Month: April 2015

With all of the flashy combos, brutal special moves, and an entirely new level of gore in Mortal Kombat X, it’s easy to forget about something like stage design. Add in the competitive aspect of focusing on things like proper meaty timings and which variant of the game’s current array of option selects to go for at any given moment, and it becomes even easier to imagine yourself slugging it out on a blank backdrop.

That isn’t for lack of amazing stage design, though.

For as long as we can remember, Mortal Kombat has been bringing players iconic stages, many of which have undergone vast transformations over the years (or, have sadly gone the way of Smoke, Cyrax, and Sektor). Everyone who grew up with these games likely recalls the first time that they performed a stage fatality at The Pit, or their friend’s reaction when they were knocked through one of the many stage transitions in Mortal Kombat 3.

While it’s been quite some time since these moments took place, NetherRealm Studios has done a great job creating a selection of unique battlegrounds in Mortal Kombat X to evoke similar responses from players. Ten years from now, we may still be talking about a time that riding the hook on the right side of The Kove resulted in a corner switch that lead to some tournament victory or another, or just how hilarious chucking Blanche across a crowded marketplace always was.

Whether out at sea in The Kove with monstrous waves lapping at the crumbling dock as dark clouds gather, or at the Sky Temple with tornadoes twisting off in the distance as rains soaks a group of monks, it’s amazing to see how much care went into crafting the perfect arenas for memorable slugfests. To offer a glimpse at some of the creative aspects of stage design and to let fans watch the world of Mortal Kombat X come to life, NetherRealm Studios environment artist Matt Pierson shared a quick highlight reel of their work today earlier today.

Be sure to check it out, and feel free to let us know which stages are your favorites in the comments.

Source: Matt Pierson

A little while back, we featured a series of videos from Game Plaza Gao that provides a closer look at Tekken 7’s newcomers. One notable omission, however, was Josie Rizal, who just made her playable debut on April 21.

As with the previous videos, this one goes over Josie’s moves and some basic combos, including a few ways to combo into her Rage Art.

Source: Game Plaza Gao

Every time Blanka makes his way onto the screen, there’s a good chance that his opponent will be leaving the match frustrated. Such frustration can come at any point when squaring off against any fighter who relies so heavily on converting shenanigans into damage, and Blanka is one of the best characters in Ultra Street Fighter IV at doing just that.

Whether he’s hopping back and forth and mixing in throws and electricity or setting up perfect spacing with the use of one of his rolling attacks, a good Blanka knows how to crack opposing defenses with a sort of finesse that’s uniquely his.

TL|Cast Blanka, the star of Olympic Gaming’s latest player spotlight, demonstrates a vast knowledge of how to do what Blanka does best. As always, the highlighted player faces off against some top-ranking online warriors and at times you can practically see the frustration bleeding from the screen.

Source: Olympic Gaming