Mortal Kombat 4 is the fourth main installment of the Mortal Kombat series, developed by Midway Games. Released in 1997, Mortal Kombat 4 is the first title in the series to use 3D computer graphics and is also the last game in the series. Eurocom (which had previously developed the Sega Saturn version of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3) later worked on the PlayStation, Nintendo 64, PC, and Game Boy Color versions in 1998. The following year, an updated version titled Mortal Kombat Gold was released exclusively for Dreamcast.
The gameplay of Mortal Kombat 4 is similar to previous games; one of the most notable additions is the use of weapons and objects during fights. The story revolves around the corrupted Elder God Shinnok’s assault against his former allies, who had trapped him in the Netherrealm years before the series began. The other 17 playable characters take part in the battle between good and evil, with light forces trying to prevent Shinnok and the dark powers from conquering all realms.
While developing the game, Midway staff faced challenges in creating graphics since it was one of their first 3D fighting games. Co-producer Ed Boon stated that the staff wanted to make Mortal Kombat 4 more violent than its predecessors and to remove the humorous finishing moves it contained. Since its release, the game has generally received positive responses from critics, except for the Game Boy Color port.
