(LAST UPDATE: 6/30/2009)
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Developer(s): Rareware
Publisher(s): Midway, Nintendo
Designer(s): Chris Tilston, Kevin Bayliss, Mark Betteridge
Platform(s): Arcade, Nintendo 64 (As Killer
Instinct Gold)
Release Date(s): 1995
Characters:
Orchid,
Jago,
Combo,
Glacius,
Maya,
Tusk,
Kim
Wu, Sabrewulf,
Fulgore,
Spinal,
Gargos
Related Games:
Killer Instinct, Killer Instinct
Gold
Story: Eyedol's
death at the hands of Orchid in the previous game accidentally 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 2 was the surprise sequel to the obscure sleeper arcade hit, Killer Instinct. All the character sprites,
animations and stages were re-done and looked completely different from the
first game. Stage backgrounds were done using "scaling" FMV graphics, and had set
animations as characters moved back and forth. It was a much different look than the first KI, and perhaps
didn't quite look as good as the original... Especially since there were no
stages which offered cool camera angles when a fighter was knocked up into the
air, which was an awesome effect from the first game.
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The game engine underwent quite a
few changes. Throws were added to the system, to remedy players who over-used
blocking in the first game. 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
not return... Possibly Killer Instinct 2's BIGGEST flaw. 
They
were staple characters!!! How could they?
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7.5 / 10 |
Closing Comment:
Although the sequel didn't come close to living up to the original's success or
hype, KI2 was a decent arcade fighter... It was ported over to the
Nintendo 64 under the title Killer Instinct Gold.
~F.Yagami,
Webmaster
of TFG