depends, i enjoyed mk4 for arcade, but the home versions all sucks, you can try to get mkg for dreamcast (and be sure to get 1.1 version) but its still not good as mk4 arcade. as for mkda i personaly dont like the game but if you liked mkd you probably will like mkda too.

I would buy mk4 before Deadly Alliance.

The gameplay in MK:DA is the same as Decepetion, but you can impal weapons. That's the biggest diffence gameplay wise. But the Konquest is VERY BORING IMO!! It's basicly training like in Deception but that's all you do. There are 10 training missions per character and 8 basic training missions making a total of 208 missions for konquest that suck!

I really loved MK4 when it first came out. It's the only game where you can throw stuff. IT is also the only game with animated endings. Also the first arcade game where you can fight as goro and Noob Saibot. It was also the first game where you could fight as the final boss. Man, what a shocking game.

yeah, but actually goro is not in arcade versions, and noob was only in earlier revizions

MK4 is a pretty fun game..but good luck trying to find it.
MKDA is very fun IMO, and in some ways, i think, better than deception.

a small correction:
Noob was SELECTABLE in early versions but he is hidden in the home versions and possibly the arcade I am not aware.

Like ded_ said, Noob was in early revisions, like, as in, the first version they made. There are selection screen shots of him from old magazines and they replaced him with Reiko. Oh no, could Reiko actually be Noob Saibot?