Highlights
- Mortal Kombat 1 and Street Fighter 6 are both popular competitive fighting games, but they have distinct differences in gameplay mechanics and style.
- Mortal Kombat 1 features dial-up combos that are easier to execute, while Street Fighter 6 requires precise timing for button presses and has more fluid movement.
- Street Fighter 6 has a more intricate meter system with severe consequences if the gauge runs out, while Mortal Kombat 1 has a simpler meter that can be used for combo breakers and enhancing attacks.
Both Mortal Kombat 1 and Street Fighter 6 are titans of the fighting game genre, and while Street Fighter has generally seen greater longevity and success in competitive settings, Mortal Kombat has a thriving community around it as well. While Street Fighter 2 inspired the first Mortal 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 competitive Mortal Kombat 1 and Street Fighter 6.
Competitive fighting games contribute 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 now Mortal Kombat 1 all have scenes around them, and each presents a totally different spin on the genre. Guilty Gear Strive presents players with an open-ended Roman Cancel system, for example. Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat are both a bit more similarly structured, however, and the differences between them aren't as immediately apparent.
Mortal Kombat 1 and Street Fighter 6 Require Different Timings
Mortal Kombat 1 and every game in the series since Mortal Kombat 3 have featured dial-up combos. In Mortal 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 Kombat feels more intuitive to pick up and play, while Street Fighter feels more fluid. This extends to movement as well, which is faster and more responsive in Street Fighter games.
Mortal Kombat 1 is driven by mix-ups. Players must try 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. Because Street Fighter combos are 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 6 and Mortal Kombat 1 both feature meters, but SF6's use of them is more intricate. Mortal Kombat 1 has 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 Meter is 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 6 is 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 Kombat1 is more accessible and easier to get into, but imperfections will be punished at lower levels of play due to the ease of combos. MK1 also focuses more on air combos, a new innovation for the series and a distinct difference from Street Fighter. Both games, however, offer a rich competitive experience with a diverse cast of characters from different fighting game archetypes for players to explore and learn.
Mortal Kombat 1 is available now for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
