*Gasp* New Killer Instinct?

Rare is not known for making high-quality and distinctive video-games these days. Back in the 90’s, they were known for ambitious, amazing, and deeply charming action games like Perfect Dark and Banjo Kazooie. The studio was purchased for $375 million back in 2002 by Microsoft. The Xbox 360 held a number of games in the classic type of Rare approach. The studio has become a forge for Microsoft’s push into family marketing of Kinect Sports and Xbox Avatars.

Though, Rare might be digging back into the 90’s for some wonderful inspiration. Microsoft teased via PlayXBLA on Monday that the trademark for Killer Instinct, a great fighting series from the Super Nintendo and 64 arch of gaming, has been renewed.

“With all due respect to our friends in the media, who like to frequent trademark sites. We thought we’d break this one ourselves, our legal eagles have authorized us to say: ‘We have either renewed or re-filed a trademark application in various jurisdictions.'”

Revealed in the past, some designers and artists left tid-bits about Killer Instinct 3.

“I obviously have personal feelings about Killer Instinct, but I do think it’s got a place,” Killer Instinct designer Ken Lobb said at X10, “Let’s bring back something that people loved in the past and see how it does on Live Arcade.” He also said that they had started working on Killer Instinct 3 back in the 90’s.

The 3D modeler that worked on these series, Donnchadh Murphy, said in August that Microsoft was not interested in making the game. “We all wanted to make Killer Instinct 3, but Microsoft was more interested in broadening their demographic than making another fighting game. So it never got made, I doubt it ever will.”

However, a possible re-release of the original Killer Instinct games is still in the bag.