Killer Instinct (1994) — Release Date, Cheats, Price & Requirements

Killer Instinct

Killer Instinct is a fighting game developed by Rare and published by Midway and Nintendo. It was released as an arcade game in the fall of 1994 and, the following year, ported to the Super Nintendo…

70 28 October 1994

What Killer Instinct is

Killer Instinct is a fighting game developed by Rare and released in 1994. It was published by Midway. It is available on Arcade only.

The premise, in the publisher's words

Ultratech is a very powerful megacorporation which organises a tournament called Killer Instinct. Along with regular participants, experimental creatures created by Ultratech also fight in the tournament so their strength can be tested. Ultratech also discovers a technology to make bridges between dimensions, and releases a two-headed, one-eyed, satyr monster called Eyedol from this dimensional prison.

Description from the publisher · source

How it plays

It is played from a side view perspective. Its themes are action, fantasy and science fiction. It supports multiplayer. Local play supports 2 players. Available modes: Multiplayer and Single player.

Where it sits in the Killer Instinct series

Killer Instinct is the first of 6 entries we hold in the Killer Instinct series. The next entry was Killer Instinct in 1995.

See all 6 Killer Instinct games in release order →

How it was received

Killer Instinct holds a critic score of 70 out of 100. That places it above 42% of the 981 rated fighting games in our database, which average 68. Games released in 1994 averaged 72, so it scored 2 points below the year average. Player ratings track closely with critics at 72, across 112 votes.

What it launched against

Killer Instinct launched on 28 October 1994, within three weeks of Donkey Kong Country, The Lion King, Super Punch-Out!! and Samurai Shodown II. All of them reviewed better.

Released around the same time: Donkey Kong Country, The Lion King, Super Punch-Out!!, Samurai Shodown II.

Cheats and codes

We have not confirmed any working cheat codes for Killer Instinct yet. Rather than reprint a list we have not tested, this section stays empty until one is verified.

Know one? Send it in and we will test it →

Killer Instinct — frequently asked questions