reversals should be taken out completly, its too cheap. instead, as midway has focused on styles, they should focus on style orientated defense.
for example karate uses various parries for defense.
snake kung fu will snake shaped hand movements for defense. eagle claw will use acrobatics.
wing chun uses simaltenous attack/block.
jujitsu will use more joint locks that would temporarily disable his/her opponents kick or punch and force them to use other techniques until the blood flows back into that limb.
wrestling/aikido would use more throws.
boxing will uses parries and ducking.
characters will react accordingly to different techniques.
for example, I
Lets us the scenario of sub-zero doing a roundhouse kick, here some possible defenses:
Cage(Jeet Kune Do) would use a sweep as as subbys kick comes around.
Kitana(Eagle Claw) would use a backflip, eagle claw being the acrobatic style that it is.
Cyrax(Ninjitsu) and Kano(Aikido) would roll away, falling backwards.
Jax(Muay Thai) would duck under the kick.
Raiden(Jujitsu) would apply a joint lock on subs leg, not making sub lose enrgy but simply making him limp and render his leg helpless for a few seconds forcing him to use hand techniques instead.
Quan Chi(Escrima) would strike his back quickly as subzero spins.
Cage(Karate) would parry and move to the side of subzero.
etc
you get the general idea, it would be sweet to do so.
And instead of holding the block button, it would be about timing instead, you have to time pressing block to effectively defend. it would bring much better gameplay, and it would also seem like a martial art movie too.
Let me give u guys another example,
Scorpion's sweep -
Mavado(wing chun) would simply raise his front leg to avoid contact.
Shang Tsung(Snake) would jump over scorpion's legs.
Sonya/mokap(Tae Kwon Do) would jump over scorpion's legs and strike him in the face whilst in the air.
Kitana(eagle claw) may flip over scorpion behind him.
scorpion(hapkido) somersault in the same position avoiding contact (much like scorpion did when fighting kung lao in mkconquest)
There is so much varety and the styles itself would amaze the player and it would feel as if he really using tae kwon do, eagle claw etc.
Another example
Kung Lao using a mantis punch (attack1)-
Shang Tsung(snake) would use snake like hand movements to parry the mantis punch.
cage(Jeet Kune Do) would use footwork and move backwards or to the side.
mavado(wing chun) would use the simaltaneous attack/defense found in wing chun.
Raiden(Jujitsu) would apply an armbar as the punch comes in, not neccessarily disable it but the jujitsu style of parrying.
Kano(Aikido) woud use circular hand movements much akin to steven seagal movies to throw his opponents on the floor, hence (neutralising his opponents).
Reptile(Hung Gar),Nitara(Leopard and Fu Jow Pai) would use claw like hand movements to parry the punch
etc.
i hope you guys get where i am coming from.
My opinion, take the reversal out and concentrate on styles....thier attacks and defense.
Use timing for block, so the no novice can hold block to get away with it.
Then my friends, you'd have an excellent mortal kombat game, based on martial arts and gameplay alone.
