Source: EGM 2 – Issue Number 5 – November 1994 – Page 156 (Fact File)
Power Instinct was the second in a fairly long line of fighting games by Atlus. The first two were both originally released as arcade games. Power Instinct 2 followed on the heels of its predecessor pretty rapidly, less than 6 months after it was introduced. While the home ports of the 1993 original appeared on the Super Nintendo and Genesis, Power Instinct 2 came home on the PlayStation in 1994 but only in Japan. The arcade “Fact File” from the November 1994 issue of EGM2 is shown above.
Power Instinct is lesser known than some of the more popular fighting game series but it could hold its own for the most part. The problem was that it just didn’t have much that set it apart. Power Instinct 2 added additional characters and a small unique twist with a “stress meter” but it just wasn’t enough for it to stand out from other popular fighters of the day. After the first two games the series (and spinoffs) moved on to the Saturn and Neo Geo but I don’t believe any of them were home ports available in the U.S.
While Power Instinct 2 doesn’t really stand out from the crowd, there isn’t really anything wrong with it. If you are a fighting game fan it’s probably worth picking up for something a little different. You’ll have to emulate the arcade version or perhaps pick up the Japanese import though as that is the only way to get it. You can also check out the ports of the original Power Instinct on the SNES or Genesis.
Screen shots above are from the arcade version of Power Instinct 2.
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