Overview
Arcade quality at home—for a price. SNK’s Neo Geo delivered identical hardware for arcades and living rooms, enabling perfect ports at premium cost. Their fighting games—Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown, King of Fighters—created an alternative to Capcom’s dominance. The SNK vs Capcom crossovers acknowledged both companies’ fighting game supremacy.
Fast facts
- Founded: 1978.
- Innovation: Neo Geo platform.
- Rivalry: Capcom (fighting games).
- Revival: SNK Playmore, now SNK Corporation.
| Version |
Market |
| MVS |
Arcade (Multi Video System) |
| AES |
Home console |
| CD |
CD-ROM version |
| Pocket |
Handheld |
Fighting game franchises
| Series |
Year started |
| Fatal Fury |
1991 |
| Art of Fighting |
1992 |
| Samurai Shodown |
1993 |
| The King of Fighters |
1994 |
Other notable games
| Title |
Year |
Genre |
| Ikari Warriors |
1986 |
Run-and-gun |
| Athena |
1986 |
Platformer |
| Metal Slug |
1996 |
Run-and-gun |
| Last Blade |
1997 |
Fighting |
King of Fighters
| Innovation |
Impact |
| Team battles |
3v3 format |
| Crossover |
Characters from multiple SNK games |
| Annual releases |
Yearly updates |
Company history
| Period |
Status |
| 1980s |
Arcade developer |
| 1990-2001 |
Neo Geo era |
| 2001 |
Bankruptcy |
| 2003 |
SNK Playmore revival |
| Present |
SNK Corporation |
Neo Geo pricing
| Item |
Cost (1990s) |
| AES console |
$650+ |
| Game cartridge |
$200-300 |
| Target market |
Enthusiasts only |
See also