Mortal Kombat 4 is a fighting game that takes place in a world where gods and warriors clash. The story revolves around Raiden, a thunder god who fights against Shinnok, another powerful god seeking to conquer the universe. After defeating Shinnok once, Raiden must face him again and gather other skilled warriors for a tournament to determine the next challenger.
The gameplay is a traditional one-against-one versus fighting game, where players try to deplete their opponent's health bar using punches or kicks. Each fighter has unique special attacks that can be performed by entering specific button combinations. The match ends when the time limit of a round expires, and the player with more remaining health wins.
Due to technical limitations on the Game Boy Color platform, Mortal Kombat 4 features a reduced roster of nine fighters, including Raiden, Liu Kang, Scorpion, Reiko, Tanya, Fujin, Sub-Zero, Quan Chi, and the unlockable Reptile. The game also makes use of the engine from its predecessor, Mortal Kombat 3 , and lacks the 3D graphics present in other versions.