TOASTYYYYYYYYY! Scorpion for Smash!

[MacDaddyNook]

Just for curiosity's sake, if Scorpion were to be added in Smash, where do you think he would be on the mural? If I were to make a guess, I would like to think he would be placed around here:

Possibly with his rope dart extended while his back is facing the screen.

I really like the idea but Incineroar is currently in that spot, so there isn't that much to work with without having to move all the Pokemon and break up the scene with them interacting with Wario and Dedede. Looking at the current mural, The best places to fit in another character would be either between Zelda and Pichu or between Joker and Pokemon Trainer. Underneath Link could work too, but they'd have to find a new place for Mii Swordfighter.

 

[UserKev]

Just for curiosity's sake, if Scorpion were to be added in Smash, where do you think he would be on the mural? If I were to make a guess, I would like to think he would be placed around here:

Possibly with his rope dart extended while his back is facing the screen.

I pretty much agree with where you have Scorpion placed. He's likely to be placed around more serious characters, Captain Falcon, Ryu, Ken, Snake. I'd throw in exceptionally Mario or Kirby tho.

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

While him using the spear would be awesome, listen to me here.

Him holding a Scorpion doll

 

[Ridley_Prime]

What about holding a Mileena doll? :u

 

[MacDaddyNook]

While him using the spear would be awesome, listen to me here.

Him holding a Scorpion doll

I can see him gettinging a "super secret" Friendship taunt (ie imputing a button string like performing it in the arcade). I'd love his trailer showing him perform it next to an applauding Isabelle, that'd be pretty funny.

 

[TheTruthSheet]

I really like the idea but Incineroar is currently in that spot, so there isn't that much to work with without having to move all the Pokemon and break up the scene with them interacting with Wario and Dedede. Looking at the current mural, The best places to fit in another character would be either between Zelda and Pichu or between Joker and Pokemon Trainer. Underneath Link could work too, but they'd have to find a new place for Mii Swordfighter.

Yeah, you're probably right. I feel kinda stupid cause I didn't realize that the picture I used didn't have Incineroar on it until you brought it up.

 

[MacDaddyNook]

No worries, there's so many different version of the mural with so many characters to keep track of that it's completely understandable. The idea is still cool; having him square off with Ryu would make the most hype for him.

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

I think the trick they're doing is that each character is its own layer, so they can move each one independently and do whatever they want with the positioning.

In other words, the current picture may literally mean nothing as to where future characters may go in the mural.

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

I think the trick they're doing is that each character is its own layer, so they can move each one independently and do whatever they want with the positioning.

In other words, the current picture may literally mean nothing as to where future characters may go in the mural.

Yeah, photoshop conveniently allows them to change size and positioning as they see fit, so looking for clues there is pointless.

 

[Ih8heels]

Will Scorpion have a japan voice though? Not really sure if he had one in Injustice/インジャスティス:神々の激突

I know for a fact that his trailer will play the courtyard OST because for almost every character trailer shown, it's always the first stage music that plays in their debut game. & Scorpion will be no exception.

Edit: Mark my words though, Scorpion is a definite lock for the next installment of Smash if he's not DLC in this one

 

[UserKev]

I feel like Scorpion with a Japan voice will be niche. He's known for his English phrase "Get Over Here" He's likely speak simply English.

Now that its been mentioned tho, what themes from Mortal Kombat would you like to see remixed into Smash? I honestly find it difficult to choose. I just hope their the classic mk themes, mk3 themes.

 

[MacDaddyNook]

Will Scorpion have a japan voice though? Not really sure if he had one in Injustice/インジャスティス:神々の激突

I know for a fact that his trailer will play the courtyard OST because for almost every character trailer shown, it's always the first stage music that plays in their debut game. & Scorpion will be no exception.

Edit: Mark my words though, Scorpion is a definite lock for the next installment of Smash if he's not DLC in this one

I think Techno Syndrome should be used in his trailer, no other MK song could top the hype of hearing that. A Smash-exclusive remix would be nice, but I'd be ok with the original or the remix used for MK 11's trailer.

 

[Ridley_Prime]

Reminder that Scorpion/Hanzo Hasashi himself is canonically Japanese.

 

[TheTruthSheet]

If I had to make a list of the songs I would want to see come with Scorpion, it would look something like this:

Originals:

• The Courtyard (MK1)
• The Bridge (MK1)
• The Living Forest (MK2)
• The Portal (MK2)
• The Street (MK3)
• The Subway (MK3)
• The Graveyard (MK3)
• The Bridge (MK3)

Remixes (I'll link some videos that show what I would like to imagine them sounding like) :

• Mortal Kombat 1 Character Select
• Mortal Kombat 2 Character Select
• Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 Character Select
• Goro's Theme (MK1)
• The Immortals - Techno Syndrome

And while I'm at it, I would imagine this being his victory theme.

It might not be the best list, but it's one that I personally would like to see.

 

[UserKev]

Reminder that Scorpion/Hanzo Hasashi himself is canonically Japanese.

He doesn't need to speak Japanese in Smash tho. Its forced and tiring. Let him speak during his taunts and victory themes where its appealing.

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

Reminder that Scorpion/Hanzo Hasashi himself is canonically Japanese.

So is Ryu and they're not forcing him to speak in Japanese outside of the Japanese language setting.

If Scorpion somehow has a Japanese VA despite MK games getting banned there, fine, they can use that, but only if the language is set to Japanese.

If he doesn't or if the Japanese VA is outside of the appropriate language setting, it would feel way too forced.

 

[Ridley_Prime]

Wasn’t saying he should have to speak Japanese, but would be fine with it as another option, considering.

 

[MacDaddyNook]

After putting some thought into it, here's my idea for Scorpion's stage.

Stage: The Pit
Series: Mortal Kombat
Game: Mortal Kombat (the game title will be that of MK9)

Link, just in case the image isn't loading.

Size: Medium/Mid-Large

Layout: The Pit is made up of a single long platform located close to the bottom of the visible screen, slightly lower than the height from the bottom Blast Zone of Bridge of Eldin. The distance from the main platform to the top Blast Zone is significantly longer, spanning roughly the height from the ground to the top Blast Zone on Shadow Moses Island. The length of the stage is roughly 80% of that of Eldin, giving a good amount of play space without being too massive.

The one and only platform is a "mix between a semi soft and super soft" platform and functions near identically to the clouds found in Magicant (minus the grabable ledges). In other words, characters can pass through from the bottom freely but cannot from the top unless they are hit with a strong meteor smash (this is to simulate getting knocked into the Pit without having to change its design).

Due to the walk-off nature of the stage, KOes will be performed easiest on the sides. Meteor Smashes also are effective in KOing opponents off the bottom while top-screen KOes would be the most difficult due to the much larger distance from the platform.

Appearance: The Pit closely follows its design from MK9 and MKX (which in turn resembles The Pit II from MK2). Being set late at night, the stage is fairly dark but illuminated by the large full moon in the background and the torches placed along the bridge that serves as the solo platform. Pillars holding up the bridge appear in the back and foreground below the bridge, but are not interactive, leaving the space beneath the stage fully traversable.

Behind the main bridge is a second bridge identical to the one the players will be fighting upon. On this second bridge appears two combatants exchanging blows. These fighters consist of two randomly selected staple Mortal Kombat characters consisting of Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Reptile, Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade, Kano, Jaxx, Princess Kitana, Mileena, Raiden, Shang Tsung, Quan Chi or Sub-Zero (linked are the costumes/designs the characters would appear as. For Kano and Jaxx, their models will be of their younger selves but with the attire and facial hair of the older ones as that is the more iconic appearance for them). If Scorpion is not participating in the match, then he too can appear in the background not unlike Toon Link on Spirit Tracks (likewise, if Sub Zero also becomes a playable fighter, he will not appear in the background if he is in the actual match). Additionally, during Spirit Board matches, the character corresponding with the Spirit showcased will also not appear in the background (ie, Kano will not appear in the background during a match for the Kano Spirit).

Various mountain, including an erupting volcano, decorate the landscape behind the second bridge. Scattered across these mountains are various castle-like structures.

While not visible normally, the floor of spikes far below both bridges would be able to be seen by tilting the camera at at sharp downward angle. This is to imply that any character send below the Bottom Blast Zone would meet their end in the spikes without showing such to keep any ratings concerns down.

As a little Easter Egg, when the stage is played on during the month of December, the silhouette of Santa Claus and his reindeer will occasionally fly across the moon just like in the original MK game. Should this stage be played on during the month of October, a silhouette of a witch on a broom will fly by instead.

Special Features: Excluding the unique properties of the main platform, The Pit does not feature any hazards or gimmicks that affect gameplay. However, this stage have one additional feature that makes it stand out.

In place of the standard announcer voice clips, The Pit features all announcements spoken from the Mortal Kombat announcer. Each match will begin with the MK announcer exclaiming "3, 2, 1, FIGHT!" Should a player be eliminated completely, the announcer will exclaim "Player (number)/Computer Player/Amiibo is FINISHED!" in place of the standard "Defeated" line. All other in-match announcer lines are also spoken by the MK announcer (ie "Time/Game/Sudden Death/etc." but do not deviate from the phrases used by the Smash Announcer. In the event the winning player wins without losing a single stock in any mode, the MK announcer will exclaim "Flawless Victory!" in place of "Game/Time" right before the screen transitions to the victory screen, the text will not change and will display its normal phrase. Once the match ends and the game cuts to the victory screen, the normal Smash announcer will exclaim the winner like normal (or in the case of Joker, it plays a victory clip from one of the Phantom Thieves).

In addition to audio change, all of the in-match text that notate the beginning and end of the match are also changed to match the Mortal Kombat fonts.

Hazards Off: The main platform becomes completely solid and cannot be passed through by any means. Everything else behaves the same way.

Ω Form: The Bridge is broken into a "semi-triangular" chunk to adhere to the normal Ω layout. A single pillar in the background holds it up. Needless to say, the ledges are grabable platform cannot be passed through in any way. The distance between Blast Zones are also adjusted to match those of all other Ω stages.

Battlefield Form: Same as Ω Form but with three smaller platforms arranged in the standard layout. The passthrough platforms take on the appearance of the stone floor found in the original Pit stage.

Music: (11 songs since Joker got that many)
Main Theme: The Pit - Mortal Kombat
Alternate Theme: Techno Syndrome (Smash Bros Remix)

Additional Themes:
Techno Syndrome (original) - The Immortals
Courtyard (daytime) - Mortal Kombat
The Armory - Mortal Kombat 2
Deadpool - Mortal Kombat 2
The Subway - Mortal Kombat 3
House of Pekara - Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance
Destroyed City (medley of all three round themes) - Mortal Kombat X
Shirai Ryu Fire Garden - Mortal Kombat 11
Tournament - Mortal Kombat 11

(2 more songs since 13 seems more like a Mortal Kombat number)
Slaughterhouse Jive - Mortal Kombat Deception
Sky Temple (Round 1) - Mortal Kombat X

 

[Ih8heels]

Only reason I brought the voice option situation up is because When Scorpion was DLC in Injustice, which surprisingly had a Japan release(& a Wii U release at that), he still was playable in their version. I'm just unable to find accurate gameplay footage of Japan Injustice featuring him. I just find it odd that when other language options didn't bother to dub the in-game grunts of NRS games like the US does with Japan games.

here's the aforementioned footage of proof: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-vthRzyqqs

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

which surprisingly had a Japan release

It's not surprising because Mortal Kombat reached a point where it's less effort to never release in Japan, a place where the franchise never really made it big, than actually censoring everything to avoid getting outright banned due to how the Japanese rating board, CERO, is more strict on gore than the ESRB.

...or something like that.

 

[UserKev]

It's not surprising because Mortal Kombat reached a point where it's less effort to never release in Japan, a place where the franchise never really made it big, than actually censoring everything to avoid getting outright banned due to how the Japanese rating board, CERO, is more strict on gore than the ESRB.

...or something like that.

I know that MK can be over the extreme, but its so hypocritical for Japan. They rather pay attention to mk's violence, but won't put a limit on their **** fantasies in fiction.

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

I know that MK can be over the extreme, but its so hypocritical for Japan. They rather pay attention to mk's violence, but won't put a limit on their **** fantasies in fiction.

Different cultures have different values, I guess? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

I know that MK can be over the extreme, but its so hypocritical for Japan. They rather pay attention to mk's violence, but won't put a limit on their **** fantasies in fiction.

I think it's more of a cultural difference. Meanwhile over in the US, it's the complete opposite; violence and over-the-top gore's a-ok unless you're Jack Chick or the uninformed folks who saw Death Trap, but if you do so much as show off some tit or even a thigh, soccer moms go ape**** on you.

Besides, some things like No More Heroes and FOTNS: Lost Paradise still manage to get sold over there despite censorship and some of the older MK games were distributed there back then, so maybe the cost is too high to censor MK 9/10/11 to Outerworld and back?

 

[Verde Coeden Scalesworth]

It might not be as simple as cost. It could be as simple as Ed Boon not wanting it censored like that. Crossovers are a different story in itself, as they're a different overall setting. MK is pretty much sold based upon its gore. That is, regular MK. Not to say those that had a "no blood" option didn't sell at all or anything like that.

Though to be honest, I wonder if even having a no blood option is enough? Then again, the factor is far more the gore that is impossible to tone down in the same way as giving the option to take blood away. Deception had a neat way to do this; if you remove blood as an option, you couldn't perform any finishing moves either or do stage fatalities. Now here's the kicker; that's still possible to do. What isn't is X-Ray moves. You have no way to feasibly tone those down at all. And they aren't unique finishing moves that aren't a necessity to win general matches at all.

So he's in a pickle. Removing an entire feature(that is a normal one during battle and not an optional thing at the end of the match) is far more difficult to justify. It wouldn't be surprising if he just went with a "screw that" stance.

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

Yeah, at one point I mentioned how MK generally revels in its gore. X-Ray moves are the biggest example of this. What's doubly complicated is that it's one of the key features of latest games. How do you stand out when that's removed?

If Scorpion somehow manages to get in, in the future, overseas audiences will be even more perplexed than when arrived.

 

[SKX31]

I think it's more of a cultural difference. Meanwhile over in the US, it's the complete opposite; violence and over-the-top gore's a-ok unless you're Jack Chick or the uninformed folks who saw Death Trap, but if you do so much as show off some tit or even a thigh, soccer moms go ape**** on you.

Besides, some things like No More Heroes and FOTNS: Lost Paradise still manage to get sold over there despite censorship and some of the older MK games were distributed there back then, so maybe the cost is too high to censor MK 9/10/11 to Outerworld and back?

Spoiler: Long discussion on this topic, including old gaming ads and when ABC looked into video games in 1988.

I don't think it's just simply gore - gore is present in Fist of the North star after all, a manga / anime classic. And many other manga / anime like Berserk. Rather, I'd consider the cultural difference to be more specific: how video games are / were seen and marketed as in Japan compared to lets say the West.

For Japan, there's this:


The most telling ad there is the Megaman 1 ad at 1:00 (oh, sorry, Rockman). But the general focus is clear: Games are presented as cartoony, with strong anime influences (especially the Kinnikuman game ad at 2:30) and a family friendly atmosphere. A young girl helps introduce the Famicom Disk System, for example. Not to say that family friendly games were the only games in Japan; the family friendly games were the most visible. Also note, Nintendo wasn't alone in the video game sphere - but we'll get to that. Also note, the adults are often involved in the ads and in a later linked video (Nuts for Nintendo) one Japanese adult is seen playing with his kid.

I wouldn't be surprised if CERO (Japan's ratings board, established 2002) is more strict than most partly because of this long standing view. Koshi Nakanishi, Resident Evil 7's director, speaks of how CERO affects game development:

Nakanishi: Ratings are different per region and amongst them, Japan tends to be on the stricter side. Even with previous installments, there was a difference between the Western and Japanese versions of those games. To be frank, it can sometimes be a challenge during development. When we think of a specific scene, thoughts such as “it will be difficult to deal with ratings” or “let’s make a milder scene” start creeping in. When we started development on Resident Evil 7 biohazard, we wanted to move forward without such concerns creeping into our mind.

Meanwhile, in America:

You notice the Rambo ad there? Or how about the Contra III ad, which is... rather straight to the point? Those were not isolated cases either - take a look at a random old Electronic Gaming Monthly and you'll see that a lot of the ads are going to focus on stereotypically boyish / manly interests: action, shooting and sports games. One ad in EGM issue #1 even touted Japan's hottest games as "Brutal." "Really Rad" and "Outrageous". Even the family friendly Mappy Land - the ad even sells it as: "Finally, a game that's tough enough to challenge the Nintendo expert, while still being fun for children of all ages." Huh.

Also, ABC's news reporter for their 1988 special "Nuts for Nintendo" starts the special off by outright saying, and I qoute:

We don't know how to play Zelda, but we do know why kids love them and critics hate them!

This special is notable because it shows: A) Dragon Quest III's (in)famous release, with kids in Japan being arrested for truancy (at around 5:55). B) An American parent asking his kids / being a bit concerned that his kid is playing too much SMB 1 (throughout the special). C) Girls playing NES games alongside boys. Sure marketing was targered towards stereotypically boyish interests, but stereotypes do not align perfectly with reality.

No wonder Mortal Kombat - which is X-TREME! - was developed in America. Right as SEGA marketed themselves as X-TREME and Nintendo as "Nintendon't" - also. Nintendo had to fight back an antitrust suit by Atari. Violence in video games becoming a political matter (First with the MK / Death Trap congressional hearings, then with Jack Chick) probably has a lot to do with video games bubbling under the surface until Mortal Kombat's Fatalities helped lead to the ESRB's creation.

And yea, I do share Verde Coeden Scalesworth 's stance here, that it's not worth removing MK's features for Ed Boon, and CERO doesn't see it as worth it to adjust their standards because of just one game series. That said, I'm not sure that the upcoming Mortal Kombat movie will skip Japan at all - Japan's movie censorship could be different from CERO's. Wouldn't be the first time a game series makes it into Smash while not seeing video game releases: Konami stopped developing video games completely (except PES) after Metal Gear Survive bombed. And they got both Snake and the Belmonts into Smash soon after Survive. The most relevant Castlevania is right now is as a Netflix show, after all.

 

[UserKev]

It might not be as simple as cost. It could be as simple as Ed Boon not wanting it censored like that. Crossovers are a different story in itself, as they're a different overall setting. MK is pretty much sold based upon its gore. That is, regular MK. Not to say those that had a "no blood" option didn't sell at all or anything like that.

Ed Boon would definitely allow Smashified/censorship of Scorpion because Smash is an ultimate selling point. Boon is literal aware of the cost he's easily willing to make if it gets Scorpion into Smash.

 

[Verde Coeden Scalesworth]

Ed Boon would definitely allow Smashified/censorship of Scorpion because Smash is an ultimate selling point. Boon is literal aware of the cost he's easily willing to make if it gets Scorpion into Smash.

...I already said crossovers were fine? I never said or implied otherwise.

What I said was that MK is difficult to release in Japan because censoring it is near impossible due to X-Rays existing. There's no way to censor that. Making blood an option might allow it to go through CERO since it's not forced. It'd still be the highest age ratings, though(well, bar the one meant for stuff that falls under the sexual label, anyway. I forget what that one was called. The one right after M for Mature).

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

The one right after M for Mature

You mean AO?

 

[Swig Swag]

Heres my idea of a classic mode for scorpion if he will be in smash bros:
1st round: to represent Kano
2nd round: to represent Sonya
3rd round: to represent Johnny Cage
4th round: to represent Raiden
5th round: to represent Liu Kang

6th round: Blue alt Scorpion to represent Sub Zero

Bonus round
Final round: The boss in this classic mode would be a giant to represent Shao Kahn

 

[UserKev]

Heres my idea of a classic mode for scorpion if he will be in smash bros:
1st round: to represent Kano
2nd round: to represent Sonya
3rd round: to represent Johnny Cage
4th round: to represent Raiden
5th round: to represent Liu Kang

6th round: Blue alt Scorpion to represent Sub Zero

Bonus round
Final round: The boss in this classic mode would be a giant to represent Shao Kahn

Creative, but I can easily see Ganondorf as the boss of his Classic mode.

 

[Arcadenik]

If and when SNES games start showing up on Nintendo Switch Online, I hope that the original Mortal Kombat trilogy will be available.

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

Wouldn't you know it, the DLC roster was leaked months ago, and the staffers failed to hide the truth. Still no Ash though.

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/20..._dlc_roster_for_mortal_kombat_11s_kombat_pack

I'm convinced that their anti-leak security is made of cardboard at this point. Didn't expect the Terminator incarnation to be from the latest film though.

Also, that last sentence in the article is pure gold.

 

[Ridley_Prime]

Really tired of them using the Joker in everything, and this just looks like his Injustice 2 model but with different clothes. *yawn* Sindel’s backstory they ruined too with a terrible retcon according to her leaked bio.

To top it off, the release date order for the characters is whack. You’d think they’d have Joker come out in October to coincide with his movie, and the Terminator in November since that’s when Dark Fate comes out. Poor Spawn fans having to wait the long haul, regardless.

But yeah, whoever the chainsaw wielder is was obviously gonna be saved for kombat pack 2.

 

[Hadokeyblade]

At least the schedule is more consistent than that of Smash ultimate's DLC.

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

Yeah...consistently confusing and infuriating.

I wouldn't be shocked if the release dates get delayed, to top it off.

 

[Ridley_Prime]

$40 is too much for a fighter pass anyway for my taste. I get there’s a bit more characters included compared to the usual pass, but still. I supported Netherrealm with the previous games when it came to most of their passes, but this is where I reached my limit I guess.

 

[Ih8heels]

Ironically, Scorpion has to be a thing in Smash because MK's first game was a 2D fighter with a block button. & Smash is a 2D fighter with a block button.

But what would be a good recovery/anti-air/Up-B move for Scorps? I was thinking he could borrow a hellfire version of Cage's Shadow Uppercut, Or that move Scorpion had in Shaolin Monks where he lunges in the air & performs his MK2 air throw to the opponent upon contact.(I know, falcon dive imitado) https://youtu.be/e3EWQLYg0kg?t=5

 

[The Stoopid Unikorn]

I've been thinking of something more akin to Fox and Falco's up B, especially with how his MKX X-Ray and one of his MK11 Fatalities start similarly.

 

[UserKev]

In terms of Recovery, Scorpion can work with his teleport gimmick or shoot upward into a flip back on to the stage, covered in flames as if he's rising from a hell pit.