History Creator / SNK

** ''VideoGame/KOFAllStars''

* TheTetrisEffect: SNK has their own version of ''VideoGame/{{Tetris}}'' in the form of ''Puzzled'' (called as ''[[DubNameChange Joy Joy Kid]]'' in Japan). This game was later referenced in ''VideoGame/SNKVsCapcomCardFightersClash'' and as part of Ai's moveset in ''VideoGame/NeoGeoBattleColiseum''.

* AudioAdaptation: SNK, mostly prior to their bankruptcy, seemed rather fond of these, to the point that they likely outnumber any other fighter-producing company in volume. Several of their more recognizable fighting series have a few drama [=CDs=] to their name, ''KOF'' in particular. Most serve to further characterize [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters SNK's rather extensive rosters]] and add depth to their particular 'verses, but some, such as [[http://snk.wikia.com/wiki/Neo_Geo_DJ_Station Neo Geo DJ Station,]] opt for meta humor by employing [[BreakingTheFourthWall fourth wall breaking]], MediumAwareness, and large doses of LampshadeHanging.

''SNK'', an acronym for ''Shin Nihon Kikaku'' 『新日本企画』 (Japanese for "New Japan Project"), is one of the better known video game companies headquartered in Suita, Osaka, Japan. Besides developing arcade games dating back to 1978 (its very first game, ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozma_Wars Ozma Wars]]'', was programmed on a reverse-engineered ''VideoGame/SpaceInvaders'' board), SNK is also responsible for the UsefulNotes/NeoGeo home console, as well as the short-lived Hyper Neo Geo 64 and portable UsefulNotes/NeoGeoPocket. The company's legal and trading name became SNK in 1986. It also possesses a unique story of collapse and rebirth: After things started to look bad in the beginning of 2000, SNK [[DarkestHour was forced to declare bankruptcy in 2001 and sold many of its rights to various companies]]. Eventually, with hard work and effort, its CEO, Eikichi Kawasaki, eventually [[PuttingTheBandBackTogether gathered up many of its former rights and employees]] and [[HesBack rebuilt SNK, now named SNK Playmore]]. Kawasaki was the company's largest shareholder until August 2015, when his shares (along with his wife's) were bought by a Chinese joint venture. In April 2016, SNK Playmore announced that they were changing their name back to SNK, and brought back their old motto as shown above. On December 1, 2016, they changed their legal name from "SNK Playmore Corporation" to "SNK Corporation" to complete the change and rang it in with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzBt6Raq4P8 a fresh new]] VanityPlate with a familiar jingle.

** G-Mantle was a former mascot of SNK before Terry Bogard that only appeared in SNK's old ads and in-game in ''Blue's Journey''. Cameos are seen in multiple games like ''Art of Fighting'', ''Fatal Fury'', ''The King of Fighters'' (as an AssistCharacter in ''KOF 2000'') and even having his own card in the ''VideoGame/SNKVsCapcomCardFightersClash'' series as well as the default announcer for ''VideoGame/SNKHeroinesTagTeamFrenzy''.

** G-Mantle was a former mascot of SNK before Terry Bogard that only appeared in SNK's old ads and in-game in ''Blue's Journey''. Cameos are seen in multiple games like ''Art of Fighting'', ''Fatal Fury'', ''The King of Fighters'' (as an AssistCharacter in ''KOF 2000'') and even having his own card in the ''VideoGame/SNKVsCapcomCardFightersClash'' series.

* ''VideoGame/TwinkleStarSprites'' series[[note]]Continuing Creator/{{ADK}}'s work after bought the company[[/note]]

* ''Mutation Nation''

** In exchange for those, SNK would receive guest fighters in some of their games too, such as [[Anime/MillionArthur Thief Arthur]] and [[VideoGame/FightingEXLayer Skullomania]] in ''VideoGame/SNKHeroinesTagTeamFrenzy'' and [[VideoGame/ForHonor Warden]], [[VideoGame/HonorOfKings Gongsun Li]] and [[VideoGame/GuiltyGear Baiken]] in ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown 2019'' alongside Hibiki. And predating them all is [[VideoGame/FightersHistory Makoto Mizoguchi]] in ''KOF Maximum Impact Regulation A''.

** SNK have even done it with themselves, adding in Hibiki Takane from ''VideoGame/TheLastBlade'' into ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown 2019''.

* ''Robo Army''

* ''Neo Geo Heroes: Ultimate Shooting''

* ''The King of Fighters: Sky Stage''

** Mai Shiranui in ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive5'' and ''6'', with Kula Diamond joining her in the latter.

* GuestFighter: As of TheNewTens and TheNewTwenties, SNK is well known for making it very easy for other companies to use SNK characters in their games, resulting in constant crossovers from all of their series.

* ''Cyber-Lip''

SNK is mostly known for its {{fighting game}}s and was once the biggest rival of Creator/{{Capcom}} in that field; this rivalry was embodied in the ''VideoGame/SNKVsCapcom'' crossover series. Their fighting game bosses have a reputation for being ''extremely'' harder than their rival companies' counterparts, thus making them the {{Trope Namer|s}} for SNKBoss. To casual observers, SNK's 2D fighters were mere imitators of the ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' series, but this is not the case. The combat systems are totally different, with SNK's ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'' series introducing the whole concept of the [[LimitBreak super special move]] that would go onto to become a fighting game staple. Also, although both employed luxuriously rich, detailed 2D visuals, SNK's backgrounds were more expressive, and often filled with comic touches. It's also worth pointing out that staff have switched between the Capcom and SNK camps over the years, with original ''Street Fighter'' creators Creator/TakashiNishiyama and Creator/HiroshiMatsumoto going onto to work at SNK, notably creating the ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' and ''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters'' series, while famed illustrator Creator/{{Shinkiro}} as well as lesser known Senri Kita [[note]]perhaps best known for her work on various ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown'' titles (''64'', ''Warrior's Rage'', ''[[VisualNovel/NakoruruAnoHitoKaraNoOkurimono Nakoruru ADV]]'', and ''Sen''); fans of ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' may recognize her art style in the Tellius duology of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance'' and ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn''[[/note]] started at SNK but now work for Capcom. Creator/DaisukeIshiwatari, best known for his work on ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' and ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'', was also employed under SNK as part of the team developing ''VideoGame/TheLastBlade''. If you look at his work (and sometimes squint), you can see more than a few [[ShoutOut nods]] to SNK's properties.

Has nothing to do with ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' (which has the Japanese name of ''Shingeki no Kyojin''), despite sharing the same initials. Fans of the video game company have taken to using the company's new name (SNK Playmore) because of the potential confusion.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fuun|Series}}'' series (1995–1996)

** ''NAM-1975'': The BigBad's plan is foiled, but the hero bitterly notes that while he managed to get out of Vietnam, "[[ShellShockedVeteran the hell continues]]".

* BossRush: A lot of SNK's early UsefulNotes/NeoGeo non-fighting games, particularly the [[BeatEmUp beat 'em ups]], liked to make the player fight most (sometimes all) of the previous bosses and midbosses throughout the final level. Games that did this include ''Burning Fight'', ''Cyber-Lip'', ''Robo Army'', ''Mutation Nation'', ''VideoGame/KingOfTheMonsters II'', etc. Some were more creative about it than others.

* {{Fanservice}}: From [[http://images.wikia.com/snk/images/d/d8/Mai94.gif full]] to [[http://images.wikia.com/snk/images/0/00/King95.gif none]] and everything in between. [[http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab136/0-yami/5Bsmall5D5BAnimePaper5Dscans_King-o.jpg Also]] [[http://www.creativeuncut.com/gallery-05/kof11-shen-woo.html a]] [[http://images.wikia.com/snk/images/5/5e/K-XIII.jpg pioneer]] of fighting game [[MrFanservice manservice]].

* {{Foil}}: Usually to Creator/{{Capcom}}, but around 2015-2016, they became this to Creator/{{Konami}}. SNK was known for its shaky history, including its bankruptcy and rebirth as SNK Playmore, while Konami was a steadier company with a lot of A-games. However, around that year, Konami came under fire by fans and other developers alike due to controversial decisions and the move to the pachinko business, abandoning their A-grade video game industry. On the contrary, SNK Playmore instead abandoned their pachinko venture and made a full return to video game development to the point of returning to their old name (just SNK) and logo, and continued to improve ''The King of Fighters XIV'', [[TaintedByThePreview which suffered lackluster reception on its earlier graphics showcase]]; now, it's considered to be a major improvement compared to the initial build and could even prove a match for Capcom's fighting game juggernaut ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV''. SNK has been considered by some as "Anti-Konami" this way.

* GratuitousEnglish: Especially in the ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown'' games.
** [[{{MemeticMutation}} Terry]] [[FountainOfMemes Bogard]]. We cannot stress this enough.
** BlindIdiotTranslation: Very frequently in earlier releases, which often had a tendency of [[{{Narm}} ruining scenes]].
* GuestFighter: SNK in recent years is well known for making it very easy for other companies to use SNK characters in their games, resulting in constant crossovers from all of their series.
* {{Mascot}}: Three, in fact. It's not Kyo Kusanagi despite being the main face of [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters their flagship series]], but it's between [[VideoGame/FatalFury Terry Bogard]], [[VideoGame/PsychoSoldier Athena Asamiya]] and [[VideoGame/SamuraiShodown Nakoruru]]. All three are in ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters XIV'' curiously.

* RuleOfSymbolism: SNK's first notable fighting game, ''VideoGame/FatalFury'', introduces the city of Southtown. The bulk of the ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' and ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'' series take place in Southtown, detailing and developing it, [[ShownTheirWork pretty damn believably at that]]. The final game of the original SNK, ''The King of Fighters 2000'', ends with Southtown being [[NukeEm blown up]].

** With the exception of ''KOF '99'', Kyo (with or without the rest of the Japan Team) [[ThemeNaming always had a theme with the word "Esaka" in it]] during ''KOF'''s pre-bankruptcy run. Esaka is a train station in Osaka near the site where SNK's headquarters resided (technical first stop of the Midosuji line that hits all the major stops in the city), and when SNK went bankrupt, they moved out of the building. Thus, Esaka was interchangeable with SNK to their fans. In ''2000'', the swan song of the old SNK, Kyo receives a heartful, emotional ballad known as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgI3q3LL5u8 "Goodbye Esaka."]] They might as well just called it "Goodbye SNK" for all it's worth.
*** And to twist the knife further, that theme had been preceded only ''three'' games earlier with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aL8KiPsrvU "Esaka Forever."]] [[HarsherInHindsight Looking back, it's tragically ironic.]]

** Ryo Sakazaki from ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'' series is known as this for SNK, having more appearances in other titles than his own series (not counting ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'' of course): as a SecretCharacter in some ''Videogame/FatalFury'' games: in ''[=FF2/Special=]'' and in ''Wild Ambition'' (here as [[LegacyCharacter Mr. Karate II]]), as the only known character in the OriginalGeneration roster in ''VideoGame/BurikiOne'' also as Mr. Karate II (and retuned in ''Videogame/NeoGeoBattleColiseum''), and even just mentioned as part of Marco's background story from ''Garou: Mark of the Wolves'' (Marco is one of Ryo's students, also appearing in some artworks).

%%ZCE * SNKBoss: Non-fighting-game examples include [[VideoGame/{{NAM1975}} Dr. Muckly]] and [[VideoGame/MetalSlug Lieu]].
* TheTetrisEffect: SNK has their own version of ''Videogame/{{Tetris}}'' in the form of ''Puzzled'' (called as ''[[DubNameChange Joy Joy Kid]]'' in Japan). This game was later referenced in ''Videogame/SNKVsCapcomCardFightersClash'' and as part of Ai's moveset in ''VideoGame/NeoGeoBattleColiseum''.

* SNKBoss: [[FanNickname Known amongst fighting games fans as]] "SNK Boss Syndrome." [[TropeNamers And for]] [[TropeCodifier a good reason]]. Non-fighting-game examples include [[VideoGame/{{NAM1975}} Dr. Muckly]] and [[VideoGame/MetalSlug Lieu]].