Ed Boon: "We Want to do Different Types of Games"
Ed Boon wants to make video games….lots of new video games…
Mortal Kombat
Players: 1-4 Players Offline, 1-4 Online Players
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Genres: Fighting
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Genres: Fighting
Release Date: April 19, 2011
Developer: NetherRealm Studios
MSRP: $59.99
Developer: NetherRealm Studios
MSRP: $59.99
After centuries of Mortal Kombat, Emperor Shao Kahn has finally defeated Raiden and his allies. Faced with extinction, Raiden has one last chance. To undo the Emperor's victory, he must strike Shao Kahn where he is vulnerable...The Past.* Making a big return to mature presentation and classic 2D fighting engine* Captivating storyline that rewrites the history of the Mortal Kombat Tournament* State-of-the art technology showcasing stunning 3D environments and characters* Re-invigorating the franchise with new multiplayer components* First fighting game to be displayed in Stereoscopic 3D
Sage Reviews: Mortal Kombat
Posted By Bennett The Sage about 1 year ago
Soul-nado? REALLY?!
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Mortal Kombat Demo is AWESOME!
A game so extreme it was BANNED by the Aussies! Throw some entrails on the barbie, Mortal Kombat is BACK!
Mortal Kombat First Impressions
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These are the Top 5 Reasons Mortal Kombat will kick ass!
RAD episode 191-Mortal Kombat
Let Mortal Kombat begin! Birdman takes an extended look at Mortal Kombat: Kollector's edition! Will this game be enough to renew the once proud franchise? The answer may just surprise you!
Mortal Kombat Fatality Fanfest!
Let us tell you about the things we've seen: homes overrun by thugs and gangs, priceless possessions lost forever to ruthless looters, mangled bodies of innocent people slaughtered like lambs. All that and we were STILL shocked by some of the fatalities in the new MORTAL KOMBAT!
ZGR - Mortal Kombat Review
ZGR - I went into Mortal Kombat thinking it would be dry and boring. Boy was I wrong!
Sage Reviews: Mortal Kombat
Soul-nado? REALLY?!
HardCorner: Mortal Kombat Arcade Stick
The most hardcore item for the most hardcore game around had to be reviewed in the most hardcore show around !
HardCorner: Mortal Kombat Arcade Stick
The most hardcore item for the most hardcore game around had to be reviewed in the most hardcore show around !
Freddy Krueger newest DLC Kombatant for Mortal Kombat
Hell has not so much frozen over as it has exploded, with the shocking and totally insane reveal of the mysterious fourth Mortal Kombat DLC fighter, who very much wants to welcome us all to his nightmare…
Mortal Kombat Rain DLC Character Trailer
I could make a joke about getting wet, but that would be immature.
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Are you already tired of Skarlet? Mortal Kombat has another DLC Karacter ready for you.
Skarlet DLC Trailer has Even Bloodier Kombat
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Grudge Match! Angry Joe and Spoony fight for bragging rights in three Mortal Kombat matches!
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Ed Boon wants to make video games….lots of new video games…
HardCorner: Mortal Kombat Arcade Stick
The most hardcore item for the most hardcore game around had to be reviewed in the most hardcore show around !
Freddy Krueger newest DLC Kombatant for Mortal Kombat
Hell has not so much frozen over as it has exploded, with the shocking and totally insane reveal of the mysterious fourth Mortal Kombat DLC fighter, who very much wants to welcome us all to his nightmare…
Mortal Kombat Rain DLC Character Trailer
I could make a joke about getting wet, but that would be immature.
Mortal Kombat Kenshi DLC has Date and Trailer
Are you already tired of Skarlet? Mortal Kombat has another DLC Karacter ready for you.
Skarlet DLC Trailer has Even Bloodier Kombat
At least she won’t have to worry about bloodstains on her clothes.
The Spoony One vs Angry Joe: MK Versus
Grudge Match! Angry Joe and Spoony fight for bragging rights in three Mortal Kombat matches!
Mortal Kombat Review
Posted By Yousif A. about 1 year ago
Mortal Kombat Review
Mortal Kombat was one of the first games to be brought up in the age old argument that video games promote violence in children. I got Mortal Kombat 3 for Christmas in 1995 and the only violent tendencies I have developed since are when I am exposed to any of the main titles that came after it. The series had started to become as stale as the blood split on the ground of its arenas. However, with a new development studio name and Warner Brothers publishing, Mortal Kombat returns with no subtitle and no number. This title has the chance to elevate the series back the top of the fighting ladder and replace every C with a K once again.
| PROS | Great visuals, stunning loading times, brilliant story mode, sweet character list, loads of unlockables |
| CONS | Boss fights are still silly, can’t skip already viewed cutscenes |
| WTF?! | He must win. Could you be a little more specific there Mr. Future Raiden? |
Nobody can say that NeatherRealm Studios skipped out on content. From the second you put the disc in the drive you are capable of playing every mode. From the single player story to the 4 player tag battles, to online king of the hill, to the secrets of the krypt, Mortal Kombat has more than enough content to warrant your $60 (£40). “Is this content any good?” you ask? What do you think this is, a review?
Let us start with the story mode. Overall NeatherRealm Studios have created the most complete story mode ever seen in a fighting game. Utilizing the UT3 engine, they have created hours of in-game cutscenes (the press release clocks them at over 8 hours), all of which look amazing. Rather than just sticking to the predesigned levels, these scenes work into a flowing story that feels like the levels were designed around it and not the other way round. Even the voice acting works, with none of the terrible lines expected from the genre. Well, perhaps Quan Chi’s line when teaming up with Shang Tsung about it being a ‘deadly alliance’ was a bit cheesy, but I gave a reluctant groan of appreciation towards the comment.
Reptile kites, now free with every pool of acid! Get yours today!
The plot involves Raiden trying to change the events of the series, after his future self sent a message back to him warning of the events to come in Armageddon. The whole thing is a little bit silly, but players get to re-live most of the events of Mortal Kombat 1 through 3, so fans should have plenty to enjoy and little to grumble about. You play as 16 different characters as you progress, each one getting around 3-4 fights each before making way for the next combatant. By picking the characters for you, the title not only keeps the game fresh, but makes you play as people you would not always have tried. I was never a fan of Stryker in MK3, but now he is easily one of my favorites. Thanks story mode!
It takes roughly 4-7 hours to get through this extraordinary mode, and your reward will be two new characters to your roster sheet. One is a MK4 character, the other is something old and something new (no spoilers here). These two hardly feel necessary, as everyone, barring Rain and the second incarnation of Sub-Zero, make it into the game from Mortal Kombat Trilogy. While the bosses are in the game, none of them are playable, with Montaro only making an appearance as a character model. This is a good thing too, but I’ll explain that later. There is an exception to this boss rule, but only in the challenge mode.
Every character on the new roster sheet varies drastically from one another. While Ermac, Smoke and Scorpion may have what seems to be the same teleport move, they all use it completely differently in their fighting style. Finding your favorite may be difficult as there is not a single dud character in the whole list. There may be one or two combatants that need a balancing tweak or too, like Shang Tsung, but overall the list is pretty even. At first each character only comes with one costume and one fatality unlocked, but playing the different modes unlocks ‘koins’ for you to spend in the ‘Krypt.’ With these you can unlock new fatalities, costumes and many other bits and pieces to enhance you experience.
I'll just strike a pose while you look for your contacts
The actual combat itself is the most beginner friendly fighting experience I have ever encountered. Like the MK’s of old, special moves only require a series of directional presses and a face button to perform, while simple combos are pretty free flowing. Within moments of picking up the game I had an 8 hit combo with Scorpion down, perhaps not the largest damage I could produce, but satisfying none the less. Without the quarter circle or 360 maneuvers of Capcom beat-um ups, players that find themselves throwing out a wildly inaccurate punch instead of a Hadoken in Street Fighter should find solace in the simplistic style of Mortal Kombat.
The joy for more experienced fighters comes from the innate understanding of how moves can be linked. Performing simple combos or special moves inspires you to figure out how to link them together. I found myself thinking ‘ok, so if that does that, then I could start with this’, and usually the hunches were right. It’s satisfying to see your combo list evolve so quickly and yet never feel like you have found something over powered. When I say the game caters to less experienced players that does not mean pros will find themselves bored.
This latest installation introduces a new mechanic for the series, the super bar. Broken into 3 stages, this bar builds as you perform special moves, technical moves, have your attacks block and when you are damaged. At the first stage you can use the bar to produce an enhanced version of a special move, either increasing the damage or duration. Think of it as an EX move in Street Fighter. The second level of this bar allows you to break a combo at any point, possibly saving your life or setting up a counter-attack. The third level is where the real punishment comes in. An all or nothing X-ray move can be activated once all the bars are full, horrendously damaging your opponent. This can be used to even out the fight or take a serious advantage over your opponent. However, like all attacks apart from throws, this move can be blocked (apart from rare throw and counter versions), meaning your whole bar will be wasted.
It can't be said that robots don't know how to look good when blowing someone up
Getting the first strike in a battle will see your bar go from the standard one block to two instantly, making your opening gambit far more important than simply taking first blood. Once you have got to grips with the game, deciding how to use your super bar in each fight can be the key factor that decides victory. While using a well placed enhanced special in a combo will not deal as much damage as an X-ray move, the chances of success are guaranteed of used correctly, while using an X-ray is only assured if you have a character with a move that causes stun, like Sub-Zero’s freeze or Scorpions spear. Breaking a combo is sometimes just as important as doing damage yourself and foregoing the previous moves may well win you the match. It’s an interesting mechanic and one that will show its depth over time.
Fatalities obviously make a return, and depending on which character you select, there could be up to 4 to choose from. Each is a sickening delight to watch, with many fan favorites returning from previous games. Previously fatalities were moves that would have to be remembered and pulled out of the bag like some sort of memorized insult (and online still are), but in the single player, you can pause the game and look them up freely now. If that wasn’t enough the title also has a training mode to help you perform each one, walking you through the distances required and the combinations. Very much hidden, but still there, Babalities make a return to the series, with slightly more animation than previous renditions. You haven’t seen anything until you witness baby Kratos.
If Brutalities and Friendships made it into the game as many leaked sources suggested (including Ed Boon’s Twitter), I and the rest of the internet are yet to discover them. Thankfully we still have pit fatalities though and plenty of them. You can hardly blink without passing a stage where a fatality can happen involving the environment. While nigh on all the stages are re-imaginings of previous levels, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a nasty way to kill someone. Even simple levels like the bridge from MK3 involve a fatality using the fast moving traffic as the means to your opponent’s demise. Unlike the previous two iterations of Mortal Kombat, there is no shortage of ways to make sure your opponent stays down.
9/10
Mortal Kombat Demo is AWESOME!
A game so extreme it was BANNED by the Aussies! Throw some entrails on the barbie, Mortal Kombat is BACK!Mortal Kombat First Impressions
Mortal Kombat returns, Now with more violence than your body has room for!Top 5 Reasons Mortal Kombat Will Kick Ass!
These are the Top 5 Reasons Mortal Kombat will kick ass!RAD episode 191-Mortal Kombat
Let Mortal Kombat begin! Birdman takes an extended look at Mortal Kombat: Kollector's edition! Will this game be enough to renew the once proud franchise? The answer may just surprise you!Mortal Kombat Fatality Fanfest!
Let us tell you about the things we've seen: homes overrun by thugs and gangs, priceless possessions lost forever to ruthless looters, mangled bodies of innocent people slaughtered like lambs. All that and we were STILL shocked by some of the fatalities in the new MORTAL KOMBAT!ZGR - Mortal Kombat Review
ZGR - I went into Mortal Kombat thinking it would be dry and boring. Boy was I wrong!Sage Reviews: Mortal Kombat
Soul-nado? REALLY?!HardCorner: Mortal Kombat Arcade Stick
The most hardcore item for the most hardcore game around had to be reviewed in the most hardcore show around !- May 23, 2011 at 12:55pm
I have said on a Podcast previously that I would pit Mortal Kombat against fighters like MVC2 and Street Fighter 2. It’s that good. The roster, Kharacters, story mode, Kombat, and of kourse the Fatalities. It’s that damn good.
(I like putting K in front of C words =) )
- April 29, 2011 at 09:41pm
just gotta say best fighter in a long time soul caliber better step it up this time around to keep me as a fan
- April 28, 2011 at 04:38am
You can skip previously viewed cut scenes on the PS3 by pushing Square and X at the same time.
- April 26, 2011 at 10:42pm
This game is really what the series needed to get back on its feet. I agree with the author of this review about Khan being excessively cheap and broken. During story mode I had to spam moves just to defeat him. When you have to do that instead of getting a good strategy and heading after him, that’s when the boss is broken in my opinion. However that certainly doesn’t ruin the experience.
- April 26, 2011 at 05:00pm
My friend has this game, and it’s AWESOME! And screw people who don’t like Mileena’s best alt ever.
- April 25, 2011 at 05:00pm
The prize you get when you beat the challenge tower, oh what a disappointment
Amazing game I must say - April 25, 2011 at 03:57pm
It’s awesome, but from all the hype the developers were spouting, I expected a bit more. For example: Beating the entire tower, all you get is an extra costume for Mileena? Really?
- April 25, 2011 at 01:15pm
MK is back and better then ever!
Totally deserves a 9/10.
Can’t wait for Joe’s take on it tho.
No Posts
HardCorner: Mortal Kombat Arcade Stick
The most hardcore item for the most hardcore game around had to be reviewed in the most hardcore show around !
The Spoony One vs Angry Joe: MK Versus
Grudge Match! Angry Joe and Spoony fight for bragging rights in three Mortal Kombat matches!
Mortal Kombat Angry Review
Angry Joe reviews the latest Mortal Kombat, a complete reboot of the franchise. Will going
Mortal Kombat Fatality Fanfest!
Let us tell you about the things we’ve seen: homes overrun by thugs and gangs, priceless possessions lost forever to ruthless looters, mangled bodies of innocent people slaughtered like lambs. All that and we were STILL shocked by some of the fatalities in the new MORTAL KOMBAT!
ZGR - Mortal Kombat Review
ZGR – I went into Mortal Kombat thinking it would be dry and boring. Boy was I wrong!
RAD episode 191-Mortal Kombat
Let Mortal Kombat begin! Birdman takes an extended look at Mortal Kombat: Kollector’s edition! Will this game be enough to renew the once proud franchise? The answer may just surprise you!
Mortal Kombat First Impressions
Mortal Kombat returns, Now with more violence than your body has room for!
Mortal Kombat Demo is AWESOME!
A game so extreme it was BANNED by the Aussies! Throw some entrails on the barbie, Mortal Kombat is BACK!
RAD episode 191-Mortal Kombat
Let Mortal Kombat begin! Birdman takes an extended look at Mortal Kombat: Kollector’s edition! Will this game be enough to renew the once proud franchise? The answer may just surprise you!
Demo Impressions: Mortal Kombat
Before we get started here, let’s be completely honest for a moment, shall we? Mortal
is he seriously whining about a block mechanic….like seriously dude?
Having a block button just makes sense considering that some moves are best avoided by dashing backwards, not blocking, and it being like that adds a level of depth and complexity to the game. If there was no block and all you did was hold back then blocking would have to be more effective than it is in the game which would make the game a little to simple and it would bake turtling much easier than it already is
Bennet, you really need to stay away from fighting games. You’re clearly not well versed in the genre. Your review states all known facts about the game and only serves to point out nonsensical points for new players to harp about. Fighting games are not meant to be played on a controller, they are meant to be played on sticks. Your “hurting wrists” comment comes off as whiny. You also falsely accuse the block button of being flawed. There are a slew of benefits to using a block button over a back button. Many of which I’m sure you are unaware and would not understand if told.
I’m not trying to insult you. I’m just being real. If you care at all that your reviews be taken at all into consideration by anyone who understands even fighting game basics, you will do yourself a favor and learn them.
Heh. So glad I own a 360. As for the whole block/”hold back” issue, I’ve personally have never used the block button when playing any kind of game so it doesn’t bother me where or what button it is. I really enjoyed this review. I almost always watch a Sage review after seeing Angry Joe’s ass-kissing. Not to offend him or any of his fans, I do like his videos and I think the reviews are great, but sometimes I get the feeling he’s not critical enough of games because of titles or companies. That’s just my opinion.
I also noticed, the graphics seem really subpar. Is it just the PS3 version that’s like this? Or is it the same on a 360? It really bugs me because I’ve sort have come to expect better and they look like they could pass for top of the line first gen graphics.
If your only problem with Mortal Kombat’s fighting system is having to use a block button, then you’re doing rather well.
Nice review. To the discussion on ‘block button’ vs hold back. I’m a fan of fighting games. Either is fine by me. Mortal Kombat’s control scheme fits better with a block button. Most of the moves in MK involve tapping back mutliple times so if you switched to holding back as block you’d have to completely change the controls as far as special moves go.
Though i agree they should use the back to block, Mortal Kombat never did that, unfortunately. Ever since the SNES days. Back is just more instinctual.
The block button is much better then holding back. The “holding back” of the stick or the pad is way to easy to take advantage of. I know that while playing games were this is the block, I have ran into the issue of wanting to jump back or simple move back and being stuck in place blocking becaues the computer or other player is to close and just happened to exicute an attack, that mind you was too far away to have landed anyway. Also there is nothing like the feeling of holding back on the stick or pad and NOT blocking because the computer decided that you were wanting to move and not block, even with the other player RIGHT there throughing a punch at you.
Worse then this is the nutral block. Tecken for example. I hate that. Don’t get me wrong, I lover the game and am good at playing it, I just hate the feeling of “Will I block this . . . no . . . umm ok?”
Sorry to double post (freaking timeout on the edit button) but, I should note that your problem with holding back to block isn’t the idea of back to block itself, it’s proximity blocking. If you play MvC3, you’ll notice that despite the fact you use back to block, you never get stuck blocking attacks that don’t hit you. This is because in MvC3, you only block when you’re holding back and the attack is going to hit you.
The difference between this and proximity blocking, is that with proximity blocking, if the enemy is launching an attack near you and you hit back, you will block regardless as to if the attack hit or not. THIS is the mechanic that needs to get phased out, not holding back to block.
Block shouldn’t be a button in any fighter, and quite frankly it is stupid. Especially for anyone playing on a stick, the button placement is AWKWARD and unintuitive, it’s about time this horrendous series evolves and makes an attempt to be a modern, capable fighting game, which it definitely is not.
If MK changed and made the block button backwards a default you know what the negative changes are?
Nothing!
Nothing at all. there’s absolutely no disadvantage, and it frees up that button or even can remove that button for a traditional layout to make it actually accessible.
This is not a lesson the series will ever learn, however, since it’s horrible broken fighting and unbalanced shit has become a “staple” that preys upon it’s fan base’s misguided sense of nostalgia.
EDIT: To be clear, I think this game is a fun game, it is not a good fighting game, however.
Umm, ok. You have a strong feeling on this. Your wrong, but you can think that way all you want. Reason?
Holding back was the way old coot fighters did things. Street Fighter, a game that is WAY pased its prime. It was good Back in the day, but how many versions of Street Fighter 2 were there before they slaped a 3 at the end. It was still the same game just with a 3 instead of a 2, and ANY inovation that steped up the game play, like Street Fighter EX plus Alpha for the PS1 that made the game inovative, fun and chaleging was kicked to the curb, but I digress this is abour a block button.
Anyway, moving back to an original way of doing things is not “a step forward” what it breaks down to, and it ONLY breaks down to, is what you prefer. You like holding back to block, good for you. I like the button. Soul Calibur, this MK game, and other very, VERY long running games use the block button and are very popular and fun games.
In the end it REALLY does not matter. Its what you like and prefer. I like the button, you like holding back. Relax.
Of course, holding back to block is archaic and should be removed. I mean NO ONE uses that anymore…aside from street fighter, marvel vs capcom, tekken, bloody roar, capcom vs snk, king of fighters, fatal fury,
Sometimes, just because something is old doesn’t mean it needs to be changed. Back has always been the best way to block for fighting games and always will be. You like a button to block? That’s fine, but the only fighting games that have a block are the true 3d fighting games, and that’s out of necessity. 2D fighting games have no need for a button to block.
I realize you might not like Street Fighter 3, but it added in a LOT of combos and a parry system that changed the way you played the game. It has a lot higher level of difficulty than the other ones.
You use a button to block in Soul Calibur because it’s a 3D fighter and using back to block would be unintuitive. Just like using a button to block in a 2D fighter.
The only 2D fighter I know of that benefits from having a button assigned to block is Smash Brothers, but SB is so different from any other fighting game ever made, and the style of fighting done there would again make holding back to block unintuitive. Mortal Kombat is the kind of game that needs to have a hold back to block feature, it just benefits the style of game they’ve gone for.
Which isn’t to say that the option for it shouldn’t be there, mind you. If you play better that way, more power to you, but the devs should plan for back-to-block with button-to-block as a secondary option. Personally I’d like to have a button assigned to jump so I don’t end up jumping if I try to do any move that features up, but I understand why almost every fighter out there uses up as a jump button.
if anything is pass its prime it is mk. All the mk games on the ps2 sucked compared to most of the ps1 sf games. Now that is just sad. What is even sadder is the fact that mk vs dc is the best 3d mk and it wasn’t even bloody. Mk 9 did bring mk back to the fighting game series picture. At the same time while getting rid of the shitty 3d gameplay it also brought back some things that made the oringal mk cheap in gameplay. Thankfully mk isn’t as bad as the original which made it the best mk game to date. Simply ssf4 is done better than mk9 gameplay wise.
Sage’s reviews never cease to amaze me in how bad they generally are. I’m sorry but its just how I feel. the ‘block button’ nonsense is typical of his ‘reasons’ for thrashing games. I’m not saying this as an MK fanboy because the only game I liked in that entire series was MK2.
If, after NINE entries into Mortal Kombat, you still think the block shouldn’t be a button…well, there is no hope for you. Block has ALWAYS been a button in MK…get used to it, moron.
Grow up, little one. It’s a matter of preferences, no need to be insulting.
I played way more SF then MK so I struggle with the block button once in a while, too.
This was intresting review after opposite reviews from AngryJoe and SpoonyOne.
Glad you liked it, Sage. Although, as some people before me have pointed out, in the Mortal Kombat series, blocking has never been used by walking back. It has always had its own button probably to avoid hiding in the corner, which, especially with Smoke, is still possible. When the PSN servers come back online, I promise, you will LOVE the online. Not only can you search for random player matches, but there is also a lobby system, in which you can challenge others and start King of the Hill rooms, in which one player is the king and everyone waits in line to fight him. If you beat him, you’re the new king, and the old king goes to the end of the line. Sorry about the PSN being hacked. I hope you didn’t lose any money.
clear case of how different people can be, as I in turn find the use of back to block to be the most horrendous form of block thee is, having it assigned to it´s own button gives much better on the fly control of blocking, instead of leaving it up to the game to decide when back is block and when it´s..well moving backwards.
Like other fellow commenters point out, Mortal Kombat always had a block button instead of using “back” on the d-pad. So, it is kind of pointless to mention that as a failure of the game when it was always designed that way.
Other than that, excellent review Sage. This is a great job from NetherRealm Studios and it deserve the good promotion.
Just because something has “always” been designed a certain way doesn’t mean that it’s always been designed well. Just throwing that out there.
Well, it is a tried and true formula for this series and others like Virtua Fighter, Soul Calibur and Dead or Alive. If you ask me the issue here could be adressed as if the controller designs of the 360 and PS3 aren’t the most apropriate for a MK game. Though I’ve played MK games on the Snes, Saturn and other systems and I don’t really see a problem by using the shoulder buttons for blocking, even on the Saturn which is one of the best controllers for fighting games I put the block button on the R button instead of the face buttons and worked like a charm.
Hey Joe, one thing, the song you used at the end is not Utah Saints, it’s Orbital, the song name is “Halcyon (On and On)”.
Also, I waited for this review to ensure me that I really want to buy the game. Unfortunately, I’m left out at the moment because I don’t own a console. I really hope they will decide to release it for the PC. If they don’t, I will be seriously disappointed – I played the first three MK games on a PC and that’s where my love for the game stems from, childhood memories pretty much.
Joe? This is a Bennett the Sage review.
One quibble, though I can’t vouch for the later games I am pretty sure that Mortal Kombat has always had block on an individual button rather than pressing back.
You are correct ever since MK1 there has been a button (much preferred for me then holding back)