Killer Instinct (1994 video game): Difference between revisions
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===Sabrewulf=== |
===Sabrewulf=== |
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Count Von Sabrewuldffffffffff |
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Count Von Sabrewulf is stricken by [[lycanthropy]], and is promised a cure by Ultratech if he wins the tournament. This is a semi-cameo appearance of [[Sabre Man]], known from their [[1984]] game ''[[Sabre Wulf]]''. Sabrewulf fights in his inherited castle as his home level, with biting and claw attacks, with the ability to howl and use his '''Flaming Bat'''. |
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===Black Orchid=== |
===Black Orchid=== |
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Revision as of 20:06, 16 July 2006
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- For the FOX television series, see Killer Instinct (TV series).
- For the reference to the human behaviour, see Killer Instinct (human behaviour)
- For the Acclaim Comics comic book, see Killer Instinct (comics)
| Killer Instinct | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Rareware |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Release | 1994 |
| Genre(s) | Fighting |
| Mode(s) | Up to 2 players simultaneously |
| Arcade system | Ultra 64 |
Killer Instinct is a fighting game by Rare and Nintendo. Initially released in arcades in 1994, and claiming to use an "Ultra 64" hardware engine, Killer Instinct was released the following year on the SNES home console. The SNES version was packaged with Killer Cuts, an audio CD which had arrangements of the game's soundtrack. The CD was later sold separately via the Nintendo Power catalogue. A cassette tape version was also made available through the catalogue at this time.
Developed using high-powered SGI computers and 3D modeling software from Alias, Killer Instinct was considered a graphical leader when it was released. It featured animated backgrounds that were a pre-rendered movie which changed angles depending on your location and complex animated characters. This technique causes the backgrounds to have an unprecedented three dimensional look, yet look far better than was possible at the time in real time three dimensional rendering. Bram Stoker's Dracula for the Sega CD later used this technique. Killer Instinct was also the first arcade game with an internal hard disk.
There is a sequel named Killer Instinct 2. The Nintendo 64 version of the same game is called Killer Instinct Gold. Killer Instinct had a black case when most SNES games had a grey case.
Features
Killer Instinct is notable for having a complex and standardised combo system, based on three strengths of moves (Quick, Medium, and Fierce). A special move or jump-in move, followed immediately by a second move, known as an auto-double, would initiate the combo sequence. The combo can then be lengthed by the use of linkers, more auto-doubles, and finishers.
However, a player is able to 'break' out of the large, and potentially devastating combos, via a special attack (known as a "combo breaker"). The combo breaker has to be of a strength weaker to the exact move in the combo to be successful. That means that Quick moves breaks Medium combos, Medium moves breaks Fierce combos, and Fierce moves breaks Quick combos.
As in many fighting games, the players attack each other, trying to deplete the other's life bar. Although the fights consisted of two to three rounds like in most fighting games, the change is more organic. Upon losing, the defeated player will simply stand up and receive his second life bar with the opponent continuing with the life-bar he used in the previous round, whereas in other games the second round would start from the centre of the arena with both characters having a full life bar. The players will continue from their exact positions as soon as the Ready-message dissappears. If the opponents are "too close" at the end of the round, their characters will automatically back-up to a more appropriate distance.
At the end of a match players are able to perform a finishing move (similar to those in Mortal Kombat), known as a Danger move. Additionally, a player could also use an Ultra finisher or Ultimate finisher when his/her opponents lifeline is extremely low. The Ultra finisher would link automatically into an Ultra combo, which could theoretically push the maximum number of combo hits to 80. Finally, the winning fighter could also make the loser dance in a generic finishing move known as a 'Humiliation'.
Combos
- 3 hits - Triple combo
- 4 hits - Super combo
- 5 hits - Hyper combo
- 6 hits - Brutal combo
- 7 hits - Master combo
- 8 hits - Awesome combo
- 9 hits - Blaster combo
- 10 hits - Monster combo
- 11 hits - King combo
- 12+ hits - Killer combo
- 20+ hits - Ultra combo (the Ultra Combo ender must be performed otherwise the game will count it as a Killer combo)
- Any Hits - Ultimate combo (The Ultimate ender must be performed. Because it immediately ends the combo, it can be as low as 4 hits and upwards of 20+ hits)
Story
Ultratech is a very powerful company which organizes a tournament called Killer Instinct. Along with regular participants, experiments Ultratech created also fight in the tournament. Ultratech also discovers a technology to make bridges between dimensions and also release from his dimensional prison a two headed monster called Eyedol, an ancient warrior that was locked away along with his rival.
Characters
The game features ten characters, all of which are owned by Rare after the acquisition:
Jago
A Tibetan monk following the Tiger Spirit. He considers the defeat of Ultratech as his destiny. He is considered as Killer Instinct's version of Street Fighter's Ryu.
T.J. Combo
A former heavyweight boxing champion for 5 years. He was stripped of his title and kicked out of the circuit due to sheer brutality towards his opponents, and because he was using cybernetically enhanced arms. Ultratech promises him to return his title if he wins the tournament. He is similar to Balrog of the Street Fighter series and to Major Jackson Jax Briggs of the Mortal Kombat series, but this may be simply because they are both based on similar premises.
Spinal
An Ultratech minion. He is a product of cell regeneration, a living skeleton of an ancient warrior. He seems to fight for sheer enjoyment. He carries a sword and shield, and has the ability to teleport and physically morph himself into a grayscale version of his opponents during combos. He has an odd quirk in that, in order to perform certain moves, he must gather energy (represented by tokens shaped like skull under his life bar in the snes version, and by skulls floating around his person in the arcade) by either absorbing opponents projectile energy attacks, or performing combo breakers. Despite requiring these tokens, his special moves are not particularly stronger than normal special attacks. He can "store" up to 5 skull tokens. Spinal was a homage to the film Jason and the Argonauts.[citation needed]
Thunder
A Native American Chief, armed with a tomahawk, who enters the tournament to find out what happened to his missing brother Eagle in the last year's tournament. He is similar to T. Hawk of the Street Fighter series.
Glacius
An alien who was captured by Ultratech and promised freedom if he wins the tournament. He gets his nickname from his body's icy liquid composition and ability to shape-shift. His character design is rumoured to be influenced by the T-1000 from the Hollywood film Terminator 2: Judgment Day.[citation needed]
Fulgore
A cyborg created by Ultratech and is a prototype for future robots. Entered in the tournament as a final test of its capabilities. He is arguably the poster child of the franchise. A common urban legend during the game's popularity was that Fulgore's voice was actually the sound of a squealing pig played in reverse with a reverb added, as was stated in Nintendo Power magazine.[citation needed] He is similar to the alien Predator of the same movie name in design.
Cinder
A criminal who was promised early release by Ultratech in exchange for participating in chemical weapons research. As a result of an accident during testing his body is composed entirely of flame. He is promised a return to his original form if he is able to defeat Glacius in the tournament. In the early development stages of the game his name was Meltdown, but this changed very quickly into Cinder.
Sabrewulf
Count Von Sabrewuldffffffffff
Black Orchid
Hired by Ultratech as a secretary, she is really a spy working for an unknown party and apparently is the heroine of the game franchise. She is (in)famous for a finishing move wherein she flashes her opponent, causing the male opponents' eyes to zoom out of their head cartoonishly before they pass out, or, if fighting another Orchid, simply causing the opponent to fold her arms defiantly.
Riptor
A genetically engineered raptor-human hybrid created as a prototype by Ultratech. The tournament serves to test its abilities as a killing machine.
Eyedol
A two-headed, ancient mystical warlord who was trapped in a dimensional prison in the distant past. Ultratech released him to be the final combatant in the tournament. It is shown, in Killer Instinct 2 (Gold on the Nintendo 64), that the person Eyedol was trapped in combat with was Gargos, the final boss of that game.
Version Differences
- In the first arcade version of the game the Fatality like moves were called No Mercy moves, this was changed into Danger moves for all later releases on the arcade and the SNES port.
- Cinder was called Meltdown in the first version of the game.
- Some of the older arcade games allowed a glitch that caused Fulgore's teleport move to make him much smaller.
- For the later versions of the game one had to select Cinder and press a certain button combination in order to play as Eyedol, whereas in the older releases you were required to select Riptor instead. (the code, incidentally, required the player to hold right, then press "L-R-X-B-Y-A", in the standard button format). In the Game Boy version, on the character select screen, hold "right" and press "select-start-B-A".
- The original planned title for the game was Brute Force.
- An earlier arcade version glitch - In Orchid's frog finishing move instead of squashing them you can bring them back and perform a combo or do her flash move afterwards.
- The Game Boy version does not have Cinder or Riptor, among other features.
Trivia
- There have been various similarities noted between Killer Instinct and the Mortal Kombat series, both in terms of violent content and character similarities. In Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, references to KI characters are included. For example, Reptile has a combo entitled "Rip-Tore" and Cyrax has one called "Full-Gore".[citation needed]
References