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Very nice video. I’ll always stick to my guns and say that SNK should have stayed away from 3D in those days and instead should have focused on producing high quality 2D games on the HNG64 hardware (similar to Capcom’s approach with the CPS3).
I agree that by making 3D titles SNK drew direct critical comparisons to the superior 3D titles released by Sega and Namco at the time. For comparison, Capcom’s 3D arcade titles were fun (Star Gladiator, Street Fighter EX series, etc) but even those games were not huge successes either in the arcades. Hell, Capcom even went as far as publishing Battle Arena Toshinden 2 for arcades prior to their own 3D Street Fighter EX effort. For hardware reference, both Toshinden 2 and Street Fighter EX ran on the Sony ZN-1 arcade system; indicating that Capcom wasn't exactly eager to reinvent the wheel that Sony had already created in terms of hardware:
Developing top selling 3D arcade titles was difficult for many top arcade developers, not just SNK. Had SNK switched their latter 2D sequel projects (Garou: MotW, Last Blade 2) from the aged MVS hardware to the HNG64 we may have seen some increased critical praise and distribution reach for those titles at a time when SNK desperately needed it.
Lastly, the jump to HNG64 would have helped SNK with another major issue robbing the company of increased sales: piracy.
The complex architecture of these boards/carts would have certainly helped on that front.
I agree that by making 3D titles SNK drew direct critical comparisons to the superior 3D titles released by Sega and Namco at the time. For comparison, Capcom’s 3D arcade titles were fun (Star Gladiator, Street Fighter EX series, etc) but even those games were not huge successes either in the arcades. Hell, Capcom even went as far as publishing Battle Arena Toshinden 2 for arcades prior to their own 3D Street Fighter EX effort. For hardware reference, both Toshinden 2 and Street Fighter EX ran on the Sony ZN-1 arcade system; indicating that Capcom wasn't exactly eager to reinvent the wheel that Sony had already created in terms of hardware:
Developing top selling 3D arcade titles was difficult for many top arcade developers, not just SNK. Had SNK switched their latter 2D sequel projects (Garou: MotW, Last Blade 2) from the aged MVS hardware to the HNG64 we may have seen some increased critical praise and distribution reach for those titles at a time when SNK desperately needed it.
Lastly, the jump to HNG64 would have helped SNK with another major issue robbing the company of increased sales: piracy.
The complex architecture of these boards/carts would have certainly helped on that front.
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