Mortal Kombat 1/Gauges

Super Meter

Both players have their own super meter display at the bottom of the screen, divided into three sections that are referred to as “bars.” This gauge is used for a number of purposes; the most common use of super meter is to enhance characters’ special moves, which costs 1-2 bars depending on the move. Certain move cancels or mobility options (such as using more than one airdash in a sequence) may also “burn” super meter. Breakers cost 3 bars of super meter and require the executing player’s Kameo to not be active onscreen when performed. Certain special moves are capable of removing meter from the opponent as well.

Meter Gain

Both players begin the match with 1 bar of meter. Whoever lands the first hit of the match will be awarded a “First Hit” bonus and be rewarded with another bar of meter. Players on offense will gain minimal meter for attacking with normals and strings as well as simply performing special moves, gaining slightly more for landing specials on hit and/or having their attacks blocked. The player defending will earn more meter for getting hit than the offensive player will gain for hitting successfully, but no meter is gained by the defending player for blocking. Flawless Block, however, will negate the opponent’s meter gain. Characters with health lower than the base value will gain slightly increased meter for being hit, while characters with higher health will gain less meter; this can also be slightly affected by the Kameo health value.

Kameo Gauge

Kameo Partners are individually powered by their own unique gauge, which is commonly seen as being divided into two portions sometimes loosely referred to by players as “bars” (i.e. “1-2 bars” or “half/full Kameo bar”) due to most Kameo abilities generally costing either 50% or 100% of the gauge’s value to execute depending on the strength and utility of the assist move. Each of the Kameos (except Shujinko) begin the match with a full gauge that can be depleted by using assists, and will begin refilling the gauge automatically after the assist move’s cooldown window at a specific rate (both cooldown duration and recharge rate varying depending on the assist used). Kameo Throws and Breakers are still available to be performed by the lead character when no Kameo Gauge is available and/or the Kameo is in cooldown, so long as the Kameo is not in use onscreen at the time of its use.

Kameo Cooldown/Recharge

Different abilities performed by Kameos have differing cooldown duration periods and gauge recharge rates, depending on the ability used. Both players begin the match with a full Kameo Gauge, entering a cooldown window after using a Kameo ability where the Kameo Fighter will run offscreen and the Kameo Gauge begins to refill at its own unique rate. The exception to this rule is Shujinko, who begins every match with no Kameo Gauge available and must charge it up manually with his “Passing Time” Ambush. Shujinko does however have two Summon attacks (“Apep Punch” & “Konquest Kick”) that can be performed without Kameo Gauge being available and can cancel into his charge ability. Sindel also has moves that affect her Kameo Gauge; her DB3 “Inspire” buff will greatly increase the rate of her Kameo Gauge’s recharge speed while it is active, while her DB4 “Queen’s Kommand” will recover half of her Kameo Gauge upon successfully hitting an opponent’s Kameo. Hitting an opponent’s Kameo character with an attack (indicated by a pink flash around their lead character) will place them in an automatic cooldown for 7 seconds (indicated by the Kameo’s portrait inside the gauge being darked out), during which the affected player is disabled from using all assists or Breaker (although Forward Throw and Fatal Blow may still be used) and the Kameo Gauge will pause its recharge rate; the gauge will begin refilling normally once this cooldown has expired.

Hype

A unique meter/mechanic to Johnny Cage, which allows him to build up a star-shaped “Hype” meter at the bottom of the screen. This meter can be filled by any combination of manually inputting his Hype command (FDB4) three times, performing 19 special moves (excepting his Shadow Dash), parrying 5 attacks, or cancelling certain special moves into unique Hype taunts by inputting the Flip Stance button; the Hype meter can be quickly filled up by cancelling Ball Buster (BD1) or Throwing Shades (FDB2) into Hype on startup three times, or by cancelling Shadow Kick (BF4) on hit and/or Rising Star (DB3) on hit/whiff into Hype twice.

Once the Hype meter is full, the player can input the same Hype command to trigger the ability “Wowing Out,” an install which allows Johnny to cancel special moves up to 2 times in a row into other specials, Kameo attacks, or Fatal Blow; this state also changes all of Johnny’s specials to the enhanced versions for no meter cost. Although he still has access to his Hype taunts off of some specials, Johnny cannot gain any additional Hype meter or stop the depletion rate of Hype with any moves once the meter has started draining.

Countdown

A unique meter/mechanic to Geras, which allows him to build up an hourglass-shaped “Countdown” meter at the bottom of the screen. This meter can hold a max of 3 charges, which can be gained one at a time either manually by inputting DB3 or automatically by performing EX DF4 Sandstorm (as well as by landing his 122,1+3 string); Geras can also use his EX DB3 to instantly increase his Countdown to 3 charges. Once the Countdown meter is full, the player can input the same DB3 command to trigger the ability “Inevitable” (AKA “Snap”), an alternate version of his EX BF1 Time Stop that causes Geras to ”snap” his fingers and trigger the timestop effect, which can be blocked but is a tracking 21f Mid that can instantly connect with the opponent from any point onscreen. This can allow Geras to potentially secure a meterless fullscreen whiff-punish that automatically teleports him besides the opponent and leaves them stunned for a full kombo. Alternatively, Geras can choose to spend all 3 Countdown charges and 1 bar of super meter to perform “Fixed Point” (EX DB3), which can be performed on the ground or in-air at specific points between kombo hits before Geras falls to the floor (although the timing can sometimes be strict and the ability can be interrupted right on its startup). This will act as a “kombo undo” and cause Geras to rewind to his onscreen position and health value from 3 seconds prior. If the opponent is close enough to Geras when he activates Fixed Point, they will be hit with a momentary “timestop” effect that will knock them back nearly fullscreen to reset the neutral once Geras has returned to his prior position; in rare situations, trading a hit against Fixed Point can interrupt the “timestop” knockback animation from being completed and place the opponent into a meterless Time Stop state to be followed up into a full kombo.