Mortal Kombat II CPU

Mortal Kombat 2 is known by many as the hardest in the entire series due to the jaw-dropping difficulty of the AI often pulverizing players in no time. However, this is due to how the CPU is programmed.

File:Mortal kombat 2 cpu.jpg

Or: why it turned a profit.

Why It Sucks

1. Instant input moves. Like many fighting games, the A.I. gets to throw out input moves instantly. Even moves that require you to hold a button for 3 seconds. This is easy to replicate during game play.
2. Button reading/Instant reflexes. The A.I. reacts to your inputs, not what happens on screen. A.K.A. instant reactions to anything, even moves the Player Character hasn’t used yet (no conceivable way that any human could predict it and block/duck in time.) This is even easier to replicate during game play.
3. Invincibility. The A.I. often times just turns invincible. Effectively impossible to not replicate during game play.
4. Extended range. The A.I.'s extended range is most obvious on throws. Speaking of throws...
5. Breaking out of your throw mid-animation and then punishing you for dare trying to get a throw. While it isn't common, it certainly exists.
6. Cheap shots. The A.I. will ALWAYS try to get a cheap shot on the Player Character at the beginning of a round. Worse yet, the type of cheap shot it uses is random (sometimes a jump kick, sometimes a special, etcetera) you just have to guess.
7. Requires using exploits or cheap moves to beat. It's futile to play with skill. Exploits include: Spamming sweep (earlier opponents only.), Spamming Ice puddle. If the A.I. gets caught, then use the combo Uppercut to Slide. If not, then throw the A.I. because they won't move until the ice melts for some reason. (all opponents except Kintaro and Shao Kahn.)
   • Easy Combo: Jump kick to puddle to uppercut to slide. Tons of damage if the Player Character can land that jump kick (all opponents except Kintaro and Shao Kahn.) Bicycle kick. The A.I. seems to not block or duck the first three Bicycle kicks each round, allowing for some easy damage (all opponents except Kintaro and Shao Kahn)
8. Instant ducking/blocking to avoid getting hit. In MK2, there are a little bit of startup frames on ducking/blocking, leaving the Player Character vulnerable. The A.I. gets to bypass this if it means avoiding something.
9. Instant jump kicks from a neutral jump. In MK2, if you jump straight up, you can't kick immediately. However, nothing is impossible for a cheap A.I., and oh boy does it like to combine this with button-reading.
10. The A.I. is idiotic without its cheats. As mentioned earlier, the A.I. can only be beaten by exploiting it. After a while of playing, you'll notice that all the "difficulty" comes from the cheats. Remove the cheats and it will become so easy that a toddler could win.
11. Extreme spike in "difficulty" once the A.I. starts using throws