Killer Instinct 2
(LAST UPDATE: 5/8/08)

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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.

General: Killer Instinct 2 was the surprise sequel to the obscure sleeper hit at the arcades known as Killer Instinct. All the character sprites and animations were re-done and were completely different from the original KI. Stage backgrounds were done using FMV graphics, and "animated" as characters moved around. It was a much different look than the first KI, and perhaps didn't quite look as good as the orignal.

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   The game engine is a lot like the original Killer Instinct and certain improvements have added some depth to the gameplay. A new power meter was added to store energy for super moves and super linkers. The auto doubles have been included again, but there is now an option for manual combos. There are also many new moves and changes made to the old characters, although Riptor and Cinder did not return in the sequel.

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Manufacturer: Nintendo / Rare
Platforms: Arcade
Release: 1995
Characters: Orchid, Jago, Combo, Glacius, Maya, Tusk, Kim Wu, Sabrewulf, Fulgore, Spinal, Gargos
Related Games: Killer Instinct, Killer Instinct Gold
 
Gameplay Engine
7.5 / 10
Story / Theme
7 / 10
Overall Graphics
7.5 / 10
Animation
8 / 10
Music / Sound Effects
9 / 10
Innovation / Creativity
6.5 / 10
Customization / Options
 5 / 10
Intro / Presentation
8 / 10
Replayability / Fun
 7.5 / 10
"Ouch" Factor
8 / 10
Characters
 6.5 / 10
Overall Score
7.5 / 10

Closing Comment: With Killer Instinct being one of my favorite games when KI2 was released, I had high hopes for an even greater game all together... While it had some good features, it just couldn't live up to the original. ~F.Yagami, Webmaster of TFG