Killer Instinct Gold
Killer Instinct Gold — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Killer Instinct Gold on?
- Killer Instinct Gold was released on Nintendo 64.
- When did Killer Instinct Gold release?
- Killer Instinct Gold was first released on November 25, 1996.
About Killer Instinct Gold
Rare was a prominent second-party developer for Nintendo, and produced the Killer Instinct series exclusively for the company as their response to Mortal Kombat. Following the success of the 1995 Killer Instinct port for the Super Nintendo home console, Rare began a sequel for the same console. They transitioned development to the Nintendo 64 upon its announcement. Gold was scheduled as a launch title for the new console but was delayed until its North American release in November 1996. It received a wider release in May 1997. It was also included in Rare's 2015 Xbox One retrospective compilation, Rare Replay.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- Nintendo 64
- Developer
- Rare
- Publisher
- Nintendo
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer
- Themes
- Science fiction
- Series
- Killer Instinct
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Collector value & authenticity
Nintendo 64 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-22
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAL release | $20 | $77 | $352 |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a day
- Complete: about once a week
- Sealed: about 4 times a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-22.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $15.00 in Jan 2007, $29 five years ago, and $36 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2007 | $15.00 | — |
| Jan 2008 | $15.00 | — |
| Jan 2009 | $14.95 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $14.97 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $14.23 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $13.00 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $16.00 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $18.88 | $51 |
| Jan 2015 | $19.01 | $54 |
| Jan 2016 | $16.50 | $46 |
| Jan 2017 | $19.57 | $45 |
| Jan 2018 | $15.24 | $41 |
| Jan 2019 | $18.04 | $48 |
| Jan 2020 | $20 | $58 |
| Jan 2021 | $27 | $95 |
| Jan 2022 | $35 | $129 |
| Jan 2023 | $34 | $138 |
| Jan 2024 | $23 | $96 |
| Jan 2025 | $30 | $117 |
| Jan 2026 | $27 | $115 |
| Oct 2026 | $36 | $114 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Cartridge serial | Known board |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | 25 November 1996 | NUS-NKIE-USA | NUS-02A-01 |
| Europe / PAL | 9 May 1997 | NUS-NKIP-AUS / NUS-NKIP-EUR | — |
- Region
- NA+EU
- Released
- 1996
- Authenticity
- Low
Rare's home version of Killer Instinct 2, which period critics already felt was outclassed by Tekken 2 and Virtua Fighter 2.
Killer Instinct Gold is Rare's Nintendo 64 conversion of the arcade game Killer Instinct 2, published by Nintendo. Players fight on a 2D plane in front of 3D backgrounds, chaining button presses into combos that end in finishing moves. Rare had to optimize the arcade code to run on a console less powerful than its arcade setup. It reached North America in November 1996 and PAL regions in May 1997.
Next Generation's review in its January 1997 issue said it had been upgraded for the N64 with nicely designed 3D backgrounds, a training mode and a few surprise extras, but that at heart it was still the same Mortal Kombat-inspired, sprite-based brawler. Both Next Generation and N64 Magazine felt Tekken 2 and Virtua Fighter 2 had outclassed it, and N64 Magazine said that even in the console's small catalog of the time it did not distinguish itself, with a lifespan of weeks rather than months.
What the press said at the time
| Next Generation Issue 26 | February 1997 | 2 out of 5 stars |
| Next Generation Issue 25 | January 1997 | 3 out of 5 stars |
| AllGame | 2.5/5 | |
| Computer and Video Games | 3/5 | |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 8.5/10, 6/10, 7/10, 6/10 | |
| Game Informer | 8.5/10 | |
| GameSpot | 7.4/10 | |
| IGN | 6.5/10 | |
| N64 Magazine | 62% |
“The amount of moves and combos, coupled with the incredible background displays and numerous modes, make KI Gold the most original fighter available for the N64.”
“For casual gamers, KI Gold is terrific fun but, with all the special moves in there too, KI fans will lurve this game!”
“Ultimately, Nintendo 64 users desperate for a fighting game will probably snatch this up, but they may quickly regret it”
“Lively character definition and spectacular super moves highlight the graphics, but quirky background flaws diminish the overall look. … a fantastic addition to the burgeoning Nintendo 64 library.”
Next Generation rated games from one star ("Bad: crucially flawed in design or application") to five ("Revolutionary"); three stars meant "Good: a solid and competitive example of an established game style." Undated scores are from the review table in the game's Wikipedia article, limited to reviews of the Nintendo 64 version.
Before you buy
The North American cart sits well above the library median loose and sells for many times that complete. The PAL release costs noticeably less. Fake risk is low.
Killer Instinct Gold screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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