SNK

Background
SNK Corporation (known as SNK Playmore from 2003 to 2016) is a Japanese video game company best known for creating the Neo Geo console in 1990, and made successful franchises such as Fatal Fury, Metal Slug, and The King of Fighters. In the late 1990s, the Neo Geo saw a decline in popularity due to the hardware being obsolete compared to the Sony PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64, and the upcoming Sega Dreamcast. They created a new company called SNK Playmore in 2001 from another company called Playmore after the original company crashed due to financial issues. In the 2000s, they worked with Capcom on several crossover games. A decade later, SNK Playmore would return to its original name in 2016 for new game releases, starting from their next-generation ports of The King of Fighters 2000 and Garou: Mark of the Wolves.

1st Logo (1988-2001, 2016-)
Logo: On a black or white background or superimposed on the opening credits or scene of the game, we see the bold text "SNK".

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: None or the opening theme of the game.

Availability: Common. Seen on all SNK games of the era (especially those on Neo Geo). The logo would appear on new releases by the company, as part of the new branding.

2nd Logo (1999)
TBA

3rd Logo (2000)
TBA

4th Logo (2016-)


Logo: On a black background, blue cubes form a "pixelated" version of the SNK logo, which then generates a blue flaming aura. Then the logo "peels" itself upward to reveal the actual SNK logo with a registered trademark symbol on the upper-right side. The white text "The Future is Now" (the company's slogan) fades in below.

Technique: The cubes forming the pixelated SNK logo, the generated aura, the peeling of the logo, and the corporate slogan fading in. Very impressive CGI.

Music/Sounds: A reorchestrated version of the Neo Geo startup screen jingle plays throughout the logo. A whoosh is heard when the cubes are forming the logo, and a "wailing" sound is heard when the logo generates the blue aura.

Availability: Current.

(2002-2004)
Logo: We see the green text "PLAYMORE" in a retro-futuristic font, with a lined globe being the "O" of the wordmark.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: None or the opening theme of the game.

Availability: Seen on all Playmore games.

1st Logo (December 12, 2003-2016)
Logo: We see both the SNK and Playmore logos, but the Playmore wordmark is white and seen on a green rectangle.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: None or the opening theme of the game.

Availability: No longer current. Can be seen on all SNK Playmore releases.

2nd Logo (2010?-2016?)


Logo: On a white background, the SNK logo in CGI pops in letter-by-letter and "jiggles" (with "doki!" (ドキ!) in katakana appearing above each letter). The Playmore logo pops in below the SNK logo and bounces, causing the SNK logo to also bounce a bit. The SNK logo then turns 2D.

Technique: The SNK logo appearing letter-by-letter, the Playmore logo bouncing and stretching upwards.

Music/Sounds: A female voice says "doki-doki-doki!", followed by a ding when the logo bounces.

Availability: Seen on SNK Playmore pachinko and pachislot machines, such as Sister Quest, Sky Love, and others.