Console OriginsĬoming out of the video game crash of 1983, SNK found a new income stream by licensing its games on the Nintendo Famicom in Japan as a third-party licensee. Prior to that, on October 20, 1981, SNK Corporation of America opened its doors in California with a focus on bringing the company’s arcade cabinets to the North American market.īetween 19, SNK would provide upwards of 23 separate stand-alone arcade games including its most popular title, Ikari Warriors. With the release of Vanguard in 1981, a side-scrolling space shooter, SNK began to gain international notoriety for its arcade consoles.Īfter a few years of success, SNK Corporation, which the company took on as its name in 1986, completely shifted its focus toward the development and licensing of video games for arcade use. SNK is best known for its Neo Geo console system and as a video game developer, hardware manufacturer, and publisher that initially focused on arcade cabinet-style games. Also known as Shin Nihon Kikaku, SNK was founded in Osaka, Japan on July 22, 1978, by Eikichi Kawasaki. The origins of Neo Geo began with its parent company, SNK. Puzzle Bobble, Power Spikes II, King of Fighters ‘96 Here’s a look at the history of Neo Geo’s consoles and a look at what could have been. Arcade gaming at bowling alleys and dedicated arcades still remained popular with kids and adults, so the concept of SNK bringing that home was a different way of thinking that Sega and Nintendo were not attempting. ![]() ![]() While they were not successful in their console efforts, the Neo Geo lineup of consoles and games still marks a moment when video arcade gaming truly entered the home. Part of the fourth generation of gaming, the Neo Geo was a cartridge-based console that marked the first time SNK, Neo Geo’s parent company, would try to counter the popularity of both Nintendo and Sega. While Sega and Nintendo are the two most memorable names of the 1990s console wars, they were not the only competitors vying for console space in your home.
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