Starting with Mortal Kombat 3, the franchise has used a dial-a-combo system for multi-hitting strikes. Quickly dial in the predetermined sequence of moves into your controller and watch your character rattle off each move in succession. Can’t speak to how the games between Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 and Mortal Kombat 9 handled it, but all of the modern games in the series use the dial-a-combo system as its foundation.

While this is a dramatic departure from most fighting games, where combos are usually created through links and cancels, the benefits of this system are clear. For one, players don’t have to worry about spending weeks in the lab trying to get the feel for that one-frame link that allows you to connect a standing medium punch from a standing light punch. The system is loose enough so that as long as you hit the buttons in quick succession, the combo will complete itself. Two, it allows characters to perform more unique moves without having to add extra buttons to your controller.

Even within such a rigid system, there’s a lot of room for creativity. Between the modern Mortal Kombat and Injustice games, I can easily spend hours in training mode, stringing together combos that seemingly juggle forever. As fun as it can be, the dial-a-combo system is not without weakness.

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