| Subject Name: | Killer Instinct |
| Image Link: | File:Killer Instinct CCG.jpg |
| Image Caption: | Card back to the Killer Instinct CCG |
| Publisher: | Topps |
| Players: | 2 or more |
| Setup Time: | < 5 minutes |
| Playing Time: | < 60 minutes |
Killer Instinct is an out-of-print collectible card game (CCG) by Topps based on the Killer Instinct video game.[1]
The original set had 342 cards plus 6 promo cards. The premise of the game had players trying to overthrow the Ultratech corporation by recruiting fighters and winning the Killer Instinct tournament.[2]
It was first released in June 1996.[3] The game was Nintendo's first foray into CCGs. The cards were marred by low-resolution graphics pulled directly from the video game. The 363-card set[4] was sold in 60-card starter decks and 12-card booster packs.[5] [6]
In a review published in the December 1996 issue of The Duelist, Allen Varney states that Killer Instinct is an "excellent debut card game" for Topps. He also states that it has a "clever design" that will be enjoyable to a general audience, but especially to fans of the video game or the genre of tactical fighting video games. Varney did not like the computer-generated art, though he stated it allowed for consistency with screen captures from the video game used as art in the game. He was critical of "the cheesy T&A exploitation art on the booster boxes".