The SNK Way: How a Small Osaka Team Created Fighting Game Icons Through Chaos, Guts, and Passion

Introduction: The Other Fighting Game Dynasty

When people talk about fighting games, two names usually dominate the conversation: Capcom and NetherRealm. But there’s a third giant — less celebrated in the West, yet just as pivotal: SNK. From the pixel-perfect choreography of King of Fighters, to the satirical chaos of Metal Slug, to the precise brutality of Samurai Shodown, SNK didn’t just build games. It built a culture.

And unlike its corporate rivals, SNK did it in the most unorthodox way imaginable: with small, overworked, passionate teams, working in a chaotic creative environment where job titles were suggestions and hierarchies were often ignored. The SNK dev culture was fast, flexible, and deeply human.

This is the story of how some of the greatest 2D arcade games ever made came from late nights, insane deadlines, and developers who simply refused to give up.

Part I: A Company Fueled by Fire

In the early 1990s, SNK was a mid-tier Osaka developer best known for Ikari Warriors and Athena. But everything changed with the release of the Neo Geo hardware in 1990. The MVS (arcade) and AES (home) systems allowed for identical arcade/home experiences — and more importantly, gave SNK's devs more RAM, more ROM, and more freedom than nearly any console of the era.

“We weren’t restricted, so we could do things like have gigantic characters on screen that could move freely and smoothly.” — Yasuyuki Oda (Producer, KOF XIV/XV; formerly planner on Garou)

The Neo Geo was notoriously expensive for players. But for creators? It was heaven. SNK became a magnet for passionate developers who cared more about what could be done than what should be done.

“As a 2D machine, it was very powerful and popular because it enabled players to enjoy the exact same titles found at arcades at home.” — Yasuyuki Oda

This freedom came at a price: no safety nets, no streamlined tools, and deadlines that were as aggressive as the games themselves.

Part II: Learning by Doing (and Sleeping Under Desks)

Most SNK developers in the 1990s weren’t veterans. They were self-taught, passionate, and eager to prove themselves. It was a workplace where raw ability could shoot you up the ranks faster than any corporate ladder.

“I joined without any real game development experience. I learned everything on the job.” — Tatsuhiko Kanaoka (Character Designer & Director, KOF Maximum Impact)

Falcoon began as an illustrator but ended up directing an entire 3D reboot of KOF. Similarly, composer Hideki Asanaka (Sha-V) started as a guitarist and ended up leading SNK’s sound department through most of the 2000s.

“I learned sound design by experimenting. We usually started music about 3-4 months before final builds.” — Hideki Asanaka (Lead Sound Designer, KOF series)

Stories from the era describe a culture of crunch — but also one of camaraderie. Developers often slept in the office, pulling 18-hour days during final months.

“Even after I left SNK, I still carried those memories. That level of pressure teaches you something.” — Yasuyuki Oda

Part III: Controlled Chaos = Creative Gold

The SNK method wasn't organized. It was chaotic. But somehow, that chaos led to brilliance. Whether it was the deeply technical, story-driven team mechanics of King of Fighters, or the visual absurdity and humor of Metal Slug, SNK trusted its teams to make bold calls.

“No one was micromanaging. You had your deadline and your team, and you made it happen.” — Shinichi Shimizu (Programmer, KOF '94–'96)

Metal Slug is a case in point. Built by ex-Irem developers who had just formed Nazca Corporation, it began as a serious military shooter. But the SNK devs added absurd humor, exaggerated animations, and subtle anti-war themes. It became a classic.

“We just kept adding silly details. Soldiers crying. Fat mode. Camels. It wasn’t planned — we had room, so we went for it.” — Kazuma Kujo (Director, Metal Slug; Co-founder, Nazca Corporation)

These games were finished on brutally short timelines — sometimes just 9 months from planning to launch.

Part IV: Defying the Plan — SNK’s Culture of Creative Risk

If SNK had a defining trait, it was trust: in its developers, in its chaos, and in their instinct to break rules when needed. Over and over, devs took creative risks that other companies would have shut down.

  • KOF’s music was usually composed in the final months. Hideki Asanaka, unsatisfied with the limitations of arcade hardware, pushed for separate arranged CD releases — giving the music its true form outside the game.

“We wanted to do more, so the CD soundtracks let us go further.” — Hideki Asanaka (Lead Sound Designer, KOF series)

  • Masaaki Kukino refused to give up hand-drawn animation for KOF XII and XIII, despite pressure to shift to polygons.

“There was pressure, of course. People wanted us to go 3D. But I believed 2D could still evolve.” — Masaaki Kukino (Director, KOF XII/XIII)

  • Falcoon, originally an illustrator, directed KOF Maximum Impact with a distinctive visual flair — pushing the series into full 3D, even when reception was mixed.

“It was a chance to make the KOF I always wanted to see.” — Tatsuhiko Kanaoka

This freedom made SNK unpredictable. But it also made them unforgettable.

Part V: Growing Legends from Within

Because SNK rarely hired big-name veterans, its greatest contributors grew from the inside. Programmers became planners. Artists became directors. Passion was the currency.

  • Toyohisa Tanabe started as a planner and became the lead architect of the Orochi Saga in KOF.
  • Eisuke Ogura, now the face of KOF character design, began as a staff illustrator in the late '90s.
  • Masaaki Kukino brought his experience from Konami and gave KOF XII and XIII their stunning 2D visuals, despite enormous internal pressure.

“There was no manual. You learned by doing. Sometimes by failing.” — Eisuke Ogura (Lead Character Designer, KOF series)

SNK was more like a creative dojo than a studio. New staff were thrown in, tested, and those who survived emerged as future franchise leads.

Part VI: SNK vs Capcom — Culture Clash

SNK and Capcom were Japan’s two great fighting game factories. But culturally, they were opposites.

  • Capcom had formalized teams, extensive QA pipelines, and a more rigid hierarchy.
  • SNK was informal, instinctive, and creative-first. What Capcom planned in documentation, SNK improvised through trust.

This led to different kinds of games:

  • Street Fighter focused on clarity, balance, and fundamentals.
  • King of Fighters emphasized depth, team synergy, and narrative integration.

“Capcom was more refined. We were more raw. But I think players could feel the difference.” — Yasuyuki Oda

Even when Capcom and SNK collaborated on the Capcom vs. SNK series, their dev teams often worked separately, each with their own philosophy intact.

Part VII: Surviving Death — Twice

SNK’s story isn’t one of constant success. In 2001, the company went bankrupt. Yet many of its developers stayed in the orbit of SNK IP through successor companies and reboots. When SNK was revived as SNK Playmore, many veterans returned.

Oda, who had left to work on Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition and Street Fighter IV at Dimps, came back to lead KOF XIV and KOF XV.

“SNK was always home. I wanted to finish what we started.” — Yasuyuki Oda

Today, SNK is owned by a Saudi-backed company and still actively developing. Its games may have modernized, but its dev culture remains deeply rooted in mentorship, creative freedom, and legacy.

Conclusion: The SNK Way Lives On

What makes SNK different isn’t just its game design. It’s the spirit behind it: the belief that great games come from giving creators room to fail, to stretch, to make something messy and magical. The SNK dev culture was forged in long nights, last-minute miracles, and raw instinct.

It wasn’t pretty. But it was real. And the games that emerged from it — KOF '98, Metal Slug 3, Garou: Mark of the Wolves — still stand tall today.

“I hope they keep making KOF games up to 2094.” — Toyohisa Tanabe

That’s the SNK way. And it still matters.

Sources & Further Reading

  • The King of Fighters: The Ultimate History (Bitmap Books, 2022)
  • Metal Slug: The Ultimate History (Bitmap Books, 2020)
  • Arcade Mania! by Brian Ashcraft (2008)
  • NEOGEO: A Visual History (Bitmap Books, 2017)
  • EventHubs, DreamCancel, and Wired Magazine (2009) for context and commentary
  • The Guardian (2009): Interview with Yoshinori Ono on Street Fighter IV development.

Want to Go Deeper Into Arcade History?

Top 100 Arcade Games of All Time