Beginners Guide to Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
From UltimateMK.com
Welcome to UltimateMK.com's guide to the basics of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 for Xbox 360, the arcade, and Ultimate Mortal Kombat for the Nintendo DS.
Contents |
Controls
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, or UMK3, was originally released as an arcade machine. In that form it had a joystick and seven buttons for each player (including Start). The console versions keep the same button scheme adjusted to the different control layout. This usually means a directional pad instead of a joystick, the 4 attack buttons mapped to buttons on the face of the controller, and Run and Block buttons mapped to shoulder buttons.
The buttons in UMK3 are as follows:
| Button Name | Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| Up | U |
| Forward (towards your opponent) | F |
| Down | D |
| Back (away from opponent) | B |
| High Punch | HP |
| Low Punch | LP |
| High Kick | HK |
| Low Kick | LK |
| Block | BL |
| Run | RN |
Game Modes
UMK3 has 3 game modes.
1 Player
In this gameplay mode you pick a character and choose a difficulty level. The levels available are Novice, Warrior, Master and a second Master level often referred to as Master II. In Novice you play against 5 normal characters, then you play an endurance match against two normal characters, then you play against Motaro, the Sub Boss, then Shao Kahn. In Warrior you play against 6 normal characters, an endurance match, Motaro, and Shao Kahn. In Master you play against 7 characters, an endurance match, Motaro, and Shao Kahn. And finally, in Master II, you play against 7 characters, two endurance matches, Motaro, and Shao Kahn.
In 1 player you fight against the computer. THere are a number of strategies for dealing with the computer.
2 Player - 1 on 1
In this mode, 2 players battle. Each player picks one character. Once both players pick a character, the Versus Screen is displayed. On this screen, codes can be entered to activate different hidden options in the game. Most codes require both players tap the right button sequences.
Once a player wins, there is a Buy-in Screen that lets the loser join the game again. Then you go back to the mode select screen where you can select the gameplay mode you want to play.
2 Player - 2 on 2
In 2 on 2 mode, both players select two characters to use. When the first character is killed, that character falls to the ground, and the next character jumps out onto the screen. In 2 on 2 mode the timer runs slower since each match goes longer.
8 Player Tournament
In this mode, 8 people can play. Each person is assigned a number from 1 to 8. Every match, the computer displays what players should be fighting each other.
What is a Match?
In a 2 Player game, after both players pick characters, the Versus Screen is displayed. On this screen codes can be entered that alter some aspect of the match to follow. There are codes to control what level you fight on, how much life the characters have, or even if one of the players will then go on to play against a boss or a hidden character.
When you play against another player or the computer, with the exception of 8 Player Tournament mode, the match is as follows:
- The first player to win 2 out of 3 rounds wins the match.
- A player can win by completely depleting his or her opponent's life or by having more life when the time runs out.
- If the timer runs out and both characters have full life, the game resets to the Game Over screen.
- If the timer runs out and both characters have the same amount of life, but not full life, it is a Draw. In the event of a draw, more rounds are added to the match until one of the players wins 2 rounds. At the end of the 5th round, if there is no victor, the game is over.
- There are no Double KO's in UMK3.
Gameplay
What are the basic moves?
These are the most basic moves in the game:
| Move | Description |
|---|---|
| High Punch | a regular punch, kind of high. It will miss a ducking opponent. |
| Low Punch | similar to a high punch, but aims a little lower. Most of the time this will hit a ducking opponent, but some characters are taller than others and that makes their Low Punch higher. Also, some characters duck closer to the ground. |
| Ducking Low Punch | While ducking, if you press Low Punch you will do a small punch. |
| High Kick | A kick forward and upward. This will miss a ducking opponent. |
| Ducking High Kick | This is usually an awkward ducking upward kick. Ducking High Kicks are usually slow and impractical. |
| Low Kick | This kick is usually an almost horizontal kick. Good against ducking opponents. |
| Ducking Low Kick | For many characters, a ducking low kick is a quick little kick. These are very handy against an opponent that stays close to you. |
These are basic moves that are slightly different than the ones listed above:
| Move | Description |
|---|---|
| Uppercut | An upward punch that knocks your opponent into the air. You do this by pressing High Punch while ducking. |
| Roundhouse | This is a big kick that knocks your opponent away from you. You do this by pressing Away and High Kick. |
| Sweep | A low spinning kick that knocks your opponent off his or her feet. You do this by pressing Away and Low Kick. |
| Throw | You throw someone by pressing Low Punch near your opponent. |
These are the normal air moves that all characters have:
| Move | Description |
|---|---|
| Jump Punch | Pressing Low Punch or High Punch while jumping forward, backwards, or straight up, performs the same jumping punch. Jumping punches are good because if it hits an opponent when they are on the ground, it can start a combo. |
| Forward or Backward Jump Kick | If you press High Kick or Low Kick while jumping forward or backwards, you do an angled jump kick. |
| Straight Up Jump Kick | If you press High Kick or Low Kick while jumping straight up, you do a different kind of jump kick where you kick straight forward. If you hit someone with this attack while they are on the ground it can be used to start a combo. |
Click Here for a complete move and combo list for this game.
Anti-Air
Anti-air, or antiair, or simply "aa" refers to doing a move against an opponent that is in the air. For instance, aaHP means doing a High Punch that hits your opponent when they are in the air. This is an important part of how to play UMK3 and you will see many "aa"'s in any combo lists for this game.
Autocombos
| For more information on this topic, see Auto Combos. |
Autocombos are sequences of buttons you can tap out. As long as you hit the right buttons, after the first attack hits, the other attacks will not be blockable. Every character has their own unique set of autocombos. To look up autocombos for a character, check out Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 Move List.
Blocking
In this game you can block while Standing or Ducking. If you are standing and blocking, you will block all attacks except for the Sweep. To block the sweep you must duck and block. If someone attacks you while you are blocking, it may still do a small amount of damage. This is called Chip Damage.
Holding block does not prevent throwing. And there are certain special moves that cannot be blocked. Sheeva's Stomp and Ground Pound, and Jax's Ground Pound are examples of special moves that cannot be blocked. They must be avoided.
Preventing Throws
Many people think throws are abuseable in this game. But, if you are holding the directional pad or joystick away from your opponent, they cannot throw you. This applies no matter what the situation is. Even if Sub Zero freezes you, or Cyrax catches you in his net. If you are holding Away, you will not get thrown.
Running
This game has a Run button. If you hold run and press forward, you will run forward very quickly, much faster than just walking forward. As you run, a meter underneath your life bar, the Run Bar, depletes. The bar cannot refill if you are holding Run.
Special Moves
| For more information on this topic, see Special Move. |
Special moves are done by either pressing a series of directions and buttons, or by holding a button down for a certain period of time and then releasing it. For instance, Scorpion's spear is performed by tapping away, away, Low Punch. When you do a special move, you only have a short amount of time to do the entire move. So you should try to do it quickly. Charging moves are done by holding a button for a certain period of time and then releasing it. For instance, Mileena's Sai Shot is done by holding High Punch for about a second and a half, then releasing it. As soon as you release the button, she will do the move.
