Ed Boon Would "Love" To See A Mortal Kombat Character In Smash Bros. Ultimate

This is one thing I don't see happening, not only because Mortal Kombat is too gory and unfitting for Smash, but probably the biggest factor is that Mortal Kombat is its own fighting franchise.

It has a legacy, sure, but it's completely its own thing and in no way fitting to Smash Bros, in my opinion. I think the most interesting characters that come to Smash are the one that you'd least expect - those without an already-existing moveset. In fact Nintendo proved they agree with this by the amount of abstract, out the ordinary characters we got in the past. Keep Mortal Kombat characters in MK, please.

Terry and Ryu are both fine additions to Smash Bros, that's for sure, but their stylistic approach seems much more befitting of a game like Smash.

I would hate a mortal Kombat character. I'd rather have one from a better (imo) fighting game like BlazBlue or Darkstalkers

@Varkster Bayonetta says hi.

Her games are intense and they basically used all of her moves from her games.

That said, I doubt we'll be seeing a MK fighter in Smash just yet but who knows? I'd have said the same about other characters.

I don't think it'll happen until MK is allowed to release in Japan with the violence and gore left intact.

I wonder if, in part, or possibly wholly, the real reason is that MK is owned by WB? Unless I'm unaware of something related to the origin of the series, MK was a video game from the beginning, not a manga, or anything else. So, aside from the obvious reasons of overly gory, and all that, it does at least meet the criteria of having begun as a video game.

Yeah, no. Just no.

Possible, but let's get a few more M-rated characters in Smash Bros first before jumping straight into something like MK... including a certain green space marine with a thing for hot, scantily-clad A.Is. (You know the one.)

@Kalmaro Bayonetta doesn’t have as much violence/gore as Doom and MK, no matter how hard you try to find an argument to prove us otherwise.

I’d love nothing more than a PG Sub Zero or Rayden, but unfortunately the franchise is so damn violent that it probably won’t happen.

@rushiosan Who said anything about Doom?

Bayonetta has a ton of violence, with sexual overtones thrown in. You're ripping people in half, beating them into a pulp, shredding them with giant wheels, guillotines, iron maidens, etc.

About the only think that puts it lower than MK is the lack of blood.

@AxeltheCorvikni No mention of Tekken?

Bayo is still a really violent game, and well DOOM and MK actually could work, if they were used as more of parody characters, MK being based on that SNES version of the first game, we´re blood was sweat and the fatalities we´re really censored, and DOOM if they made the DOOMSlayer seems like the completely out of place character, like Snake was in Brawl, and make him like the really weird angry dude, that feels completely goofy, hell they could even put stuff like Rocket Jump in his moveset, I personally would love the Slayer, Smash really needs an FPS Rep and DOOM has a history with Nintendo since the SNES and is the granddad of the genre.

Thank you but no thank you.

Sub-Zero would fit in Smash Bros. Just remove the fatalities and blood.
Sub-Zero is suddenly a children character with ice moves like Ice Climbers.

I feel like the emotional impact of watching Sans and Yoshi duke it out to Techno Syndrome would be too much for me to handle. I love it.

@rushiosan Yeah, the torture moves are intense in Bayonetta, just as bad as Mortal Kombat. Mortal Kombat vs DC also had no gore which might have been rubbish, but it proves it’s possible. I might personally prefer Dimitri from Darkstalkers or Jin from Tekken but Mortal Kombat is far more important to Nintendo consoles than either of those series. One of the biggest arguments of the console wars was who had the better version of MK, SNES or Mega Drive.

@Varkster Terry.... And his movesets are too complex for Smash.

I wouldn't mind a MK rep in Smash. But I dont take smash seriously (its just a casual party game for me).

"Scorpion gets the Smashball! Oh no! He caught Ness in his Harpoon!"
Cut to Ness's face getting punched, then showing a close up X-Ray of his jaw collapsing

Mortal Kombat has definitely earned it's place in the classic gaming pantheon, but there's no need to have MK characters in Smash. Not even as a Spirit Event.

For people who say the Mortal Kombat characters can't work in Smash, they were DLC in both injustice games, and Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe toned them down as well.

Those games were all Teen rated, so they can work outside of their own game franchise without the gore and over the top finishing moves.

Also, its kinda hard to argue that one M-Rated franchise should be in and others can't when Snake and Bayonetta both come from M-rated franchises themselves, people want Dante in the game who is also from an M-Rated franchise, and there are rumors that Ryu from Ninja Gaiden is being considered as a fighter.

Ryu is the one that raises the most questions since his own games starting with the reboot on the Xbox and its sequels are very gory games where he's slicing and dicing humans and he's also in a fighting game series where bouncing boobies is one of its main selling points.

My point is, someone like Raiden, Scorpion, or Sub-Zero are the most likely candidates for inclusion if MK got a rep and all three would fit the over-the top nature of Smash.

As someone who loves Mortal Kombat, I would love to see Raiden or Sub-Zero make the cut. I think they would be kinda fun.

Liu Kang seems like a best fit for MK representation. He's the main character in 11 again, he's not violent at all like Scorpion is, and he's a Bruce-Lee stand-in type character which is something that could easily appeal to Japan. His final Smash could be him turning into the dragon and breathing fire everywhere. Simple. Is it likely? No. But it'd be nice.

@Porky I completely forgot. Jin is pretty high up on my dlc wishlist

@JR150 I agree with you about Liu Kang, although I think Raiden and Sub-Zero are also quality picks as well, and less violent than Scorpion.

But then, I've never been a big Scorpion fan anyway. I would love to see Johnny Cage make it, alongside his infamous nut punch(ok, it would be kinda funny if they somehow put Cage hitting Mario in the family jewels, even if Nintendo would never let it happen.)

Im 'ok' with not having an MK character in smash. It just wouldn't make much sense having a fighter from another game in another fighting game. I get it that Ken/ryu and Terry are in, but honestly, leave fighters in their own games, and bring characters in who aren't in fighting games, I say..

If anything Johnny cage or lui kang would be an ok fit.

I don't want MK, have never liked the game.

This is the same bunch that swore Ridley would never come to Smash, lol.

So could a MK character work? I think so. And it's not like there aren't elements in MK history that you couldn't use that would translate fine to Smash

@NintendoByNature Actually it wouldn't make sense to not have a fighter from another fighting game.

@NintendoByNature Other fighting games have fighters that cross-over from other fighting games such as Virtua Fighter characters in DOA 5, Akuma in X-Men: COTA and Tekken 7, Geese from Tekken 7, Haramarou in Soul Calibur VI.

I like the idea of fighting game cross overs, and it makes no sense to exclude characters from being in Smash just because of the genre their origin games belong to.

@Entrr_username @Caryslan I can understand that. I'm just saying it would be even sweeter in my opinion to have fighters who aren't normally in fighting games, available. I think thats what makes smash so cool. You have characters who wouldnt normally be in fighting games in a fighting game( Ness, Ice climbers, king k rool etc).

I'm not saying cross overs bad as that's exactly what smash Is. I'm just saying I think it would be super cool to have a character outside the box in smash. Other fighting game characters are low hanging fruit imo.

I highly doubt it would ever happen mainly for the fact that Mortal Kobat basically represents everything Nintendo is against, so the chances are on a very strong Zero to None of it ever coming to reality.

One of the few Western characters I'd be fine with. They'd have to tone them down, obviously.

It's weird now hearing any developer say they'd love to see a character in Smash, mainly because it's officially confirmed that all six characters in wave two have already been picked and there are no current plans for any more.

Every fighting game creator would love to see one of their characters in Smash...so yeah...

Johnny Cage would be a cool addition the roster.

@Kalmaro There's a certain charm to Bayonetta which I think Mortal Kombat characters lack. I'm not about to hate on MK but its characters just don't look like they belong, in terms of style, in Smash.

@Chibi_Manny Metal Gear and Bayonetta aren't exactly shooting for Nintendo's values either. '

This is not 1993 anymore, things have changed alot and Nintendo is no different.

Even Nintendo's own franchises like Fire Emblem push the limits even if they aren't violent gorefests, feature cursing, or sexual content.

Well, forget that for a Teen rated series Fire Emblem pushes alot of buttons when it comes to sexual content, even putting the characters in swim suits in featured banners in Heroes and using the sexuality to sell characters.

My point is, even Nintendo's own IPs push boundaries they were not willing to cross even a decade ago.

So, judging Mortal Kombat for not fitting Nintendo's values while Metal Gear and Bayonetta(which is published by Nintendo) is fine in Smash creates a double standard.

If Metal Gear and Bayonetta can be allowed to fight alongside Mario, Kirby, and Pikachu without raising a fuss, then why can't someone like Raiden or Sub-Zero who have been in games alongside Batman and Superman?

Gore would be a factor. But ya never know. I'd take Sub-Zero over another Fire emblem character

@Kalmaro - Alert me when Bayo is so violent it gets banned in Japan.

That aside, somebody on another site mentioned a good point; The image anyone from MK brings to Smash is likely why it won't work. There is a reason, no matter how conservatively dressed Mai would be, she wasn't added. Scorpion, Sub Zero and the like is the same way for violence.

You can water down Scorpion, but you cannot water down MK.

Try describing Bayonetta and Mortal Kombat without the violence. One gets much further.

The difference between Bayo and MK is that the point of Bayo is accomplishing the fantasy violence and the over-the-top faux-spiritual. MK's thrill comes strictly from the visceral destruction in hand-to-hand with bipedal opponents that zoom in on very human anatomy. The U.S. and Europe may not see much difference, here, but when you swing this judgment call over to Japan and a company taking a Blue Ocean stance, there's no way it'll take.
Bayonetta can (and was) at least be adapted for SSB's roster and launching. Doomslayer's shooting and more fantastical weapons could do the same, in a similar way that you could with Snake and Master Chief. Again, launching. MK? The fans wouldn't get their visceral payoff unless Yoshi lost his head where he stands or Corrin gets rapidly sliced in half with organs showing. No launching. This is not apples and oranges, not for the appeal, and not to the overseas developers.

Who dosent what to advertise thier series?

First give us in Japan an easy way to play MK and THEN you can worry about getting Scorpion in Smash.
This goes deeper than the games being violent. DOOM is as violent and can be bought here without any problems.
Then you got Injustice which doesn’t have MK’s gore problem but it not available in Japan either.
CERO only affects consoles, so then why is MK also blocked in Steam?
Like I said, MK/Injustice not being available in Japan is much more deeper than just gore/violence. I think that WB just doesn’t care for whatever reason.

If they could include a mortal kombat character in smash without the gruesome stuff, I'd be ok with it

I don't like Smash, but I would loose my mind over it if any MK character appears in it. Not to mention, it would be the first time an MK fighter gets to fight an SF character officially. That alone would be history for us old school fighting game fans.

He thinks MK is considered to be anything more than a mediocre franchise

@Paraka Describe Bayonetta without violence? You can't even get 3 minutes into the opening cinematic without her pistol-whipping angels and smashing them with tombstones, all while slowly being undressed. Her literal job is to murder angels to survive.

Again, the only real difference is that Bayonetta doesn't do blood. MK is worse about gore but they are both pretty intense. Nintendo could probably tone someone like scorpion down if they wanted while still keeping true to the character. There's other fighters I'd rather see first though.

@Desrever If that were to happen to Ness, I would cry. The poor thing doesn't deserve that.

To be authentic to the Mortal Kombat 8 game, Sakurai would have to add micro transactions so you could pay for Scorpion’s Ultimate Smash.

@H4ppyZer0 Sakurai does love lore and changing blood to sweat fits right in as SNES lore. Also, Doom guy can definitely work like how Snake can use the strangle hold.

Out of all the MK characters I'd go with Scorpion. A quick palette swap and you'd have Sub-Zero.

Scorpion's not gonna happen. His spear-throw is iconic and I don't see it making an effective appearance in a Smash game without bumping the rating up to at least a T, which the series should be going for anyway, but that's another discussion. Sub-Zero maybe. Sonya might also be a good fit, but a female from a fighting game series has a very slim chance. I mean, they have Ken and Dee Jay, but is Chun-Li even mentioned? I don't know why I care so much. The floaty controls pretty much stopped me from buying the game anyway.

Anyone who says a MK character can't be Smash, better now be the same people asking for Doom Guy. They are from the same cloth.

@DrDaisy Chun-Li has an upgradable spirit. Guile is also an assist trophy.

@Kalmaro If you think like that then you might as well ban Link because he stabs every bad guy down with his sword or murders them with any of his other tools. Not to mention all the Fire Emblem folks outright murdering their opponents, or heck, even Mario and co destroying any opponent in their way. And probably well over half the cast already represented in Smash.

It's all about the level of detail the violence is shown in. One can look at Bayonetta and think it's just silly, but you can't really do that with Mortal Kombat in its present day depiction. Maybe if you go classic, old school Mortal Kombat it could work but that's just not the image the series has anymore, it's all about as much gore as possible now in often rather horrific detail. Don't get me wrong, Bayonetta is still pretty up there. But the level of detail in gore just isn't nearly as big in Bayonetta as it is in Moral Kombat. It's as simple as that. I know I personally can look at Bayonetta and just giggle while I often cringe at what Mortal Kombat shows.

@Kalmaro - I didn't say how far into it til it gets violent. Just describe the game without violence. You're likely to carry the conversation further with Bayo than MK.

I mean, we all know why Mai isn't in the game, even if we considered covering her up, you cannot deny how she would impact Nintendo with. MK, being banned, is likely the same deal. Even if they "toned down" Scorpion, you cannot tone down the franchise he embodies.

As far as fighters go, Scorpion is my top pick from any fighter. But I know all the reasons why Nintendo would nope on the situation. I wouldn't know what other fighting games I'd even want, maybe Filia?

@Paraka That's my point though, the entire game is about you beating the ever living daylights out of angels and demons in the most brutal and sexualized manners possible. You can't really talk about Bayonetta without the violence since that's basically what Bayonetta is, just in a different style from MK or some other games like Doom.

They could tone Scorpion down easily, it's just a matter of if they'd want to. Not all of their fighters are from kid friendly games, like Bayonetta and Snake. Joker maybe, I heard there were some adult themes in Persona 5, etc.

@Yosher One can also look at the brutal stuff in MK and find it silly, it's all subjective at the end of the day. You'd be surprised how many people look at some of the kills and laugh just because how absurd some of them are. Jokeer's fatality was kinda amusing, I like the throwback to the friendship stuff from way back when.

And that's perfectly fine, I'm not faulting either of the games. My point was that Bayonetta is intense like MK (less blood and and maybe a little less gore but more sexual explicit stuff in some of the torture kills) so it wouldn't be fair to say that a MK character could never make it into Smash.

@Kalmaro - Again, I am not saying they can't water Scorpion, or Sub down. But they can't water down MK.

Just like I repeated before; Why didn't Sakurai tone down Mai as opposed to not adding her entirely? There is likely a similar reason why Nintendo wouldn't like to touch MK.

I can see Raiden or Sub-Zero being one of the DLC characters

@Paraka I hear what you're saying, I just don't think that would bar MK when you have games like Metal Gear and Bayonetta represented. The characters in Smash were made more friendly but their games can't be watered down so easily.

It makes perfect sense to have a Mortal Kombat character in Smash and anyone saying otherwise is deluded. Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter 2 were the biggest fighting games on the planet back in the 16 bit days and the versions that the SNES and Megadrive received were huge talking points at the time and many years since. The original was already censored on Super Nintendo so having a variation of Sub-Zero/Scorpion would be great and with Ryu already waiting it will be like coming full circle

"Super Smash Brothers is for good boys and girls" — Masahiro Sakurai

I do not think Nintendo will be ok with advertising a game of Mortal Kombat's caliber to any good boys and girls regardless of how much "watering down" they could make to the fighter.
No matter how much people compare MK's level of violence with Bayo or Metal Gear, the fact is those two franchises do not represent the level of questionable psychological morality that Mortal Kombat embodies and so I believe that that alone is the sole reason Nintendo will never approve of ever adding any Mortal Kombat representation to any of their own franchises.

Doesn't Nintendo hate American companies? Ed boon always wants to do crossovers and make that money.

People said Toon Link was not going to be in Smash 4 because he was driving the Spirit Train.

People said Cloud was never going to be in Smash because Final Fantasy VII was never on a Nintendo console.

People said Bayonetta was never going to be in Smash because she is too sexy and her game is too violent.

People said Snake was never coming back because Konami only cares for pachinkos, same for Simon Belmont that was never going to be in Smash.

People said Ridley was never going to be in Smash because he is too big.

People said K. Rool was never going to be in Smash because he is irrelevant, missing for 10 years and was replaced by other villains.

People said Bandana Dee was never going to be in Smash because he is just a generic mook, a Goomba with a hat, while he is not in Smash as a Fighter, Piranha Plant is.

People insisted that characters that are too violent and use guns cannot be in Smash, and Joker proved them wrong again.

People said Hero was never going to be in Smash because the Dragon Quest series is only popular in Japan.

People said that Banjo was never going to be in Smash because he is owned by Microsoft (Good argument), and also because he is dead, irrelevant, only boomers care about him, and third-party characters need relevance (Always a terrible argument).

People also said that Smash Bros. is only for Japanese characters, no Western characters, and Banjo broke a 79-Hits Combo.

People said Terry was never going to be in Smash because no one knows who he is and he was never a requested character.

People said Smash Ultimate was only going to get one Fighter Pass, no more DLC after that.

People said that DLC was not going to have more Nintendo characters and we got Byleth.

Yet, this community still insists in saying stuff like characters who are already Spirits and Mii Costumes will never get upgraded into Fighters, Waluigi is irrelevant and will never be in Smash, Isaac is from a series that failed in sales and will never be in Smash, Geno is dead and irrelevant and only boomers care about him, and at least Banjo was the main character of his game, Shantae is indie and indie characters will never be in Smash...

And there are still people insisting that characters from violent and gory games like Doom and Mortal Kombat will never be in Smash.

Just one thing Nintendo Life, if we listen to what Sakurai said, no, Scorpion's chances are really slim, because it was already stated that all the characters in Fighter Pass 2 where already decided, and that there are no plans to make more DLC after that.

His chances are not 0% because Nintendo can change their minds and make a Fighter Pass 3, and it's possible that Scorpion is coming in Fighter Pass 2 but no one told Ed Boon about that, but for now, it's better to forget about Scorpion for a while, just like the time where ID Software said that Doomguy is not coming to Smash so better wait a few years.

We should not believe in fanmade assumptions, stuff that no one that worked in this game ever said, but this time i'm talking about official statements.

I'm mostly sad that this is the last dlc pack. I'd rather a dlc pack come out once a year and then when the new system comes out they release the game again with all the contend included.

Can we have some Nintendo characters (that aren’t Fire Emblem), please?

@Varkster If Ryu and Terry can work,I don't see why Scorpion can't.I would love to see him in Smash

No, just no. I can't see Scorpion happening becaue What's the point? Terry os ALREADY Better than the Demonic Ninja reborn from Hell! I'd rather someone lewd like Asuka from Senran Kagura or another Anime Swordfighter! Even Arle from Puyo Puyo and Lip from Panel de Pon have a better chance!

This is exactly the kind of inclusion I want. If they're going to add non-Nintendo characters, I would rather they at least be from fighting games. Joker was completely lost on me. Scorpion would be a monumental addition.

I love mortal kombat ive been playing it since MK2 hit the arcades.
But no i dont think its a good fit you cant remove the gory and violence from MK its too much a part of its soul. Why the snes versiom was hated.
Its also or at least it was a big public outcry causing game so im sure many would object to it being in Smash. Bayos not based on violence as much and shes not as recognisable for the think of the children crowd.

hell no!!!!
i mean no thank you

@victordamazio Sure, it's possible for Mortal Kombat characters to show up in a future Smash game or DLC pack. It just doesn't seem likely likely. Personally, I'd like to see it happen just so characters from the Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter series can face off in an official game.

@Paraka Honestly, I never thought Mai ever had a shot in the first place, and Sakurai simply made a joke as to why she's not playable or on the KOF stage.

Because if Sakurai is serious, then it raises some serious double standards. Yeah, Mai's sexuality is played as a joke in SNK games, and for lack of a better term, her boobs bounce even in the older Fatal Fury games.

But she's mild compared to even some of the other characters or franchises in Smash Bros.

Bayonetta in her home series goes far beyond anything Mai ever has done, and she was allowed to be in Smash Bros intact.

Even Fire Emblem Heroes pretty much sells characters in swimsuits on banners and many of the female characters show alot of skin.

I'm not saying any of this is wrong, but it creates a double standard.

That's my point with Mortal Kombat. Yes, compared to Metal Gear and Bayonetta, Mortal Kombat proudly showcases blood, gore, and over the top violence as its major selling points. They have never hidden the fact that killing someone at the end of a match is the most noticeable thing that sets the series apart from its rivals.

But much like Metal Gear and Bayonetta were toned down for Smash while still keeping aspects of their franchises intact including Snake's famous "Samus just took her clothes off!" line in Brawl and Bayonetta's movements, I don't see why Mortal Kombat can't have a toned-down fighter in the game.

As I said before, Mortal Kombat fighters have been in Teen Rated games before, such as Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe, and DLC in Injustice 1 and 2.

They toned those characters down to fit those games. Which raises my question from earlier, if Scorpion can ben toned down to the point that he can trade blows with Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman without anything being lost outside of the blood and gore, then why can't they work in Smash?

MK characters appear in the Injustice games with all the blood and gore removed while still managing to feel right, if Nintendo and WB wanted Scorpion or Sub Zero in Smash they could easily do it and make them fit in Smash without taking away from them.

Having at least one character from the three biggest fighting franchises (MK, Street Fighter and Smash) would be historic and I'm really hoping for that. I don't care much about MK's violence, Nintendo can remove blood and use moves that fit its policy.

Five Mortal Kombat characters that would work are these:

Liu Kang: He's the less violent one in the MK series so he should be a good choice and most of his moveset seems brutal but isn't gory. Like someone already mention his final smash could be his Shaolin dragon form.

Scorpion: His spear move is perfect for a game like Smash and his ability to teleport and shoot up fire from beneath could be useful, his flame toasty finisher could be his finish smash.

Sub-Zero (the Kuai Liang version): Since Bi-Han is too deadly to be in Smash, having Kuai Liang version for Smash would be great, ice freeze, ice clone, ice shower, slide, ice pillard, and his final smash be the deep freeze would be cool.

Raiden: Having an electric type fighter that could rival Pikachu in here would be cool too, his torpedo is a great aerial move, his teleport could help him get off sticky situation, and his final smash could be Kid Thunder appearing with him shooting and shocking electric on all the opponents.

Johnny Cage: His moveset looks to be made for Smash Bros. green fireball, shadow uppercut, shadow kick, nut punch (for characters who had no nut he could just uppercut them), and his final smash could be his Brutality from Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3.

Also would be nice to have Goro, Kintaro, and/or Motaro appeared as bosses in the game. Kano, Jax, Kung Lao, Shao Kahn, Kitana, Jade, or Reptile could be assist trophy.

@KingBowser86 They can add a mortal kombat character without that happening to poor Yoshi and Corrin

@Daisyette Sub-Zero or something, sure, but it'd be a shell of its original appeal. I don't think anyone would be fully satisfied by the compromises.

Many of the MK characters are only violent because their opponents are trying to kill them. Jade, for instance, wouldn’t kill if she was in a sparing match. That goes against her character. In fact, Jades move pool would t have to be altered much and it be Jade still.

Anyway, It’s rather easy to tone down many of the characters move pools etc

Would it be weird to have another fight game character in smash ? No not at all. That’s a silly bias. Plenty of people want Goku who’s basically a fighting character. Pfft

And there are people of mature characters in Smash

That said I don’t think we’ll ever see an MK in Smash, but there are so many others that I’d like to see first.0

@Caryslan - Cause WB's image isn't Nintendo's. WB is known to be the studio with exactly that image of blood an gore. WB doesn't have the same worldly image of being, for a lack of a better phraseling, "Disney of video games." WB is known for Netherrealm, and Netherrealm is known for gore fests that is MK. They don't have the same market, nor the same perspective.

There is truth to the joke Sakurai made, however. Mai is very, very popular, so there is a reason she wasn't added.

@Kalmaro - Not all rated M games are equal in content. A quick image Googling of either title will show a stark contrast between the three games and what shows up. I think there is some correlation to that and what Nintendo is traditionally known for.

@KingBowser86 Dude Sub-Zero and Scorpion were playable in NBA basketball videogames without ever decapitating or slaughtering anyone so them being playable for a Smash Bros. game is possible.

@Paraka You'll have to have played the games, image searching does not provide full context. I've played both Bayonetta games and they get pretty intense. Most images you'll find of Bayonetta won't focus on that because the main draws are combat mechanics and how sexualized everything is.

@KingBowser86 I disagree.Technically the more violent Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Jade etc were revenants or cyborgs aka cyber Lin Kuei. Not the regular people version.

@SSJW I'd say it's equal parts violence, combat mechanics, and sex appeal.

@Kalmaro - Yes, we are aware of that, but the community abroad doesn't. Someone who turns around and googles searches Mortal Kombat without any prior knowledge (or feigning ignorance of) will turn around kicking and screaming that Nintendo would host such violence. There isn't a rule that people have to play a game to have an opinion.

For us, sure this is ignorance epitome, but that doesn't stop from it being bad PR for Nintendo, and likely dodge it entirely. It may simply not be worth it for them to go with it.

MGS and Bayonetta has a lot more going for it to appeal to audiences, you have the flashy arcade action, or subtle nuance stealth drama. MK, we know exactly what it puts forward to sell the game. And that's exactly why I agree that MK wouldn't be considered. Or at least highly unlikely it will even be talked about beyond this interview.

@Paraka I don't think Nintendo is too concerned about what people may pull up if they look up the info on games their fighters come from, why would they? I don't see any threat of bad PR. From fighters. They get more hate from adding in yet another FE fighter than because a particular fighter may be controversial due to their game.

MK is also so known by now that I see very lettle chance of anyone who picks up Smash not knowing who scorpion is, and the ones who do probably wouldn't be horrified that he got in. They'd probably just be more annoyed that their preferred character didn't get picked.

Besides,if you do enough digging on Bayo and Snake I garuntee you that you're going to pull up the more adult themed content in the games. How many parents care enough to Google search images of a fighter in a smash game anyway? I remember when Marth was put into Melee, people just rolled with it despite having no clue who he was. Most people who never even played FE probably just know Byleth is a FE character and that's it and those games got into some controversy too with the scantily clad women, censorship and I think mini games where you rubbed people?

@Kalmaro - I think you're misunderstanding what I am saying. Nintendo would concern themselves over bad PR, they go after fan projects to protect that image. I am almost certain, if Nintendo was presented the offer of "A character historically known for the disembowelment and gory disposal of their opponents," Nintendo is probably going to sidestep it to avoid being part of that. Bayonetta is violent, and technically so is Monster Hunter with removal of limbs. But neither is ever presented that way to the average gamer.

Going back to the Mai example: Why didn't Sakurai and Nintendo just make her more conservatively dressed if her outfit was not fit for "good boys and girls?" If it is that simple, they would have added someone, and not simply make a side joke off literally avoiding her addition.

And as for parents, their search is likely 1 page long, and I am almost certain MK is going to have drastically different results. Again, there is a reason Bayonetta isn't banned in Japan.

@Paraka I don't know why they didn't go with Mai. I know they official reason given to us but that's often different from what's really going on, and I'm not too worried about it.

I'm pretty sure I'm understanding what you're saying. Essentially, fighters from MK are so closely ingrained with a history of blood and gore that there's no way to include them in Smash without people noticing and pitching a fit, is that correct?

I think if Nintendo allowed MadWorld, and Nintendo has been advertising the Switch to Millenials as much as if not more than children, there is a possibility that they could make Mortal Kombat work. It's iconic, the gore has always been over the top in a way that's more comical than worrisome (even my very Catholic mother just rolled her eyes when my dad and I played together, a very different reaction than when she caught me playing GTA), and frankly the characters just look more fun to play as than someone like Ryu or Terry since they have a wider variety of special abilities. Plus the music would be excellent, nobody can disagree with that.

@Kalmaro - some that, yeah, but Nintendo has a particular image to keep as well. And characters like Doom Slayer and MK skirt on such an identity Nintendo is likely to avoid to protect that of themselves.

It'd be like Disney hiring a well known abuser to oversee production of child attractions. There is a few degrees of separation that would keep that hire from direct contact with consumers, but that image is best avoided entirely.

Trust me, I would love to be wrong. MK is my favorite fighting franchise and characters (well, maybe second to Clayfighters). So Scorpion is beyond a pipe dream to see, but I know the red tape he would have to go through.

@Paraka I think the real reason for Mai's exclusion is that she's a planned echo fighter to be released after fighter pack 2 or something like that. Too weird an omission and too silly a reason to be anything else. Also Nintendo already allows the Doom series on their console so I don't think they're against having it as part of their image. Doom started on Nintendo after all.

@mousieone @retro_player_22 I'm not expecting you to agree (although part of me is expecting you to understand), just agree to disagree.

@SpaceboyScreams - If that's a plan for Mai, the response is just even weirder unless you got something to back up that theory.

Also, there is a difference between letting something on your console and being directly involved in it.

@Paraka I think where we are disagreeing at is Nintendo possibly blocking MK because it may damage their image.

The way I see it, Bayo and Snake are intense enough in their own way that one would think Nintendo wouldn't include them, but they got any way.

That is why I don't think MK not making it in would be due to the blokd and gore of previous games.

@Kalmaro - Honestly, I really think they'd avoid it. Simply cause it'll be easier to just choose literally everything else than to be the "company that goes against the grain and adds the most violent character to date." Simply easier to just choose Chun Li than go through that.

Hell most of what's represented for Bayonetta and MGS in Smash isn't even altered to pretend there isn't violence, or watered down per se. Yes they're violent, but there is so much more to them they get away with so much. I think it's hard to think sans violence of those two games because we're hyper focused on it cause that's the topic.

@Paraka I'd love to see Nintendo try to fit him in, if only because it's so absurd that I wouldn't mind seeing how it worked. I do have a limit though, I don't think they could pull off Dad of War, I mean, Kratos.

@SSJW Thanks for pointing that out, I'll clarify. When it comes to Bayonetta, if you're looking up images of her you're usually going to find all the shots that aren't her ripping people to shreds. Style and beauty are such a big part of her character that those tend to stand out more when looking for images.

That said, when it comes to content, the game is equal parts violence, mechanics, and style. It's just taht style tends to be more popular for pictures.

I just did another Google search of her and image results are filled with just her posing.

@Kalmaro - Kratos and Doom Slayer I would both put in the MK camp for the same reasons. The context of the violence island brutality far outweigh their worth being a character in Smash. Where there is much in Bayonetta in content that you can be sold on the game without much providing you the context of the violence within. That I believe is why Bayonetta is in, she's got the flair, style and flair for the violence never being a leading point.

We can pretend they're same violently, but one is recently not allowed to be sold in a country because of its content.

They would have to really cartoon the character a lot. It would be interesting to see though.

I think Scorpion (Mortal Kombat) deserves as much a spot on the Smash roster as other fighting icons like Mitsurugi (SoulCalibur), Heihachi (Tekken), Haohmaru (Samurai Shodown), and Fulgore (Killer Instinct).

I can see Scorpion being depicted as not more brutal than Ridley (spear) or Bowser (flame).
His Final Smash could be a Babality finisher, that would be hilarious!

People don't play Mortal Kombat for its gore anymore, but for its lore.
Every MK game added to the story. The first games had an intro and an ending for every character. And the story mode in MK11 is great.

Scorpion is a huge fighting game icon. Has been for decades. Even before the first Smash game. For me a fighting game character like Scorpion makes more sense than a character from literally any other genre - though I love to have a selection from characters of all genres.

Anyway, in my opinion Scorpion would make a great Smash bro, just like Doomguy. They may be brutal/dumb for some, but you can't deny them having great games in the series and being a huge part of cultural gaming history - not just for their content, but for their gameplay as well.

Night Wolf is one of my all-time favorites. Would also love Sonya Blade, Raiden and Sindel.

It would probably be Liu Kang or Johnny Cage. Which is fine.

@Varkster I understand what you say, but I mean Bayonetta got in and her moves get pretty gruesome. Plus in order for DC to play ball, they had to tone things down and heroic brutalities replaced dc character fatalities. Otoh I'm sure some MK fans would be very annoyed as well.

@rushiosan Haha! Then you've never played Bayonetta.

@retro_player_22 Were they really?

@Varkster lol yeah Castlevania is one of the most wholesome, least gory games ever.

Totally makes sense that they have characters in Smash... oh wait...

This would be awesome but after Sakurai's last comment, i have a feeling we're going to be getting more Fire Emblem fighters. Like we actually need more.

@Razer I seriously think nobody in this comment section has read what I had to say properly — and I mean PROPERLY before replying.

"Gory" was one of the absolute lesser points I've made and I have already said that a character like Bayonetta, despite belonging in a mature, "gory" game belongs in Smash Bros simply stylistically as opposed to a character from Mortal Kombat. I understand that you may be a big fan of this "MK x Smash" idea but please do yourself a favour and don't @ me unless you have a genuine argument to present against what I said.

@Tempestryke Yes in the arcade version of NBA Jam: Tournament Edition.

Considering the six fighters for Fighter's Pass 2 are already decided, as Sakurai has explained, I think we can rule out any character from a game whose developer would like to see them in Smash.

would like to fatality Mario

@SSJW That amd taking on giant baddies and ripping them to shreds.

I would like that too, scorpion "get over here"

I'm not opposed to the idea. But it doesn’t feel like you could do an MK character justice in Smash given how graphic and gory they are by their very nature. Obviously characters from M rated content are not off the table given fighters like Snake and Bayonetta, but they also aren't known specifically for over the top gory violence either. I think Doomslayer has a better chance, and the modern Doom games can be quite violent, but not to that extent, and the violence isn't the main draw to the Doom games like it is for the MK games.

@retro_player_22 That's a new one on me. Interesting.

@SSJW I'm not sure what your point is, would you mind expanding on what you mean?

There were "PG" versions of Mortal Kombat characters in both Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe and the Injustice series.

Scorpion or Sub-Zero would be GREAT additions to Smash.

I like Sub-Zero but my vote would go toward Scorpion, as he's more the mascot of the series.
Raiden would also be cool.

Liu Kang would be the best fit.

Scorpion in Smash would be awesome. Bayonetta is a M rated character too.

@SSJW I'm still not sure I follow.

Scrorpion representing mortal kombat, and i want Jago to represent Killer instinct.

Round 1 Fight!
Level for mortal kombat i want shou kahns voice; Your weak pathetic fool Whaahahaba.
When you grab a smash ball he says; Finish him/her!

I think I understand what you mean.

I think the outside perception of Bayonetta is that it's all about style, combos, and violence.

When you see pictures of the game though, you're mostly just going to see her being stylish since that's the most popular part of Bayonetta.

I don't see it happening, but Sub-Zero would be my pick for a more interesting move-set from the whole roster, since he can clone himself in ice and use it both offensively and defensively (as can the opponent, picking the sculpture up and using it as a weapon). Wouldn't be against a Mii costume if it's never going to happen, with some classic music thrown in for good measure though, just so we have some flavour of MK added to the mix!

Well, I guess this means he probly won't be one of the new dlc...

Scorpion was already toned down when he appeared as DLC on the first injustice. I'd love to see that happening. We need more representation from western games.

@tkdboy1889 how do we know they were already picked?

Mortal Kombat character would be a great addition

But I feel like it gotta be reverse it like having fire emblem was not in japan or even poplar, and then they would say too many marth and mortal kombat was popular in japan this is an if and reverse that happen. I say no because it would get Japanese people to get mad at a character from mortal kombat join in, it's like us having another fire emblem and we get mad but except it the Japanese people hate mortal kombat.

@Caryslan actually, Doomslayer is the one who raises the most questions. Ryu happens to be a sword fighter which can toned down easily. Doomslayer literally rips demons apart with his bare hands and he blows things up with BFGs, grenade launchers, shotguns, etc. that is certainly “unfitting” for Smash (Nintendo can definitely do it, I’m just saying). Plus, Ridley impales the opponent with its spiky tail (a move and shown in its reveal trailer). The whole “Mortal Kombat and Scorpion is too violent for Smash” is complete BS considering that we all clamor for Doomslayer, Dante, and Ryu to appear. Scorpion (or Sub Zero) has earned his spot on the roster regardless of what you say. Plus, MK has been toned down many times and it was fine. All in all, if we can get Bayonetta and Ridley as well as requests to add Doomslayer, Dante, and Ryu Hayabusa to show up. There should be no problem adding Scorpion.

Whoever says MK is too violent for smash, are dumb. You are also asking for Doom Guy in smash and he is just as violent as any MK character.

Bayonetta is also violent. Her hair is a weapon and her clothes are made of hair and has brutal moves.

Also it doesn't have to be the main character from MK. Instead of Scorpion, who is more violent than others

Liu Kang, Sub-Zero are less brutal, they can work.

But Scorpion is also a possibility as well