Killers

Killer Instinct always felt like it was trying to be a cooler Mortal Kombat.  Did it succeed?  No, not really, though I always found the characters more visibly pleasing, and the moves were easier to pull off.

Those who remember the game, and I know they are out there, remember the Harryhausen-like Spinal, Cinder, the nod-to-Universal Sabrewulf, Raptor and so on.  They looked fairly unique, they were fully animated, and there seemed to be one for every personality type.  The Super Nintendo version of the game, which came with a soundtrack CD, was a toned down version of the arcade game due to memory limitations, but that didn't seem to matter to thousands of players.  This was the shit.

A sequel came out, which only the die hards seem to remember, and while there has always been talk of returning to the franchise, it hasn't happened yet, and some wonder if it ever will.

If this game came out today, I doubt it would be as well-received (even with a graphic upgrade and whatnot).  In its time, however, when fighting games ruled the arcade, it felt different.  It was a fighting game that attracted those put off by the mathematic play of the other biggie (Mortal Kombat) again, and the seemingly undeserved popularity of Street Fighter.  Now it would be just another blip on the radar, as fighting games have to be something truly special to warrant anything other than a passing glance.