Killer Instinct Gold

"a.k.a The Game of Infinite Combos!"

This was one of those 'most-anticipated' games when the Nintendo 64 first came out. Much speculation and rumor surrounded the release of this title, mostly consisting of which characters would be in the game and whether or not there would be any FMV. Rare promised that Killer Instinct would give hardcore fighting fanatics everywhere something to rejoice about. Did it deliver what was promised?

Killer Instinct Gold quite literally offers no story at all. Each fighter is in the game for individual reasons, most of which are actually very interesting, but Rare offers no reason as to why these people are fighting each other. If you watch the endings you'll get a sense of what's going on and why it's happening, but most of these characters have no reason at all to even meet the other characters, let alone fight them. Its really kinda stupid that way, but I guess a strong story line isn't why we play fighting games in the first place.

Continuing with the traditional computer-generated characters seen in both the first and second games, Killer Instinct Gold uses the power of the N64 to bring that look to your television screen. KI Gold is well animated and the new 3D backgrounds offer much more interaction, but the game feels too flat. I don't know exactly how to describe it, but the game lacks the visual depth that the arcade versions had. It still looks good and shows off some of what the N64 is capable of, but as far as Rare quality is concerned, it falls short of the usual high goal that this company has set.

I have always loved the music to the Killer Instinct series (I still have the CD that came with the Super NES version of the first game) and Killer Instinct Gold gives me more of what I love. Mixing one part rock and three parts techno, the music is enough to get your blood pumping and whip you into a fighting frenzy. The announcer's voice is also cool, giving each match a harder edge that most games of this genre lack. The audio effects are passable enough, providing the necessary amount of impact noises, grunts, and battle cries, but nothing that's terrible exciting though. You really won't notice this, as the music will have you tapping your toes anyway.

The control on Killer Instinct Gold is top-notch, providing you with the tight responsiveness that is needed to pull of those 70+ hit combos. Unfortunately, the digital pad on the Nintendo 64 controller leaves much to be desired for a fighting game, and will quickly give you the dreaded fighter's thumb. If you don't know what a fighter's thumb is, then you've luckily escaped the pain that this ailment causes. A fighter's thumb is generally achieved when you play an intense, move-heavy game like Killer Instinct on a tiny digital cross pad. Your thumb will get sore and you'll develop a blister the size of your N64 by the time the night is done. The only way to prevent this from happening is to let it happen enough times to build up a resistance to it. This is what separates the boys from the men. Anyway, KI Gold controls great...if you've got the tolerance.

Rare added a few new things (like the afore mentioned 3D backgrounds) to the mix to spice this game up for loyal KI fans. Also added to the design are a few new combo types and finishers, but that's really about it. Killer Instinct offers you eleven total characters; seven returning from the first game, three new one from Killer Instinct II and the boss. That's it. Which really sucks in my opinion, usually when a Gold is added to the tittle, you get new characters and other cool stuff, but not here. Rare could have at least added all of the characters from the two Killer Instincts to give you more choice, but they don't. Also, all of the FMV from the previous games are gone. I know FMV is hard to pull off on the Nintendo 64, but they could have tried.

No real bonuses or extras to be found aside from the Sky Stage, the ability to play as the final boss, and a various costume colors for your fighters including a gold trophy look. Couldn't they come up with some better stuff here? I mean, the sky stage is really simple, palette swapped costumes are nothing new, and the Gold costume thing offers nothing much in play value. *Sigh* This isn't the Killer Instinct I expected...

Killer Instinct Gold is for the faithful fans only. If you've never played a KI game, you'll probably hate this game. Even the best of fans might balk at the lackluster debut on the Nintendo 64. It's a tough call, but if you can rent it before you try it, go that route...

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 08/12/09

Game Release: Killer Instinct Gold (US, 11/25/96)