There are several things that I have wanted to see in MK since before MK5 was finished, but most of those elements never have made it into the game. With this next generation Engine, I definitely want to see these Features implimented into the gameplay of MK9.

MORE INTERACTIVE BACKDROPS/ENVIRONMENTS/ARENAS/ANIMATION:

I liked the feature in MK4 where you could pick up objects off of the ground and throw them at your opponent, but I think this feature/concept should be expanded upon. Of course depending on what type of environment you were in, you should be able to pick up just about anything solid and use it to inflict damage. If there's a rock or stone laying around anywhere in the arena it could be used to throw (a smaller rock using one hand and a bigger stone using both hands) at the opponent. If it's a stick it could also be thrown. Of course there should be BALANCE. I mean don't make it a throwing match, that's what kombat is for. Make it not so easy to get to the object, but just make it ACCESSIBLE. There should also be WEAPONS as there were in MK:4/DA/D/A, and have it be a style of kombat. The fighters of course would be more skilled with their own weapons but this weapon would have a few different moves, and anyone can use it, get it taken from them or knocked out of their hand, but it doesn't need to disappear, once it is used it should remain ACCESSIBLE throughout the match.

Make it where the WEATHER CLIMATES and CONDITIONS also INTERACT with the fighters/characters and arenas. For instance, if there is a huge temple with statues and buildings and it is thundering and lightening, have the lightening randomly strike one of the statues or structures of the temple or building and that statue or structure/or object FALL (like the stage in MK:D) similar to a stage I saw in DOA or VF (one of those), but expand on the concept. If you are standing in that area when the structure falls you could eaither be simply hurt or crushed--make both optional so it won't be repetative...make it RANDOM. Have all kinds of things happening in the environment...HURRICANES, TORNADOS, TEMPESTS, THUNDERSTORMS, HEAT and DESERT STORMS, EARTHQUAKES, SUNAMIS, HAIL STORMS, SLEAT, SNOW STORMS, VOLCANOS... just like it would happen in real life. Also Make the characters' ANIMATION condusive to the ENVIRONMENT. Similar to that of VirtuaFighter4-5, make it very cinematic and REALISTIC. If the wind is blowing, the characters' HAIR and CLOTHES blow at the current and speed of the wind -COMPLEX ANIMATION-, moreso than it is in the current games. If it's a desert evironment, show the fighters SWEATing, just as the wear and tear of the body, the natural conditions of the body slowly change depending on the environment. If it's RAINING, have the fighters' skin, hair, and clothing appear to be WET.

WEAR and TEAR OF THE BODY EFFECTING THE GAMEPLAY:

Not to make it too realistic, but make this more life-like where if a fihgter's BONE is BROKEN, he will quickly wiggle or snap it back into place, or if you really break their kneecap enough times or leg, they will stagger a little in the fight until they get their POWERUP back UP...etc... There could also be animation where the hair shows wear, like in real life. Speaking of

HAIR

I think that HAIR animation should be TEXTURE ORIENTED. They should MOTION CAPTURE the hair where it would move and flow as realistically as it does in DOA (and even better looking). For example, Sonya had loose hair in MK:DA, but only the bottom of her hair moved when all of it should move. And when she walked, her hair seemed to glide, when it should bounce when she walks. Kitana's hair seemed to have a life of it's own. Liu Kang should have the most flamboyant hair (him having thin silkish oriential hair) but in MK:DA/A his hair didn't move at all. This is not nitpicking, buit has to do with lifelike animation.

MORE DIALOG/DRAMATIC SOUND EFFECTS:

Not to make it a talk show, but make it where the fighters tuant more and say gibberish like they did in previous games. For example, when you got Sonya real teed off in MK4 she'd say "GET OUT OF MY FACE!". It could be more of a power-up feature or whatever way it's done, it would make the characters more ALIVE, and it does add to the gameplay experience. I think the characters should scream and yell a little more dramatically than they do. With all the pain being inflicted, it would be kooler if you could almost feel it yourself.

As for the sound effects, it would be kool if it was more TEXTURE ORIENTED. Say for instance, you were thrown up in the air and came down on the floor of a wooden ship, it would sound differently than falling onto water or concrete. You should be able to HEAR the CONCRETE CRACK . You can hear a character's CAPE FLAPPING or CLOTHES BLOWING IN THE WIND, or A SWORD SLICING INTO FLESH, or JAX'S STEAL ARMS HITTING a SCULL...The WEAPONS CLANGING TOGETHER should be so realistic that it ALMOST HURTS YOUR EARS!...


WEAPON KOMBAT:

MK4 was my favorite installment of the franchise (besides MK2) because I think it was the most innovative. One of the greatest features I liked that they introduced were the WEAPONS! I like that each charcter had a weapon that was unique to him, and a UNIQUE BUTTON COMBINATION FOR EACH OF THEM. It made the gameplay feel more personal, like you actually accomplished something, and were REWARDED with a WEAPON. And they actually showed the ANIMATION of TAKING THE WEAPON OUT. It would be kool even to see the weapons ON some of the fighters' APPAREL. Say for instance Scorpion has swords on his back, and he can either take one sword from his back and use it or he could use BOTH SWORDS as an OPTION, and it would actually SHOW THE ANIMATION of the SWORDS BEING PULLED FROM HIS BACK instead of still appearing on his back, they no longer appear on his back but in his hand, etc... same for the other characters, eccept for them that USE MAGIC to ACCESS their WEAPONS, but it should still show the ANIMATION of the MAGIC. I don't think that the weapons should just quickly appear in the fighter's hand like they did in MK:DA and MK:A. IT'S A CINEMATIC MOMENT (like it was in MK4). Although it shouldn't slow down gameplay that much and leave you open to a lot of attacks, it should still be fast enough to defend yourself but also still leave you open for a player who is very fast. It WOULD BE FAIR because what you are about to use on that opponent is very powerful.

Also bring back the IMPALE MOVE

I liked the impale move...I just think that it should be more open to options and variety this time. BALANCE the playing field where instead of an impale move draining the life out of an opponent with no way to stop it, make it where the opponent can REMOVE THE WEAPON, as a TEST YOUR MIGHT feature. My favorite impale move was Kitana's. Even if they don't bring the feature back, I think Kitana should definitely have it as a move, because it fits her fighting/weapon style more than anyone.

TEAM KOMBAT

I have wanted to see this since MK4...where more than two fighters could be on the screen at once. I would like to at see 2 on 2 kombat and or tag team kombat. Not to make it into a wrestling match, but make it it more interactive where more people could play at one time.

MOVES, MOVES, AND MORE MOVES

I would like to see multiple fighting styles return, but not like they were in MK:DA/A. I want them to be more personal to the character/fighter. Similar to how they are in Tekken. Some fighters should get 3, some 4, some 5, depending on that character/fighter's own UNIQUE PERSONALITY, BACKGROUND, STORY, TRAINING, and EXPERIENCE...but not so elementary--don't show the fighting styles on the screen, unless it is practice mode. It makes the fighting seem too mechanical. Make the fighting styles flow freely in Kombat...It shouldn't be a one button presser to change styles...

COSTUMES, MORE COSTUMES AND CUSTOMISABLE COSTUMES

I've always like the idea of more costumes. No, this isn't a modeling shoot, but multiple costumes always add more VARIETY and REPLAY VALUE and complexity to the charcaters. I would definitely like to see more than 1 alternative outfit for the fighters. But I would like you to expand on this concept. Depending on where you went, or what you did, you could get different outfits from the konquest mode, or buy different apparrel from a shop, and design your own costume with lots of variety, even objects you could use in kombat.

CINEMATOGRAPHY/MULTIPLE LAYERED STAGES/REALMS

I like the way the stage fatalities and multi-layered stages look now, but even so, I would like to see them span more details of the arenas. Even switch up the stage fatalities to where if you fall off of one side you'll end up in a different place. And you may also end up in a different world/realm, depending on what stage you were on. I would put this on every stage, because it might get overused and played out, but I would put opportunities to travel to multiple worlds/realms on a couple of the stages. I can picture this on the portal stage.

CINEMATIC ENDINGS!!!

Need I say more?

I would like to see MOVIE LIKE endings again, but this time not where you get BORED WITH WATCHING THEM so fast, but make them INTERACTIVE and put in MULTIPLE ALTERNATIVE ENDINGS...


I would also like to see a KUSTOMIZABLE SOUNDTRACK.

If these things
are not implimented in MK:9 (because I know that it's pretty much a done deal now), I would definitely like to see them in the NEXT MK!
These are the biggest suggestions and concerns. Feel free to give feedback.