Killer Instinct was always sort of dumb -- the goofy Mortal Kombat knock-off with a skeleton a dinosaur & dudes named TJ Combo (ugh) & Fulgore (what?) In hindsight Killer Instinct was kind of embarrassing But we still connected to it Who doesn’t want to see a ninja fist-fight a werewolf? Killer Instinct on Xbox One is still really really stupid It’s also pretty awesome More Street Fighter IV than traditional Killer Instinct in speed & style this reboot isn’t just looking at how it can bring Rare’s classic back to life but how it can reinvigorate it The 2D fighter has changed significantly since 1994 & developer Double Helix recognizes it Killer Instinct is fast on Xbox One unrecognizably so Aside from the presence of Sabrewulf (ugh) & Jago (what?) you might mistake this for an entirely new game The bright colors & thick black outlines give the characters who take up a healthy amount of on-screen real estate a comic book-style shade Their combos are quick & flow naturally -- I found myself slipping into an awesome combo accidentally Marvel vs Capcom style often The move sets are simple the stylish & devastating Ultra Combos are easy to execute & the Combo Breaker makes you feel like a badass It’s basically just a parry with a fancy name but Killer Instinct regards it so highly that it’s hard not to feel the surge of satisfaction every time you escape an onslaught of frightening kicks Every big counter feels like an event & it can totally change the flow of a fight when your opponent&s left exposed after your escape Familiar yes but this is definitely Killer Instinct done differently (and arguably better) Killer Instinct is a day-one digital-only release on Xbox One & features -- get this -- one character Jago is free to play on launch day Everyone else -- unspecified returning characters as well as original fighters -- will cost money Price is to-be-determined (of course) Is this the start of a new trend? With Xbox Live Arcade vanishing into the greater Games Marketplace perhaps free-to-play is the new trial version & you&ll nickel & dime your way to a more complete version Hopefully trials of some sort will still mandated so players can try out everything as it hits Xbox Live Please Note The Insert inside the case is Polish but the code & the game plays in full English