Play Mortal Kombat 4 Online

Summary

Mortal Kombat 4’s Game Boy Color port feels like a stripped‑down shadow of its arcade sibling, yet it still manages to capture the series’ core roster. The handheld version offers nine selectable fighters—Raiden, Quan Chi, Fujin, Liu Kang, Sub‑Zero, Reiko, Tanya, Scorpion and the hidden Reptile—while Shinnok looms as the final boss. Unlike the 3‑D arcade original, the GBC game runs on a 2D engine borrowed from the Game Boy version of MK3, complete with the familiar "Choose Your Destiny" screen and the same character‑select layout.

What sets this port apart are the brief FMV clips that replace the usual in‑game Fatality graphics, and the absence of blood outside those videos. The soundtrack was re‑recorded into repetitive, chiptune‑style loops, and both the combo system and weapon mechanics were removed. Critics were harsh: GameSpot’s Jeff Gerstmann gave it a 3.5/10, citing unresponsive controls, and IGN’s Peer Schneider called the gameplay "limited" and awarded a poor 4.0/10.

Storyline

The plot of Mortal Kombat 4 on Game Boy Color follows the corrupted Elder God Shinnok as he launches an assault against the very Elder Gods who once imprisoned him in the Netherrealm. Millennia before the series began, Shinnok tried to dominate all six realms, but the thunder god Raiden defeated him in a centuries‑long war and sealed him away. With the aid of the sorcerer Quan Chi, Shinnok eventually breaks free from the Netherrealm and seeks revenge on his former comrades. His first move is to seize the realm of Edenia, using the traitorous Tanya as an ally while he prepares to strike the Elder Gods themselves. To halt Shinnok’s resurgence, Raiden summons the Earthrealm warriors who previously helped defeat Emperor Shao Kahn.