Mortal Kombat 4
Reviewed by Mike Wales
Mortal Kombat fans can shake, rattle and roll as Sub-Zero, Johnny Cage and 13
more of their favorite kombatants in Mortal Kombat 4, a crimson-colored free-for-all
that well deserves its M rating.
This bulked-up (128 megabit) port of the arcade hit is MK to the bone, complete
with a daunting combo system, plenty of fatalities and eye-popping gore that
would make Wes Craven blush. Mortal Kombat 4 sports smooth animation, impressive
light-sourcing -- especially in projectile attacks -- and spectacular fatalities.
If anything, the play control is even better than in the arcades.
Eurocomm took advantage of the N64's processing power to give MK4 true 3D action,
including an intelligent camera that gives you the most dramatic view of the
mayhem, zooming in for signature and finishing moves. You'll be able to take up -- and
off -- arms as Goro, an unplayable boss in the arcades, and Meat, a hidden character.
You can sidestep attacks with the Control Stick or Control Pad. Kombatants can pick
up and throw skulls, spiked balls and other fun objects littering the eight arenas.
In one-player mode, MK4 offers five different ladders, ranging from Novice to
Master II. Conquering the field wins you a short cinematic sequence, complete
with excellent voice samples. Each playable character has a unique sequence. You
can also kombat with a komrade, thanks to two-player mode and tag-team options.
Kombatants returning from previous Nintendo games include Johnny Cage, Sub-Zero,
Sonya, Raiden, Scorpion, Liu Kang, Reptile and Jax. Shinnok, Quan Chi and Fujin
return from Mortal Kombat Mythologies, 1997's side-scrolling adventure. Jarek,
Tanya, Reiko and Kai have never appeared on a home system.
With its responsive control, scintillating graphics and first-rate sound, Mortal
Kombat 4 is easily the best Mortal Kombat yet.