Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Retro|Spective 038: Killer Instinct

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Retro|Spective 038: Killer Instinct

    A series that was once thought to be long dead and unlikely to work even if it was revived...

    Killer Instinct

    Mainline Entry 01 - Killer Instinct
    Formats: Arcade, Super Nintendo, Game Boy and Xbox One
    Taking the basic premise of a fighter, Rare marked its new title out by two differences. The first was its visuals, which made use of their new rendering techniques and the Nintendo 64 hardware in addition to a core focus on combo based combat. The arcade release meant they could deploy a more grown up tone than most of their home content though the game did eventually find its way on the SNES with the obvious cut backs to make it possible once hype for the title and the visuals exploded.



    Mainline Entry 02 - Killer Instinct 2
    Formats: Arcade and Xbox One
    Rare was quick to follow up on the success of the original with this sequel that expanded the character list and move set as well as updated the visual designs on several fronts. A Super bar was added as per the popular choice at the time as well in addition to four possible story endings. The game wasn't quite as warmly received as the original as the sheen had worn off for some but demand for a home port was loud and a SNES version was completed but never saw release.



    Spin Off Entry 01 - Killer Instinct Gold
    Formats:
    Nintendo 64
    With the SNES port cancelled, Nintendo made sure KI2 made it to the N64 which excited fans hoping for an arcade perfect port at last. However, the N64 controller wasn't built with fighters in mind and the port wasn't as straight forward as expected. Instead Rare tinkered with the game by stripping out the FMV sequences and some voice overs. It also reduced the animation frames from the arcade version and though reviews were reasonable the game underperformed and Nintendo shelved the franchise.



    Mainline Entry 03 - Killer Instinct
    Formats: Xbox One and PC
    After years of being dormant, Microsoft tapped Double Helix to relook at the series. The result was an attempt to be safe by launching it as a DLC fuelled project, however in reality the game was much more than that. DH managed to maintain the core essence of the series but at the same time rework its combo based gameplay in a manner that felt relevant, honouring of the past, yet responsive for basic to high level play. The title proved successful enough of a revival that it was given a second season of content before another developer took over to deliver the third season that itself was ultimately extended providing players with the largest and most liked entry in the franchise.



    Share your thoughts and memories of Killer Instinct!

    #2
    The first thing I think of, whenever I think of Killer Instinct is what happened at the E3 when Microsoft unveiled the newest game.

    They got two staffers on stage, and man and a woman, and they were playing it - and then there was this bit where the man's character had the woman's character in a corner, and got a few hits in.

    She said "You're pummelling me!"

    And then he said "Just take it. It will end."

    I mean, you could tell both of them were nervous but even so, it was such a misjudged comment and delivered in a really strange way. I seem to recall the crowd had this weird mix of nervous laughter and silence. I was watching it live with some friends and we honestly had to backtrack to check if we'd heard him right. Either way the comment fell a bit flat and Twitter was on fire about it for the next half-hour (actually disproportionately so).

    Comment


      #3
      I only played the first. Disliked it very quickly. I have never liked memory test type fighting games and that's what Killer Instinct seemed to be and Rare's design wasn't strong enough for me to actively want to learn it. The characters looked like cheap big-headed action figures. So I wasn't a fan but I never tried any of them beyond the original so I could be doing the series a huge disservice.

      Comment


        #4
        Loved the N64 version, had so many drunken battles on that with mates back in the day. it also looked utterly amazing when it came out on the N64 and it was one of the few N64 games to sound amazing too.
        The Arcade version was great too and it's sound system blew me away at the time.

        Comment


          #5
          Probably the worst game to ever feature the Nintendo logo. Utterly broken beyond belief, unless the actual aim of the game was to see how far you could dismember it.

          I'm amazed it got a refresh, to be honest.

          Comment


            #6
            I never took to the N64 version, almost everything about it felt off with its main appeal being that KI2 had never come out on console before. I sunk a fair bit of time into the SNES version of the original though (and don't forget Killer Cuts!)

            The XBO entry though is great, just a really thoughtful reinterpretation of the series that is massively beyond successful to the extent I imagined it would be. I'd hoped it would inspire more Rare revivals from MS but here we are five years later and instead we can't even be sure KI will ever return

            Comment


              #7
              I have no fondness tbh for the series, but the latest entry is absolutely brilliant, it's up there with the best of the fighters this gen imo...

              Comment


                #8
                I hope MS revisits it in a similar manner for a Killer Instinct 4 when they move on to their next Xbox. I'd be interested to see how they'd build on the good work the last game did.

                Clue for the next thread:

                Clue - Emergence

                Comment


                  #9
                  I don't think I've played anything other than the original in the arcade.

                  I wasn't a massive fan anyway and then this kid from school a year or two younger than me, whom I already disliked as a chubby know-it-all, did some rude chain kill on me when I was playing it in the lobby of Lazer Quest.

                  He's probably in jail now, so who's laughing now, eh?

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by Superman Falls View Post
                    Clue - Emergence
                    Gears of War?

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Got it in one

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by Superman Falls View Post
                        Clue - Emergence
                        SiN??

                        EDIT: Awww.

                        Comment

                        Working...
                        X