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[Evilisk]

Yes, Shredder Sub Zero is still the best Sub Zero

Honestly besides the stupid thong and exposed belly, I think this is a decent design.

Is that a tan line? Ugh

 

[Dereck]

Hey man, I'm glad you posted this -- thanks for running with the idea, it's an awful lot of legwork. Thanks to boutdown, too.

It is just as interesting as I thought it'd be to take in. Even though I was always on the Street Fighter side of the lunch table as a kid, I have a lot of respect for how successfully (most of the time -- you get some rough designs here and there) the Mortal Kombat series has been able to reinvent the aesthetics of its characters. Especially fascinating to see the ninjas go from palette swaps (of an iconic starting design) to distinct designs. MK also has a surprisingly huge amount of lore that grows with the games; interesting to note how that influences some designs.

Funny enough, I think I gravitate toward the hand-drawn designs that have been posted. MK has always sided toward a more realistic, or at least textured and detailed, look (literally photorealistic at the beginning), but I appreciate the simplicity here. It's like a deconstruction that gets down to the core of the design.

Thanks

SMH at how Midway screwed over Motaro

 

[Satsunohadouryu]

MK Deception

PS2, Gamecube, Xbox

MK Armageddon

PS2, Xbox, Wii

Thanks.

I wonder what they were thinking, poor Smoke, and Motaro I guess he was redesigned by the same guy.

 

[Shaanyboi]

The last time they made Motaro playable, they made him bipedal.

They had to though. His body would break a ton of the animations as those weren't designed or built around a quadruped.

 

[Khezu]

I think that era of Smoke he was supposed to be made up of nanites or something stupid.

 

[Watevaman]

The last time they made Motaro playable, they made him bipedal.

yeah but in MK9 he was a quadruped and I think they would've kept him like that

 

[God Enel]

Kitana

Kitana.img's

you forgot the best one

had a huge crush on her back in the days.

 

[uberluigi]

OG Scorpion is best Scorpion

 

[jaxword]

The revealing outfits of the female ninjas could be explained in lore in that maybe that's just Outworld fashion.

Sonya's outfits have no excuse, though. She's supposed to be US military. She should wear appropriate uniform.

Jax is military and half his outfits are shirtless...or cyborg super-arms. Isn't that just as bad?

You must admit it's still silly to complain about female outfits in a game where you murder people.

Just goes to show the strange hypocrisy we have in the West where Sex=Bad, Violence=Good. Show people shooting each other, that's normal, show too much boob, that's a sin against humanity and God and life.

 

[nm3th]

Thanks for posting this. I haven't kept up with MK since UMK3, but scrolling through this thread makes me want to go dig out my Genesis for some old school fun. :thumbsup:

 

[Slamtastic]

The revealing outfits of the female ninjas could be explained in lore in that maybe that's just Outworld fashion.

Sonya's outfits have no excuse, though. She's supposed to be US military. She should wear appropriate uniform.

Since when are military characters in fighting games ever dressed appropriately?

 

[Khezu]

Well he is not my favorite male ninja, I think they did a great job updating Ermac over the years, he tends to always look pretty cool.

I also love how they visualize his powers.

 

[shuri]

They should go back to using real people. Every Mortal Kombat game has looked horrendous, but at least when it had real people, it was bad in a funny kind of way instead of just plain bad.

When MK1/MK2 came out, they looked like the coolest thing you had EVER SEEN.

 

[jaxword]

Well he is not my favorite male ninja, I think they did a great job updating Ermac over the years, he tends to always look pretty cool.

I also love how they visualize his powers.

That is pretty cool. Got any more good gifs?

 

[pretty done]

Well he is not my favorite male ninja, I think they did a great job updating Ermac over the years, he tends to always look pretty cool.

I also love how they visualize his powers.

Ermac is such a boss. My favorite zoning character in a fighting game.

Also too much hate for the females in here, I think MK9 Mileena is the best Mileena.

 

[inm8num2]

The MK games have some really great character designs, no doubt about that.

 

[fernoca]

Yeah. Ermac and Rain went from not been real character to having really cool designs over the years; and nice powers/stories too.

Even Skarlet who also started as a rumor and an error macro (like Ermac); ended in the latest game with a really nice look and concept.

Also too much hate for the females in here, I think MK9 Mileena is the best Mileena.

Yeah. '9' has my favorite looks, characterizations of the female characters.

The alt costumes of the female characters were cool too.

you forgot the best one

had a huge crush on her back in the days.

Haha..yeah. In the second when she did this:

The entire theater started cheering and clapping "FINALLY!!". XD

 

[Tokubetsu]

Deception/Shredder era Sub-Zero will always be my favorite Sub-Zero.

 

[Slamtastic]

Rain

My fav is the second one, although the MK9 one is cool too.

 

[LurkerPrime]

What game is the second Rain pic from? He's my favourite of the thread thus far.

The ninjas' classic look (where they're all just palette swaps) would be my runners up.

 

[C-Sword]

What game is the second Rain pic from? He's my favourite of the thread thus far.

The ninjas' classic look (where they're all just palette swaps) would be my runners up.

Armageddon

 

[fernoca]

What game is the second Rain pic from? He's my favourite of the thread thus far.

The ninjas' classic look (where they're all just palette swaps) would be my runners up.

Armageddon.
They redesigned him and gave him that look because of his ties to the main story-arc to look like a prince, then again, his purple color and his name been Rain are because of the song Purple Rain...from Prince.


EDIT: Beaten, but..whatever!!!!

 

[Khezu]

Yeah. Ermac and Rain went from not been real character to having really cool designs over the years; and nice powers/stories too.

Even Skarlet who also started as a rumor and an error macro (like Ermac); ended in the latest game with a really nice look and concept.

I really dug Skarlet, and I think she pulls off the bikini look better then the rest of the girls.

Too bad she was so execution heavy, never could play her right.

Got any more good gifs?

Nah, most of my other gifs from the story mode got nuked awhile ago, just a few left of Sindel killing people.

 

[Ravek]

Of the entire series, I am most disappointed with Reptile visually. WTF happened there?

Ermac and Noob Saibot are l33t as shit.

And Jade....my first fantasy girl. I <3 you.

 

[shuri]

I'm about 98% sure that in the lore, Reptile is reverting back to his reptilian form because it was Shang Tsung who kept him 'human' using his black magic. Once Shang Tsung lost his powers and Reptile stopped being his personal bodyguard; Reptile started morphing back into his original form. So thats why he looks like this now.

 

[kitschbeam]

Awesome thread. keep going!

 

[NavyPharaoh]

I love some MK ninja designs. Ermac, Reptile and Rain have come a long way from just being reskins

 

[Dereck]

I'm about 98% sure that in the lore, Reptile is reverting back to his reptilian form because it was Shang Tsung who kept him 'human' using his black magic. Once Shang Tsung lost his powers and Reptile stopped being his personal bodyguard; Reptile started morphing back into his original form. So thats why he looks like this now.

I've read this somewhere

 

[Ahasverus]

Wheee are those "last drawings" from?

 

[Kinsei]

I'm about 98% sure that in the lore, Reptile is reverting back to his reptilian form because it was Shang Tsung who kept him 'human' using his black magic. Once Shang Tsung lost his powers and Reptile stopped being his personal bodyguard; Reptile started morphing back into his original form. So thats why he looks like this now.

That doesn't explain why he is in his reptilian form at the beginning of MK9.

 

[fernoca]

I'm about 98% sure that in the lore, Reptile is reverting back to his reptilian form because it was Shang Tsung who kept him 'human' using his black magic. Once Shang Tsung lost his powers and Reptile stopped being his personal bodyguard; Reptile started morphing back into his original form. So thats why he looks like this now.

A little bit. They explained once that he worked for Shang Tsung/Shao Kahn under promises from them of returning his realm Zaterra back to normal and finding him a female so they could start anew. But the longer he was away of Zaterra and since he was the last of his kind, he kept de-evolving.

As revealed in one piece of art for Deadly Alliance, a Saurian's appearance is human-like for the most part. However, the longer they are separated from one another, the more their human guises degrade and vanish over time until their true forms are revealed. The change is more than skin deep as it also can affect the mind as well. Saurians who lose their disguises completely will begin to regress into primal fits of blind rage, attacking both friend and foe.​

Which is why Reptile changes loyalty as he sees fit, he once served Sindel and Jerrod too...but during the invasion he sided with Shao Kahn. Also why when Khameleon (the last female of their species) tried to convince him to join forces and get together, he didn't.

 

[LurkerPrime]

Armageddon.
They redesigned him and gave him that look because of his ties to the main story-arc to look like a prince, then again, his purple color and his name been Rain are because of the song Purple Rain...from Prince.


EDIT: Beaten, but..whatever!!!!

Armageddon

Thanks! I don't know that I would have figured that out on my own.

And OP, as others have said, great thread! It's really interesting to see the different iterations of their designs.

 

[Green Wiggly]

So Scorpion basically evolved new and exciting ways to hit himself in the junk? Love Ermac though.

That godawful art and pose.

Bwahahahaha, oh man.

 

[Ravek]

I'm about 98% sure that in the lore, Reptile is reverting back to his reptilian form because it was Shang Tsung who kept him 'human' using his black magic. Once Shang Tsung lost his powers and Reptile stopped being his personal bodyguard; Reptile started morphing back into his original form. So thats why he looks like this now.

Interesting if true. Regardless, MK fans have been pretty vocal about the lack of love for his more animalistic designs. Not saying NR should listen, but he was a favorite in the 1990s and now his look and move set suck.

 

[Dereck]

Johnny Cage

MK1

MKII

MKT

MK4

MKDA

Shaolin Monks

MK

 

[Slamtastic]

Interesting if true. Regardless, MK fans have been pretty vocal about the lack of love for his more animalistic designs. Not saying NR should listen, but he was a favorite in the 1990s and now his look and move set suck.

What's wrong with Reptile's moveset?

 

[Khezu]

Interesting if true. Regardless, MK fans have been pretty vocal about the lack of love for his more animalistic designs. Not saying NR should listen, but he was a favorite in the 1990s and now his look and move set suck.

Say what you want about his appearance, but his moveset is fantastic.

 

[Leunam]

I love these designs but their idle stances are all really weird.

 

[Slamtastic]

I love these designs but their idle stances are all really weird.

 

[Dereck]

I love these designs but their idle stances are all really weird.

 

[Mass Effect]

Best Sub-Zero

boutdown, you forgot Zombie Liu-Kang

Eh... I'm really not a fan of Shredder-Zero. I much prefer the MK9 rendition. And don't even get me started about the maskless Sub-Zero designs. Fucking awful. Really, all character designs between UMK3 and MK9 pretty much suck in my opinion. 9 definitely has the best designs since 3. I mean look at what they did with Smoke:

Loved his new design (and really his whole "reboot" storywise too)

 

[sixteen-bit]

MK2 was always the most aesthetically appealing one to me

 

[Slamtastic]

And don't even get me started about the maskless Sub-Zero designs.

C'mon!

That's badass.

 

[Dereck]

And don't even get me started about the maskless Sub-Zero designs. Fucking awful.

I'll get you started

 

[Rentahamster]

"Ice Shredder", hahahaha

 

[PureYeti]

Raiden:

Lol the best raiden

What was the story for sub zero going mask less? I can't remember.

I think he doesn't want to be part of Lin Kuei anymore because they were turning everyone into cyborgs

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

Raiden's MK1 form still shits all over every other iteration. All those gewgaws and meaningless details they leave out the lightning! It's like they forgot he's a Big Trouble In Little China expy or some shit.

"Ice Shredder", hahahaha

Yeah, not feeling that one myself, but I do like the one where his arms glow ice blue. Neat touch.

 

[Emperor Bohe]

I've always loved the designs in MK. I'll post some shiz later.

 

[RK9039]

Raiden's MK1 form still shits all over every other iteration. All those gewgaws and meaningless details they leave out the lightning! It's like they forgot he's a Big Trouble In Little China expy or some shit.



Yeah, not feeling that one myself, but I do like the one where his arms glow ice blue. Neat touch.

HALIBABAREEEEEEEEH.

Fake Raiden, do not trust this man:

 

[flamingotripod]

MK9 killed every design in making each character unique. They got every character and story right in that game.