"killer instinct" was a commercial hit and gained some critical acclaim. an early 1995 article on the fighting game industry in "electronic gaming monthly" stated that "for now, the undisputed king at the arcades is "killer instinct"". "next generation" reviewed the arcade version of the game, and stated that "it's not the breakthrough title we're all waiting for — and sooner a new genre has to explode. but for the moment at least, nintendo's plans for ultra 64 seem to be progressing smoothly." "entertainment weekly" gave the arcade version of the game an a+.