O
one big cusser
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.....SNK'S ROLL IN SHAPING UP THE VIDEOGAME INDUSTRY WAS
WAS IT A PIONEER?
WAS IT A PIONEER?
aria
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Its a good question... Anybody?
I'd say SNK definitely had a role in shaping fighting games. While none of its games ever topped the worldwide popularity of SF2, the SNK fighters pioneers a lot of concept that found themselves borrowed by Capcom.
SNK also made great strides in action games with Ikari Warriors (improving on Commando, Frontline and the like)
Mechanized Attack and Beast Busters were also nice (MA was the first shooter to have 2 uzis after Operation Wolf, BB had 3 guns).
The Metal Slugs arguably proved the 2-D actioneers can still be popular and profitable (although the certianly owe a lot to Konami's Contra series).
I think SNK, while it may not have a pioneer as such, certainly added to the genres it participated in.
I'd say SNK definitely had a role in shaping fighting games. While none of its games ever topped the worldwide popularity of SF2, the SNK fighters pioneers a lot of concept that found themselves borrowed by Capcom.
SNK also made great strides in action games with Ikari Warriors (improving on Commando, Frontline and the like)
Mechanized Attack and Beast Busters were also nice (MA was the first shooter to have 2 uzis after Operation Wolf, BB had 3 guns).
The Metal Slugs arguably proved the 2-D actioneers can still be popular and profitable (although the certianly owe a lot to Konami's Contra series).
I think SNK, while it may not have a pioneer as such, certainly added to the genres it participated in.
I personally consider SNK one of the most innovative companies of all time. Look at these examples:
Ozma Wars (1979): The prototypical overhead shooter IMO
Ikari Warriors/etc.: rotatable joystick
Victory Road (1986): Are there ANY games out besides Mars Matrix and Giga Wing that have as many things onscreen shooting attacking you at once?
Psycho Soldiers ('87?): First vidoegame witha fully vocalized song in it
P.O.W. (1988/89): Back attack
Various games: MAJOR voice and music accomplishments, even before the Neo came out
Street Smart (1989): First fighting game with two on two/two on one co-op
FF1 (1991): dodging, counters, the CPU could taunt, backdash
AoF1 (1992): Visible battle damage, super gauge, super moves, moves that weakn with abuse, taunting serves a purpose, unblockable super move
FFS (1993): Hidden character (Ryo Sakazaki), mid-air projectiles (Geese and Ryo)
AoF2 (1994): Throw escape
FF3 (1994/95): Too much stuff to even keep track of
The list goes on and on O_O
Ozma Wars (1979): The prototypical overhead shooter IMO
Ikari Warriors/etc.: rotatable joystick
Victory Road (1986): Are there ANY games out besides Mars Matrix and Giga Wing that have as many things onscreen shooting attacking you at once?
Psycho Soldiers ('87?): First vidoegame witha fully vocalized song in it
P.O.W. (1988/89): Back attack
Various games: MAJOR voice and music accomplishments, even before the Neo came out
Street Smart (1989): First fighting game with two on two/two on one co-op
FF1 (1991): dodging, counters, the CPU could taunt, backdash
AoF1 (1992): Visible battle damage, super gauge, super moves, moves that weakn with abuse, taunting serves a purpose, unblockable super move
FFS (1993): Hidden character (Ryo Sakazaki), mid-air projectiles (Geese and Ryo)
AoF2 (1994): Throw escape
FF3 (1994/95): Too much stuff to even keep track of
The list goes on and on O_O
SNK was the first company to bring the arcade experience home. Not only did they
produce exciting games, but their fighting games pioneered the fighting genre with
innovative features. SNK introduced (i.e. pioneered) the rage gauge meter -- a
feature that has been used in just about every fighting game produced (Capcom still uses the rage gauge in their fighters today).
SNK produced the first 'true' team fighter (KOF '94), and they were the first
company to introduce weapon based fighting in to the Arcade. The list goes on, but SNK was an innovator and the master of it's own craft.
Also worth adding (if not a bit off topic):
SNK's ideas were good enough to plagiarize (insert any recent Capcom fighter here), but notice how Capcom continually receives credit for ideas they never pioneered. SNK's games were shunned for lacking mainstream content (i.e. they were considered too Japanese for the average American gamer, and the cartridge prices
were too expensive), so a good portion of America missed out on some great
software. What kind of impact did SNK have on the industry? I think the existance of this community should answer that question for you.
[ November 14, 2001: Message edited by: NeoLord ]
produce exciting games, but their fighting games pioneered the fighting genre with
innovative features. SNK introduced (i.e. pioneered) the rage gauge meter -- a
feature that has been used in just about every fighting game produced (Capcom still uses the rage gauge in their fighters today).
SNK produced the first 'true' team fighter (KOF '94), and they were the first
company to introduce weapon based fighting in to the Arcade. The list goes on, but SNK was an innovator and the master of it's own craft.
Also worth adding (if not a bit off topic):
SNK's ideas were good enough to plagiarize (insert any recent Capcom fighter here), but notice how Capcom continually receives credit for ideas they never pioneered. SNK's games were shunned for lacking mainstream content (i.e. they were considered too Japanese for the average American gamer, and the cartridge prices
were too expensive), so a good portion of America missed out on some great
software. What kind of impact did SNK have on the industry? I think the existance of this community should answer that question for you.
[ November 14, 2001: Message edited by: NeoLord ]