I only own two cabinets, Killer Instinct 2 and Battletoads, and I hadn't played either arcade version of the game before owning them. Both games are made by Rare, and I have been a huge Rare fan through my entire childhood. I enjoyed Donkey Kong Country, Goldeneye, Battletoads, KI, Banjo, etc... When I was 6 or 7 years old, my first purchase with saved allowance money was Battletoads for Gameboy. I loved the Battletoads series on NES and SNES, but then it died off. I remember seeing a Battletoads arcade machine in an ice rink when I was little, and I loved the amount of blood and shock factor. I did a little research on it, and after seeing a few videos online, I really had to have the machine. I finally ended up getting one off eBay, and it was my first full size arcade game.
I was a huge Killer Instinct fan for SNES. When it first came out, I played it nonstop for weeks with friends. Unfortunately I never had the chance to play the arcade version, or the sequel. Just last month there was an arcade game sale near my place, and I stopped by to see it. As I walked in, I immediately took notice of a beautiful KI2 machine sitting there. With the giant Rare logo on the side, B. Orchid smiling at me, I knew I needed it... I was planning on holding out for the original KI, but its been slim pickings in my area, and I can't afford to pay eBay shipping again. After having people over for New Years, everyone seems to enjoy playing KI2 a lot more than Battletoads... It is a fun game, and I still get a bit of nostalgia from it, even though it isn't the first KI.