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The SNK video game brand is associated with great arcade cabinets that featured multiple games and that classic Neo-Geo jingle. They’re also known for a string of classic fighting games that rival the best that come from the Capcom camp. For those gamers out there that prefer Terry Bogard and Kyo Kusanagi over Ryu and Ken, we’re dedicating the compilation below to you. Get your arcade sticks ready as we count down The 25 Best SNK Fighting Games Ever Made.
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The 25 Best SNK Fighting Games Ever Made
The SNK video game brand is associated with great arcade cabinets that featured multiple games and that classic Neo-Geo jingle. They’re also known for a string of classic fighting games that rival the best that come from the Capcom camp. For those gamers out there that prefer Terry Bogard and Kyo Kusanagi over Ryu and Ken, we’re dedicating the compilation below to you. Get your arcade sticks ready as we count down The 25 Best SNK Fighting Games Ever Made.
RELATED: The 50 Most Dominant Fighting Game Characters
RELATED: Infographic: 5 Video Game Fighting Moves That Could Work In Real Life
RELATED: 10 Fighting Game Crossovers We Want To See
25. SNK's Gals' Fighters
Never heard of this lil’ pocket fighter, huh? Let’s clear things up for you. SNK created this female fighter featuring the lady all-stars of such games as Fatal Fury and Samurai Showdown. This Neo Geo Pocket Color release was a simple 2D fighter, but it held tons of charm and a fun roster. Is it just us, or does Miss X look real familiar?
24. King of the Monsters
The monster destruction movie buff in us made us gravitate towards this game. SNK let us act out our Godzilla-esque dreams by choosing from a group of world destroyers and kicking beastly ass. Everything in the game’s stages could be destroyed and we were expected to in order to kill our rival monster. Don’t expect to get by us if pick Geon!
23. Breakers
Out of all the Street Fighter copycats that flooded the market way back when, this one is actually pretty enjoyable. This 2D fighter made its debut in 1996 and was overlooked, probably because of its lackluster cast of characters and ho-hum visual design. But if you played it long enough, you’d surely grow to love its solid fighting system and fast-paced gameplay. Don’t knock Breakers until ya try it!
22. Art of Fighting 2
The Art of Fighting series gave us our first glance at two of SNK’s most memorable heroes: Ryo Sakazaki and Robert Garcia. When the 2nd entry in the series came around, a bunch of familiar faces from the first game came along for the ride. The roster was pretty huge, plus it included our favorite SNK gal pal Yuri. The A.I. is tough as nails, but we tended to tough it out since we enjoyed the game’s challenge.
21. Fatal Fury: King of Fighters
At the peak of the fighting games boom, this innovative title became one of the more noteworthy releases. It brought on elements that were different for the genre. We were allowed to best our opponents in the foreground or the background. Let’s not forget the awesome co-op battles that let two players face off against the computer. Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard, and Joe Higashi made a grand debut in this revolutionary fighter.
20. Samurai Showdown
You wanna talk about a gruesome fighting game? Look no further than this cold steel brawler. Samurai Showdown pitted a group of weapons warriors from feudal-era Japan against each other in battles to the death. Plenty of blood was spilled as players sliced and diced their opponents. The slow motion effect that occurred when a big hit was landed was inanely cool for its time. In the blood and gore department, this game certainly gave Mortal Kombat a run for its money.
19. Fatal Fury Special
Fatal Fury Special is a much more refined version of Fatal Fury 2. We prefer this game to its predecessor since it plays a lot faster, plus the combo system got a much needed overhaul. This game contains a who’s who of franchise regulars and boss characters. You know what was extra dope, too? The fact that we could face off with Ryo in a “Dream Match” scenario. Good luck getting there, though…
18. Fatal Fury 3: Road to the Final Victory
We’re sure players of this series got used to the two plane stage setting of previous games. But now they had to get used to the three plane Oversway system. Now there was even more ground to cover in this official third entry. Air blocks were finally introduced and super moves became our new way of getting the K.O. victory. Those lil’ Jin brothers still creep us the hell out, dude.
17. Samurai Showdown 3
The third bloodletting sequel in the Samurai Showdown series took things to a darker level. The game’s art style made cheery guys like kabuki master Kyoshiro Senryo look a lot more intimidating. Two different versions of fighting styles (Slash and Bust) were selectable for any character we chose. We always had to pick Haohmaru because we figured he was our only chance at killing the game’s humongous boss.
16. Real Bout Fatal Fury
The Fatal Fury games took a right turn and ended up in the Real Bout stage. This game finally brought on a Power Gauge, which let us build up meter energy for flashier special moves. The stages also changed as we could now win by getting a ring out. The mechanics got even more fleshed out and the whole cast was here for play. Geese Howard got what was coming to him in this one. It’s about damn time, too.
15. The King of Fighters 2006
2D fighting games tend to take a dip in quality when they enter the 3D realm. As for The King of Fighters series, the complete opposite occurred. The 2006 edition took everything that was good about the first Maximum Impact game and added on even more. A whole mess of characters from SNK’s many fighting games joined the party. Bonne Jenet, Fionlina Germi, and Mr. Karate II had to be the most awesome additions. The game maintained its quick action and high combo potential. Thank God…
14. SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos
While Capcom created their own version of this crossover title, SNK opted to develop a version of their own too. This Vs. release looked and felt like a classic 2D SNK fighting game. Both sides of the respective companies were well represented here, as Ryu, Akuma, Shiki, and Kyo Kusanagi were a part of the large festivities. The game’s secret characters (Firebrand, Violent Ken, Zero etc.) had to be the best part about this game.
13. Rage of the Dragons
SNK and Playmore were tasked with crafting a sequel to the first Double Dragon fighting game. When things fell through on getting the I.P. rights for the characters, things were changed around and the game transformed into a homage to the beat ‘em series. The two-on-two gameplay was pretty dope and we loved the two protagonists who resembled those famous twin “Dragons.” Not too many people know about this game. Hopefully that changes.
12. Waku Waku 7
Here’s another underrated and virtually unknown SNK fighter. Waku Waku 7 was a trip. Most of the cast was full of colorful beasts and parodies of popular fighting game characters. Mauru had to be the strangest looking creature on the roster (he was also one of the most fun guys to play with). We appreciate this game’s tight gameplay, super cheery graphics, and hilarious super moves. Do yourself a favor and import a copy of this joint.
11. The King of Fighters '94
Say hello to the first official The King of Fighters game. SNK created three man teams from the best fighters of franchises like Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, Ikari Warriors, and Psycho Soldier. Original characters were also introduced to round out the familiar teams on hand. The unique team selection and elimination styles matches of the series made their origin in this great 90’s fighter.
10. The King of Fighters '96
When the ’96 edition of this series rolled around, PlayStation and Sega Saturn owners finally got a piece of the action. Two new techniques made their debut here (the Emergency Evasion and Attack Deflector) and new team members took the places of retired fighters. Kasumi Todoh, Leona, Mature, Vice, and Yuri made their grand entrances here. That Boss Team was fierce, too. The gameplay notably improved itself, as expected.
9. The King of Fighters '99 Evolution
This happens to be the Dreamcast port of the ’99 rendition of The King of Fighters annual release. Not only did this version add new stages, but it also provided new characters (Vanessa and Seth). Teams now consisted of four members instead of three, with the fourth member playing the assist Striker role. We have high regards for this game since it introduced us to the gloomy yet too cool character K’. Anyone who includes a dash in their name must be on some other shit we’re not up on.
8. The King of Fighters XI
SNK changed things up once again for part 11 of The King of Fighters series. Three person teams were still the main method in selecting characters, but now you were able to tag in your partners DURING the fight. FINALLY! A few series regulars were absent from this game, but we were just fine with all the new add-on’s and exclusive PS2 fighters. Shion has to be the coolest sub-boss ever.
7. Neo-Geo BattleColiseum
We always knew SNK’s deep roster of heroes and villains would make for an awesome all-star fighting game. Lo and behold, our prediction rang true because Neo-Geo Battle Coliseum became a reality. The game’s tag team gameplay was backed by a who’s who of SNK’s most recognizable faces. From Fatal Fury on down to Metal Slug, everyone’s favorite made an appearance. Those D-Assault finishers had our jaws on the floor.
6. Samurai Showdown 2
We believe the best Samurai Showdown is still the second installment. New movement maneuvers were added to the game, Parries were now possible, and a slew of awesome new warriors became our favorites after debuting here. Genjuro Kibagami is still that dude, no questions asked. Many diehard SNK fans regard this title as one of the finest games ever put out by the company. We have to agree with them.
5. The Last Blade 2
Another incredible weapons-only fighting game from SNK came in the form of The Last Blade series. The best one of course is the sequel, a fighting game with memorable fighters and beautifully drawn visuals. The whole vibe of the game had a Japanese Samurai-era thing going on, which we totally dug. We tended to go all Speed mode on everyone because those combos were way fiercer. And the music? Fitting and top notch.
4. The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match
The 2002 release received a super update that made it 10x better. Once we first laid eyes on the character select screen, we were floored. Everyone’s who’s meant something to The King of Fighters series is here and fully playable. The K’ Squad, Psycho Soldiers Team, and Art of Fighting Team were available alongside a super group of other fighters. This is an awesome game that you need to cop from XBLA…like, right now.
3. The King of Fighters XIII
SNK made a previous effort for this series on the PS3 and 360 (which didn’t go so well). So they went back to the drawing board, learned from their past mistakes, and crafted one of this generation’s finest fighters. This next-gen entry features the best fighters of the franchise and gives them a new coat of paint. EX versions of moves could now be pulled off, along with match ending New Max specials. Seeing how hype this game was at EVO 2012 had to be instant gratification for fans of this game.
2. The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match
Some still argue that the best annual entry for this series was the ’98 edition. We’re in that same camp of people. Imagine how overjoyed we were when SNK gave it a crucial update. Additional characters (BOSS TEAM FTW!) and playable versions of Orochi fighters were some of the specialties of this ultimate remake. An “Ultimate” mode of play was added, which let us create our own custom style. This is the definitive version of a classic.
1. Garou: Mark of the Wolves
And here we are, ardent SNK fighting game fans! The best fighting game to come out of the SNK camp is this different take on the Fatal Fury games: Garou: Mark of the Wolves. This game marked the first appearance of Geese Howard’s grown up seed, Rock Howard. He was joined by such cool characters as female pirate Bonne Jenet, back alley weirdo Freeman, and Khusnood…Butt. *giggles* Anyway, this game was incredibly balanced and readily accessible. We want a sequel and we want it now!