Spinal/Gameplay

Overview

Gameplay

Movelist Terminology Overall Killer Instinct 1 & 2 Killer Instinct (2013) Directions are assumed facing to the right [→] P: Any Punch K: Any Kick Charge: Hold the direction for at least 1 second Long Charge: Hold the direction for at least 2 seconds Hold: Hold the button for however long Release: Release a held button QP: Quick Punch QK: Quick Kick MP: Medium Punch MK: Medium Kick FP: Fierce Punch FK: Fierce Kick LP: Light Punch LK: Light Kick MP: Medium Punch MK: Medium Kick HP: Heavy Punch HK: Heavy Kick 2P: Any two Punches together 2K: Any two Kicks together 3P: All three Punches together 3K: All three Kicks together

Killer Instinct (1994)

Special Moves

Name	Input	Description
Power Devour	[← + Hold QP]	Spinal raises his shield to defend. When hit by a special move, he gains a Skull stock. When hit by three, he gains a spark on his life bar.
Soul Sword	[Charge ← → + MP]	Spinal swipes with a fiery sword.
Reverse Soul Sword	[Charge → ← + MP]	Spinal swipes with a fiery sword as a reversal.
Bone Shaker	[→ → + P]	Spinal runs forwards and does a shield bash. Button strength determines distance.
Sliding Kick	[↙ ↓ ↘ + FK]	Spinal performs a short sliding kick on the ground.
Skeleport (Front)	[↓ ↓ + P]	Spinal teleports in front of the opponent.
Skeleport (Behind)	[↓ ↓ + K]	Spinal teleports behind the opponent.
Air Skeleport (Front)	[Hold QP + ↓ ↓ + Release] (air)	Spinal teleports in front of the opponent after a jump. Button must be held before jumping.
Air Skeleport (Behind)	[Hold QK + ↓ ↓ + Release] (air)	Spinal teleports behind the opponent after a jump. Button must be held before jumping.
Combo Breaker	[→ → + P]	Spinal teleports out of a combo. Must be timed correctly. Quick beats Medium, Medium beats Fierce, Fierce beats Quick.

Post-Combo Breakers

Name	Input	Description
Searing Skull	[↓ ↘ → + P] (1 Skull)	Spinal shoots a flaming skull projectile from his shield.
Super Searing Skull	[← ↙ ↓ ↘ → + P] (2 Skulls)	Spinal shoots a line of skull projectiles that cause knockdown.
Double Soul Sword	[Charge ← → + MP] (1 Skull)	Spinal swipes with his fiery sword twice.

Combo Openers

Name	Input
Bone Shaker	[→ → + P]
Soul Sword	[Charge ← → + MP]
Reverse Soul Sword	[Charge → ← + MP]
Sliding Kick	[↙ ↓ ↘ + FK]

Combo Linkers

Name	Input
Reverse Soul Sword	[Charge → ← + MP]

Combo Enders

Name	Input
Bone Shaker	[→ → + P]
Skeleport (Front)	[↓ ↓ + P/K]

Finishers

Name	Input	Description
Danger Move: Shield Stab	[← ← → + QK] (close)	Spinal slashes the opponent twice before stabbing them three times with the spike on his shield.
Danger Move: Skeleton Grab	[← ← ← + MK] (close)	Spinal summons a skeleton from the ground beneath the opponent to drag them underground. In the SNES version, Spinal calls a bolt of lightning to strike them instead.
Ultra Combo	[↓ ↘ → + FP] (in combo)	Spinal delivers 32 hits to end the match.
Ultimate: Skeleton Grab	[↘ ↓ ↙ + QP] (in combo)	Spinal finishes the combo with Skeleton Grab.
Humiliation	[← ↙ ↓ ↘ → + FK]	Spinal forces the defeated opponent to dance.

Killer Instinct 2/Gold

Special Moves

Name	Input	Description
Power Devour	[← + Hold QP]	Spinal raises his shield to defend. When hit by a special move, he gains a Skull stock. Cannot be held indefinitely.
Soul Drain	[↓ ↘ → + QP]	Spinal releases waves of fire from his shield.
SkeleSkewer	[↓ ↘ → + MP]	Spinal stabs with his cutlass.
Reverse SkeleSkewer	[↓ ↙ ← + MP]	Spinal stabs with his cutlass as a reversal.
Flame Blade	[↓ ↘ → + FP]	Spinal swings his cutlass upwards in a fiery arc.
Skull Scrape	[↓ + FK]	Spinal slides along the ground with his cutlass.
Skull Spear	[↓ + FK] (air)	Spinal performs a two-footed divekick.
Skull Dash	[Hold → →]	Spinal breaks into a sustained run.
Searing Skull	[↓ ↘ → + K]	Spinal shoots a ghostly skull from his shield. Button strength determines speed.
Skeleport	[↓ ↙ ← + K]	Spinal spins into the ground to teleport. Quick version goes in front of the opponent, Fierce goes behind them, and Medium stays in place.
Throw	[→ + FK]	Spinal throws the opponent behind himself. Can reverse being thrown with [← + FK].
Mini-Ultra	[↓ ↘ → + FP]	Spinal performs a shorter Ultra Combo to end the first round.
Combo Breaker	[↓ ↙ ← + P/K]	Spinal teleports out of a combo. Must be timed correctly. Punch beats Kick, Kick beats Punch.
Ultra Breaker	[↓ ↙ ← ↙ ↓ ↘ → + FK] (6 blocks)	Spinal teleports out of an Ultra Combo. Must be used at the beginning of the Ultra Combo.

Super Moves

Name	Input	Cost	Description
1 Skull Summon	[↓ ↙ ← + MP]	1 block	Spinal converts one block of Super Bar into one Skull.
All Skulls Summon	[↓ ↙ ← + FP]	6 blocks	Spinal converts all six blocks of his Super Bar into six Skulls.
Grim Reaper	[↓ ↙ ← ↙ ↓ ↘ → + FP]	4 blocks	Spinal leaps forwards with a flaming overhead slash.
Super Searing Skull	[↓ ↙ ← ↙ ↓ ↘ → + FK]	6 blocks	Spinal shoots three ghostly skulls from his shield.
Stunning Skull	[↓ ↙ ← ↙ ↓ ↘ → + MK]	4 blocks	Spinal shoots a skull that causes knockdown and stun.
Super Flame Blade	[↓ ↘ → ← + MP] (linker)	3 blocks	Spinal swings hit flaming cutlass around three times.
Super Skull Scrape	[↓ ↘ → ← + FK] (linker)	3 blocks	Spinal slides along the ground with his cutlass to hit five times.

Combo Openers

Name	Input
SkeleSkewer	[↓ ↘ → + MP]
Flame Blade	[↓ ↘ → + FP]
Skull Scrape	[↓ + FK]

Combo Linkers

Name	Input
SkeleSkewer	[↓ ↘ → + MP]
Flame Blade	[↓ ↘ → + FP]

Combo Enders

Name	Input
Reverse SkeleSkewer	[↓ ↙ ← + MP]
Skeleport	[↓ ↙ ← + QK]
Skeleport	[↓ ↙ ← + MK]
Skeleport	[↓ ↙ ← + FK]
Special Ender	[↓ ↘ → + QP] (after first 4 enders)

Finishers

Name	Input	Description
Ultra Combo	[↓ ↙ ← + FP] (in combo)	Spinal performs a finishing combo, whose length is determined by the player's performance in the match.
Ultimate	[↓ ↓ + QK] (in combo)	Spinal levitates the opponent into the air and breaks their back.
0-Combo Ultimate	[↓ ↘ → ↓ ↘ → + QP]	Spinal summons two zombie hands to hold the opponent in place while a giant skull crushes them.

Killer Instinct (2013)

Combat Traits

Name	Description
Spectral Manuals	After any auto-double, if Spinal waits for the attack to fully complete and presses the same button again, skeletal hands execute a third manual attack. Each hit grants Spinal a Skull.
Skull Stocks	Spinal can accumulate up to five Skull stocks through various means. These Skulls can then be used to enhance his special attacks, or to cancel any attack into Bone Runner.
Meter Curses	Spinal can place curses on the opponent's Shadow Meter with Searing Skull, or on their Instinct Meter with Shadow Searing Skull. Each curses lasts 30 seconds, and multiple curses can be stacked. Hitting Spinal removes the oldest curse.

Command Attacks

Name	Input	Description
Shield Crush	[← + HP]	Spinal swings his shield downwards. Hits overhead.
Spectral Punch	[↓ + HP]	Spinal summons a ghostly fist to punch upwards, granting one Skull on hit.
Slide Kick	[↓ + MP]	Spinal performs a short sliding kick.
Dive Kick	[MK] (air)	Spinal cancels momentum into a diagonal dive kick. Causes ground bounce on airborne opponents.
Power Devour	[← + Hold LP]	Spinal raises his shield to defend. Absorbs all hits from special moves or Shadow Moves, converting them into one Skull per hit.
Bone Runner	[Hold → →]	Spinal has a sustained run instead of a forward dash.
Throw	[→/← + LP+LK]	Spinal summons a skeletal arm to blast the opponent away. Grants one Skull.

Special Moves

Name	Input	Description
Searing Skull	[↓ ↘ → + P]	Spinal shoots a ghostly skull from his shield. Without Skulls, attack is short-ranged and grants a Skull on hit. With a Skull, Spinal fires a purple projectile instead; Light travels along the ground to hit low, Medium travels horizontally, and Heavy launches off-screen vertically and comes down overhead on the opponent. Inflicts a Shadow Meter curse.
Boneshaker	[↓ ↘ → + K]	Spinal flies forwards with a shield bash. Button strength determines distance. With a Skull, the Heavy version becomes invulnerable to projectiles.
Soul Sword	[↓ ↙ ← + P]	Spinal swings his cutlass upwards in a fiery arc. With a Skull, the Heavy version hits twice and launches the opponent on hit.
Skeleport	[↓ ↙ ← + K]	Spinal sinks into the ground to teleport. Invulnerable until he reappears. Light travels a short distance forward, Medium travels directly in front of the opponent, Heavy travels directly them. With a Skull, the Heavy version can be canceled into another special or Shadow Move.

Shadow Attacks

Name	Input	Description
Shadow Searing Skull	[↓ ↘ → + 2P]	Spinal shoots a large yellow skull from his shield that hits five times. Does not cost a Skull. Inflicts an Instinct Meter curse.
Shadow Boneshaker	[↓ ↘ → + 2K]	Spinal flies forward with a shield bash, hitting five times. Invulnerable to throws and projectiles.
Shadow Soul Sword	[↓ ↙ ← + 2P]	Spinal wheels his cutlass around wildly five times.
Shadow Skeleport	[↓ ↙ ← + 2K] (air OK)	Spinal sinks into the ground and rises behind the opponent, hitting five times. Launches on hit.
Shadow Skull Summon	(↓ ↓ + 3P)	Spinal laughs, exchanging one bar of Shadow Meter for three Skulls.

Combo Openers

Name	Input
Slide Kick	[↓ + MP]
Boneshaker (Shadow OK)	[↓ ↘ → + K]
Soul Sword (Shadow OK)	[↓ ↙ ← + P]
Skeleport (Shadow OK)	[↓ ↙ ← + K]

Combo Linkers

Name	Input
Boneshaker (Shadow OK)	[↓ ↘ → + LK/MK]
Soul Sword (Shadow OK)	[↓ ↙ ← + LP/MP]
Skeleport	[↓ ↙ ← + LK/MK]

Combo Enders

Name	Input	Effect
Searing Skull	[↓ ↘ → + P]	Battery (+ Skulls)
Boneshaker	[↓ ↘ → + HK]	Wall Splat
Soul Sword	[↓ ↙ ← + HP]	Launcher
Skeleport (Shadow OK)	[↓ ↙ ← + HK]	Damage

Instinct Mode

Name	Input	Description
Agent of Chaos	[HP+HK]	Spinal instantly summons 3 Skulls. Gathering Skulls grants twice as many as before. Spectral Skull projectiles do not disappear on block and continue to bounce around the stage until they bounce three times, land a hit, or Spinal takes damage. Spinal can also Power Devour his own projectiles in order to recycle Skulls.

Finishers

Name	Input	Description
Ultra Combo	[↓ ↙ ← + 3K]	Spinal delivers 25 hits to finish the match.
Ultra Ender	[MP+MK] (in Ultra)	Spinal summons a skeletal fist to end the Ultra Combo.
Stage Ultra	[↓ ↙ ← + 3P]	Spinal triggers a stage-specific finishing blow.

External Links

• Killer Instinct Classic help manual on Xbox Live
• Killer Instinct 2 help manual on Xbox Live
• Spinal's gameplan analysis at Infil's The Complete Killer Instinct Guide