Mortal Kombat - you may have heard of it. This little fighter has been going strong since its violent (and therefore controversial) debut almost a decade ago. The game gained popularity not only through its use of real actors and gallons of blood, but also with its unique style that has evolved over three sequels. Mortal Kombat 4 is the latest incarnation in the series, and the PC's got it.
The obvious change in the franchise for this version is the switch from the videoclip cutouts to a fully 3D polygonal engine. What's amazing is that it still plays like a Mortal Kombat game even though the game has shifted from its roots. The 3D engine adds more dynamic camera angles, the ability to sidestep, and generally gives the action and animation a much smoother feel. There's also a handful of new fighters that join a rank of seven classic combatants, fifteen in all. Better still, this new incarnation also introduces weapons into the bout, though they seem a bit out of place.
The PC version of this game is an outstanding conversion. In fact, I'll go one step further and say that its even better than its arcade counterpart. Not just in graphics (which, with a Direct 3D card, look sharper than the original arcade game), but this home version introduces a few options not found in the machine. A good example is the 2 on 2 combat, a tag-team style game where another teammate jumps in when the first gets defeated. There's also a tournament mode for up to eight players, fighting through a competition tree to determine the victor. And for those who can't stand reading through the manual, there's an on-screen moves guide that can be pulled up at any time during the battle -- pretty handy if you haven't crammed all those special maneuvers into your brain yet.
New characters
MK4 introduced:
* Fujin, god of Wind, ally of Raiden. First appeared in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero as the second boss character.
* Jarek, the last of the Black Dragon Clan.
* Kai, a Shaolin monk and friend of Liu Kang.
* Quan Chi, a mysterious evil sorcerer. First appeared in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero as the main antagonist.
* Reiko, Shinnok's general.
* Shinnok, an imprisoned Elder God. First appeared in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero as the final boss.
* Tanya, a traitor to Edenia. She was rumored to be a glitched yellow female ninja from Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3.
MK4 also included the following hidden characters:
* Noob Saibot
* Goro
* Meat, a bloody skeleton.
Returning characters
* Liu Kang
* Jax Briggs
* Johnny Cage
* Raiden
* Reptile (now with his mask removed)
* Scorpion
* Sonya Blade
* Sub-Zero
Goro, not featured in the arcade version of MK4, was added as a sub-boss for the console versions of the game.
Boss and sub-boss
* Shinnok
* Goro