Like the guys at the Whiskey offices, I've been bit by the MK bug. Altough I have never been a "fighting game guy," and despite the fact that my MK experience ended with the first game as a kid, I cannot stop playing this title. I do not know whether it''s the robust lobby system, or just how good it feels to beat the crap out of someone online, but it's good times no matter how I look at it.

Fights can get pretty heated where over-the-top violence is concerned. In playing online, it's not really surprising that some people take losses personally. I'd rather not chat with anyone while playing, but those who have their microphones up tend to be vocal (and vulgar for that matter). What really surprises me however, are the hateful messages I'll get from time to time. I hear complaints (some directed at me, others in lobbies, etc.) ranging from "all you do is spam," to "you only pick the same character," to "you use cheap moves." Okay this could go on and on, I suppose it's not much different from most online experiences - just like in Call of Duty, the losing team will invariably claim the other side was camping, or some other nonsense - no matter what the reality was.

But is there a "right" way to play games like this? Is there? To the losing Call of Duty squad, I'm sure it would be better for the other team to run like suicidal idiots into the middle of the map. And I'm sure that for MK players, it'd be nice for their opponents to walk right forward and hit basic FP combos. But doesn't strategy demand something better than that? Frankly, I believe the statement in this post: if it's in the game, then it's fair play. Yes, the game may be unbalanced at launch, and changes may be made, but if you can abuse the game's systems, or simply master them, then doing whatever works is the right strategy.

Going back to MK - one thing people seem to get up in arms about are "spammers," i.e., those who repeatedly hammer on special moves. But in a practical sense, anyone with a modicum of skill can get around this by blocking and/or jumping, and then abuse the other player. If you suggest that combos are better, then I could argue that it's "cheap" for one unbreakable combo to do 50% or more in damage, no matter how much skill it takes to execute. In fact, I have yet to see a player who doesn't repeat the same moves or combo moves when they continue to land. And I know I've played against some that pulled off some ridiculous moves - I particularly remember one Sonya who managed to juggle me 14 times by simply mashing Front Punch when I was in a corner. Do I think that should get patched out? Sure, but until then, it's fair game. Yes, in some circumstances games can be "broken," but the only sane response in that regard is not to play, or play with friends, rather than send hateful messages (which really only build a case for Microsoft to ban you). 

I suppose there are some exceptions where enemy AI is concerned. The way that enemy bosses can absorb attacks in single player is unfair by design, but that's not what I'm talking about here.

I never expected to be any good at MK, and really, I'm not. I win a bit more than I lose (I'm at around 110-45 in player matches right now) but I get my tail handed to me on a relatively regular basis. And you know what... that's cool. I can make note of it, and try to defend better next time. I've made a lot of friends by sending compliments to players that impress me, and I love it, because nobody does that!  It helps that MK has a long history of imprecision (at least compared to some of the Capcom games) which means I'm more willing to let it all slide. Ultimately, I'm trying to have fun, and I don't have to win to have a great match. In fact, the lion's share of my losses come from 3-round heartbreakers, and I would have it any other way.

So do I have a point here, or am I completely missing something?