QueenSindel, you have brought up a very interesting question as to which is the first thing that catches/hooks us to MK.

You are right, appearance is the first thing that caught my eye (since MK1) followed by gameplay and only after MKII which showed storyline continuity and character development, then I started to like the storyline all the way up till MKD. MK's storyline was one of the best for any fighting game IMO. However similar to what you said; the core being of MK is that it is a fighting game and even with the messed up storylines from MKA it sold very well.

MK was one of the few games to get away without giving it characters proper individual voices unlike other fighters (Up till MKDA). This because the MK characters were stylish and had cool storylines to solidify their presence.

I personally hope that the cool looks of the characters remain in line (style wise) with the earlier MKs and that the gameplay will rock the house. Last but not least... MK was also known for it's awesome storylines; here's to hoping that the fix the storyline and write it while not under the influence of weed.

That is true, and what better way to spice up the story line by adding a almost completely new cast of characters? The same old Raiden and his fighters Vs. Shao Kahn and his fighters is getting old.

I'm content with Sub-Zero and Scorpion. "But my wish is that Noob Saibot and Reptile returns..."

I love mortal kombat, so i won't knock it until i try it out. Even if theres no returning characters.

I just hope they throw in somebody cool as Sub-Zero or Noob Saibot

I really hope 4/5 of the current characters are left out. Just so that the characters I do like will stay that way, and not rehashed into something with a horrible storyline and just not fun to play anymore. And what would be the point of consistently bringing back old favorites? To please the fans that will always have something to fucking bitch and moan about? If Ed says he's going to start fresh and wipe the slate clean, I sincerely hope he does so, even if sonya and Ermac are left out.

Someone posted something about Batman, Superman, and Wonderwoman and how they are still popular and fresh today, because they are always re-invented. Perfect example is how Frank Miller touched upon Batman in "The Dark Knight Returns" and how that story completley revamped Batman and added so much dimension to that character in comparison to that campy 60's version of Batman.

In that interview with Ed Boon he stated that he wanted to the Mortal Kombat game to be "gritty" "dirty" and "gruesome" so why can't those words reflect on the characters?

I can reinvent a character that you feel is boring right now, let's say Jax.

Alright so what do we have on him? Strongest Man On Earth, Decorated Military Officer, Leader Of the Outworld Investigation Agency, Member Of The Special Forces, Good Guy, Close Ally to Sonya. So how can we re-invent those characteristics to be gritty and greusome?

I got an idea let's make Jax a depressed, homicidal, vigilante. It does not mean that he changes his alliance on the contrary, Jax could be still a good guy but now you have more depth on him, and it could explain why someone would mutilate someone in Mortal Kombat like they do.

Jax could be haunted by his past, perhaps Sonya was killed in front of his very eyes and that it could be retconned that he was in love with her, but Sonya was not for it because she was a woman of duty. We could have Jax succumb to his inner demons and in the battle of Armageddon let his rage get the best of him and in that battle he was turned to a monster. Let's say he fought his way up the Pyramid and in the battle he was wounded and bashed around and not only that but had one of his cybernetic arms ripped off. So in his future character render we have some scars on his face and body and he has one regular arm and a cybernetic arm. Jax failed to avenge Sonya's death and wanted to die but fate would not let him. So in the aftermath of the battle Jax managed to survive but by an inch.

Years pass and Jax turns to drinking to numb the pain in his mind and his body. Jax is haunted by his past, what he had become, and is chronically depressed. Jax grows a beard that is grizzled and we see him pushing into his late 40's. Still strong like an ox however Jax lives secluded in Earthrealm isolated from others in the woodlands and mountains of North America, he goes hunting and just wants to be left alone. Residents in the area call him the crazy mountain bear, because he screams like a bear and charges at people he walk near his territory in the woods at the base of a mountain.

The story should go that the new warriors of Earthrealm need all the help they can get for this new tournament and they get information from Fujin about Jax and how he used to fight for Earthrealm, He warns them to very cautious around Jax becaues he has not kept in touch with Jax in a long time because Jax refuses to see him and gets in violent tantrums and accuses Fujin that he is part of the reason why he feels so much pain. The new warriors go to see Jax in the woods and they see him in a drunken stumble knock trees down with his own body to make fire wood. Jax realizes he is not alone and charges in to fight invaders. The main hero of the new generation manages to best him only because Jax was drunk and could not focus, but these new warriors make Jax realize the error in his ways. They convince Jax that they will need his knowledge and his strength for this tournament and Jax reluctantley agrees. He does not help out the warriors for the sake of Earthrealm or to bring justice to his past, he joins because he wants to put an end to the nightmares. Jax opens up an old trunk and pulls out his old gear and straps them on and comes out of retirement for a new round of Mortal Kombat.

This Jax is alot more darker and brooding, he is very rugged and you could see he is aging. Jax is still a giant among the other warriors and now he only uses one cybernetic arm, his other arm is bulging with muscles and his body has scars all over. Jax no longer wears those glasses that he wore in Deadly Alliance but he still wears the Beret, his hair is not parted neatly. Jax is still decked out in a military fashion including camo and combat boots, but he is not in the military anymore. That is one way you could transform the good guys into being still on the side of good, but they have tragedy in their past. And reinventing these characters to the theme of the game would be a huge plus. Twisted Metal Black had a perfect cast that went along that dark nature.

I know. This is very much what should be done to the classic MK characters... Keeping them fresh by making them evolve and deal with new interesting problems.

It's very stupid of Ed to throw most of the classics out the window when realizing that they are the characters Mortal Kombat came to life through. And up until Deception, they STILL were generally loved by fans more so than most of the new characters. So why is he doing what he is doing to them?

I find it idiotic. I mean characters from MK1 to MK3 are all mostly legendary to the MK Universe. But, I guess that's not enough for Ed. It's funny how such a game genius could make such stupid decisions sometimes. And the worst part is... Some people are actually in favor of this decision. I mean, without the fans demanding for the classics to keep recyling in MK video games, mostly likely, they truly will never be seen again.

Well, this is pretty interesting to think about. However, If you look at it this way..

I'm taking a Poll of the complete roster using the MkA select screen here

THE NINJAS POLL RESULTS


20people rated these characters.

ABOVE THE LAW POLL RESULTS


11people rated these characters.

Alot of the characters...even some of the most popular ones are loosing thier following. What I'm saying is I don't blame the MkTeam for getting rid of even a bulk of the current roster.

I think they should have conducted some kind of poll on one of these websites officially, to help determine who people want to keep. Use the data taken directly from the fans and proceed like MQSindel suggest.....Reinvent the true favorites and maybe even the strong secondaries. Might end up being 25 characters total...

Notice on my poll results there that less people rated the less popular 2nd row of characters...Also notice that, simply put, the Ninjas are just more popular amongsts the people that rated...We still have more than a few characters left.....

I guess, tell me what you think about this train of thought....

===========================================
Bottom line though, out of the (Mk1 - Mk2)"original" characters....

1. Jonny Cage got more interesting just latley...but can go.
2. Kano can go and virtually no-one would miss him...
3. Sub Zero is probably the most wanted character, let alone ninja...He pretty much better continue on in somew form.
4. Sonya has a new threat through the Tekunin opposition...she very well could be a secondary character to continue on all that happends with that...She also has to find Jax intact again..
5. Raiden has legitemit reasons to stay on the roster(Regaurdless of my being a number one fan.) He has had a developing "reinvention" and it's nowhere near finished...
6. Liu Kang should either gracfully bow out, or comback as a different type of champion. "Siang" from the comics anyone? But essentially, Liu is through.
7. Scorpion is such a variable at any given time in the story he could quite possibly out-last any of the other characters....with the initial exception of the Gods..
8. Goro is probably done for too...He's become stale lately. No real significant improvements as of yet.
9. Shang Tsung is the king of reinvention in the series thus far, I wouldn't be surprised or disappointed to see him again in the future anywhere...

10. Kung Lao is the "most likely" succesor of Liu. He should go on to later games...I like him and I think he deserves it by now...He mentally tougher and historiclly conected to the tournament.
11. Reptile should apprear again....but I think it should be in the same fasion that he appeared back in Mk1..."King of a Civilation" and all...
12. Kitana can come back...but I think it's time for her to be the one to deligate a new character to the contest of Mortal Kombat...Her and Sindel..
13. Jax to me, is in a "fight or flight" stage right now. He needs to either be re-invented completely, or die off already....make him a guy that controls the element of earth or something or just get rid of him....Idk
14. Mileena should separate from Kitana and continue on being reinvented...Let go of that vendetta already and do her own thing..
15. Baraka is cool....I think he should simply be reinvented and come back with different motivation to bring chaos to somebody elses "civilization". He is Mk's undisputed beastly villan. He needs to to stay.
16. Kintaro should replace Goro and finally be the "main" Shokan dude if you ask me. He should continue...but be reintvented the way of motive and maybe even jeoprodize his alignment...
17. Shao Khan was probably the best boss we had...AND I never appreciated them making him look like he wasn't shit compared to the Dragon King or the Elder Gods. I think if they simply gave Shao Khan more power and a new motivation....He would clearly be enough to worry about for a new game or two. Let him win this next tournament and see how involvled every-single-character becomes in the plot of the story....

That's my word...for now.
Lemme Know som'n.

I think character reinvention and evolution should be the way to go thus far... but for a few characters and not the whole lot.

I wonder what's in store for Sub-zero? It seems like he has reached his peak, in terms of storyline IMO.

Frost on the other hand still has a long way to go...

The classics are a must. Especially the pioneers like Sub Zero, Liu Kang, Jax, Kitana, Scorpion. They gotta stay. Without them the game has noe meaning. It's like he's creating a whole new storyline unless everyone else went extinct after Armageddon.

If he wants to create a fresh roster, he should make it as if they are descendants of the classics. Like someone else from the Lin Kuei and the Shirai Ryu. Another member of the special forces or the navy or someting. Another cop maybe this time LAPD. I think you get the idea. I like Hikari715 ideas about Shao Kahn

Here's another thing to think about...

Scorpion and Sub-Zero are the only two characters confirmed to return for next-gen right? Do you think they will be enough to save MK's popularity? I mean, look at it this way... They both appeared in Armageddon with new moves and stuff, and the game still got horrible criticism from the fans.

Obviously, Scorp and Subby are not enough. This is the MK Universe Ed Boon is putting on the line. And like I said, the classics are the MK Legends.

Maybe MK8 will do well, been even so, I feel MK will lose a lot of flavor. I'm sure the current-gen MK fans will feel the same way when the game comes out, even if they like it overall or not.

The MK Legends have always been the moneymakers.