Vintage Video Games #25 – Killer Instinct

Critically acclaimed, Killer Instinct is a fighting game developed by Rare and published by Midway and Nintendo. It was released as an arcade game in the Autumn of 1994 and, the following year was converted to the SNES and the Game Boy. With graphics ahead of it’s time it features several unique gameplay elements. Instead of fighting enemies in best-of-three rounds bouts, each player has two life bars. The player that depletes the other player’s life bars first wins the match. The game also introduced “auto-doubles”, a feature which allows players to press a certain sequence of buttons to make characters automatically perform combos on opponents which was a jump from charater’s ‘moves’ as seen in Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat games. You can also use “combo breakers” – special defensive moves that can interrupt combos.

Plot: Ultratech is a very powerful megacorporation which organises a tournament called Killer Instinct. Along with regular participants, experimental creatures created by Ultratech also fight in the tournament so their strength can be tested. Ultratech also discovers a technology to make bridges between dimensions, and releases a two-headed, one-eyed, satyr monster called Eyedol from this dimensional prison.

Other characters include a velociraptor, a sword-wielding skeleton, a creature made out of ice, and a host of other memorable characters.

Highlights: Superb character design and graphics. Orchid’s ‘fire-cat; combo.

How to play:
Get your SNES ROM HERE
Get your SNES Emulator HERE

About the Author

Fifties Born in an irish field - dj, designer, radio show host and blogger Louise 'Fifties' O'Donnell went out into the world with one mission in mind. To hunt down big phat bass lines and share them with the masses. Dedicated to finding new music she is always on the trail of new talent as well as the big playas.