Mortal Kombat 1: How to choose a main character

With a new game entering the series and over 20 characters to choose from, it can be intimidating to find a main character in Mortal Kombat 1. After all, you don't want to spend time with a range of characters only to realize they don't fit your playstyle - it feels like a waste of time.

Instead of spending hours worrying about whom to choose as your main character, you can apply a few key tips to figure out who best suits your playstyle. Whether you want to play as Raiden, Nitara, or someone else, once you've made a decision, you can fully focus on your main character.

Try Out Their Normals And Specials

The characters have two main types of moves that will help you get a feel for whom you want to play: Normals and Specials. Normals are your main attacks for poking, fighting, and comboing enemies, while Specials allow you to interact in different ways, such as zoning, reducing distance, or acting as anti-air.

Specials are what truly differentiate characters from each other, so see which ones you like best. For example, you might love how Sub-Zero freezes people, allowing you to extend combos. On the other hand, you might also love the enhanced version of Ashrah's special moves to defeat enemies.

With this thought in mind, go through the entire character selection, try out their special moves, and see what they do. Then, you can create a list of the ones you like, the ones you don't like, and the ones you don't mind playing.

Immediately dismiss those you don't like and try to create a list of ten or fewer characters, so you don't feel overwhelmed. If you're having difficulty with that, try ranking them instead of categorizing them.

Narrow Down Your Choices

Once you have selected a few options that you like, you should narrow down your selection to the characters you love. This requires spending some time reviewing the list and understanding what you like about each of them.

If you're having trouble narrowing them down, try them out again in training mode and see what combos you can create with their moves. If you enjoy the combos and find that they flow naturally, you should consider these characters.

The same applies to unique mechanics that some characters have. You may enjoy the way Johnny Cage plays, but if you don't like his Star Mechanism, you shouldn't play him, as you need to fully utilize it to perform well with the character.

It also doesn't hurt to drop characters that don't perform well. Try out the characters, get a feel for their attacks and moves, and fight against some computer opponents. If you find that certain characters significantly outperform others, you should stick with those options.

Comparing Your Characters

With a diverse character selection, they will vary in their potential, so it's crucial to compare them to each other. You might find that some characters harmonize well with you and offer you many opportunities to land combos. On the other hand, you might discover that some characters have too few or too many tools, which can make you feel either limited or overwhelmed.

You want to try out the characters and see what makes each of them unique. Let's say you enjoy how Rain, Sindel, and Reptile play. You like them all, but you find Reptile more challenging to play. If you don't have enough time to practice for hours on end, he may not be a good choice for you.

A character may require a lot of time for you to master, but if you notice that you could potentially perform strong combos and become proficient with them, you may want to stick with them. It depends on your situation and whether you're willing to invest more time into a character.

Some characters have a clear game plan, such as keeping the enemy at a distance or getting in close. As you become more familiar with the characters, you'll get a sense of whether they will be a good choice for you. Otherwise, it might be better for you to stick with a character until you master them.

Since it can be challenging to make spontaneous comparisons, you should weigh the pros and cons of the character selection and see which one offers the most of what you want.

Don't Forget About Kameo Fighters

The Kameo fighters function as a tag system where you can call in a character to assist you. Each of them has a set of special abilities that can help you apply pressure, extend combos, and even perform long-range attacks.

Although this may not seem important at first glance, Kameo fighters can be a perfect way to compensate for a character's weaknesses. For example, if you're playing as Reiko, who is slow and has trouble getting close to the opponent, you could choose Kung Lao as a Kameo fighter. He can throw his hat to inflict damage or teleport you behind the enemy.

This means that if a character has a weakness that would be a deal-breaker for you, you should try them out with different Kameo fighters to see who harmonizes well. You can also choose options that suit your playstyle, such as Frost, to expand combos on characters with strong combos like Scorpion or Ashrah.

In this context, you should consider the Kameo fighters as extensions of your moveset, intended to harmonize with your playstyle and help you win matches. See which ones you like the most and even practice switching Kameo fighters to make adjustments while remaining true to your main character.

Take Your Time And Don't Fear Secondary Characters

Remember that you don't have to choose a main character right away. Narrowing down your selection is more than enough to proceed. Keep playing with all the characters and see how they feel.

It also doesn't hurt to compare your performance with each character and see who leads to the most victories. Even if you find that the performance is similar whether you win or lose, you will notice differences between them. This will help you understand them better and determine who is best to use in different situations.

If that doesn't work, you can always keep these characters as secondary characters. This way, you can switch to a different option in an unfavorable matchup. This will keep you flexible and allow you to adapt to your opponents.