Killer Instinct | |
---|---|
Genres | Fighting |
Developers | Rare, Double Helix Games, Microsoft Studios, Iron Galaxy Studios |
Publishers |
Midway Games (1994–1996) Nintendo (1994–1996) Microsoft Studios (2013–present) |
Composers |
Robin Beanland (1994–1996) Graeme Norgate (1994) Mick Gordon (2013–2015) Atlas Plug (2016) Celldweller (2016) |
Platforms | Arcade, SNES, Game Boy, Nintendo 64, Xbox One, Windows 10 |
Platform of origin | Arcade |
First release |
Killer Instinct October 28, 1994 |
Latest release |
Killer Instinct November 22, 2013 |
Killer Instinct is a series of fighting video games originally created by Rare.
An arcade fighting game developed by Rare and published by Midway and Nintendo. Initially released in arcades in 1994, and rumored to use an "Ultra 64" hardware engine, in reality the proprietary arcade hardware was co-developed by Rare and Midway. The game 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.
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. 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.
A reboot of the Killer Instinct series, developed by Double Helix Games under supervision of Ken Lobb, and the first game in the series to be published by Microsoft Studios. It was released on November 22, 2013 as a launch title for the Xbox One. Following the acquisition of Double Helix Games by Amazon, Iron Galaxy Studios took over the development of post-launch content. A Windows 10 version was released in March 2016.