Shang Tsung's three flaming skulls, the hardest-hitting special move we measured.
Key takeaways
We performed 34 special moves of all 12 fighters in the Mega Drive Mortal Kombat II against a second player who stood still, and read the damage from the game's memory.
A full energy bar is 120 units. Shang Tsung's three flaming skulls took 45 of them (38%), Liu Kang's bicycle kick 36 (30%), Scorpion's spear only 6 (5%).
For Sub-Zero's freeze, press low punch together with forward: down, then forward + low punch.
Keyboard on Yes This Game: A high punch, Z low punch, D high kick, C low kick, S or X block.
Every special move in this list was performed by us in the Mega Drive version of Mortal Kombat II, and for each one that hits we read the damage from the game’s own memory. A full energy bar is 120 units: Shang Tsung’s three flaming skulls took 45 of them (38%), Liu Kang’s bicycle kick 36 (30%) and Scorpion’s spear only 6 (5%). Below are the inputs for all 12 fighters, the keys to press on a keyboard on Mortal Kombat II on Yes This Game, and the timing trick that makes Sub-Zero’s freeze come out.
How we tested
We started a two-player game, let the second player pick Reptile and leave the pad alone, so the opponent stood still and never blocked. For each move we went back to the same saved moment at the start of the round, entered the move with the first player, and read the second player’s energy from the game’s memory before and after. A full bar holds 120 units, and every damage figure below is a share of that. A dash means the move came out but did no damage on its own, or needs you to be right next to the opponent. We only list moves we saw work; finishing moves are not part of this test.
How to read the inputs
F, B, D, U: forward, back, down, up, for a fighter facing right. If your fighter faces left, swap left and right.
HP, LP, HK, LK, BL: high punch, low punch, high kick, low kick, block.
On a keyboard on Yes This Game: arrow keys to move, A high punch, Z low punch, D high kick, C low kick, S or X block.
Press the directions as quick, separate taps, and the button straight after the last one. If a move does not come out, press the button together with the last direction: that is the only way Sub-Zero’s freeze worked for us.
Special moves for every fighter
Liu Kang
Liu Kang: special moves we performed
Move
Input
On a keyboard
Damage
High fireball
F, F, HP
→, →, A
14%
Low fireball
F, F, LP
→, →, Z
14%
Flying kick
F, F, HK
→, →, D
17%
Bicycle kick
hold LK for about 4 seconds, then let go
hold C for about 4 seconds, then let go
30%
Kung Lao
Kung Lao: special moves we performed
Move
Input
On a keyboard
Damage
Hat throw
B, F, LP
←, →, Z
15%
Teleport
D, U
↓, ↑
—
Dive kick
jump, then D + HK in the air
jump, then ↓ + D in the air
17%
Johnny Cage
Johnny Cage: special moves we performed
Move
Input
On a keyboard
Damage
Low green bolt
B, D, F, LP
←, ↓, →, Z
13%
Shadow kick
B, F, LK
←, →, C
19%
Shadow uppercut
B, D, B, HP (close)
←, ↓, ←, A (close)
—
Split punch
BL + LP (close)
S + Z (close)
22%
Reptile
Reptile: special moves we performed
Move
Input
On a keyboard
Damage
Acid spit
F, F, HP
→, →, A
10%
Force ball
B, B, HP + LP
←, ←, A + Z
10%
Invisibility
hold BL: U, U, D, HP
hold S: ↑, ↑, ↓, A
—
Sub-Zero
Sub-Zero: special moves we performed
Move
Input
On a keyboard
Damage
Ice blast (freeze)
D, then F + LP together
↓, then → + Z together
—
Ground freeze
D, B, LK
↓, ←, C
—
Slide
B + LP + BL + LK
← + Z + S + C
—
Shang Tsung
Shang Tsung: special moves we performed
Move
Input
On a keyboard
Damage
One flaming skull
B, B, HP
←, ←, A
13%
Two flaming skulls
B, B, F, HP
←, ←, →, A
25%
Three flaming skulls
B, B, F, F, HP
←, ←, →, →, A
38%
Kitana
Kitana: special moves we performed
Move
Input
On a keyboard
Damage
Fan throw
F, F, HP + LP
→, →, A + Z
20%
Fan lift
B, B, B, HP
←, ←, ←, A
—
Jax
Jax: special moves we performed
Move
Input
On a keyboard
Damage
Gotcha grab
F, F, LP (close)
→, →, Z (close)
12%
Ground smash
hold LK for about 3 seconds, then let go
hold C for about 3 seconds, then let go
13%
Mileena
Mileena: special moves we performed
Move
Input
On a keyboard
Damage
Sai throw
hold HP for about 2 seconds, then let go
hold A for about 2 seconds, then let go
15%
Teleport kick
F, F, LK
→, →, C
20%
Ground roll
B, B, D, HK
←, ←, ↓, D
13%
Baraka
Baraka: special moves we performed
Move
Input
On a keyboard
Damage
Blade spark
D, B, HP
↓, ←, A
15%
Blade fury
B, B, B, LP (close)
←, ←, ←, Z (close)
—
Scorpion
Scorpion: special moves we performed
Move
Input
On a keyboard
Damage
Spear
B, B, LP
←, ←, Z
5%
Teleport punch
D, B, HP
↓, ←, A
—
Rayden
Rayden: special moves we performed
Move
Input
On a keyboard
Damage
Lightning
D, F, LP
↓, →, Z
14%
Teleport
D, U
↓, ↑
—
Torpedo
B, B, F
←, ←, →
19%
Which special moves hit hardest
Share of a full energy bar (120 units) taken by one clean hit of each move, measured against a standing opponent who did not block.
Shang Tsung’s skulls stack up: one skull takes 15 units, two take 30 and three take 45. Charged moves pay off too: Liu Kang’s bicycle kick, which you charge by holding low kick for about four seconds, took 30%. At the other end, Scorpion’s spear takes only 5%, because its real job is to pull the opponent in, stunned, for a free combo.
Tips for the moves
Projectiles first. At the start of a round the fighters stand far apart: a fireball, skull, hat, fan or lightning bolt hits from there.
Freeze, then punish. Sub-Zero’s ice blast does no damage itself, but a frozen opponent can’t block your next uppercut.
Charge in the background. Bicycle kick, ground smash and sai throw are charged by holding a button: keep it held while you move and block with the others.
Teleports get you behind. Kung Lao, Scorpion and Rayden can teleport, which beats an opponent who throws projectiles from across the screen.
Use the cheats to practise. On our page the magic wand button switches on unlimited energy and infinite time, so you can try every move without losing.
How do you do Sub-Zero's freeze in Mortal Kombat II?
Down, then forward and low punch together. In our tests the freeze came out only when low punch was pressed at the same moment as forward.
How do you do Scorpion's spear in MK2?
Back, back, low punch. On a keyboard on Yes This Game, facing right: Left, Left, Z.
How do you do Liu Kang's bicycle kick?
Hold low kick for about four seconds, then let go. It took 30% of a full energy bar in our test.
What is the strongest special move in Mortal Kombat II?
Of the moves we measured, Shang Tsung’s three flaming skulls (back, back, forward, forward, high punch): 45 of 120 energy units, 38% of a full bar.
How much energy does a fighter have in MK2?
On the Mega Drive, a full energy bar is 120 units in the game’s memory. Every damage figure in this article is a share of that.
Can I play Mortal Kombat II online free?
Yes. The Mega Drive version runs free in your browser on Yes This Game, with the six-button layout and optional cheats for energy, time and a weak opponent.
