Gaming Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks

[Prince Van]

I've just read about Shaolin Monks on a PS2 website and I haven't seen it anywhere, but it was announced in october 2004.I'm just wondering if anyone knows anything about this.

All I know is it's an adventure hack-and-slash game based after the first Mortal Kombat tournament, you take on the role as Liu Kang in 1 player mode and it had a multiplayer co-op where a friend can play Kung lao.Also Liu Kang and kung Lao have around 10 fatalities each.

Well, anybody else heard of this game?

[OtakaMoon]

Of coarse I have heard of it because im a Hardcore Mortal Combat fan haha... Really they do have 10 fatalities each?? Whoa thats amazing.... haha im sure going to buy the game.! :animesmil

[Stuart]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][SIZE=3][B]Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks Update[/B][/SIZE]
[FONT=Tahoma][SIZE=1]The best game at Midway's Chicago event? You betcha.
by Douglass C. Perry
[/SIZE][/FONT]
August 11, 2005 - By now you've all heard of Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks, the action-adventure-fighting game starring MK characters Liu Kang and Kung Lao and in a very real sense, an homage to Mortal Kombat 2, considered by many as the best game in the series.

Taking the robust fighting engine of the successful fighting series into a side-scrolling action setting, replete with Klonoa-like 2D/3D environments, Shaolin Monks is a one- to two-player game that blends the best of each world into a very complete and surprising game. For someone who admittedly never liked the Mortal Kombat series, I'm hooked on this. Not because it's easy, but because the fighting system is deep, the progression of enemies is balanced -- as you face an increasing range of thugs, sub-bosses, and bosses -- and the two-player cooperative gameplay is some of, if not the best, co-op play around.

Players can attack in close with quick attacks or from a distance utilizing launch attacks. They can throw enemies into spiked pits, off cliffsides or into cracked walls to open up new passages, or once skilled enough, you can pick up an enemy, double jump and then throw him in air. If you're playing with a friend, you can potentially combo throw enemies back and forth in mid-air. Adding to the hit parade, you've got evades and jumps, fatalities, lock-on abilities, blocks, new multalities, Brutalities and classic special attacks.

The game just feels right. In some ways it's very simple. Yet, the more one explores the fighting system and the parade of interesting levels, the more reeled in one becomes. The fighting system feels well tested, well developed. It progresses at the right pace. You can walk up to this game, never having played it, sit down with a friend and learn some moves, and then get right in there and kick ***.

So, to a certain degree, there is a little button mashing. There is nothing wrong with a little button mashing. There is something wrong with a lot of button mashing, which is why Shaolin Monks is good times. Once you've learned everything, you then realize each of the character's moves can be upgraded with three distinct upgrades that prove to be very valuable during boss fights. We also learned today that if you play the game in the single player mode, you'll actually miss added levels specific to the two-player experience. (Note: there is no friendly fire in the co-op mode.)

Adding to the game's polish, shine, and dynamics, the replay value is solid. Liu Kang and Kung Lao play very differently, each with his own strengths. But once you've finished the game, there is a third unlockable player from the MK lineage who appears, and after that, a fourth MK character is unlocked for even further play. Lastly, there is a versus mode for wicked, shake-your-fist battles.

For those who've followed the series from its inception as a gore-filled FMV fighter to its current 3D prowess, Shaolin Monks shows off the Outworld in its entirety. You'll see the MK 1 and MK 2 stages in 3D and fight in them in ways you've never done before. You'll encounter MK characters such as Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Kitana and Goro, among other. The development team's mantra is, "If it's in MK2, it's in MK Shaolin Monks," so given the amount of hardcore fans of that old classic, this should appeal to a broad and happy audience.

All in all, this showing of MK Shaolin Monks has convinced me that Midway has got a sleeper hit on its hands. The game's simple appeal is deceiving. The depth of gameplay is clearly there, and it's skillfully handled and crafted by a team that's bent on getting this one right. Shaolin Monks is an instant hit waiting to happen.

[B]- IGN.com[/B][/FONT]

[Guest Darkjake]

I played the demo for it and it's kinda like a Devil May Cry type game but no camera angle's and less combination to do. You have 3 attack buttons that you can mix it up with like power attack, air attack, and normal attack. Then you got your throws and signature moves....you gotta fill up your fatality meter by combo's and stuff and then bada bing bada boom your in fatality central. It seemed pretty decent but seems like they cheaped out on the game play. The cutscene's are pretty alright tho gore and all. Well thats my opinion.....peace out 500 yo

-Jake-

( Life is like a pot of coffe...fast hot and ready to burn you )

[OtakaMoon]

Well the game has its flaws.. what do expect?? Mortal Kombat is a very hardcore game but this is the 2nd time they made a adventure game like this.. The first game they made it in this view is Mortal Kombat Mythtologies SubZero for the Nintendo 64.. But out of so far this game is a pretty cool... And I forgot has anyone reserved it yet?? Im planning too!

[Prince Van]

I also found some new info, you can customize your characters aswell.Also to stop you getting bored of constant killing their seems to be some puzzles involved.

I also found some screenshots, Here's an interesting one.
(I know it's kinda big)
[IMG]http://otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24412&stc=1[/IMG]


As Stuart pointed out they're seems to a third character, Who is this character by the way?

I found the sreenshots and some info on this

[URL=http://uk.playstation.com/games/gamesinfo04_game.jhtml?localeTitleId=1059727&linktype=SSL]Playstation.co.uk[/URL]

I now it's the UK one but for some reason I couldn't find it one the .com one.

[Killer7]

In OPM a month ago they had this as a demo. Honestly, it was a mediocre hack-and-slash game. It has a small to medium amount of combos, and just from playing the first level it got really repetitive. Also the camera was really annoying, and the small platforming bits were just frustating. The fatalities were little more then glorified specials, even though they did censor it for some reason. Hey I am an MK fan, but MK should never be a brawler (if anybody played the Special forces game, they know what I am talking about), let's hope they don't totally screw it up.

[XxZeroxX]

[FONT=Fixedsys][COLOR=DarkGreen]I have recently rented the game Sholin monks & its ok for what it is but I still prefere the Sub-Zero game on the N64 but there is still some fun in the game, sooo juzt rent it's only for Mortal Kombat freaks out there ok sooo play more Deseption if you don't like it ok?[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Shwa]

I've seen it and cant wait until it comes out, it looks like a good game to play. But on some of the posters I saw it showed other characters from teh series like Sonya and Jonny Cage fighting, can you play as them too?

[Prince Van]

[quote name='Mage15']I've seen it and cant wait until it comes out, it looks like a good game to play. But on some of the posters I saw it showed other characters from teh series like Sonya and Jonny Cage fighting, can you play as them too?[/quote]

I don't actaully know but my bet is they're either two unlockable characters or NPCs, that fight along side or against you.

[OtakaMoon]

Wow really they actually fight along side with you? Ive seen a preview on G4 showing them fight with you. So maybe it is true! but the weird thing is why in the world does Goro pop out of no where in a battle and starts beating the crap out of you..

[Gavin]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting.

I have to admit that reading Stuart's kindly provided IGN summary has me interested to a mild degree in the game. I never really got into Mortal Kombat as a fan, though I have played most of the games that have been released but the last time I actually sat down and played Mortal Kombat would be months, if not years ago. I never played the Sub-Zero game on the N64 because I couldn't rent it, and Nintendo Official Magazine slayed it in a review but I might rent this for the PS2 if I see it and give it a go.

The whole fast, normal and strong attack sounds deceptively like Revenge of the Sith, as does building up your moves to a third and final level which is kind of a positive and negative thing in my mind. My main gripe with RotS, aside from the absolutely awful graphics and voice-overs was the fact that you had to acquire buckets of experience to unlock more power and even then you had to go back and re-fight bosses to get more experience. Still this game isn't RotS and sounds a little like Streets of Rage from the Sega Megadrive II, which was addictively fun to play.

Sitting on the bench with this one, could be fun and long lasting, or fun for three days and boring afterwards. [/SIZE]

[r2vq]

There was a video on IGN during E3. They showed somebody playing the game and talking about it. The other characters are in the game and you can see them fighting in the background sometimes. They showed (I think it was) Johnny Cage defeating Gorro in the background and then waving to you.

I think I'll try it out for a rent at least.

-ArV