Killer Instinct Gold

by Nintendo

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00002STFN
• Item Weight: 8 ounces
• Media: Game Cartridge
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,187 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

GameSpot Review

Killer Instinct Gold was to be one of the first two games released with the Nintendo 64. However, while KI Gold didn't make the initial release (Mario 64 and Pilot Wings shared that honor), it is clearly the best fighter currently available on Nintendo's next generation system.

Killer Instinct Gold is basically a translation of the popular arcade game Killer Instinct 2. Its only truly new play feature is a training mode, designed to teach both beginners and pros how to kick out some amazing combos. The game's fighting system is made up of manual combos (regular hits strung together for maximum damage), and automatic combos (specific hits and secret moves linked together to engage automatically pre-determined combos). The ultimate result is that a player can perform insanely long 70+ hit combos. These combos are combined with super moves and fatality-type enders that allow for massacres. Of course, every combo has a "Combo-breaker" that can stop a fighter from getting murdered - or even turn the tide of battle.

The sound and graphics in KI Gold are near-perfect, though some of the narrator's voice-overs have been left out. KI Gold has enhanced the 3-D backgrounds of the arcade version, and though this is still basically a pre-rendered, 2-D fighting game, the graphics are impressive. All of the backgrounds are interactive in some way, which keeps play exciting and varied, but some of the characters aren't quite as sharp as the backgrounds are (minor flaw). KI Gold may lack that final finesse, but it more than makes up for it with fun.

The fighting games for the Nintendo 64 can only get better from here, though this title is a good offering for the first round of N64 titles. --Nikos Constant
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc.

Product Description

Killer Instinct Gold is a 2D fighting game with rendered 3D characters. The game is even more advanced than the popular Killer Instinct arcade game providing players with all the combo-hitting arcade fighting action they could want right in their own home!

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Most in depth fighting game PERIOD, July 31, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Killer Instinct Gold (Game Cartridge)

OK, as you may have heard, this game is for advanced gamers. But, I must say...my dad paid $... for this game, and it is well worth it.

This game is DEEP! Fans of the original Killer Instinct or Killer Instinct 2, or even of a fighting game that ACTUALLY has strategy to it, this is THE game to have. I must say it is at least 10 times as good as Mortal Kombat (such a simple fighting game). This excludes street fighter of course, but this game is much deeper than street fighter ever was (or probably ever will be).
KI Gold is not weak at all. This can dish out an awesome 90 frames per second. Other 64 titles look at 30, 40, maybe 60 fps, while KIG dishes out 90. OK, the characters are 2 dimensional. So what? The immerse interactive realistic 3D environments back this up. Interactive? Yup. You can combo your opponent into exploding barrels, helicopter blades, stone statues, trash cans, and much more! And of course, knock offs are back. It's possible to finish your character off the side of a building, a bridge, or even smack em straight into an oncoming train! The no mercies are back as well. Each character has 2 no mercies, a mini ultra, and the original ultra combo. You want more? OK. By fighting your way through difficulty levels of the arcade mode, you unlock special options that you can turn on to maximize gameplay fun. Make fireballs faster, pull of no mercies at even the start of their second life bar, cheap juggling, and for all those cowards: no blocking. These are only a few of the many unlockable options. Still want more? Well OK. When i say this game is deep, i mean it. Quite frankly, this game literally has over ONE MILLION different combos!! That aught to be enough to occupy you. Strategic manual and autoduobles enable you to create massive combos. Parry moves alow extended combos, and the Ultra Combo Breaker could save you from defeat at the last second (not to mention bragging rights). Super moves that drain your super bar are also available. Pretty much anything that happens builds your super bar. Super moves include super finishers that add an awesome 4-6 hit finish to a combo and high damage, super linkers to create huge combos, and shadow moves that give you a shadow when used in a combo. Must you have more? Here you go. New team modes of gameplay allow 1 on 1 fighting with teams of up to 9 characters. There's the classic tournament mode, and a training mode that teaches you everything you need to know to master a character. By beating training mode on different diffuculty levels, you unlock colors for all your fighters, which include the awsome white, the even more awesome gold, and the completely awesome shadow color! What else could there be to this game? Why, saving scores, of course! Unlike the original Killer Instinct for SNES (best fighting game for it as well), all of your top 5 biggest combos with individual characters and the damage for each combo is saved into the game. The fastest times you defeat people in is also saved. What more could you ask from a fighting game? How about difficulty? KIG has 5 modes of difficulty. By beating it on the hardest setting, you unlock the master difficulty level. If you happen to beat this level, your efforts will not go unrewarded, and by rights of battle, you will recieve...well, that's a surprise.

The only problem with this game is non-mono sound. While the difference between stereo and mono is hardly noticeable, it is nice to hear the great tracks in their fullest sound. Of course, even monaurally, the songs are awesome.

Let's recap. 10 characters + 1 hidden boss character, 90 fps, amazing interactive 3D environments, knocking off of the stage, no mercies and huge ultra combos, many special unlockable options, ONE MILLION PLUS combos, special maneuvers to maximize combos, super moves, combo/ultra breakers, new team and training modes, practice mode, new cool colors, saving all of your awesome achievements, and very easy to master difficulty levels to work your way up to a true KI Gold master.

This game combines the greatest elements to make the greatest fighting game: speed, action, novice to pro, simple to strategic, a few minutes of fun to a gameday of superb fighting, variety, great environments....this game has it all.

A fighting fan without this game is not a fighting fan at all.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fight on!, December 4, 2004

By 

Simon (Brampton, ON) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Killer Instinct Gold (Game Cartridge)

Lately I've been grabbing old N64 games to play on residence - my brother and sister wanted the Gamecube at home, so I began hunting through video game stores for any N64 gems worth filling out my collection with. I'd avoided KI Gold on its initial release because it got mixed reviews and was horribly expensive (remember those first gen N64 games? Exactly.), but since I owned every other Rareware game, I decided to grab it. After grinding the controllers to a bloody pulp in all-out tournaments with my roommates, I'm left wondering why Rare never followed with a KI3.

The fighting engine in KI Gold is completely insane. It's ridiculously fast, brutal, and fully animated. KI really puts other N64 fighters (particularly the Mortal Kombat series) to shame. The engine has some pre-programmed combos and also allows you to invent your own. I'll admit it's not as deep as Street Fighter - mindless button mashing can create some intense crowd-pleasing combos whereas Street Fighter is more skill-based - but you'll need all the help you can to survive. There are a slew of one-hit finishing moves that can instantly deplete your second energy bar, and the AI isn't shy about pulling these on you every chance it gets. What's also interesting is that while the fighting is strictly 2D, the arenas are full 3D, and certain moves such as throws will change your character positions in that space.

The graphics are excellent - it's a little odd at first seeing 2D sprites on a 3D arenea, but you get accustomed to it. The soundtrack would've been worth releasing another CD for (like they did with the first game), and the controls are sharp. If you're like me and still go for a little retro gaming, Killer Instinct Gold is probably the best fighter you can get for the N64.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost flawless, but not quite, April 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Killer Instinct Gold (Game Cartridge)

I got Killer Instinct Gold for Christmas a few years ago and it's still fun to play. It is almost a perfect port from the arcade versions to the Nintendo 64 console. The graphics are awesome and the fighting action is fast and fluid. The music goes perfect with the levels while the sound isn't bad either. The control is also top notch. You can use either the control pad or the joystick. There are also a few fatalities and you can knock your opponent off of almost every level. Some of them are especially cool. For example, in T.J. Combo's stage you can knock your opponent on the train track and the train will run over them. The combos can't be much better and the selection of characters is also good. There are many codes and secrets to find in the game that will keep the replay value good throughout the years.

Killer Instinct Gold is a great fighting game, but it's not completely flawless. Some of the graphics such as the mountains look like they're not finished and to see the real ending, you have to beat the game on the Master level and it's almost impossible. But other than that, this game is great. Anybody who likes fighting games should pick this one up today.