[ecm name=’snes-killer-inst’]

Killer Instinct (1994)

An arcade fighting game developed by Rare and published by Midway and Nintendo. Initially released in arcades in 1994, the game advertised it would launch in 1995 for an intended “Nintendo Ultra 64” home console. The Ultra 64 eventually materialized as the Nintendo 64, with Killer Instinct as a launch title, albeit with much lesser hardware specs than the arcade game. The game also received a high-profile launch on the SNES which bundled a CD of remixed game tracks with a limited edition cartridge colored black, as well as a release on the Game Boy handheld the following year. A digital port, titled Killer Instinct Classic, was released as part of a bundle with its 2013 sequel’s first season on Xbox One.

Killer Instinct 2 and Killer Instinct Gold (1996)

A 1996 arcade-only game developed by Rare, licensed by Nintendo, and manufactured by Midway. It was the sequel to Killer Instinct. The game was also ported to the SNES, but never released.^[1] Like its predecessor, the game features two 8-way joysticks with six buttons each for attacks (three punches and three kicks), allowing for both a single player mode or a two player versus mode. It was later ported to the Nintendo 64 console under the name Killer Instinct Gold. A digital port, titled Killer Instinct 2 Classic, was released as part of a bundle with its 2013 sequel’s second season on Xbox One.