Summary
BothMortal Kombat 1andStreet Fighter 6are titans of the fighting game genre, and whileStreetFighterhas generally seen greater longevity and success in competitive settings,Mortal Kombathas a thriving community around it as well. WhileStreet Fighter 2inspired the firstMortal Kombat, they’ve evolved into quite different games. Now, with both series getting a new entry this year, many fans are left wondering what the differences are between competitiveMortal Kombat 1andStreet Fighter 6.
Competitive fighting gamescontribute to the number of esports events still thriving in 2023. This can be attributed to the grassroots nature of the scene and the sense of community that exists around it, but also the diversity of games that exist under the fighting game umbrella.Street Fighter 6,Guilty Gear Strive,Tekken 7, and nowMortal Kombat 1all have scenes around them, and each presents a totally different spin on the genre.Guilty Gear Strivepresents players with an open-ended Roman Cancel system, for example.Street FighterandMortal Kombatare both a bit more similarly structured, however, and the differences between them aren’t as immediately apparent.
RELATED:Mortal Kombat 1 Review
Mortal Kombat 1 and Street Fighter 6 Require Different Timings
Mortal Kombat 1and every game in the series sinceMortal Kombat 3have featured dial-up combos. InMortal Kombat, one just needs to input the correct button to continue a combo before the end of the current move. This means that players can quickly input a whole sequence, and the combo will happen. This has made the games accessible.Street Fighter 6,on the other hand, requires specific timing.
Players must time each button press precisely, meaning that executing combos requires more practice and each combo has different timing. Because of these different input systems,Mortal Kombatfeels more intuitive to pick up and play, whileStreet Fighterfeels more fluid. This extends to movement as well, which is faster and more responsive inStreet Fightergames.
Mortal Kombat 1is driven by mix-ups. Players must attempt to outsmart their opponent and get through their defense with high or low attacks. Because movement is slower and more rigid, the game is less about spacing and more about balancing strong defense with punishes and using varied combo starters to stay unpredictable.
Street Fighter’s more fluid movement means that the game is focused more on spacing. Players will often try to stay outside striking distance and briefly shimmy into it to bait out attacks and punish them. BecauseStreet Fightercombosare harder to pull off, players must weigh the pros and cons of going for harder ones with higher damage or a simple combo they can consistently hit.
Street Fighter 6 Has More Intricate Meter Usage
Street Fighter 6andMortal Kombat 1both feature meters, butSF6’s use of them is more intricate.Mortal Kombat 1has a single meter that can be used for combo breakers and enhancing attacks, and there is no penalty for draining it. Rather,Street Fighter 6’s Drive Meteris used for drive impacts, parries, rushes, Overdrive specials, and reversals. If the gauge runs out, the player enters a weakened state and can be easily stunned.
Street Fighter 6is a more intricate game driven by precise timing and spacing. This means that it’s harder to get into initially but also has more room for mistakes and experimentation.Mortal Kombat1is more accessible and easier to get into, but imperfections will be punished at lower levels of play due to the ease of combos.MK1also focuses more on air combos, a new innovation for the series and a distinct difference fromStreet Fighter. Both games, however, offer a rich competitive experience with a diverse cast of characters from differentfighting game archetypesfor players to explore and learn.
Mortal Kombat 1is available now for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
