Killer Instinct Gold is a fighting video game based on the arcade game Killer Instinct 2. It was developed by Rare and initially released on November 25, 1996, by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 video game console. As in other series entries, players press buttons to punch and kick their opponent in chains of successive hits, known as combos. Large combo chains lead to stronger attacks and brutal, stylistic finisher moves. Characters—including a gargoyle, a ninja, and a femme fatale—fight in settings including a jungle and a spaceship. The Gold release lacks the arcade version's full-motion video sequences, but adds a training mode, new camera views, and improved audiovisuals. It was later included in Rare's 2015 Xbox One retrospective compilation, Rare Replay. Reviewers appreciated the game's sound and environment backdrops, but felt that its graphical upgrades and memorization-based combo gameplay were insufficient when compared to fighting games like Tekken 2 and Virtua Fighter 2. Gold ultimately did not replicate the success of its Super NES predecessor, and the series remained dormant through its 2002 acquisition by Microsoft until its 2013 reboot. (Full article...)