Summary
Johnny Cage’s appearance inMortal Kombat 1is a major upgrade, and does wonders for his position in the series. As one of the most recognizable characters from the franchise, it’s no surprise that Johnny was a part of the launch roster forMortal Kombat 1. Like many members of the cast, he recieved a significant reinvention for the new era, and this may have been one of the best. While Johnny was already a good character,Mortal Kombat 1did him a real favor. His new look and moveset in the reboot couldn’t have been kinder to him.
To be fair, the latestversion ofMortal Kombat’s Johnny Cagedraws a lot from his older incarnations. He’s still an actor from Earthrealm, which makes him something of an outsider compared to the rest of the cast. He’s a martial artist, but he has no supernatural powers, and he hasn’t been trained for the kind of situations that the protagonists face during the story. Despite his occasionally annoying personality, he’s not a bad guy, being solidly aligned with the heroes. In addition, while he’s a solid fighter, his quips and antics, including his infamous below-the-belt punch, have him solidly placed asMortal Kombat’s resident comic relief.
Mortal Kombat 1 Made Johnny Cage Better Than Ever
Johnny’s Mortal Kombat 1 Outfits are Casual and Cool
While Johnny does have theMK1Jean Claude Van Damme skinsamong his cosmetics, the rest of his wardrobe deserves a look as well. Johnny’s outfit designs include:
Johnny’s wardrobe suits him perfectly. The latter two outfits fit for a red carpet event or film role, but the first two are perfect in their mundanity. They help him to stand out as a relatively normal person who is a complete newcomer to the world that Liu Kang introduces him to.
Johnny’s Moveset Has Been Reworked For the Better
In addition to his new outfits, one thing players will notice whileplaying Johnny inMortal Kombat 1is the removal of his Force Ball projectile. In fact, there is nothing supernatural about his moveset anymore. His fighting style consists entirely of martial arts combos, some impressive acrobatic maneuvers, taunts, and dodges. Considering that Johnny is the closest thing that the series has to an everyman, this fits for him. Ironically, Johnny’s fighting style is still pretty flashy thanks to the flair he puts into his moves. Johnny’s moveset really sells him as the skilled martial arts star that he is, but keeps things grounded by removing otherworldly elements.
Mortal Kombat 1 Gave Johnny His Best Unique Feature Yet
The Hype Meter is a mechanic unique to Johnny that adds as much character to him asJohnny’sMortal Kombat 1fatalitiesdo. By taunting and landing special moves, he will fill the star-shaped Hype Meter. Once it’s full, Johnny can use his Wowing Out move to enter Uncaged mode, amplifying his special moves and allowing him to cancel into them more easily, giving him a significant power boost while it lasts. This mechanic is a fantastic addition, since it rewards the player for fighting like a flashy show-off like Johnny himself.
Mortal Kombat 1reinvented a lot of characters, and in the process, it amplified everything that works about Johnny Cage. Johnny is a consistentlypopular character inMortal Kombat, and his incarnation in the new era shows exactly why. He’s a funny character with a fun fighting style, and practically everything about his new design plays into his role in the series. From outfit to moveset, his cocky yet relatively grounded movie star gimmick shines through.Mortal Kombat 1gave Johnny Cage a serious glow-up, and hopefully those improvements stick around for future games.
Mortal Kombat 1
WHERE TO PLAY
Welcome to a new era of Kombat. NetherRealm Studios ushers in a new era of the iconic fighting franchise with a total reset that changes the entire world as we know it. Following the thrilling climax of Mortal Kombat 11, the all-powerful Fire God Liu Kang has created a New Era in the hope of bringing peace to Earthrealm and beyond. Through the series' most cinematic story mode yet, you’ll be reintroduced to a cast of legendary warriors as you’ve never seen them before. Expect twists on classic friendships and rivalries, as well as new backstories that will change everything you think you know about your favorite Kombatants. Discover a host of new offline and online game modes as you master a revitalized fighting system that boasts bone-crunching Fatal Blows, defensive Breakers and the most creatively vicious Fatalities yet.
