How Similar is Rare's Killer Instinct to Capcom's Darkstalkers?

Hi everyone I'm Jack Red, maybe it's just me but isn't Killer Instinct series in some ways similar to Capcom's Darkstalkers series? I felt to talk about many things I personally noticed. This will be a new series that's sorta similar to a short lived one. Where I talk about game or a game series similar to another in full detail.


Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors came out before Killer Instinct by a few months back in 1994. Obviously both of them was inspired by horror movies. Some of the stages in some ways are similar to some degree. They are both fighting games that originally came out in the arcades. There isn't many ports of either game as well.

I wanted to point some obvious similar characters out for this comparison as they follow below...
Sabrewulf & Jon Talbain are both werewolves
Glacius & Sasquatch are both not humans that can manipulate ice
Spinal & Lord Raptor are both undead characters
Kan-Ra & Anakaris are both mummies
Sadira & Q-Bee are both female insect characters
Cinder & Pyron are both fire theme characters
Mira & Demitri are both vampires
Hisako & Bishamon are both haunted warriors
Aganos & Victor are both hulking creatures made by people

Blood does appear from taking damage at times. Although the first two Killer Instinct games have finishing moves to kill their opponents. Obviously their soundtracks are vastly different. But Darkstalkers 3 decided to pull a feature straight from Killer Instinct series. Where you or your opponent will change to another health bar during the match with a little break.

I felt this was even shorter in Darkstalkers than any of the Killer Instinct games. Double Helix was the original developers of Killer Instinct (2013) game. During season 2 content, Iron Galaxy took over. If that name rings a bell then you already know they ported a few Capcom games. Such as Marvel vs. Capcom: Origins, Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike & Darkstalkers: Resurrection.

Yes the same team worked on a handful of both these game series. The games I just mention came with a lot of challenges to help you unlock stuff in the gallery section. In Darkstalkers: Resurrection's case, you could upload your matches online. The team added way more than that to Killer Instinct (2013) game.

Two of the Killer Instinct games has combos, Ultras & Ultimates. Ultras were lengthy combos that sends your opponents flying by the end of it. More recently Killer Instinct (2013) game made it more ridiculous. Ultimates is a short combo followed by killing your opponent. In Darkstalkers 3, you got ES & EX moves.

ES was some of your biggest combos while EX you had to button mash to increase the damage. Some of the animation you'll see from the stages themselves gives us a horror vibe. Honestly how the hell didn't both of these franchises not cross over yet? To me, it seems very clear a cross over would be truly sick here.

Sure in a way it would be the closest thing to a cross over between Mortal Kombat & Street Fighter. But at the same time, they can do a lot more with it rather than removing one of the essentials in the process. Killer Instinct series has more of an upbeat soundtrack while you get more of a horror theme in Darkstalkers'.