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is a Japanese video game hardware and software company. It is the successor to the company Shin Nihon Kikaku and presently owns the SNK video game brand and the
Neo Geo Neo Geo is a family of video game hardware developed by SNK. On the market from 1990 to 2004, the brand originated with the release of an arcade system, the Neo Geo MVS and its home console counterpart, the Neo Geo AES. The Neo Geo MVS was su ...
video game platform. SNK's predecessor Shin Nihon Kikaku was founded in 1978 by Eikichi Kawasaki. The corporation was initially named . In 1981, the name was informally shortened to SNK Corporation, which became the company's official name in 1986. SNK is known for its creation of the Neo Geo family of arcade, home, and handheld game consoles in 1990. The Neo Geo line was halted in 2001 because financial troubles forced SNK Corporation to close in the same year. Anticipating the end of the company, Kawasaki founded Playmore Corporation in 2001, which acquired all of the intellectual property of the first iteration of SNK Corporation. In 2003, Playmore Corporation was renamed to SNK Playmore Corporation. In 2016, SNK dropped the name Playmore from its logo and reintroduced its old slogan, "The Future Is Now", officially changing its corporate name back to SNK. Traditionally, SNK operated primarily as a video game developer, publisher, and hardware manufacturer with a focus on arcade games; however, it has ventured into developing console and PC games. In 2004, SNK started manufacturing
pachislot A slot machine (American English), fruit machine (British English) or poker machine (Australian English and New Zealand English) is a gambling machine that creates a game of chance for its customers. Slot machines are also known pejoratively as ...
machines, but the company withdrew from the market in 2015. In 2009, the company entered mobile game development. Classic SNK franchises include ''
Art of Fighting is a fighting video game trilogy that were released for the Neo Geo platform in the early 1990s. It was the second fighting game franchise created by SNK, following the ''Fatal Fury'' series and is set in the same fictional universe as a pr ...
'', ''
Fatal Fury ''Fatal Fury'', known as in Japan, is a fighting game series developed by SNK for the Neo Geo system. Games Canon * ''Fatal Fury'' – The first game of the ''Fatal Fury'' series allowed players to select one of three characters, Terry B ...
'', ''
Metal Slug is a Japanese Shoot 'em up#Scrolling shooters, run and gun video game series originally created by Nazca Corporation before merging with SNK Playmore, SNK in 1996 after the completion of the Metal Slug (1996 video game), first game in the seri ...
'', ''
Samurai Shodown ''Samurai Shodown'', known in Japan as is a fighting game series by SNK. The series began in 1993 and is known for being one of the earliest in the genre with a primary focus on weapon-based combat. Plot The stories in the series take place in ...
'', ''
The Last Blade ''The Last Blade'' is a fighting game developed and released by SNK for the Neo Geo (console), Neo Geo system in 1997. It was also ported to several home systems. A sequel, ''The Last Blade 2'', was released in 1998. The game takes place during t ...
'', ''
World Heroes is a series of four fighting games created originally by ADK with assistance from SNK for the Neo Geo family of arcade and home consoles. Over the years, the games have been ported to various non-SNK platforms as well including the Super NE ...
'', ''
Twinkle Star Sprites is a 1996 competitive scrolling shooter arcade game originally created by ADK. It was ADK's last production for the Neo Geo platform. The gameplay, which can be characterized as a combination of a fixed shooter and a versus puzzle game, uses co ...
'', and ''
The King of Fighters ''The King of Fighters'' (''KOF'') is a series of fighting games by SNK that began with the release of ''The King of Fighters '94'' in 1994. The series was developed originally for SNK's Neo Geo MVS arcade hardware. This served as the main plat ...
''.


History


Beginnings (1973–1981)

SNK was founded in 1973 as Shin Nihon Kikaku and reorganized in 1978 as a stock company (''
kabushiki gaisha A or ''kabushiki kaisha'', commonly abbreviated K.K. or KK, is a type of defined under the Companies Act of Japan. The term is often translated as "stock company", " joint-stock company" or "stock corporation". The term ''kabushiki gaisha'' i ...
'') under the name "Shin Nihon Kikaku Corporation". When Eikichi Kawasaki noticed rapid growth in the coin-operated video game market, he expanded Shin Nihon Kikaku to include the development and marketing of stand-alone
coin-op A currency detector or currency validator is a device that determines whether notes or coins are genuine or counterfeit. These devices are used in a wide range of automated machines, such as retail kiosks, supermarket self checkout machines, a ...
games. The company was nicknamed "Shin Nihon Kikaku" in katakana at first, but since 1981 it has been changed to "SNK" by taking the initials from the Roman alphabet (Shin Nihon Kikaku). The English copyright notation was also "SNK CORPORATION". It established itself in
Sunnyvale Sunnyvale () is a city located in the Santa Clara Valley in northwest Santa Clara County in the U.S. state of California. Sunnyvale lies along the historic El Camino Real and Highway 101 and is bordered by portions of San Jose to the north ...
, California, to deliver its own brand of coin-operated games to arcades in North America. SNK chose John Rowe to head its American operation. The first two titles that SNK released were ''
Ozma Wars is a fixed shooter arcade video game developed by Shin Nihon Kikaku (SNK) and released in 1979. The background gives the impression of vertical scrolling, but the player ship's movement is restricted to the bottom of the screen. Gameplay The pla ...
'' (1979), a vertical space
shooter Shooting is the act or process of discharging a projectile from a ranged weapon (such as a gun, Bow and arrow, bow, crossbow, slingshot, or Blowgun, blowpipe). Even the acts of launching Flamethrower, flame, artillery, Dart (missile), darts, ha ...
, and ''Safari Rally'' (1980), a maze game. Game quality improved over time, most notably with ''
Vanguard The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. History The vanguard derives fr ...
'' (1981), a side-scrolling space shooter. SNK licensed the game to
Centuri Centuri, formerly known as Allied Leisure, was an American arcade game manufacturer. They were based in Hialeah, Florida, and were one of the top six suppliers of coin-operated arcade video game machinery in the United States during the early 19 ...
for distribution in North America. Centuri started manufacturing and distributing the game by itself when profits exceeded projections. In part due to the success of ''Vanguard'', SNK began to gain fame and reputation. An American branch opened on October 20, 1981, named SNK Electronics Corporation.


SNK Corporation (1986–2001; first incarnation)

In April 1986, Shin Nihon Kikaku Corporation officially became SNK Corporation. In November 1986, SNK Electronics Corporation, the US branch, became SNK Corporation of America and moved to Sunnyvale, California. In March 1988, SNK staff moved to a building in
Suita is a city located in northern Osaka Prefecture, Japan. As of October 1, 2016, the city has an estimated population of 378,322 and a population density of 9,880 persons per km². The total area is 36.11 km². The city was founded on April 1, ...
,
Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
, Japan. At this point, the Japanese operations of SNK Corporation had shifted their focus solely toward developing and licensing video games for arcade use and later for early consoles. Between 1979 and 1986, SNK produced 23 stand-alone arcade games. Highlights from this period include ''Mad Crasher'' (1984), ''
Alpha Mission ''Alpha Mission'', known as in Japan, is a vertically scrolling shooter game developed by SNK and released for arcades in 1985, by Namco in Japan and Tradewest in North America. It was later ported to the Famicom in 1986 and released for the N ...
'' (1985), and ''
Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of ...
'' (1986), a game that gained a large following when it was ported to the
Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in America ...
(NES) in 1987. SNK's most successful game from this time was ''
Ikari Warriors ''Ikari Warriors'', known as in Japan, is a vertically-scrolling, run-and-gun shooter arcade video game released by SNK in 1986. It was published in North America by Tradewest. The game was released at the time when there were many ''Commando'' ...
'', released in 1986. It was so popular that it was licensed and ported to the
Atari 2600 The Atari 2600, initially branded as the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS) from its release until November 1982, is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released in September 1977, it popularized microprocessor- ...
,
Atari 7800 The Atari 7800 ProSystem, or simply the Atari 7800, is a home video game console officially released by Atari Corporation in 1986 as the successor to both the Atari 2600 and Atari 5200. It can run almost all Atari 2600 cartridges, making it one o ...
,
Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness ...
,
Commodore Amiga Amiga is a family of personal computers introduced by Commodore in 1985. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16- or 32-bit processors, 256 KB or more of RAM, mouse-based GUIs, and significantly improved graphi ...
,
Amstrad CPC The Amstrad CPC (short for ''Colour Personal Computer'') is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sin ...
,
Apple II The Apple II (stylized as ) is an 8-bit home computer and one of the world's first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products. It was designed primarily by Steve Wozniak; Jerry Manock developed the design of Apple II's foam-m ...
,
ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer. Referred to during development as t ...
, and NES. After ''Ikari Warriors'', SNK released two sequels: ''Victory Road'' and ''Ikari III: The Rescue''. At the time, Japan was affected by the
video game crash of 1983 The video game crash of 1983 (known as the Atari shock in Japan) was a large-scale recession in the video game industry that occurred from 1983 to 1985, primarily in the United States. The crash was attributed to several factors, including ma ...
. The console manufacturer
Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
remained in business throughout and after the crash. SNK became a third-party licensee for Nintendo's Famicom (alternative name for the NES) system in 1985. It opened a second branch in the US, called SNK Home Entertainment, based in Torrance, California. The branch handled the North American distribution and marketing of the company's products for home consoles. John Rowe had already left the company to form
Tradewest Tradewest was an American video game company based in Corsicana, Texas that produced numerous games in the 1980s and early 1990s. The company was the publisher of the ''Battletoads'' and ''Double Dragon'' series in North America and the PAL region. ...
, which went on to market the ''Ikari Warriors'' series in North America. Paul Jacobs took over Rowe's position over both halves of SNK America. He is known for having helped launch the company's Neo Geo system outside of Asia. In response to strong sales of the company's NES ports, SNK began to dabble in the development of original software designed specifically for the NES console. Two games came out of this effort: ''
Baseball Stars ''Baseball Stars'' is a baseball video game developed by SNK. It was released for the NES in 1989. It became a major hit in many countries worldwide, particularly in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Features ''Baseball Stars'' was the ...
'' (1989) and '' Crystalis'' (1990; known as ''God Slayer'' in Japan). In 1989, two home video game consoles were released in North America: the
Sega Genesis The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Syst ...
, and
NEC is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational information technology and electronics corporation, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. The company was known as the Nippon Electric Company, Limited, before rebranding in 1983 as NEC. It prov ...
and
Hudson Soft was a Japanese video game company that released numerous games for video game consoles, home computers and mobile phones, mainly from the 1980s to the 2000s. It was headquartered in the Midtown Tower in Tokyo Midtown, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo ...
's
TurboGrafx-16 The TurboGrafx-16, known as the outside North America, is a home video game console designed by Hudson Soft and sold by NEC, NEC Home Electronics. It was the first console marketed in the fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth genera ...
. Nintendo followed suit with a new system in 1991, the
Super Nintendo Entertainment System The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Eur ...
(Super NES, SNES). SNK as a whole did not become involved in the "system wars" of the early 1990s. Instead, it refocused its efforts on arcades. Other third parties, such as
Romstar Romstar Inc. was a video game distribution company based in Torrance, California that started operations in 1984. They originally started as the first American distribution arm for SNK (before SNK of America was founded in 1987). They were known ...
and
Takara Takara Co., Ltd. (株式会社タカラ) was a Japanese toy company founded in 1955. In March 2006, the company merged with Tomy Co., Ltd. to form Takara Tomy. The Takara motto was 遊びは文化」("playing is culture"). Products Toys In ...
, were left to license and port SNK's properties to the various home consoles of the time with help from SNK's American home entertainment division. With console ports mainly handled outside the company, it moved on to developing SNK-branded arcade equipment. SNK also licensed
Tiger Electronics Tiger Electronics Ltd. (also known as Tiger and Tiger Toys) was an independent American toy manufacturer best known for its handheld LCD games, the Furby, the Talkboy, Giga Pets, the 2-XL robot, and audio games such as ''Brain Warp'' and the Br ...
to market
handheld electronic games Handheld electronic games are very small, portable devices for playing interactive electronic games, often miniaturized versions of video games. The controls, display and speakers are all part of a single unit. Rather than a general-purpose s ...
from some of its brands. In 1988, SNK created the idea of a modular cabinet for arcades. Up to that point, arcade cabinets typically contained only one game. When an arcade operator wanted to switch or replace that game, it would have to completely remove the internals of the existing cabinet or exchange the entire setup for another game. SNK's new system, called the
Neo Geo MVS The , stylised as NEO•GEO and also written as NEOGEO, is a cartridge-based arcade system board and the fourth generation home video game console released on April 26, 1990 by Japanese game company SNK Corporation. It was the first system in ...
(short for Multi Video System), featured multiple games in a single cabinet and used a cartridge-based storage mechanism. The system debuted in 1990 and could contain one, two, four, or six separate games in a single cabinet. To swap in a new game, all the operator had to do was remove one cartridge and exchange it for another. The MVS was an immediate success. It greatly shortened the setup time needed for each game, minimized floor space for cabinets, and reduced costs for new cartridges to US$500—less than half of what a traditional arcade unit cost at the time. SNK wanted to bring arcade games to people's homes without making CPU and
memory Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembered, ...
performance compromises that typical home consoles were forced to make. In 1990, the Neo Geo family was created. The company released a home version of the MVS, a single cartridge unit called the Neo Geo Advanced Entertainment System (Neo Geo AES). Initially, the AES was only available for rent or for use in hotel settings, but SNK quickly began selling the system through stores when customer response indicated that people were willing to spend money on home versions. Several franchises of games derived from it, including ''
Sengoku The was a period in Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the feudal system of Japan under the Ashikaga shogunate. Various s ...
'', ''
The King of Fighters ''The King of Fighters'' (''KOF'') is a series of fighting games by SNK that began with the release of ''The King of Fighters '94'' in 1994. The series was developed originally for SNK's Neo Geo MVS arcade hardware. This served as the main plat ...
'', ''
The Last Blade ''The Last Blade'' is a fighting game developed and released by SNK for the Neo Geo (console), Neo Geo system in 1997. It was also ported to several home systems. A sequel, ''The Last Blade 2'', was released in 1998. The game takes place during t ...
'', ''
Super Sidekicks ''Super Sidekicks'' is a series of soccer video games made by SNK for its console, the Neo-Geo. Released in the 90's with an arcade-style approach to soccer, the games of the franchise allow players to choose any of the available game modes to co ...
'', ''
Art of Fighting is a fighting video game trilogy that were released for the Neo Geo platform in the early 1990s. It was the second fighting game franchise created by SNK, following the ''Fatal Fury'' series and is set in the same fictional universe as a pr ...
'', ''
Metal Slug is a Japanese Shoot 'em up#Scrolling shooters, run and gun video game series originally created by Nazca Corporation before merging with SNK Playmore, SNK in 1996 after the completion of the Metal Slug (1996 video game), first game in the seri ...
'', '' Burning Fight'', ''
Savage Reign ''Savage Reign'' is 1995 weapon-based versus fighting game released by SNK for their Neo Geo (console), Neo Geo arcade and home platform. It was ported to the Neo Geo CD, as well as for the PlayStation 2 along with its sequel ''Kizuna Encounter'' ...
'', ''
Samurai Shodown ''Samurai Shodown'', known in Japan as is a fighting game series by SNK. The series began in 1993 and is known for being one of the earliest in the genre with a primary focus on weapon-based combat. Plot The stories in the series take place in ...
'', and ''
Fatal Fury ''Fatal Fury'', known as in Japan, is a fighting game series developed by SNK for the Neo Geo system. Games Canon * ''Fatal Fury'' – The first game of the ''Fatal Fury'' series allowed players to select one of three characters, Terry B ...
''. The ''King of Fighters'', ''Samurai Shodown'', and ''Metal Slug'' series were continued on later consoles. SNK also helped publish third-party Neo Geo games such as ADK's ''
World Heroes is a series of four fighting games created originally by ADK with assistance from SNK for the Neo Geo family of arcade and home consoles. Over the years, the games have been ported to various non-SNK platforms as well including the Super NE ...
'' and ''
Aggressors of Dark Kombat ''Aggressors of Dark Kombat'', known in Japan as or ''GanGan'', is a 1994 fighting arcade game developed by Alpha Denshi Corp. (ADK) and published by SNK. It was also released on SNK's Neo Geo AES and Neo Geo CD home consoles, and in later decade ...
'', Visco's '' Breakers'' and '' Ganryu'',
Noise Factory was a Japanese video game developer and publisher based out of Osaka, it was one of the developer companies of SNK, established by former Atlus staff members who previously worked on ''Princess Crown'' for Sega Saturn. Its more known games were ...
's ''
Rage of the Dragons is a 2002 tag team head-to-head fighting game released for the Neo Geo hardware by Playmore. The game was developed by Japanese company Noise Factory, co-developed by BrezzaSoft and chiefly-designed by the Mexican team Evoga. As of May 2020 ...
'' and ''
Sengoku 3 ''Sengoku 3'' is a 2001 side-scrolling beat 'em up arcade video game developed by Noise Factory and published by SNK. It is the third and final entry in the ''Sengoku'' series. In the game, players battle against undead enemy spirits. Though ini ...
'',
Sunsoft , stylized as SUNSOFT, is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. Sunsoft is the video games division of Japanese electronics manufacturer Sun Corporation. Its U.S. subsidiary operated under the name Sun Corporation of America, though, a ...
's '' Galaxy Fight: Universal Warriors'' and ''
Waku Waku 7 is a 2D fighting game developed and published by Sunsoft initially as an arcade game for the Neo Geo MVS arcade system in 1996 worldwide. A port for the Nintendo Switch, part of the Arcade Archive collection from the Japanese video game pub ...
'',
Sammy Sammy is a nickname, frequently for people named Samuel, and also an English spelling of the Arabic name Sami. People Music *Sammy Adams (born 1987), American rapper and songwriter *Sammy Cahn (1913-1993), American songwriter *Sammy Davis Jr. ( ...
's '' Viewpoint'', NMK's ''
Zed Blade ''Zed Blade'' is a Shoot 'em up#Types, horizontally scrolling shooter Arcade game, arcade video game developed by NMK (company), NMK and originally published by SNK on September 13, 1994. It was the only game to be created by NMK for the Neo Geo ...
'',
Psikyo Psikyo was a Japanese video game developer and publisher known for its shoot 'em ups and undressing mahjong games. It was founded in 1992 by former Video System staff who worked on the ''Aero Fighters'' series. Psikyo was mainly an arcade game de ...
's '' Strikers 1945 Plus'', Aiky/
Taito is a Japanese company that specializes in video games, toys, arcade cabinets and game centers, based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The company was founded by Michael Kogan in 1953 as the importing vodka, vending machines and jukeboxes into Japan. It b ...
's '' Pochi and Nyaa'',
Paon is a Japanese video game developer. The company was founded in August 2004 as DP Inc. and merged with Paon Corporation, Ltd. in March 2015 to form Paon DP. Paon Corporation was founded on January 20, 1999. Through a partnership with Nintendo, ...
/Eleven/Gavaking's ''
Nightmare in the Dark is a platform arcade video game developed by AM Factory, with the assistance of Paon, and released by Eleven/Gavaking on January 27, 2000. The game never received an official release for either the Neo Geo AES (home) or Neo Geo CD platforms. It ...
'', Face's ''
Money Puzzle Exchanger ''Money Puzzle Exchanger'' is a puzzle game created on January 17, 1997 by Japanese video game developer Face for the Neo Geo MVS arcade system. Athena Co. Ltd. ported it to the Game Boy on August 29, 1997, and the PlayStation on November 5, 1998 ...
'',
Data East , also abbreviated as DECO, was a Japanese video game, pinball and electronic engineering company. The company was in operation from 1976 to 2003, and released 150 video game titles. Its main headquarters were located in Suginami, Tokyo. The Am ...
's ''
Spinmaster ''Spinmaster'' is an arcade game developed and released by Data East in December, 1993 in North America, in Europe the same year and on February 18, 1994 in Japan. It is the first game Data East developed and released for the SNK Neo-Geo MVS ha ...
'' and ''
Street Slam ''Street Slam'' is a basketball video game developed by Data East for Neo Geo (console), Neo Geo, released in 1994. The game features three-on-three basketball match-ups with a variety of different teams. ''Street Slam'' is the only basketball g ...
'', and
Technōs Japan was a Japanese video game Video game developer, developer, best known for the ''Double Dragon'' and ''Kunio-kun (series), Kunio-kun'' Media franchise, franchises (the latter including ''Renegade (video game), Renegade'', ''Super Dodge Ball'' and ...
's ''Double Dragon'' and ''
Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer ''Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer'' is a 1995 superhero-themed head-to-head fighting game produced by Technos Japan Corp. for the Neo Geo arcade and home console. It was the companys second attempt at a fighting game, following the Neo Geo fighting g ...
''. During this time, SNK also released stand-alone arcade games, some of which were ported to home consoles, including ''
Vanguard The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. History The vanguard derives fr ...
'', ''
Alpha Mission ''Alpha Mission'', known as in Japan, is a vertically scrolling shooter game developed by SNK and released for arcades in 1985, by Namco in Japan and Tradewest in North America. It was later ported to the Famicom in 1986 and released for the N ...
'', ''
Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of ...
'', ''
Ikari Warriors ''Ikari Warriors'', known as in Japan, is a vertically-scrolling, run-and-gun shooter arcade video game released by SNK in 1986. It was published in North America by Tradewest. The game was released at the time when there were many ''Commando'' ...
'', ''
Psycho Soldier is a platform game developed by Japanese software company SNK. It was released in 1987. It is a distant sequel to ''Athena'', released a year earlier, featuring a late descendant of that game's main character. Ocean Software on their Imagine ...
'', '' Touch Down Fever'', '' Time Soldiers'', '' P.O.W.: Prisoners of War'', ''
Beast Busters ''Beast Busters'' is a rail shooter horror game released by SNK for arcades in 1989. It was the first three-player light gun shooter video game. Ports were released for the Amiga and Atari ST in 1990. Gameplay In the game, players control ...
'', and '' Street Smart''. Compared to other consoles at the time, the Neo Geo AES had much better graphics and sound; It debuted at $599 (), sold with two joystick controllers and a game (either ''
Baseball Stars Professional is a baseball arcade video game developed and originally published by SNK on 26 April 1990. A follow-up to the original ''Baseball Stars'' on Nintendo Entertainment System, it was one of the launch titles for both the Neo Geo MVS (arcade) and Ne ...
'' or ''
NAM-1975 is a war shooting gallery arcade video game developed and originally published by SNK on April 26, 1990. It was one of the launch titles for both the Neo Geo MVS (arcade) and Neo Geo AES (home) platforms, in addition to being the only tit ...
''). Within a few months of the system's introduction in North America, SNK increased the cost to $649 and changed the pack-in game to ''
Magician Lord is a side-scrolling action-platform arcade video game developed by Alpha Denshi and originally published by SNK on April 26, 1990. It was one of the launch titles for both the Neo Geo MVS (arcade) and Neo Geo AES (home) platforms, in addition ...
''. Alternatively, the console could be bought for $399 with one control stick and without an accompanying game. Other games cost at least $200 each. Joystick controllers contained the same four-button layout as the arcade MVS cabinet. The quality of AES games varied. Some, such as the ''
Super Sidekicks ''Super Sidekicks'' is a series of soccer video games made by SNK for its console, the Neo-Geo. Released in the 90's with an arcade-style approach to soccer, the games of the franchise allow players to choose any of the available game modes to co ...
'' series, were all-new creations, while others were updated versions of earlier successes, such as ''Baseball Stars Professional''. SNK games were graphically bold and bright. Games such as '' Top Hunter: Roddy & Cathy'' and the famous ''Metal Slug'' series were distinctive and instantly recognizable, contributing to the system's success in arcades. SNK also produced the
Neo Geo CD The is the second home video game console of SNK, SNK Corporation's Neo Geo family, released on September 9, 1994, four years after its Neo Geo (console), cartridge-based equivalent. This is the same platform, converted to the cheaper CD format ...
home console, the
Hyper Neo-Geo 64 The Hyper Neo Geo 64 is an arcade system created by SNK, and released in September 1997, as the successor of the Neo Geo MVS, within the Neo Geo family. It is the first and only SNK hardware set capable of rendering in 3D, and was meant t ...
arcade system, and two
handheld game console A handheld game console, or simply handheld console, is a small, portable self-contained video game console with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are smaller than home video game consoles and contain the cons ...
s, the
Neo Geo Pocket The Neo Geo Pocket is a monochrome handheld game console released by SNK. It was the company's first handheld system and is part of the Neo Geo family. It debuted in Japan in late 1998 but never saw an American release, being exclusive to Japan ...
and Pocket Color. Several more famous franchise titles, originally created for the MVS and AES systems, have been ported to other consoles such as the
Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
,
Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius of about nine and a half times that of Earth. It has only one-eighth the average density of Earth; h ...
and
Dreamcast The is a home video game console released by Sega on November 27, 1998, in Japan; September 9, 1999, in North America; and October 14, 1999, in Europe. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, preceding Sony's PlayStation 2, N ...
; SNES;
PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
and
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
;
Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the na ...
; and
Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...
. The Neo Geo Pocket was SNK's original handheld system. It was released in Japan in late 1998 and featured a
monochrome A monochrome or monochromatic image, object or palette is composed of one color (or values of one color). Images using only shades of grey are called grayscale (typically digital) or black-and-white (typically analog). In physics, monochrom ...
(one-color) display. Because its sales were fewer than the expected number, it was discontinued in 1999 in favor of the Neo Geo Pocket Color, which was later released in North America and Europe. In 2001, the Neo Geo family ended. It was briefly revived 11 years later with the
Neo Geo X The Neo Geo X (NGX) is a video game console manufactured by Tommo, licensed by SNK Playmore. Information about the Neo Geo X was first reported in January 2012 and later confirmed in March. It is the first Neo Geo system to be released since the ...
. In 1999, SNK opened the Neo Geo World Tokyo Bayside
amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
as part of the
Palette Town Palette Town was a shopping mall and entertainment complex in Odaiba, Tokyo, Japan. The facilities have been closed for redevelopment of the area. Features Features included: * Daikanransha, a Ferris wheel * Mega Web, exhibition hall of car m ...
entertainment complex in
Odaiba today is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Japan, across the Rainbow Bridge from central Tokyo. Odaiba was initially built in this area for defensive purposes in the 1850s. Reclaimed land offshore Shinagawa was dramatically expanded durin ...
, Tokyo equipped with attractions such as Ferris wheels and roller coasters. A large-scale
tie-in A tie-in work is a work of fiction or other product based on a media property such as a film, video game, television series, board game, web site, role-playing game or literary property. Tie-ins are authorized by the owners of the original prope ...
was established with the
Fujisankei Communications Group , abbreviated FCG, is a keiretsu in Japan. In 1991, it was the fourth-largest media company in the world and the largest one in Japan. In the same year, the company's yearly revenue was $5 billion. Many of its affiliates are owned by Fuji Media ...
, owners of the nearby television station
Fuji TV JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as and colloquially known as CX, is a Japanese television station based in Odaiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Owned and operated by the it is the key station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network Sys ...
, and was frequently promoted in various media. However, by the late 1990s, the 2D fighting game boom, which had been behind much of SNK's recent success, had come to an end, and both the Neo Geo CD and Hyper Neo Geo 64 failed to meet sales expectations. At the same time, the Neo Geo Pocket, while initially selling well, began to fall behind in the market after the release of the
Game Boy Color The (commonly abbreviated as GBC) is a handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on October 21, 1998 and to international markets that November. It is the successor to the Game Boy and is part of the Game ...
, and Neo Geo World Tokyo Bayside quickly lost attendance after the re-opening of
Yokohama Cosmo World is a theme park in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It contains the Cosmo Clock 21, formerly the tallest Ferris wheel A Ferris wheel (also called a Giant Wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upr ...
a few months later, with the park considered to be a massive failure. In addition, the arcade game magazine ''
Gamest was a Japanese video game magazine that specialized in covering arcade games. Published by Shinseisha, it first began in May 1986 and originally published bi-monthly, later changed to be a monthly-issued magazine in the late 1980s. The magazine al ...
'', one of the biggest promoters of SNK titles, ceased publication after its publisher
Shinseisha Co., Ltd. was a Japanese publisher founded in 1971 and who filed for bankruptcy in 1999. It originally published learning reference books, but it is more known for its 1986 arcade game magazine . The representative was Hiroshi Kato. The company ...
declared bankruptcy in 1999.


Bankruptcy and Playmore Corporation (2001–2003)

SNK had focused on the booming arcade industry for the 1990s, but as interest in arcades fell in favor of home and portable consoles going into the 2000s, they were unable to adjust to the changing market, with their recent hardware releases selling poorly and attempts to diversify into new markets such as amusement parks failing. SNK tried to develop more titles for the home console market, such as
Shinsetsu Samurai Spirits Bushidō Retsuden is a role-playing video game for SNK's Neo Geo CD system, which retells the events of ''Samurai Shodown'' and ''Samurai Shodown II'' in greater detail. It was ported to the Sega Saturn and PlayStation, Gameplay The basic setup of the game ...
, Athena: Awakening from the Ordinary Life,
Koudelka is a role-playing video game developed by Sacnoth for the PlayStation. The game was published by SNK in Japan in 1999, and by Infogrames internationally in 2000. Set in the haunted Nemeton Monastery in Wales, the plot follows protagonists K ...
, and Cool Cool Toon, but as none of them sold well it left the company's financial situation in a dire state. In January 2000, SNK's poor financial status led to its acquisition by
Aruze formerly known as and Universal, is a Japanese manufacturer of pachinko, slot machines, arcade games and other gaming products, and a publisher of video games. Aruze possesses licenses to both manufacture and distribute casino machines in the ...
, a company known for its
pachinko is a mechanical game originating in Japan that is used as an arcade game, and much more frequently for gambling. Pachinko fills a niche in Japanese gambling comparable to that of the slot machine in the West as a form of low-stakes, low-st ...
machines and the parent company of its competitor
SETA In biology, setae (singular seta ; from the Latin word for "bristle") are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms. Animal setae Protostomes Annelid setae are stiff bristles present on the body. Th ...
. Instead of developing video games using SNK's intellectual properties, Aruze manufactured pachinko machines that featured popular series such as ''King of Fighters''. SNK saw little success in the video game market. The same year,
Capcom is a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher. It has created a number of List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil' ...
agreed to create a series of fighting games featuring both companies' fighting game characters. The ''
Capcom vs. SNK , also known as simply ''Capcom vs. SNK'' in international releases, is a 2000 head-to-head fighting game produced by Capcom originally released as a coin-operated arcade game for Segas NAOMI hardware and later ported to the Dreamcast. It is th ...
'' games were a success, however most of the profits went to Capcom because it developed and published the games. SNK released '' SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium'' and '' SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash'' on the Neo Geo Pocket Color. Combined, the two games sold around 50,000 copies. SNK closed all American operations on June 13, 2000. The company sold rights to distribution in North America for MVS arcade systems and Neo Print photo systems. It licensed North American localizations of some console releases to outside companies. With low morale and an unclear future, many of the company's employees left their jobs. Some joined rivals
Capcom is a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher. It has created a number of List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil' ...
and
Arc System Works , commonly referred to as ArcSys, is a Japanese video game developer and publisher located in Yokohama. Founded by Minoru Kidooka in 1988, the company is known for arcade 2D fighting game franchises, including ''Guilty Gear'' and ''BlazBlue'', a ...
, and others moved on to found the developer
Dimps is a Japanese video game developer based in Osaka, Japan, with an additional office in Tokyo. It is best known for developing games in the '' Sonic the Hedgehog'', ''Dragon Ball'' and ''Street Fighter'' franchises. The company was founded on Mar ...
. Kawasaki, along with five other former SNK executives, funded the formation of BrezzaSoft, which continued to develop Neo Geo games such as ''
The King of Fighters 2001 ''(KOF 2001, or KOF '01)'' is a fighting game produced by Eolith for the Neo Geo. It is the eighth game in ''The King of Fighters'' series, the third and final part of the "NESTS Chronicles" story arc, and the first game produced following the c ...
''. Eyeing the end of the company, founder Eikichi Kawasaki left SNK along with other executives to found a company named Playmore on August 1, 2001. On April 2, 2001, SNK applied to the Osaka District Court for application of the Civil Rehabilitation Law. The application was accepted, and revitalization proccedings were once underway, and the head office returned to Suity City, Osaka Prefecture. On October 30, 2001, the Osaka District Court declared to SNK bankruptcy and went bankrupt, SNK filed for bankruptcy and placed the intellectual property rights for its franchises up for auction. Licenses for SNK's game production and development rights to its franchises were sold to several other companies. These included BrezzaSoft, which produced ''The King of Fighters'' franchise between 2001 and 2002, and
Mega Enterprise ''Mega Enterprise'' ( ko, 메가엔터프라이즈) or also MEGA, was a South Korean company that specialised in developing video games. Mega Enterprise was best known for publishing and porting some of video game titles developed by Data East an ...
, which produced ''
Metal Slug 4 is a run and gun video game for the Neo-Geo console/arcade platform created by Mega Enterprise along with Noise Factory. It was released in 2002 for the Neo-Geo MVS arcade platform, and is the fourth game in the ''Metal Slug'' series. Two y ...
''. To regain control of SNK, Kawasaki's new company, Playmore, successfully bid for and was awarded SNK's intellectual property rights on October 30, 2001. The company then began to bolster its assets and re-hire former SNK employees. To re-establish its presence in the gaming market, Playmore acquired BrezzaSoft and its former SNK developers, as well as Japan-based Neo Geo developer
Noise Factory was a Japanese video game developer and publisher based out of Osaka, it was one of the developer companies of SNK, established by former Atlus staff members who previously worked on ''Princess Crown'' for Sega Saturn. Its more known games were ...
. Sun Amusement, a Japanese commercial games distributor, was acquired by SNK to provide the company with an arcade distribution outlet in Japan. International offices were established in South Korea, Hong Kong, and the United States under the name SNK NeoGeo for commercial and, later, consumer gaming distribution. All of the acquired entities were consolidated into SNK Playmore on July 7, 2003 when Playmore regained rights to use the name SNK from Aruze. In the same year, SNK purchased ADK shortly after it filed for bankruptcy. Previously, ADK was a third-party company that had been heavily associated with SNK since the late 1980s. SNK Playmore's operations in Japan already largely resembled the original company: SNK employed many employees who left after its bankruptcy filing and occupied its former building. In October 2002, Kawasaki sued Aruze for copyright infringement, claiming 6.2 billion
Japanese yen The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third-most traded currency in the foreign exchange market, after the United States dollar (US$) and the euro. It is also widely used as a third reserve currency after the US dollar and the ...
(US$) in damages. He cited that Aruze had continued to use SNK's intellectual properties after Playmore re-acquired them. A preliminary decision in January 2004 by the Osaka District Court favored SNK Playmore, awarding it 5.64 billion yen (US$).


SNK Playmore (2003–2016)

In the fall and winter of 2003, SNK Playmore obtained an injunction against a group of four different companies, causing hundreds of AES cartridges to be seized. In the following year, SNK Playmore struck a compromise with two of the companies. The two were allowed to sell AES cartridges, under the conditions that the cartridges would not be modified again and that any legitimate materials would be returned to SNK Playmore. Within the same year, SNK Playmore would discontinue the AES system, preferring to publish video games in cooperation with
Sammy Sammy is a nickname, frequently for people named Samuel, and also an English spelling of the Arabic name Sami. People Music *Sammy Adams (born 1987), American rapper and songwriter *Sammy Cahn (1913-1993), American songwriter *Sammy Davis Jr. ( ...
. Using its arcade board Atomiswave, SNK Playmore gained a more secure and modern platform for new arcade releases. In 2004, SNK Playmore officially became licensed to manufacture
pachislot A slot machine (American English), fruit machine (British English) or poker machine (Australian English and New Zealand English) is a gambling machine that creates a game of chance for its customers. Slot machines are also known pejoratively as ...
machines (Japanese slot machines played in pachinko parlors). The company released its first two machines that year: ''Metal Slug'' and ''Dragon Gal''. Pachislots would be more heavily featured in SNK Playmore's product lineup for the next decade. In September 2006 at the
Tokyo Game Show , commonly known as TGS, is a video game expo / convention held annually in September in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA) and Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. The ...
(TGS), SNK Playmore announced that it had ceased producing games on the Atomiswave, favoring
Taito is a Japanese company that specializes in video games, toys, arcade cabinets and game centers, based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The company was founded by Michael Kogan in 1953 as the importing vodka, vending machines and jukeboxes into Japan. It b ...
's Type X2 arcade platform. To counter the decline in the commercial gaming industry, the company shifted some of its development focus to consumer games, including original games for the PlayStation 2,
Nintendo DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...
,
mobile phones A mobile phone, cellular phone, cell phone, cellphone, handphone, hand phone or pocket phone, sometimes shortened to simply mobile, cell, or just phone, is a portable telephone that can make and receive calls over a radio frequency link whil ...
, and other platforms. Games continue to be ported to the PlayStation 2, mostly in Europe because
Sony Computer Entertainment of America Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), formerly known as Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), is a multinational video game and digital entertainment company wholly owned by multinational conglomerate Sony. The SIE Group is made up of two legal co ...
(SCEA) did not approve most SNK Playmore games, and more rarely to the Xbox. In Japan, SNK Playmore released the ''
NeoGeo Online Collection The ''NEOGEO Online Collection'' is a series of classic Neo Geo video games, re-released by SNK Playmore for the PlayStation 2 in Japan. These games allow you to fight against other players over the Internet by way of KDDI's MMBB matching serv ...
'' for the PlayStation 2, which contained some of its older games. It featured emulations, and online play was available through the
KDDI () is a Japanese telecommunications operator formed on October 1, 2000 through the merger of DDI Corp. (Daini-Denden Inc.), KDD (Kokusai Denshin Denwa) Corp. (itself a former listed state-owned enterprise privatized in 1998), and IDO Corp. It h ...
matching service. The company also released original titles based on existing franchises such as ''
Metal Slug is a Japanese Shoot 'em up#Scrolling shooters, run and gun video game series originally created by Nazca Corporation before merging with SNK Playmore, SNK in 1996 after the completion of the Metal Slug (1996 video game), first game in the seri ...
'' and the '' KOF: Maximum Impact'' series. In 2007, SNK Playmore USA released its first game on the
Xbox Live Arcade Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is a digital video game download service available through the Xbox Games Store, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360. It focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent ...
, titled ''Fatal Fury Special''. SNK Playmore also began supporting Nintendo's
Virtual Console A virtual console (VC) – also known as a virtual terminal (VT) – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, BSD, illumos, Unix ...
service on the Wii in the US with ''Fatal Fury'', ''Art of Fighting'', and ''World Heroes''. In 2007, ''
The King of Fighters XI ''(KOF XI)'' is a 2D fighting game produced by SNK Playmore. It is the eleventh installment in ''The King of Fighters'' series following ''The King of Fighters 2003''. It was originally released as a coin-operated arcade game for the Atomiswa ...
'' and ''
Neo Geo Battle Coliseum , abbreviated ''NGBC'' or ''NBC'', is a 2-on-2 tag team fighting game designed for the Atomiswave arcade board developed and released by SNK in 2005. The game features characters from several SNK and ADK titles. Subsequently, a PlayStation 2 vers ...
'' were released. SNK Playmore also released its first adult-themed game franchise, ''
Doki Doki Majo Shinpan! is a video game developed by SNK Playmore for Nintendo DS. The player assumes the role of a junior high school student who is asked by an angel to locate a witch that has snuck into his school. In order to find the witch, he must search the su ...
'', the first for any handheld console. In 2009, the company released ''
The King of Fighters XII (''KOF XII'') is the twelfth installment of ''The King of Fighters'' series of fighting games developed and published by SNK Playmore. The game was originally released in Japan in April 2009 for arcades. Home versions of the title for Xbox 360 an ...
'', which was not well-received by the public and critics alike due to polemic changes in the game's graphics and structure. In 2010, SNK Playmore released a sequel, ''
The King of Fighters XIII ''(KOF XIII)'' is a fighting game in ''The King of Fighters'' series, developed and published by SNK Playmore originally in 2010. ''King of Fighters XIII'' was released for Japanese arcades on July 14, 2010, while ports for the Xbox 360 and Play ...
'', which was considered a much better game than its immediate predecessor. It either won or was nominated to multiple
Game of the Year Game of the Year (GotY) is an award given by various award events and media publications to a video game that they feel represented the pinnacle of gaming that year. Events and ceremonies British Academy Games Awards (BAFTA Games Awards) ...
awards. SNK has developed a great number of
mobile game A mobile game, or smartphone game, is a video game that is typically played on a mobile phone. The term also refers to all games that are played on any portable device, including from mobile phone (feature phone or smartphone), tablet, PDA to ...
s since 2009. It has licensed its characters for Chinese and other Asian games, mostly mobile. In December 2012, SNK Playmore released the
Neo Geo X The Neo Geo X (NGX) is a video game console manufactured by Tommo, licensed by SNK Playmore. Information about the Neo Geo X was first reported in January 2012 and later confirmed in March. It is the first Neo Geo system to be released since the ...
, a relaunched mobile Neo Geo console. On October 2, 2013, SNK Playmore terminated its licensing agreement with the console's manufacturer,
Tommo Tommo Inc. is an American video game publisher based in City of Industry, California. Founded in 1990, Tommo started out as a small independent distributor of imported video games. Since 2006, Tommo also operates a publishing subsidiary, UFO In ...
, effectively ending production of the Neo Geo X less than a year after its release. Tommo disputed the termination, stating that its contract was extended until 2016 and that it performed every obligation of the licensing agreement. In June 2013, the VIGAMUS, a museum of video games in Rome, hosted an event dedicated to the history of SNK, tracing back the origins of the company and explaining the evolution of its games. Yamamoto Kei, Kiyoji Tomita, and Ogura Eisuke participated at the event and were interviewed. Ogura also drew two original illustrations to exhibit at the museum.


Foreign acquisition and brand restoration (2016–present)

In March 2015, Leyou Technologies Holdings submitted a disclosure of interest document to the
Hong Kong Stock Exchange The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (SEHK, also known as Hong Kong Stock Exchange) is a stock exchange based in Hong Kong. As of the end of 2020, it has 2,538 listed companies with a combined market capitalization of HK$47 trillion. It is repor ...
, highlighting a "possible investment in a renowned Japanese video game developer". Later in August, it was announced that Chinese web and mobile game giant
37Games 37Games ( officially Sanqi Interactive Entertainment ) is an international browser and mobile game developer and publisher. Its gaming platform covers North America, Europe, mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and several Southeast As ...
, and asset management firm Orient Securities had formed a joint venture to invest in Ledo Millennium, a subsidiary of Leyou. Through Ledo, the venture acquired Kawasaki's 81.25% stake in SNK Playmore for $63.5 million. The reason given for the acquisition was to gain rights to SNK Playmore's intellectual property, and further develop them by following
Marvel Entertainment Marvel Entertainment, LLC (formerly Marvel Enterprises) is an American show business, entertainment company (law), company founded in June 1998 and based in New York City, New York (state), New York, formed by the merger of #Marvel Entertainment ...
's approach to mass media. The joint venture planned to integrate games, comics, film, and television in a media franchise. With the purchase completed, SNK Playmore signaled a shift in the company's strategy, which had previously been focused more on the production of pachislot and mobile games than its traditional area, console and arcade games. In 2015, SNK Playmore announced that it was withdrawing from the pachislot market, choosing instead to focus on console and mobile gaming, as well as character licensing using its popular characters such as
Mai Shiranui (alternatively written しらぬい まい) is a fictional character in the ''Fatal Fury'' and ''The King of Fighters'' series of fighting games by SNK. She has also appeared in other media of these franchises and in a number of other games since ...
, Ukyou Tachibana,
Nakoruru is a fictional character in the ''Samurai Shodown'' (''Samurai Spirits'' in Japan) series of fighting games by SNK. She is one of the series' best known and most popular characters alongside its main protagonist Haohmaru, and has been introduced i ...
, and
Haohmaru is the titular protagonist of the ''Samurai Shodown'' series of video games, as well as one of its most known Character (arts), characters alongside Nakoruru. He was introduced in the original ''Samurai Shodown (video game), Samurai Shodown'' in 1 ...
. Additionally, all of the aforementioned characters made their appearance as guest characters in a mobile
multiplayer online battle arena Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) is a subgenre of strategy video games in which two teams of players compete against each other on a predefined battlefield. Each player controls a single character with a set of distinctive abilities that im ...
(MOBA), ''Wangzhe Rongyao'', roughly translated to English as ''
Honor of Kings ''Honor of Kings'' (, unofficially translated as "King of Glory," or alternatively transliterated as Wangzhe Rongyao) is a multiplayer online battle arena developed by TiMi Studio Group and published by Tencent Games for the iOS and Android mobi ...
'', which is the world highest-grossing game of all time as well as the most downloaded mobile app globally. On April 25, 2016, SNK officially dropped the "Playmore" name from its corporate logo and reintroduced its old slogan, "The Future Is Now", to signify "a return to SNK's rich gaming history". A legal name change from SNK Playmore Corporation to SNK Corporation followed on December 1, 2016, to more firmly establish SNK Playmore as the successor to the old SNK brand and legacy. ''
The King of Fighters XIV ''(KOF XIV)'' is a 2016 Japanese fighting game. Part of SNK's franchise ''The King of Fighters'' (''KOF'') series, with this installment being published by Atlus USA in North America and Deep Silver in Europe. After the 13th installment that ...
'', the first entry in its series in more than half a decade, was released in 2016. In July 2018, SNK released the NEOGEO Mini, a miniature console based on the design of the company's Japanese arcade machines. It was pre-loaded with forty classic Neo Geo games. In June 2019, the 12th entry in the ''Samurai Shodown'' series was released for the
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
and
Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
, followed by an arcade version in October and a
Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...
version later in the year. On September 4, 2019, Nintendo announced that ''Fatal Fury'' protagonist and ''The King of Fighters'' character
Terry Bogard is a Player character, video game character created by SNK as the protagonist of their ''Fatal Fury'' series. Introduced in ''Fatal Fury: King of Fighters'' in 1991, he is an American fighter who enters the worldwide "The King of Fighters" tourn ...
would be added as a downloadable, playable character to ''
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' is a 2018 crossover fighting video game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the fifth installment in the '' Super Smash Bros.'' series, succeed ...
'', with a planned release in November 2019. Terry was made available on November 6, alongside a ''The King of Fighters''-based stage and 50 songs from various SNK series. In November 2020, the MiSK Foundation, a non-profit organization owned by the crown prince of Saudi Arabia,
Mohammed Bin Salman Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud ( ar, محمد بن سلمان آل سعود, translit=Muḥammad bin Salmān Āl Su‘ūd; born 31 August 1985), colloquially known by his initials MBS or MbS, is Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia. H ...
, acquired a 33.3% share of SNK through its subsidiary, Electronic Game Development Company (EGDC), with the intention to acquire a further 17.7% share at a later time as to gain controlling interest in the company. In February 2022, EGDC's ownership share was increased to 96.18%.


Subsidiaries and related corporations


Current

* SNK Entertainment – founded in February 2016 to contract and develop new digital entertainment including video games. It ramps up activity that surrounds SNK's library of intellectual properties with "new and exciting sublicensing opportunities and collaborations". * SNK Beijing * SNK H.K., Ltd. – handles character licensing, as well as hardware and software sales in East Asia (except for Japan) * SNK USA Corporation – publisher of software and animation in America. * Playmore Creative House Co.,Ltd – It is a video game formatting company for SNK and other game companies.


Former

* ADK – former game developer for the Neo Geo. SNK purchased its intellectual property assets when the company became bankrupt in 2003. Developed ''
Aggressors of Dark Kombat ''Aggressors of Dark Kombat'', known in Japan as or ''GanGan'', is a 1994 fighting arcade game developed by Alpha Denshi Corp. (ADK) and published by SNK. It was also released on SNK's Neo Geo AES and Neo Geo CD home consoles, and in later decade ...
'', the '' Crossed Swords'' series, ''
Gang Wars is a 1989 2D beat 'em up arcade game developed by Alpha Denshi and published by SNK. Plot The setting takes place in New York City, following martial artists Mike and Jackie, who heard an evil gang led by the antagonist, Jaguar, are terrorizin ...
'', ''
Ninja Combat is a 1990 side-scrolling beat 'em up video game developed by ADK (company), Alpha Denshi and published by SNK Playmore, SNK. It was one of the launch titles for both the Neo Geo (console), Neo Geo MVS (arcade) and AES (home) systems. Gameplay ...
'', ''
Ninja Commando is a vertically scrolling run and gun video game developed by Alpha Denshi and published by SNK for the Neo Geo (console), Neo Geo arcade and home systems in 1992. It was released for the Neo Geo CD in 1994. Gameplay The overall gameplay is ...
'', '' Ninja Master's: Haō Ninpō Chō'', ''
Over Top is a racing arcade video game developed by ADK and originally published by SNK on April 26, 1996. It is the spiritual successor to ''Thrash Rally'', which was released earlier in 1991 on Neo Geo platforms. Themed around rallying, ''Over To ...
'', '' Shōgi no Tatsujin: Master of Syougi'', ''
Sky Soldiers ''Sky Soldiers'' is a vertical scrolling shoot em’ up developed by Alpha Denshi and released to arcades in 1988 by Romstar in North America and SNK in the rest of the world. The game features a time travel theme as well as an organized weapon se ...
'', ''Sky Adventure'', ''Super Champion Baseball'', '' Time Soldiers'', ''
Twinkle Star Sprites is a 1996 competitive scrolling shooter arcade game originally created by ADK. It was ADK's last production for the Neo Geo platform. The gameplay, which can be characterized as a combination of a fixed shooter and a versus puzzle game, uses co ...
'', and the ''
World Heroes is a series of four fighting games created originally by ADK with assistance from SNK for the Neo Geo family of arcade and home consoles. Over the years, the games have been ported to various non-SNK platforms as well including the Super NE ...
'' series. * BrezzaSoft – co-developer of ''
The King of Fighters 2001 ''(KOF 2001, or KOF '01)'' is a fighting game produced by Eolith for the Neo Geo. It is the eighth game in ''The King of Fighters'' series, the third and final part of the "NESTS Chronicles" story arc, and the first game produced following the c ...
'' with Eolith. *
Eolith An eolith (from Greek "''eos''", dawn, and "''lithos''", stone) is a knapped flint nodule. Eoliths were once thought to have been artifacts, the earliest stone tools, but are now believed to be geofacts (stone fragments produced by fully natur ...
– co-developer of ''The King of Fighters 2001'' with BrezzaSoft, co-developer of ''
The King of Fighters 2002 ''(KOF 2002, or KOF '02)'' is a fighting game produced by Eolith and Playmore for the Neo Geo in 2002. It is the ninth game in ''The King of Fighters'' series and the second one to be produced by Eolith and developed by Playmore (formerly Brez ...
'' with Playmore. * Face Co. Ltd. – developer of ''
Gururin is a puzzle arcade video game developed by Face, with the assistance of Minato Giken, and originally published by SNK on May 25, 1994. It was the first game to be created by Face for the Neo Geo platform and it was not released on the Neo Geo AES ...
'', ''
Money Puzzle Exchanger ''Money Puzzle Exchanger'' is a puzzle game created on January 17, 1997 by Japanese video game developer Face for the Neo Geo MVS arcade system. Athena Co. Ltd. ported it to the Game Boy on August 29, 1997, and the PlayStation on November 5, 1998 ...
,'' and ''
ZuPaPa! is a platform arcade video game developed by Face and originally published by SNK on September 1, 2001. Starring the eponymous creature, players are tasked with travelling through nine stages, throwing small creatures called Zooks, jumping on an ...
''. *
Mega Enterprise ''Mega Enterprise'' ( ko, 메가엔터프라이즈) or also MEGA, was a South Korean company that specialised in developing video games. Mega Enterprise was best known for publishing and porting some of video game titles developed by Data East an ...
– co-developer of ''
Metal Slug 4 is a run and gun video game for the Neo-Geo console/arcade platform created by Mega Enterprise along with Noise Factory. It was released in 2002 for the Neo-Geo MVS arcade platform, and is the fourth game in the ''Metal Slug'' series. Two y ...
'' and ''
Metal Slug 5 is a run and gun video game for the Neo-Geo created by SNK Playmore. It was released in 2003 for the MVS arcade platform and is the fifth game in the ''Metal Slug'' series. The game was developed by Noise Factory/SNK Playmore, after Korean com ...
'' with Noise Factory. * Nazca Corporation – former game developer for the Neo Geo (''
Metal Slug is a Japanese Shoot 'em up#Scrolling shooters, run and gun video game series originally created by Nazca Corporation before merging with SNK Playmore, SNK in 1996 after the completion of the Metal Slug (1996 video game), first game in the seri ...
'' and ''
Neo Turf Masters ''Neo Turf Masters'' is a golf video game by Nazca for the Neo Geo (console), Neo Geo, released in 1996. This is also one of the first two titles by Nazca Corporation, Nazca, the other being the popular ''Metal Slug'' before being acquired by SNK. ...
''), later acquired by SNK * Neo Geo do Brasil – handled hardware and software sales in Brazil from 1993 to 1998 *
Noise Factory was a Japanese video game developer and publisher based out of Osaka, it was one of the developer companies of SNK, established by former Atlus staff members who previously worked on ''Princess Crown'' for Sega Saturn. Its more known games were ...
– co-developer of ''Metal Slug 4'' and ''Metal Slug 5'' with Mega Enterprise, formerly owned by SNK * Pallas – developed '' Eight Man'' and '' Super Baseball 2020''. *
Sacnoth renamed in 2002, was a Japanese video game developer based in Tokyo. The company was founded in April 1997 by Hiroki Kikuta with funding from SNK; its staff, including Kikuta, were veterans of Square. While their first releases were the ''Di ...
– developed ''
Dive Alert ''Dive Alert: Becky's Version'' and ''Dive Alert: Matt's Version'' are role-playing video games developed by Sacnoth for the Neo Geo Pocket Color. They were published by SNK in 1999 in Japan and 2000 in North America. Following the exploits of p ...
'', ''
Koudelka is a role-playing video game developed by Sacnoth for the PlayStation. The game was published by SNK in Japan in 1999, and by Infogrames internationally in 2000. Set in the haunted Nemeton Monastery in Wales, the plot follows protagonists K ...
'', and ''
Faselei! is a tactical role-playing game developed by Sacnoth for the Neo Geo Pocket Color. It was published by SNK in 1999 in Japan and 2000 in the United Kingdom. A prospective North American release was cancelled when the console was pulled from sale ...
''. * Saurus – developed ''
Ironclad An ironclad is a steam engine, steam-propelled warship protected by Wrought iron, iron or steel iron armor, armor plates, constructed from 1859 to the early 1890s. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships ...
'', '' Pleasure Goal: 5 on 5 Mini Soccer'', the ''
Shock Troopers is a run and gun arcade game developed by Saurus and published by SNK in 1997 for the Neo-Geo arcade and home platform. Gameplay involves taking command of one or three soldiers in an eight-way shooter. A second game in the series, '' Shock T ...
'' series, the '' Stakes Winner'' series, and ''The Irritating Maze''. Co-developed ''
Prehistoric Isle 2 ''Prehistoric Isle 2'' is a 1999 in video gaming, 1999 Shoot 'em up#Scrolling shooters, scrolling shooter Arcade game, arcade video game co-developed by Saurus and Yumekobo and published by SNK. It is the sequel to the original ''Prehistoric Isle' ...
'' with Yumekobo, co-developed ''Quiz King of Fighters'' with SNK, and co-developed ''
Ragnagard ''Ragnagard'' is 2D arcade fighting game developed by Saurus and System Vision, and published by SNK and Saurus for the Neo Geo arcade, Neo Geo CD and Sega Saturn. The game's characters are all based on Shinto deities. Gameplay ''Ragnagard'' i ...
'' with System Vision. * SNK Corporation of America - handled published of software sales in America from 1981 to 2001 * SNK Playmore Europe Corporation – handled software sales in Europe * Sun Amusement – published ''Metal Slug 4'' and ''The King of Fighters 2001.'' * Viccom – developed '' Fight Fever''. *
Yumekobo Aicom was a Japanese video game developer, founded in 1988, possibly by a group that left Jaleco . Despite evidence to support this, the Sammy corporate website lists 1990 as the first year and that it was a subsidiary. It was bought by Sammy Ind ...
– developed ''
Blazing Star ''Blazing Star'' is a shoot 'em up video game developed by Yumekobo and published by SNK in 1998 for the Neo Geo arcade and home systems. It is a follow-up to '' Pulstar'' (1995) and features side-scrolling action similar to its predecessor an ...
,'' co-developed ''Prehistoric Isle 2'' with Saurus.


See also

*
List of SNK games The following is the list of games developed and/or published by Shin Nihon Kikaku/SNK/SNK Playmore. SNK Arcade *1978 **''Micon Kit'' *1979 **''Yosaku'' **''Ozma Wars'' **''Safari Rally'' *1980 **'' Sasuke vs. Commander'' **''Atom Smasher'' ** ...
*
SETA Corporation was a Japanese computer gaming company, founded on October 1, 1985 and dissolved on February 9, 2009. SETA was headquartered in Kōtō, Tokyo, with a branch in Las Vegas, Nevada. SETA developed and published games for consoles such as the Ninte ...
, former sister company


References


External links

* (current) * (archives) {{DEFAULTSORT:Snk Japanese companies established in 1978 Amusement companies of Japan Companies based in Osaka Prefecture Companies that have filed for bankruptcy in Japan Japanese brands Japanese companies established in 2001 Re-established companies Video game companies established in 1978 Video game companies established in 2001 Video game companies of Japan Video game development companies Video game publishers