It has been nearly a full month since the last Nintendo Switch Online announcement, and if you've been spending those weeks practicing Ultra Combos, then boy do I have good news for you. That's right, at long last, the Nintendo 64 fighting game Killer Instinct Gold is finally available on the Switch. That's cool news, but is this game actually worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, GamePro, Nintendo Power and more classic magazines to see what the critics said back when it first came out. Get your c-c-c-combo breaker ready, because it's time for another brutal episode of Nintendo Switch Online Review Crew.


When Killer Instinct was first announced in early 1994, it was hyped as not just the future one one-on-one fighters, but also the next level of console gaming. Along with Cruis'n USA, Killer Instinct was revealed to be the first game announced for the Nintendo 64, which at the time was still going by the codename Project Reality. In theory, the game you played in the arcade would be exactly the same as what you played at home. This is a claim that would come back to bite them in the future, but the hype was real, and gamers anticipated Killer Instinct being a Nintendo 64 launch title. Of course, that didn't happen. When Nintendo delayed the N64 launch by a full year, they chose to port the “future of gaming” to the aging Super NES and Game Boy. Suddenly, all eyes were on the arcade sequel, which once again promised to be exactly like the eventual home game. But, when Nintendo finally announced the launch line-up, Killer Instinct was nowhere to be found. Thankfully, fight fans didn't have to wait long, because Killer Instinct Gold finally made its way home three months after the N64 launched, just in time for the holiday season. But was it arcade perfect? And, with 3D fighters taking up all of the oxygen, was this still the future of gaming? Buckle up, because the reviews are all over the place.

Let's start with Electronic Gaming Monthly, which gave this arcade port a less-than-stellar average of 6.9 out of 10. With scores ranging from a 6 all the way up to an 8.5, this is one of those games where there wasn't a lot of agreement. Dan came in on the lower side, arguing that “the first Killer Instinct was fun. It was a fresh, good-looking game, but that novelty wore off when Killer Instinct 2 debuted. Now, I will admit that I like Killer Instinct Gold's graphics and its unique use of the power meter, but I just can't get into this game. It doesn't take genuine skill to play, and you spend too much time block in order to set up attacks. It also didn't help that Chief Thunder was left out. Killer Instinct Gold is a commendable effort, but it's a style of game that could turn you off just as easily as turns you on.” As it turns out, Shawn was turned on by the game. “Wow! I've been waiting to play a fighter that really comes close to the arcade version. Sure, Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat have been on the other systems, but the graphics in Killer Instinct are rendered. I've never been a big fan of the Killer series, and this version hasn't converted me, but Killer Instinct Gold is impressive.” He later went on to talk about “getting raw” on a fighter, but we're just going to leave it there before this episode gets demonetized.

What you're going to find with a lot of these reviews is that the critics were largely over Killer Instinct in 1996. It no longer felt like the future of gaming, but rather a relic from the past. You saw that when Nintendo Power gave the game a mere 3.3 out of 5, much lower than their flowery coverage up to that point would suggest. N64 magazine went a bit lower, giving it a 62%, while Computer & Video Games went all the way down to a 3 out of 5. When Edge issued their score of 6 out of 10, it came with some big critiques: “The main problem is that Killer Instinct was overrated the first time around. What Rare has managed here is to create a game that suffers the same problem as the original; once learnt, the combos leave the player with little recourse to spontaneity. The one-player game is predictable, while the two-player mode, though obviously better, still boils down to being a mad rush to see who can press the most buttons in the quickest time. The beat ‘em up genre has moved forward since Killer Instinct's original appearance, and the thought of merely reeling off endless combos until one fighter falls over now seems incredibly bland.”

Just in case you're wondering, no, the game did not fare any better when Edge's sister magazine, Next Generation, reviewed it. In fact, things actually got a whole lot worse. Giving it a 2 out of 5, the lowest score of any English-language magazine, they concluded that “Nintendo 64 users desperate for a fighting game will probably snatch this up, but they may quickly regret it – the arcade version of Killer Instinct was showing signs of age pretty much within days of launch, and this is almost arcade perfect. Still, it did manage to muster a devout following that remains faithful to this day. Either way, whether you like it or not (and our opinion is pretty clear), this ain't no Tekken 2, and – as sure as Orchid's breasts are fake – it ain't no Virtua Fighter 2 either.”

While there are more negative scores than positive, there were still a few magazines that defended Killer Instinct Gold. Ultra Game Players gave it a solid 7.9 out of 10, while 64 Extreme went all the way up to an 82%. That's pretty close to the 8.5 out of 10 we saw from Game Informer. However, the most entertaining reviews come from Game Fan, who gave this port an average score of 91%. One of the editors actually gave the game a near-perfect 98%, because of course he did. “Endooooooo Kuuuuuuken! Fans of Killer Instinct rejoice – Killer Instinct Gold for N64 is here! I've spent years searching for a fighting game where the aggressor is justly rewarded, rather than Street Fighter Alpa 2's ‘I can win by slapping three buttons for instant combo mode!' With hours of butt-stompin' gameplay, tons of secrets, pumpin' music and NO LOADING, what more could you ask for? Well, maybe a better controller.” E. Storm also liked the game, calling it “man-style gaming. This monstrous fighter screams with intensity. Sure, some frames are gone, but it still looks hot, especially with the new real time backgrounds. I've been playing non-stop since Killer Instinct came out and I'm still miles away from truly learning all there is to know. Killer's got the depth, the tunes and the graphic force to keep me going until I've mastered it. Excellent!”

Now, if you're looking for the highest score, then we're going to have to pull the February 1997 issue of GamePro off of the shelf. Giving it a 5 out of 5, GamePro took aim at the competition: “Killer Instinct Gold's the best fighting game on the Nintendo 64 (sorry, Mortal Kombat Trilogy). Although purists may argue the original Killer Instinct is a better fighting game, this version is Gold when it comes to the fun factor. Instinct tells us this one's a winner.” Yup. GamePro is going to GamePro.

Like I said, the reviews are all over the place. From 40% all the way up to 100%, there's a review for you, no matter how you feel about Killer Instinct Gold. Overall, the critics gave this port an average score of 72%, down 11 points from the 83% they gave the original game on the Super NES. With diminishing returns (and the genre shifting more towards 3D fighters), the franchise was abandoned until the 2013 reboot. Who knows what the future holds for this franchise, but hey, at least you can play Gold on the Switch. That's something, right?