Giant Bomb Video Game News

E3 is over, which means I can turn my attention back to the site behind the site. But I’ve been thinking a lot about Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe all day today, so I felt I had to quickly get some info on the game out of my system. Using our development server’s built-in page editing tools, I quickly whipped up some new info on the game for what will eventually be our MKvDC page. So you don’t have to wait until next week, I figured I’d paste some of the details over here for everyone to check out…

Fighting System

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is primarily a 2D fighting game. Though players can sidestep, the sidestep is too slight to be overpowered up close, maintaining most of the usefulness of projectile attacks. The game places four numbered attack buttons on the face of the controller. On the shoulders is a block button, a sidestep button, and a button to initiate “klose kombat” sequences. Unlike the past 2D MK games, MKvDC’s fighters have varied normal moves, as opposed to assigning nearly identical normal attacks to each fighter. Special moves are performed by entering specific motions and button presses on the controller.

The game’s combo system retains many of the same concepts that MK was founded on, with plenty of juggle-friendly moves. Up close, some normal attacks can be strung together into combos, and like Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, fighters can begin combos from a jumping punch. Jumping punches and kicks will turn around the face foes who end up behind the fighter when the attack button is pressed. Double-tapping toward an enemy causes the character to begin running.

Mid-Fight Minigames

There are three different in-game systems that take the players out of the standard fighting mechanics and bring them into brief, counter-based minigames. Klose Kombat is a new fight mode that is initiated by pressing the KK button from within throw range. If it connects, the camera zooms up and the action slows a bit. The attacking player can hit any of the face buttons to perform an attack. The defending player attempts to guess which button the attacker will press. If the defender guesses correctly, the Klose Kombat mode is broken. If not, the attacker can attempt another move. This concept also applies to Freefall Kombat, which works while players fall from one level of a stage to the next. In this situation, if the defending player successfully guesses the button press, the attack is countered and the roles switch. After a few successful hits, the player in control can press a button to bust out a special mid-air attack that does extra damage and sends the victim crashing to the ground below.

The third and final in-fight system is Test Your Might, which is a concept that originated as a bonus round in the original Mortal Kombat. Here, however, it’s used to give players something to fight over while crashing through buildings horizontally on supported stages. This is basic button mashing, with the attacking player attempting to maximize the damage done while moving to the next part of the stage. The defender also mashes in an attempt to reduce damage.

Characters and Moves (Moves subject to change, move names not official)

Scorpion
Spear
Teleport Punch
Leg Grab
Can Make Fire Appear Under Opponent
Can plant his feet and set himself on fire, damaging incoming opponents
Fatality: Removes mask, breathes fire and torches opponent.

Sub-Zero
Ice Ball
Ice Block (shoots ice into air, forms an block of ice that falls on top of opponent, is unblockable)
Ice Parry (similar to ice clone, but SZ gets an ice shell that freezes opponent if touched)
Slide
Teleport

Sonya
Low Projectile (can be doubled)
Upward Bicycle Kick (can be done in air as a Downward Bicycle Kick)
Flipping Leg Grab
Stun Mist

Batman
Smoke Bomb Teleport
Batarang
Leg Grab

Flash
Kabal Run
Various Teleport Moves

Superman
Heat Vision (can be done during flight)
Ice Breath
Vacuum Breath to Uppercut
Can execute a Sindel-like hover for brief periods of time
Ground Pound (can be doubled)
Brutality: Pounds opponent’s body into the ground up to neck (but they’re still alive!)