SNK

SNK first started off as Shin Nihon Kikaku (1978) and has later been renamed to SNK Corporation (1981). SNK is the owner of the current brand and video game platform names Neo Geo. Mainly in the 1990’s SNK has been known for their contribution in the arcade scene. They have created a multitude of great hardware and software to be able to have the ultimate arcade experience. A couple of these classic franchise games are:

• Art of Fighting
• Fatal Fury
• Metal Slug
• Samuari Shodown
• The Last Blade
• World Heroes
• The King of Fighters

All these games ran on the hardware that SNK also produced known as the MVS (Multi Video System). Where previously arcade games were made on circuit boards to include the hardware and software of the game, SNK developed the MVS hardware so operator could change the games in the arcade cabinets. This helped in a way that changing a game did not require the operator to change the whole machine but simple changing the cartridge game. From a logistics perpective a massive improvement. Although these days working with cardridges is completely normal there was a time in it was not 🙂

Eventually SNK created multiple MVS motherboards to not only accomodate 1 game but also multiple games in the same motherboard at a time, even up to 6 games in a single motherboard.

If you want to know more about the iconic games that SNK made for this system please feel free to have a look at the overview from system16.com.