Mortal Kombat 1: Reversal Moves Explained

No matter how much time you spend in the Training Mode of Mortal Kombat 1 trying to hone the perfect combo, nearly every fight you get in will see you forced onto the defensive at some point. This is why is important to not just know your combo strings and your special move inputs but also have an understanding of the mechanics pertaining to getting out of pressure or counting your opponent’s moves. One of these mechanics that exist for every character is known as Reversals, moves that allow you to quickly use specific moves if your input is made at a certain time while blocking or getting up from a knockdown. This is something that players will need to understand how to do to take that next step up the competitive ladder. This guide will provide players with an explanation of how to perform Reversal Moves in Mortal Kombat 1.

Stay up to date on all of Gameranx’s guides by checking out our Guide Index for Mortal Kombat 1.

More Mortal Kombat 1 Guides:

Mortal Kombat 1: Full Achievement and Trophy List | Mortal Kombat 1: Full Roster List | Mortal Kombat 1: How To Do a Combo Breaker | Mortal Kombat 1: How To Use a Fatal Blow | Mortal Kombat 1: How to Taunt | Mortal Kombat 1: How to Unlock Havik

Reversal Moves Explained In Mortal Kombat 1

There are 2 types of Reversal Moves: Block Reversals and Get Up Reversals. You can perform a Block Reversal in a small window of time right as you recover from blocking an opponent’s attack. This can be done with special moves or an attack from your Kameo Fighter but not a basic attack or combo string. Either way, you will need to perform your input at the correct moment to get the Block Reversal, giving you the earliest chance to punish your opponent. If you predict when they will end a string to then use a special move, it is possible to perform a Block Reversal in the small space between the last hit of the string and the special move, punishing them and allowing you to go on the offensive. You will know that you performed the Reversal correctly when the “REVERSAL” icon appears on the side of the screen under your health bar.

Get Up Reversals

Another version of Reversals is known as Get Up Reversals. These are also known as Wake-Up Attacks. Similar to the block version of the move, the Getup Reversal occurs when you perform a special move or a Kameo Fighter attack at a specific time. Instead of it being right as the block stun wears off, the Getup Reversal is performed right as you return to your feet after being knocked down. You are also able to Enhance your Get Up Reversal if you use a special move to give you a hit of armor, allowing you to brute force out of your opponent’s pressure. Some Kameo Attacks will also provide you with a longer invulnerability window during your wake-up, allowing you to escape pressure with their help. You will know that you performed the Getup Reversal correctly when the “GETUP” icon appears on the side of the screen under your health bar.

An important note is that you have the ability to delay your wake-up, keeping your character on the ground by holding the Flip Stance button (L2/LT by default) while you are knocked down. This can be used extremely well to mix up your opponent when they try to pressure you on wake-up since their timing will be off and will miss you since you are still on the ground. While this is a great mechanic, it is important to know that you cannot perform a Getup Reversal if you delay your wake-up.

Stay tuned to Gameranx for future news, updates, and guides for Mortal Kombat 1.