Horror legend Freddy Krueger was snapped up as Mortal Kombat DLC because he ‘seemed like the best fit,’ according to series creator Ed Boon.
Speaking to the PlayStation Blog, Boon revealed that the team at NetherRealm initially looked at number of iconic horror staples before picking Freddy, such as Friday the 13th’s Jason Voorhees and Halloween’s Michael Meyers.
Ultimately however, the razor-clawed dream stalker was picked as his signature weapon and general blood lust meshed well with the Mortal Kombat template.
“Freddy Kreuger, we felt, was the most instantly recognizable and he fits in with Mortal Kombat with his claws,” said Boon. “ It just seemed like the best fit.”
Boon also said that NetherRealm didn’t want Krueger’s digital counterpart to resemble actor Robert Englund too much, and wasn’t even sure if they would be allowed to do so or not.
Nonetheless, the fact the Nightmare on Elm Street films “were huge” convinced the team to adhere as close to Freddy’s original 80s look as possible.
As for Krueger’s fighting style, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to hear that he’ll use his claws in battle, and can even send them “creepy-crawling on the ground or flying through the air.” In addition, Freddy can also dig into the ground causing his claws to rush up underneath his victim. Expect “plenty of dream-related stuff” too, says Boon.
Freddy Krueger will be available to download for Mortal Kombat on August 9, priced at $4.99 USD.