(LAST UPDATE: 6/30/2009)
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Developer(s): Rare
Publisher(s): Nintendo
Platform(s): Nintendo
64
Release Date(s): November 26th 1996
Characters:
Orchid,
Jago,
Combo,
Glacius,
Maya,
Tusk,
Kim
Wu, Sabrewulf,
Fulgore,
Spinal,
Gargos
Related Games:
Killer Instinct, Killer Instinct
2
Story: Eyedol's
death at the hands of Orchid in the previous game accidently set off a
time warp sending everyone back 2000 years and allowed Gargos to escape
from Limbo. Now, 2000 years in the past, warriors that survived Killer
Instinct (1) and several new faces fight for the right to face the Demon
Lord Gargos in combat. Some, like T.J. Combo, just want to get home. Others,
like Tusk, want to bring an end to Gargos and his reign of evil. This time
there is no tournament or prize money, just a fight to the finish with
the fate of the future hanging in the balance.
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Review: Killer
Instinct Gold is essentially the home version of Killer
Instinct 2, ported over to the Nintendo 64, and it came with quite a few
differences. Unlike the FMV-animated stages of the arcade version, the
backgrounds in the N64 version were
fully rendered in 3D, offering much better camera angles (and if you ask
me, overall better graphics) than found in the arcade version. The re-done stages also offered new "stage
fatalities", as fighters could get knocked off of the stage when their health
bar is low. Although the stage graphics improved, the animated endings from the
arcade version didn't make the cut and the 2D characters sprites were at a
slightly lower resolution and also lost some animations.
.
The home version
included some cool exclusive modes such as Team Battle, Team Elimination Battle
(which introduced seamless 11 VS 11 fights!), Training, Advanced Training, and
further unlockable content like a generous variety of character costume
colors... Hey, it was satisfying "customization" for back then. 
There was also an unlockable Extra Options mode where you could change the games
speed, and even make adjustments to the actual gameplay... Infinite super meter
power FTW! 
The BGMs were also re-mixed for the N64 version, and
some tracks were actually pretty damn good... My personal favorite: Jago's Stage... That track is still badass to this
day.
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The overall gameplay felt a bit smoother
and "lighter" than the arcade Killer Instinct 2, but still carried the same core elements of KI2.
Throws were added to the system, to remedy players who over-used blocking in the
original Killer Instinct. Normal special moves no longer are judged on priority, but instead
follow a three tiered "rock, paper, scissors" system in which
certain special moves will always break another special moves... Though the
system was considered flawed in high level play. A new super meter was added to
store energy for super moves and super linkers. On top of the gameplay tweaks, many new moves and changes were made to the returning
characters, but unfortunately Chief Thunder,
Riptor, and Cinder
did still didn't make the return... No console exclusive characters? 
Boooooooo!
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8 / 10 |
Closing Comment:
Killer Instinct Gold was one of the ONLY fighting games worth playing for the
N64, and is easily one of the best fighters to ever come out
for the system (though that's really not saying much). As a fan of the series,
it satisfied... I actually got a really positive vibe from this game, and
honestly played the
hell out of it back in the day.
It never seemed to get old whipping out 59-hit combos on my buddies
that never played or heard of Killer Instinct before. The "Team
Elimination" battle was especially fun... 11 VS 11 battles were a epic!!! I was eons better than my friends at the time, so it was pretty
damn fun picking like 4 characters VS my friend's team of 11 characters (and
still beating them of course). 
Good times... That mode really made this game if you ask me. ~F.Yagami,
Webmaster
of TFG
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