RSS Feeds
fighting
MK vs. DC: Hands On With The Joker
Posted by Michael McWhertor at 12:40 AM on August 22, 2008
Midway had a new build of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe on hand at the Leipziger Messe, giving Games Convention attendees a total of ten fighters to choose from, including the newly added Kitana. While the most recently announced kombatants weren't yet unlocked, the first villain on the DC side Joker was. How does he fight?
Not exactly well known for his hand-to-hand combat skills, the Joker comes appropriately equipped with a bag of tricks. From a comically large, spring loaded boxing glove that has an amazing reach to a pocket full of smiley faced bombs, the Joker flexes his fisticuffs skills beyond just punches and kicks.
Not surprisingly, the Joker can throw deadly playing cards, one of his projectile attacks. He can also lob short fuse bombs, at close or far range. The former will knock his opponent away from the Joker, the latter will launch the bomb victim at the Joker.
That bomb can also be used in another suite of moves, one that will make the Joker a force to be reckoned with. He can emit a camouflaging puff of bright green smoke, allowing the player to parlay that into one of four moves — a pistol whip, a sliding double kick, a jumping double kick, or an up close, hand delivered bomb. The special is perfect for sowing confusion, making the Joker players will probably love to hate being matched up against.
That giant glove I mentioned earlier not only has serious range, it can do multiple hits. The animation requires a lot of frames, however, so it's a dangerous move.
The Joker also carries an electrocuting hand buzzer. Attack while he has his hand exposed and the Joker's opponent will receive quite a shock.
Finally, the Joker has a little jig that... well, I don't know what that one does, as Batman's arch nemesis just kind of prances about for a second or two.
The Midway developed title has one new addition we hadn't seen in previous hands-on time with the game. The Games Convention build of MK vs. DCU features a new "Rage" meter, just below the health bars. It will fill as you take damage, building up in two parts. When the meter is full, pulling the left trigger (or is it both triggers?) will make your character "power up", emitting a small burst of energy and giving him or her a golden glow. The Rage meter will slow deplete, giving your attacks a bit more oomph — but not something we really noticed. We'll ask Midway for further details on how that affects gameplay.
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
EmeraldCockroach
Posted 1:10 AM 22/8/08
Thats an awesome screen but are they in the Bat Cave? ;O
EmeraldCockroach
Modus_Operandi
Posted 1:07 AM 22/8/08
@The Magnificen7:
Thats because most people here are going to have the Heath ledger Joker in their heads. This is more the actual comic Joker.
Fatality #2: He beats you senseless with a lead pipe and then straps you to a bomb. A randomized poll then comes up deciding whether you live or die.
Modus_Operandi
TrueCrime
Posted 1:07 AM 22/8/08
Yes, but is his mustache visible through the make-up?
TrueCrime
The Magnificen7
Posted 1:04 AM 22/8/08
I have a feeling that not everybody can be satisfied with The Joker in this game...
The Magnificen7
ShaggE
Posted 1:01 AM 22/8/08
Fatality: Plays a Prince song while releasing a deadly gas that kills the opponent. He then smiles at the camera and says "He's been using Brand Xxxxxxxxxxsssssssss....."
ShaggE
Humpski
Posted 1:00 AM 22/8/08
What!?
No "Acid spraying flower" move?
He'd better at least have a fatality involving his Joker gas.
Humpski
Saint Jonah
Posted 12:59 AM 22/8/08
Can he make a pencil disappear??
Saint Jonah
SkutSkut
Posted 12:57 AM 22/8/08
@Modus_Operandi: Hopefully it's his trick from Return of the Joker, with the "bang!" gun.
SkutSkut
The Magnificen7
Posted 12:52 AM 22/8/08
@Modus_Operandi: That's hardcore. I was thinking maybe the pencil trick as a fatality, but that works too. I should read that one again...
The Magnificen7
Modus_Operandi
Posted 12:49 AM 22/8/08
Joker's Fatality: He shots you in the abdomen severing your spinal cord and leaving you paralyzed. Then he strips you naked and takes photos of you which are then displayed to your loved ones driving them insane.
Modus_Operandi
AngryEddy
Posted 12:48 AM 22/8/08
Hand Buzzer Fatality? Please?
AngryEddy
noesmano
Posted 12:47 AM 22/8/08
yay, lacking an edit button, meant to quote "Finally, the Joker has a little jig that... well, I don't know what that one does, as Batman's arch nemesis just kind of prances about for a second or two." this with my comment...
noesmano
noesmano
Posted 12:46 AM 22/8/08
obviously a taunt and obviously awesome.
noesmano
aeonpulse
Posted 12:44 AM 22/8/08
i wanna see him rip off someones head.
aeonpulse
TaggarT6
Posted 12:44 AM 22/8/08
Unlockable Heath Ledger Skin?
TaggarT6
Sundermania
Posted 12:42 AM 22/8/08
Who let them in the Batcave? ALFRED!!!!!!
Sundermania
KM91
Posted 1:31 AM 22/8/08
@SwimOdin: That's what I was thinking about.
KM91
excaleranth
Posted 1:28 AM 22/8/08
@Modus_Operandi: You should work on this game. Brilliant!
excaleranth
SwimOdin
Posted 1:27 AM 22/8/08
Magic Pencil Trick FATALITY
SwimOdin
Adam In Texas
Posted 1:23 AM 22/8/08
@ShaggE: Haha! Memories light the corner of my mind. Misty water color memories Of the way we were.
...sorry. My wife loves The Way We Were but I'm starting to love the way MK vs. DC is turning out.
Adam In Texas
Crawl to China
Posted 1:22 AM 22/8/08
@TrueCrime: Why so serious?
Crawl to China
IGoogledMurder
Posted 1:22 AM 22/8/08
Joker's awesome, but the game is absolutely worthless until they announce the best character of all.
LOBO!!!
IGoogledMurder
Killer_WaLrUs
Posted 1:20 AM 22/8/08
@Amsterdaam: The Joker wasn't in Batman Returns, just "Batman". The Penguin and Catwoman were in Batman Returns.
Killer_WaLrUs
AnotherGamer
Posted 1:18 AM 22/8/08
Love that Joker.
AnotherGamer
concrete_d
Posted 1:17 AM 22/8/08
I haven't ever been very good at fighting games, but this sounds like fun. All that I've read about it on Kotaku has really sold me on it.
concrete_d
Amsterdaam
Posted 1:12 AM 22/8/08
Actually this joker bears a striking resemblance to the one in Batman Returns, Jack Nicholson.
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's JOKER
Amsterdaam
huginn
Posted 1:52 AM 22/8/08
@TaggarT6: ... Please.
huginn
Frank
Posted 1:49 AM 22/8/08
@SwimOdin: If they didn't take off fatalities, I would have bought this game for that and the "Put A Smile On Your Face" fatality alone.
Frank
Chadders
Posted 1:41 AM 22/8/08
Surprised Mistah J doesn't have an acid spray coming from the joke flower.
@IGoogledMurder: Good grief. I have said enough Lobo already. While he would be suited to the mindless, plotless violence of MK, there are characters far more deserving than him that should be in there. Lex, Aquaman, Black Canary, Hawkman, J'onn J'onzz, Zatanna, Dr. Fate... [ad nauseam].
Chadders
karateka
Posted 1:39 AM 22/8/08
You guys must really love mortal combat because I'm just wondering why you give so much attention to this game every damn day. It sucks, lets move on to something else.
karateka
dgchatterbox
Posted 2:47 AM 22/8/08
@Zerbrecher: Its a game buddy. Relax. A fighting game at that. I dont know how many fighting games you have played back in the day but they aren't much on the story driven line. They explained why Superman can be beat down and they plan to explain IN the game why the universes are combined. So before u trash stuff you don't know about how about you wait and find out how it gets all laid out. Than.. if u still don't like it.. u can complain
dgchatterbox
BlkMagik07
Posted 2:43 AM 22/8/08
@Zerbrecher:
+ Watch video
BlkMagik07
MrPerson
Posted 2:42 AM 22/8/08
@Zerbrecher: It's the game series that introduced "Babalities". It was NEVER serious, and what's the point in making it so?
People are excited because, while the MK characters are what they are, there hasn't been a superhero 1v1 fighter since, well... The Justice League for the SNES, was it? And that sucked. The promise of a DECENT superhero fighter has people interested. And while the MK characters are going to have their movesets based off of the old movesets, the superhero/villain characters are new to beat-em-ups, and thus it's interesting to see what they can do.
MrPerson
Zerbrecher
Posted 2:20 AM 22/8/08
@Zerbrecher: Wow, that was really sour and whiny... what's wrong with you?
XD
Zerbrecher
Zerbrecher
Posted 2:17 AM 22/8/08
...I still hate it.
It doesn't fit together at all. It's literally bullshit. Stop using "magic" to explain Superman's weaknesses, stop pretending that the character models are good and stop pretending that this will be the game that brings back Mortal Kombat.
I really think this game would have been much better if they went the serious route they originally planned to, tightened up the combat, smoothed up the animations, and lessened the amount of characters.
But instead they decided to make half the game about something that has nothing to do with the series, shoehorning the DC Universe into the game (see, the Joker fights with a springy boxing glove- isn't that grand?) and somehow, people are still more excited for the DC side than the MK side.
What does that say about Mortal Kombat?
Zerbrecher
snpragent009
Posted 2:11 AM 22/8/08
WOW the possibilities for attacks and fatalities are endless. My imagination is running wild.
@ Frank: But what if he tries to put a smile on scorpions skeleton face?
@Karateka The Mortal Kombat franchise is classic, but i know what you are talking about. The last games really did not use much skill, but they were still fun for a while.
snpragent009
FrigidAir44
Posted 2:10 AM 22/8/08
@Modus_Operandi: For those of you who don't get his reference...
The Joker actually did this in a Batman Graphic novel called the "Killing Joke." He paralyzed Jim Gordon's daughter by shooting her and took naked pictures of her still bleeding on the floor. Then he forced Jim Gordon to look at them in an atempt to drive him insane.
This Joker from the comic was the one that current movie Joker was based upon.
FrigidAir44
Sandro_the_Necromancer
Posted 2:07 AM 22/8/08
Hope it turns out great. First i was like meh but now it's a bit intresting.
Sandro_the_Necromancer
Maestar
Posted 2:07 AM 22/8/08
@TaggarT6: please
Maestar
Mal-Content
Posted 3:23 AM 22/8/08
Maybe his taunt is the Batdance?
Mal-Content
KaliKOtt
Posted 3:16 AM 22/8/08
Sounds nice and exactly what I was looking for in a fighting game joker
@Frank: Fatalities are in. Haven't been following the game much aren't you?
KaliKOtt
Penchinon
Posted 3:15 AM 22/8/08
Just as long as they don't toss the movie joker in. Because he's not the original joker, so it wouldn't make sense.
Penchinon
sarcasmOD
Posted 3:05 AM 22/8/08
@Zerbrecher: Marvel vs Capcom made no sense whatsoever, but people loved it for the amazing gameplay and incredible combo possibilities. Soul Calibur has never made any sense, but a lot of people think that IV is one of the best in the series despite the fact that Vader plans on conquering his galaxy with the twin swords. Hell Mario only made a little bit of sense when he was Jumpman, and then when he became Mario he started abusing turtles and breaking bricks with only his head. When it comes to fighting games (and many other games where the story comes second) if it plays solid, it is solid.
sarcasmOD
spiderweb1986
Posted 3:04 AM 22/8/08
@Modus_Operandi: If anyone missed it, this too is a reference to the comics.
@Zerbrecher: I may be in a minority (hard to tell from just this one thread), but I LIKE the idea. Video games are meant to be fun, and seeing Batman and Sub-Zero beat the crap out of each other should be a blast. It's not like Mortal Kombat has ever been an ultra-serious series anyway, since they've given us a ton of wacky fatalities and gems like the kart racing minigame.
spiderweb1986
ShaggE
Posted 3:03 AM 22/8/08
@karateka: Can I borrow your time machine? I want to play games that haven't been released yet too.
Oh... you're just jumping on the hate bandwagon. Eh, can't blame you. Informed decisions are overrated. Just ask Jack Thompson and Fox News.
ShaggE
Dekabreak
Posted 3:02 AM 22/8/08
@karateka:
Yeah, it sucks, go play Halo now.
Dekabreak
Falsoman
Posted 3:55 AM 22/8/08
@Zerbrecher: Besides the fact that this is a videogame as random and as ridiculous as most of videogames (let alone fighting ones) are. Superman IS vulnerable to magic. This is a thing that's been on the comics for years.
I mostly think that is because he is such a super powerful guy (they basicly made him a god on the comics) that how many villains do you have to fill a monthly comic for 60 years?
In the comics he has been hurt many times by magic, like the weapons of wonder woman or the thunders of captain marvel.
Anyway, this game will be a rental for me as most fighting games are, but it looks less shitty every day.
Falsoman
TDub301
Posted 3:54 AM 22/8/08
@Zerbrecher: um, Marvel vs Capcom? Marvel Nemesis? You mean hasn't been a DC comics 1v1 fighter since SNES, I assume
And I agree with Zerbrecher, to the extent that I'm not saying the game is gonna be bad or anything, though. As far as I'm concerned, they can make it just a DC Comics fighting game and take out the MK part of it and everyone would probably still be just as interested.
TDub301
VenomMelendez
Posted 3:35 AM 22/8/08
@Frank:
Fatalities are in...keep up.
Besides, they're crosssing over with the comics so his fatality is the trick gun.
VenomMelendez
brightcrazystar
Posted 5:27 AM 22/8/08
playing another herky-jerky Mortal Kombat never interested me until the fact I might get to play Hal Jordan, and it might be less herky-jerky.
Mytzlplyk unlockable?
brightcrazystar
Necrid
Posted 5:24 AM 22/8/08
@IGoogledMurder: Lobo kicks ass. How can you beat a guy whose name translates to "He who devours your entrails and thoroughly enjoys it" ?
[www.dccomics.com]
Necrid
Ryu Kazama
Posted 6:01 AM 22/8/08
Are extra metres the new thing these days? Soul Guage in SCIV, Revenge guage in SFIV and pretty much a Rage moment in Tekken 6 too (low health, more power). Can we have something else instead of all these "come-back" oppurtunity metres please.
Ryu Kazama
excaliburps
Posted 5:57 AM 22/8/08
@Sundermania: I'm curious to see if they lead that into the story or the characters are just there.
@Humpski: I was expecting the acidic flower spray as well. The laughing gas on the other hand should be there no matter what. I do think that'll be a fatality though. A bit tamer concerning MK's standards but I'm sure they can think of something to spice it up a bit.
@karateka: What you got a review code already? Ah shit! Seriously though, if you don't like it then just don't read the post concerning it.
@spiderweb1986: I don't think you're the only one warming up to it. From most of the previews I've read they seem to be saying nice things with the hands-on time they got.
I'm already there since I want to use Bats and kick Superman' ass so hard he'll shit kryptonite rocks.
excaliburps
AndroidKing
Posted 6:56 AM 22/8/08
Rage bar sounds like they're going super saiyan or activating k o ken (no clue how to spell it). I predict mortal kombat vs DBZ next.
AndroidKing
brightcrazystar
Posted 6:04 AM 22/8/08
@excaliburps:
You win the real prize.
For fanboys, This will be all about the Batman vs. Superman debate that has been around since like three decades ago. Midway has to be betting on this.
brightcrazystar
Starpixel12
Posted 7:34 AM 22/8/08
Fatality= I can make this pencil disappear....
Starpixel12
mfwahwah
Posted 10:11 AM 22/8/08
I'm really looking forward to this game. It looks really fun.
mfwahwah
what0080
Posted 10:48 AM 22/8/08
No pencil, NO DEAL!!
what0080
Terrorsaur.
Posted 12:31 PM 22/8/08
Oh and whats with all the pencil references...
Wasnt it a damn pen?
Terrorsaur.
Terrorsaur.
Posted 12:30 PM 22/8/08
@BlkMagik07:
Fucking hahahah
Did no one else click the video??
Ahaha what an insult.
Terrorsaur.
VMars
Posted 11:58 AM 22/8/08
I don't know whether to get this game or not. I've been buying too many fighting games lately and I'd rather get a game from another genre. On the other hand it looks spectacular and it has Superman to boot.
VMars
Sziphix
Posted 11:37 AM 23/8/08
[i37.tinypic.com]
Hahaha, Joker! You so funny!
Sziphix
The Magnificen7
Posted 9:40 PM 23/8/08
@Sziphix: Holy shit! That was awesome!
The Magnificen7