It was a Mortal Kombat look-a-like, yes. Was it a GREAT Mortal Kombat look-a-like? Hell yeah.
Now, from the very looks of it, Killer Instinct looked nothing more than a Mortal Kombat wannabe (all the way down to finishing your opponent off with a "Fatality"). However once you started playing the game, you'd notice the advantages it had over the Mortal Kombat games:
- Combo systems which was never utilised until MK3.
- Better graphics.
- Far more easier gameplay and controls.
- Impressive fighters.
- Decent plots.
Granted, it lacked the over-the-hill violence that Mortal Kombat started in 1993, but it made up with its highly addictive gameplay. Many Mortal Kombat wannabes have come and failed miserably, while Killer Instinct to this day remains as an instant classic to fans who literally spent a lot of their childhood playing this game on the SNES.
Highly recommend you try Killer Instinct out.