🕹️
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
1998
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NINTENDO-64
10
Mortal Kombat 4
Reviewed by Marcus Webb & Elena Castillo ·
Midway's 1998 N64 fighting game and Mortal Kombat's transition to 3D — Mortal Kombat 4 keeps the series' signature fatalities and two-plane fighting while adopting polygon character models, introducing weapon combat, and returning fan favorites alongside new combatants in a post-Trilogy roster.
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💡 Mortal Kombat 4 — Key Facts
- → Mortal Kombat 4 was developed by Midway and published by GT Interactive
- → Released in 1998 on NINTENDO-64
- → Genre: Fighting
- → We rate it 8/10 — highly recommended
- → Midway's 1998 N64 fighting game and Mortal Kombat's transition to 3D — Mortal Kombat 4 keeps the series' signature fatalities and two-plane fighting while adopting polygon character models, introducing weapon combat, and returning fan favorites alongside new combatants in a post-Trilogy roster.
Overview
Polygon Scorpion. Polygon Sub-Zero. The same GET OVER HERE, the same Ice Freeze, rendered in 3D for the first time in the series.
Mortal Kombat 4 was the transition — from the digitized actors who had defined MK 1 through Trilogy to computer-generated polygon fighters that would carry the series forward.
The Third Dimension
The character models are 3D. The fighting is not.
MK4 kept the two-plane fighting system — characters move left and right along a single axis, as they always had. The 3D characters didn’t enable sidestepping or depth movement. They provided visual upgrade without structural change.
This approach worked. The series’ move sets, muscle memory, and competitive understanding transferred intact. The polygon presentation updated the aesthetics without requiring players to relearn the game they knew.
The Weapons
Axes hit harder than fists. Swords reach farther. Clubs swing wider.
The weapon pickup system added a mid-fight resource: the dropped weapon on the stage floor that either fighter can claim. Decisions during combat shifted — some moves now carried the calculation of whether the opponent might pick up what was dropped.
Character-specific weapons, drawable at any time, provided the same character differentiation that special moves provide. Scorpion’s spear remained his projectile; his weapon gave him another option.
Quan Chi
The new roster included characters that didn’t survive into later games and one that became indispensable. Quan Chi — pale-skinned sorcerer, orbital symbol on his head — became a franchise villain whose significance extended through the next decade of MK games.
Introductions matter in fighting games. Quan Chi was introduced correctly: as a sinister ally with clearly malicious intent, as someone whose presence made the story darker rather than adding noise. The character design worked.
Our Review
8
Excellent / 10
🎮
Gameplay
★★★★★
🎨
Graphics
★★★★★
🎵
Audio
★★★★★
🔄
Replay
★★★★★
Gameplay
Mortal Kombat 4 is a 3D-rendered fighting game maintaining the series' 2D fighting plane — characters move along a single axis despite being polygonal, preserving the classic MK feel with modern graphics. The N64 version includes 15 characters: returning favorites (Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Liu Kang, Raiden, Johnny Cage, Sonya, Jax, Shinnok, Quan Chi) and new entries (Fujin, Tanya, Reiko, Jarek, Kai). A weapon system lets characters pick up dropped weapons mid-fight — axes, swords, clubs — adding an attack tier beyond normal kombat. Fatalities return with series-standard brutality. Two-player competitive and single-player arcade ladder modes.
Graphics
Mortal Kombat 4 transitions from digitized sprites to polygon character models — the N64 version delivers solid 3D character rendering with the series' distinctive design language. The polygon transition shows series evolution rather than the digitized actors that defined MK 1-3.
Audio
MK4's voice acting and sound effects maintain series standards — Shao Kahn's announcements return, fatalities have appropriate audio brutality, and the soundtrack fits the dark fantasy setting.
Replayability
15-character roster, weapon system, and two-player competition provide replay. The transition to 3D models adds visual variety not available in sprite-based predecessors.
Historical Significance
Mortal Kombat 4 (1997 arcade; 1998 N64/PS1/PC) marked the series' transition from digitized sprite actors to polygon character models — the same shift Street Fighter made with Street Fighter EX, Tekken, and other 3D fighters. MK4 is the last MK game where the 2D fighting plane was strictly maintained despite 3D graphics. Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002) fully embraced 3D movement. MK4 introduced Quan Chi, who became a major recurring villain. The weapon system was expanded in later games.
✅ Pros
- + First 3D-rendered Mortal Kombat while preserving 2D fighting plane
- + Weapon pickup system adds combat depth
- + Classic fatality system returns with polygon presentation
- + Quan Chi introduction — becomes major MK villain
- + Fan-favorite roster balances returns with new characters
❌ Cons
- - 3D transition not as smooth as Tekken 3 contemporaries
- - Some new characters feel underdeveloped vs. returning roster
- - Smaller roster than MK Trilogy's 30+ characters
- - N64 version missing some content vs arcade original
Also Known As
MK4 N64Mortal Kombat IVMK4
Mortal Kombat 4 FAQ
How does Mortal Kombat 4's weapon system work?
Mortal Kombat 4 introduced weapon combat to the series through a pickup system — weapons appear on the stage floor, and characters can pick them up by pressing the appropriate button near the item. Weapons include melee implements appropriate to each character's style: axes, swords, clubs, and character-specific weapons. Each character also has their own personal weapon they can draw at any point during the match. Weapon attacks deal more damage than empty-handed strikes but have limited attack arcs. Weapons can be knocked from a character's hands by certain attacks, dropping the weapon back to the floor for either fighter to retrieve. The weapon system adds a resource-management layer to the standard MK combat — deciding when to draw a weapon, when to drop it to avoid being disarmed, and when to pick up the opponent's discarded weapon.
Who are the new characters in Mortal Kombat 4?
Mortal Kombat 4 introduced several new fighters alongside returning favorites. Quan Chi is the most significant addition — a skeletal sorcerer who became one of the series' most important recurring villains in subsequent games. Shinnok is the main antagonist, an Elder God who seeks domination. Fujin is the God of Wind and Raiden's ally. Tanya is a deceptive Edenian character. Reiko is a general serving Shinnok. Kai is a new monk character trained by Liu Kang. Jarek is the last surviving Black Dragon member after Kano's apparent death. Of these new characters, Quan Chi became the most important to MK mythology — appearing through Deadly Alliance, Deception, Armageddon, and MK9 as a primary villain.
How does MK4 differ between the N64 and PS1 versions?
Both home versions derive from the 1997 arcade original with platform-specific differences. The N64 version uses the cartridge format's faster loading times — transitions between fights are quicker than PS1's CD-ROM loading. The N64 and PS1 versions have slight differences in character availability and minor content — the PC version received the most complete port. The N64 cartridge allowed direct port without the compression issues that CD-ROM games sometimes encountered with fighting game assets. Both home versions lack some arcade-specific content. The N64 version specifically was praised for fast load times and close visual fidelity to the arcade presentation.
Is Mortal Kombat 4 available on modern platforms?
Mortal Kombat 4 has not received a modern digital re-release or remaster. The Mortal Kombat Kollection Online (2020) included MK9, and Mortal Kombat 11 has MK Legacy Pack DLC, but MK4 specifically has not been made available on modern digital storefronts. Midway's bankruptcy in 2009 transferred MK rights to Warner Bros. Games / NetherRealm Studios. Original N64 cartridges and PS1 discs are available through retro game stores. The PC version (1997) is findable through secondary sources. For modern MK play, Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath (2020) and Mortal Kombat 1 (2023) are the current entries.
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