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Killer Instinct Super Nintendo
Rare's signature fighting game, featuring heavy use of pre-rendered 3D graphics, a unique match format, a special multi-sequence combo system, and C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER
Killer Instinct is a 2D fighting game developed by Rareware and released by Nintendo (in conjunction with Midway) for arcades on October 28, 1994.
The first dedicated arcade game released by Nintendo since the Nintendo Vs. series, Killer Instinct is known for its unique automated multi-sequence combo system (with a method to escape out of the combo), single-round multi-lifebar system, and pre-rendered 3D graphics for character sprites, backgrounds (with a unique "camera pan" effect), and cutscenes.
Set sometime in the near-future, the story revolves around a powerful mega-corporation known as Ultratech, who organizes a special tournament (known as Killer Instinct) to test the strength of their experimental prototypes among other combatants (who each have a special motivation to participate).
The game was planned to be developed with Nintendo's Ultra 64 technology (alongside Cruis'n USA), but was instead run on special 64-bit proprietary hardware by Midway and Rare (which also ran the game's 1996 sequel, Killer Instinct 2). The attract mode for the game also advertised that the game would be released for the Ultra 64 in 1995, which later turned out to be false due to the system's delay.
Throughout 1995, Killer Instinct was ported to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy. The SNES version is known for its black-colored cartridge, 2D parallax scrolling (with Mode 7 technology for the ground), new game modes, and pack-in soundtrack CD known as "Killer Cuts". The Game Boy version is known for its Super Game Boy support, including multiplayer on the same console.