The Final Word game review

video download - MPEG-1 format / AVI format

Killer Instinct -- Nintendo

Killer Instinct for play on the Super NES is the long awaited home conversion of the popular arcade hit. This massive 32mb game features regular play, tournament mode, and even a practice mode -- for brushing up on your combo attacks. Killer Instinct is available now from Nintendo.

Ferrari Man
If I hadn't played it, I would have told you that it could not be done. This is my personal favorite arcade to home translation, ever. The moves are there, the control is great, the graphics good, and the sound incredible. I honestly didn't think 16-bit could do this. There is no way any fighting game fan could pass this up -- even if it was the only game keeping your 16-bitter around!

????
The translation of this awesome arcade game to home was truly amazing, I never thought it could come this close. All the characters are present and have most of their moves intact, what more could you ask for from the SNES; besides scaling and rotation that the SNES isn't capable of reproducing. This definitely replaces MK II as the best SNES fighter. The graphics are awesome and are only lacking the multitude of colors and scaling present in its arcade counterpart. The music is great and most of the voices are still present. The Killer Cuts soundtrack was an excellent bonus for those who got it. Where this game really shines is in its gameplay -- this cart handles exactly, if not better, than its arcade brother. Now if you never liked the arcade version then you probably won't like this version much either. This game is packed with a ton of options such as forcing a human opponent to randomly select a character after having a long winning streak, easy combo-breakers for beginners and even a practice mode where you can tear into a stationary computer opponent who won't die -- so you can work on your combos and master them. However an irrational human opponent is more than likely going to be more difficult to nail with a long-winded combo than a docile computer opponent. Overall this game is awesome and shouldn't be missed if you're a KI fan.

R.I.P.
Wow, where do I begin? Graphically, this game doesn't even touch the arcade version. Yet, on its own, this title is a lot of fun. Soundwise, I was really suprised at the quantity and quality of voices and music in this game, I really didn't think they could do it... imagine my amazement. My biggest complaint has to be over the cinemas though... Not that they are missing, but that they included this horrendous sequence for characters falling off of buildings (yes, this particular sequence sucks more than words can say). Other than that, and the fact that this game may well have crippled my thumb -- trying to pull off combos (grin) -- this game kicks ass... Definately the best fighter for the SNES that I've played to date. In fact, I would have to say that it is one of the best console fighters out in general for any platform. Very addictive. Also, that CD that's packed in with the initial distributions of the game is great listening.

Salamander
With so many flat 2-D fighters around, there may not seem like room for any others. Killer Instict, however, sets itself apart with enormous combos and a wide variety of finishing moves and humilations. The real question here, however, is can the 16-bit SNES live up to an SGI-Onyx-In-A-Box? When I first saw the game, I did not believe it could compete. The graphics are better than anything I have seen on 16-bit, but I am already spoiled by the next gereation systems (quick, eh?) and the graphics still pale compared to the arcade. As soon as I picked up the controller, however, my mood changed. The gameplay is phenomenal! This is easily the best game on the SNES. The sound is excellent, too -- several of the music scores have full voice, straight from the CD cut. Probably the best reason to keep your 16-bit system around.

>>>>> 95.5/100 <<<<<		Ferrari Man	????	R.I.P.	Salamander
Graphics		4.0	4.5	4.5	5.0
Sound		5.0	4.5	5.0	5.0
Gameplay/Control		5.0	5.0	5.0	5.0
Longevity/Playability		4.5	4.5	5.0	4.5
Overall		5.0	5.0	5.0	4.5
Total		23.5	23.5	24.5	24.0

(10/95)