In just a day or so Mortal Kombat will grace our living rooms with another dose of its trademark violent tendencies and indecent mannerisms. To celebrate this joyous occasion we've compiled another list, but this time we're focusing on the slew of kombatants that should have made the cut and been placed on the upcoming game's roster, not the ones who make you hemorrhage by simply staring at them. Whether we see these dudes and dudettes via DLC or not, this is the cast NetherRealm should implement into the new game.

Last week's list of hate garnered much attention for my MK4 abhorrence, and I'd like to make something clear - I hate that game. However, while MK4 is an aversion of the brand-new vision NetherRealm has crafted, it did throw some characters into the mix whom I have no issues with. Like this guy:

Reiko

Kombat Primer: Reiko first appeared in MK4 and is a raccoon-face painted general in Shao Kahn's army that you couldn't care less about. He enjoys throwing shurikens, kicking peoples' torsos off, and wearing Shao Khan's helmet when no one is watching (true story).

Why he should make it: Reiko isn't like one of these half-baked, half-thought cookie cutter archetypes Mortal Kombat is infamous for. He actually has a decent story, and some brutal abilities that are representational of a few kharacters you might know. While that's not necessarily the most unique thing in the MK roster, surely NetherRealm can tweak some of those moves to make Reiko more personable. Not that you'd actually want to get to know him.

Khameleon/Chameleon

Kombat Primer: This cold-blooded duo originally came into being during the days of Mortal Kombat Trilogy. Chameleon is the male, and debuted as a secret character in the Playstation version. His skins constantly alternated colors between all the famed ninjas of the series. His counterpart, Khameleon, is the female and debuted in the N64 version as a completely different character. Both are Saurians, or dinosaur creatures like Reptile, who built their moves off of other kharacters' abilities.

Why they should make it: These characters are literally copy/paste material, but they did get makeovers in Armageddon that gave them more unique abilities. I think if elaborated on, NetherRealm could have an interesting mix of abilities to work with, and since Reptile has practically always been on his own, why not add in a few more weird ass creatures like him? These two (or even just one of them) would make Drahmin and Moloch look like bigger mistakes than they already are.

Kira

Kombat Primer: Hailing from Mortal Kombat: Deception, this vile temptress runs with all the bad boys like Kano and Kabal. Although her goal revolves around aspiring to rid the world of all organization and sow the seeds of anarchy, she is a rather nice girl.

Why she should make it: I think this speaks for itself. Kira is a vile character that fits with Mortal Kombat universe. She's not too over the top and she's not stupid beyond redemption. If she is to make a comeback, I would say that her fatalities and normal abilities could use some reworking. Since Kano and Sonya are both in this game, it'd be pretty gimmicky if they kept it all the same.

Hotaru

Kombat Primer: It doesn't get much better than a samurai-style badass who rips his own head off if things get too dicey. Hotaru is intoxicated with the notion of keeping law and order - nothing you care about as any of the other kombatants. He's originally from Deception.

Why he should make it: Hotaru is single-handedly one of the most powerful looking dudes in Mortal Kombat. I mean, he's got some serious armor on, has friggin' flags on his back, and manipulates fire. Regardless of what he looks like, Hotaru is unique enough alone to rip apart these other kombatants, and it doesn't hurt that Hotaru literally means "firefly" in Japanese. Yeah, I so went there.

Bo' Rai Cho

Kombat Primer: This dude is a drunken asshat from Deadly Alliance who teaches people how to fight. Unsurprisingly, no one he teaches ever fights like he does.

Why he should make it: I've never been a fan of Bo' Rai Cho. I don't care how important he is to the series and I don't care that he trained Liu Kang and Shujinko. Still, I'll level myself out a bit here and say that Bo' Rai Cho could finally be tolerated if NetherRealm puts some strength into his design. You see, if you ever played previous MK games you'd know Mr. Bo has the most disgusting move set available. He farts, he makes obscene gestures, and he vomits all over the place; it's childish really. If Bo has any chance it's gotta be in this game.

Rain

Kombat Primer: Another ninja type character? From MK3? Well, yes - did you expect anything else? At least Rain can roundhouse kick a guy across the screen and then blow him up with a lighting bolt. Now THAT is what I'm talkin' about.

Why he should make it: Not exactly the most seminal of the ninja bunch, Rain at least comes with a unique move set that entices. A frozen orb thing, super roundhouse, lightning cannon - it'll work out. His story isn't superb, but then again, are we really that concerned with the narrative?

Li Mei

Kombat Primer: Gypsy looking lady from Deadly Alliance who's rather quick and malicious. Ready for this one? She's also a good guy... and a lady.

Why she should make it: Li Mei's story actually makes sense, for what it's worth. It's also a point in her favor that she was fun to play in Deception. There's not too much NetherRealm would have to shift here, and with that I say, "IMPLEMENT HER!" from every mountaintop.

Havik

Kombat Primer: A being of Chaos, Havik is the polar opposite of Hotaru, whom he joined in Deception. Don't worry about losing against said rival; when you can break your joints at will to gain the advantage, well, you win.

Why he should make it: A cleric of Chaos and one of my favorite characters in the MK universe, Havik is seriously hilarious, as he's completely serious during the game, but every move he does is obtuse, awkward, and awesome. Beating someone to death with their own arm? Destroying your kneecaps to shoot a low fireball? The new MK needs this man.

Shujinko

Kombat Primer: Appearing as the protagonist of "Konquest mode" in Deception, Shujinko is a member of the White Lotus and an old man with a vengeance. All you need to know is that his move set is a conglomeration of all the most heinous abilities in MK.

Why he should make it: The old man is a character you can't immediately hate. It's pretty hard to dislike a character that has Scorpion's spear, Sub-Zero's freeze, Raiden's slam, and a whole lot more. Obviously if he came back he wouldn't be able to have all of these moves, but I think he'd make a fine addition once crafted a unique move set. Old dudes suplexing demons and half-naked wenches? I'd totally be that guy pissing you off online.

Motaro

Kombat Primer: Of all the classic demons and creatures, Motaro is one we need to see in the new MK most. Appearing first in MK3, Motaro is a Centaurian. That's Spanish for pissed off human-horse cyborg who will break your face.

Why he should make it: As I said, Motaro is classic. He's the guy holding you back from beating Shao Khan. Actually, he's the guy bouncing all your abilities back in your face, picking you up by your throat and punching you across the screen. I'd love to see someone like Motaro make a comeback (someone has to rival Goro) but if he does I don't think I'd be okay with his newer Minotaur-esque form. How about it NetherRealm? Old-school giant Motaro? Please?


Well friends, it appears I have exhausted my MK formula. Hopefully you enjoyed this list and by all means please suggest other kombatants you'd like to see! The new game is close so expect a review from us in the coming days.

Labels: 2011, Andrew Whipple III, Mortal Kombat, NetherRealm Studios, PS3, Warner Bros., Xbox 360

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