress as it is weakend by a Black Dragon attack. he finds and steals the "green shadow" technology, and uses it to increase his powers. he enters a portal developed by the Tekunin to send Kano trying to escape from the BD/RD fight. he then enters the tournament for ultimate power.

Liu Kang- A young shaolin Monk with the uncanny ability to spark fire. he is seected by his people to enter the MK to grant them eternal wealth. Liu however doesnt want to enter the tournament, but is forced to. Liu would much rather stay on earth and chase girls.

Goro. a giant from Outwold, he is one of the few Shokan left, and is captured and enslaved by Sindel and Shao. They use him as their personal thug. The shokan are highly inteligent and peaceful, but due to Sindel's powers, goro lost most all his intellect, and is nothing but a savage fighting machine now.

Reptile- A spy for Shao kahn and sindel. Native of Ourworld. he was created by magically mixing a human with many local reptilian life.

Jax- Sonya's lover. They started a relationship out of pity after sonya bcame a widow. Jax is an FBI agent who is after Kano for various attacks. he realizes Kano is stalking Sonya and must warn her before anything happens to her.

Kintaro- A gentle creature, and a brilliant Shokan ambassador. he enters the kombat to free his long-time friend Goro from the clutches of the evil queen.




wow... I really rambled on here.... if u manage to read it all... u get a cookie