"A great classic fighting game. But also a gory one."

Killer Instinct Gold is a direct port of KI2 from the arcade. It can be summed up in two words: Violence and Blood. The game is very violent, and thus is not recommended for younger audiences. Fortunately the blood can be turned off, a step in the right way.

There are 12 or so characters, ranging from a mayan warrior to a washed up boxer to a Conan the barbarian wannabe to an experimental robot. Each has many many many moves, and they all have combos galore. My friend even said he once did a 70 hit combo! Of course, such a feat takes much practice and you need to have a great knowledge of the game. Or a strategy guide =)

The game uses sprite based characters, which is the one shortcoming. On the upside, the levels are all polygonal and have different features to them. Some allow you to knock the enemy off, such as a helipad on top of a building where you can (you guessed it) push the enemy off the roof, or a classic 14th century slave ship where you can knock the enemy over the edge.

The game's difficulty lies in the one player mode and its speed. The highest speed setting, apropriately named Ludicrous, gives Street Fighter 2 Turbo the nickname "Snail Fighter 2." The characters have different endings, not as many as the arcade though =(

But the real replay value of the game lies in its options galore. There are about 6 different modes, a detailed training session for each character, and more options as you beat the single player mode in higher difficulties.

And as if that wasnt enough, Nintendo even made the fighting itself SUPER-intricate. That is, there are special move counters, combo openers, linkers, auto doubles, manual doubles, ultra combos (which give you abuot 20-70 hits depending on your skill) combo breakers, ULTRA COMBO BREAKERS (!!), and more. They made this game so intricate that you'll have an easier time understanding women than understanding this game!

So if you liked the first KI, are a fan of fighting games, or just plain love blood and gore, this game is a must try.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 09/03/02