Dueling Works: Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter

I've always had a soft spot for the fighting genre of video games. Nothing is more pleasing than pulling off a super maneuver a long volley of button smashing. Then again, my talent isn't exactly 'competitive worthy', so its usually become a passing interest at the very least.

Still, two games have stood out from the pack thanks to their innovative systems, colorful characters and competitive features that have made them a recognized staple in today's video games:

The 'Mortal Kombat' and 'Street Fighter' series.

A brief summary for both, as usual:

First debuting back in 1987, the Capcom fighting game 'Street Fighter' didn't receive too much praise. It wasn't until 1991 with 'Street Fighter II' that the Japanese gaming company found its celebrated series. Featuring fighters from around the world, players fight with special attacks and super moves to declare themselves the greatest fighters to ever live. With a cast ranging from wandering martial artists to kung-fu interpol agents and mad dictators, the world of 'Street Fighter' still remains quite vibrant and colorful in design since its release.

Developed by the now-defunct Midway Games (now redeveloped into Netherrealm Studios), the Mortal Kombat series burst onto the gaming scene in 1992. Bringing in more violent combat and the creation of 'fatalities', the series has been lauded as one of the most successfully brutal fighting games in the world. Set in the background of realms under combat, you play from ninjas to demons, soldiers to sorcerers, in battles that can define the very fates of the realms themselves. Be cautious and calculating, as each strike may be your last.

Where is the rivalry?

Both 'Street Fighter II' and 'Mortal Kombat' are often the most recognized of the fighting game genre with stellar new features ahead of their times. Both feature a colorful cast of creative characters that combat each other for...well, anything. Stories were also a bit light at the start, not to mention their transitions to 3d platforms didn't work out so well until the mid-2000s. At that point, they both relied on 2.5d style of combat, where everything was properly 3d but on a more linear combat instead of in an arena (like 'Tekken' or 'Soul Calibur'). Both received wide acclaim for their new releases, though it became clear that the focuses for each series has changed from when they first started.

A reboot to revitalize

With the purchase of 'Mortal Kombat' by Warner Brothers Interactive and the creation of Netherrealm Studios, an attempt to bring life back into the popular franchise needed to be done. The release of 'Mortal Kombat 9' showed how the story took to a reboot of sorts, thanks to time traveling visions that ends up altering the events of the first three games of the series (Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, and Mortal Kombat Trilogy). With the change up in story, as well as the inclusion of new powers, old fan favorites and brutal new fatalities, the series was brought back up to prominence in the mainstream community. The success of the game became so great that it ended up making back all of the money that WB had paid for its purchase, as well as winning the award for 'Best Fighting Game' back in 2011. With the release and success of 'Mortal Kombat X' years later, it seems like Netherrealm Studios has found its firm ground in the fighting game genre.

Legit to be hardcore

Capcom and 'Street Fighter' had a different focus in mind. Making note of the many players taking part in tournaments with 'Street Fighter II', they started releasing new versions of the game. Either to speed up the fighting system or balance characters, it became the norm for them. At least, until it started becoming sort of a running gag for fans of the many versions that were released for a single game. Still, the company has managed to keep that focus for later games in the series, like the prequel 'Street Fighter Alpha' and 'Street Fighter III'. Even with a proper transition into 2.5d combat, Capcom couldn't help but release updated versions of 'Street Fighter IV' into full games instead of just improving through software upgrades and downloads. With their latest release of 'Street Fighter V', they've been attempting to better cater towards the casual fanbase along with the hardcore. Whether it will turn out for them in the future is still up in the air.

Who wins?

Once more, depends on your interests. Want a more technical game with a hardcore tournament following? Then 'Street Fighter' is the way for you. Want a more story-based game with violence that rivals 'Game of Thrones'? Then 'Mortal Kombat' it is.

Why the neutral answer?

This is probably something that a few readers have been thinking while reading these posts.

Well, much like anything else, it all comes back to your own personal tastes. You could like all these games or hate them. It all comes back to you, the buyer, the player. Plenty of people have already made their voices clear on what they like with these games.

What about you?

Until next time...