Killer Instinct characters back in action-packed videos

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away – or to be more precise, sometime in the mid 90s – a little game took the fledgling fighting game scene, not to mention the entire Nintendo gaming community, by storm. The game was Killer Instinct, the Super Nintendo’s answer to Capcom’s ubiquitous Street Fighter II and Midway’s cartoonishly violent brawler, Mortal Kombat. Inspired by both games, Killer Instinct combined the former’s speed and intricate combo system with the latter’s bloodlust and penchant for crushing the opposition’s morale with skull-obliterating fatalities. The result was a game that would bring feelings of fondness and bitterness in equal parts for the many years to come; for while Capcom’s, Midway’s, SNK’s and Namco’s fighting game franchises continued to flourish and thrive, Killer Instinct seemed forever destined to be relegated into game development back burner hell.

 

Fast forward almost two decades later, to the disastrous Microsoft E3 2013 press event, and we get a shocking reveal – the return of Killer Instinct, exclusive to the Xbox One, to the delight and consternation of the long absent franchise’s adoring fans.

 

The reveal showed snippets of only three of Killer Instinct’s original characters: Jago, Sabrewulf and Glacius. But what was seen left many fans divided. The characters looked nothing like their classic counterparts, some complained. The game looked like a button-mashing mess that pandered only to noobs and casual gamers, others ranted. Others praised it for its graphics, which are admittedly a far cry from the franchise’s previous two entries. However people felt about things, one thing was for sure: Killer Instinct, for better or worse, was back.

 

This past weekend, Evo 2013 not only showcased the best of the fighting game community, it also gave fans a more in-depth look at Killer Instinct’s first three returning characters. IGN has uploaded a YouTube video for each character, exhibiting in glorious detail their moves lists, strengths, weaknesses, and play styles, as well as providing tantalizing hints about their respective back stories.

 

 

Jago

 

First off is one of the series’ main protagonists, Jago. A Tibetan monk on a journey to defeat the foul evil coursing through his veins, Jago is Killer Instict’s mask-wearing, sword-wielding version of Street Fighter’s Ryu. He even has a shoryuken-style uppercut and a hadoken-ish fireball.

 

 

 

 

Part of Jago’s training regimen in the tranquil Tibetan hills seems to be the daily consumption of steroids, as is evidenced by the massive poundage of pure beef he has accumulated since his early stint as a 90s video game hero. Some commenters are clearly upset with the re-imagination of the character, claiming he looks more like a professional wrestler disguised as a ninja than a Tibetan monk disguised as a ninja. To be fair, his bulk is quite comparable to Ryu’s and Ken’s, and since roided-up fighting game heroes seems to be all the rage these days, Jago’s rock-like new bod is oddly fitting.

 

 

Sabrewulf

 

Next is Killer Instinct’s resident lycanthrope, Sabrewulf. Now, this guy is a treat to watch. Ridiculously quick, with strikes so savage just watching him rip through his opponent will make you wince, Sabrewulf seems the perfect choice for the speed junky who isn’t afraid to get a little gore under his nails.

 

 

 

Much like Jago, Sabrewulf’s rebooted look has been the subject of many criticisms, some of them even suggesting he looks more like a giant, rabid rat than a ferocious werewolf. Of course, this is all subject to personal opinion. Whether he looks like a wolf, a rat, or an otter, we can all agree that Sabrewulf is probably not the creature you would want to meet in a dark alley, during a full moon.

 

 

Glacius

 

An old fan favorite, Glacius the icy alien shape-shifter is so far the winner of the “Most Drastically Altered from Original Design” Award. Whereas the original Glacius was a creature that bore human-like proportions, the new Glacius is a towering, gangly freak show with a vaguely bird-like head and a jiggling neck that’s a tad uncomfortable to look at.

 

 

 

 

Glacius appears to be taking the spot of the token long-range/projectile-throwing fighter, as can be seen with his moves that span and fill up the entire screen. He seems to have retained some of his old techniques, however, such as the Cold Shoulder dash, and his insane uppercut.

 

So there you have it, three videos that together create a veritable expose of the new Killer Instinct’s first three returning favorites. Love the new designs or hate them, the game sure seems a fresh, interesting take on a beloved classic. Expect more character reveals in the following months, as the return of fellow Killer Instinct alumni Spinal, Cinder, Fulgore, and Orchid have already been announced in recent interviews with game development supervisor at Double Helix Games, Ken Lobb. — TJD, GMA News