Bring back The Original Shadow Move Systems (Shadow Meter) - Killer Instinct 4

What happened to Killer Instinct season 1-3 mechanics system is change?

Do you remember the original killer instinct 1994-1996 mechanic’s shadow move systems? Shadow moves infinite and no limited right?

Original Shadow Moves infinite no linker, increase faster combos and allow shadow moves with max ultra combos.

let me explain; so look video here

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Shadow moves never existed in the original KI, the video you showed just had normal linkers and an Ultra Combo.

So you’re disappointed that the game has some new features that didn’t exist before, like shadow moves, and a better combo system than the original?

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no, u wrong… so clear you never play original killer instinct arcade…

I played the arcade version that was packaged with the season 1 ultra edition, and there were NO shadow moves. I think you’re making a mistake with shadow moves and confusing them with RELEASE moves, where you had to hold down a button to trigger them instead of a normal special move. Release moves then get a shadow image when some other special condition was met, and to be honest, the system for that stuff was confusing.

The way Shadow moves exist now is much less confusing, much less execution intensive, more aggressive, and makes for way more exciting gameplay.

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Um sorry but I AM a long time fan and played the sh*t out of both old KI in arcade and SNES and can solidly confirm that @IronFlame is right.

While KI2 did have “Shadow Moves” that functioned similar to the current system (build up super meter to use) although they were more than just enhanced specials in certain cases they were distinctly new moves only usable if you have meter. Example Jago had a Shadow only move that depleted a small amount if his own HP and set it aside so if you later lost the match you would come back with that sliver of HP similiar to TJ’s Last Breath Instinct ability. These were not infinite in the slightest.

KI1 meanwhile, did not have separate Shadow Specials but it did have special variant combo linkers and enders with some shadow effects not the same thing. These were infinite but not exactly special in any way, it was just an afterimage midcombo or ultra to look cool.

Anyone with new Killer Instinct Definitive Edition or emulators for classic KI can also easily confirm this is the case, lol.

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It’s cool sorry if I came off rude in anyway. The shadow effects on certain charged moves or reversed input specials as linkers was cool but nothing important. There are certain Supers or Specials in KI2 that I kinda miss like Spinal had a meter draining special in KI2 as well and was not considered broken because it wasn’t curse effect just a soul drain into his shield special on top of his standard power devour. And the self-resurrect for Jago but hey TJ has that as his gimmick now which I think really really suits his character so Jago not having it is understandable.

Yesterday I had this conversation too:

I agree I don’t consider them “shadows” themself but that’s the way they were called. You got them once you did a combo breaker. It would also change SabreWulf’s special moves properties as well (double spinning for instance) just by a succesful howl.

The “special bar” is only present in KI2 as power pips and that’s the most similar to the new KI shadow bar and has not much to do with KI1 “shadow moves”.

Honestly I like having a bar for specials than depending on the breaking system for it. I hardly used “shadows” in KI but I would use Wulf’s howl properties A LOT.

That’s the name they used for that, but I agree they are not extra special bars, but a property awarded for combo breaking in most cases.

************
* Power UP *
************

The Power up bar is the white flashing vertical bar in your health bar.
This means you will be able to do many more devastating moves such as
the Shadow moves and Triple projectiles. Most times the bar is powered
up by doing a combo breaker. Sabrewulf can get it by doing his Energy Howl,
and Spinal can get it by obtaining skulls. If the bar is NOT flashing, then
you are not powered up

****************
* Shadow Moves *
****************

These can be done when the Power up bar is flashing. If you do a special
move, then a silver outline follows your every move.

It is incredible that the system of combos in ki vainilla and KI2, was much cooler and more interesting, than the one of KI 2013. full of secret movements, secrets ultras, mini ultras, and now it is only a succession of the same moves again and again, before the combos were shorter, and better for the spectator

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I agree that the system was cool, once you understand it, it was neat =)

This new system allows to create different combos mixing the three options whenever you want, but limiting manuals to the linker and some frames.