Four SNK Titles Headed to Xbox and PS2

Some brilliant games there and I'll probably buy at least one of them, but it does highlight the creative crisis SNK Playmore is facing right now. It is becoming too reliant on well-established IP (King of Fighters, Samurai Shodown and Metal Slug) and re-releases of games within those series. For example, also showcased at E3 is the re-release of the original Metal Slug on GBA and the Metal Slug 4/5 double pack for PS2 and Xbox. Even "new" titles such as King of Fighters Neowave and Neo Geo Battle Colliseum are "dream matches" and reuse of old characters.

What the company needs to do is focus on extending those brands (which to be fair, it is doing with King of Fighters XI and the new Samurai Spirits game, both on Atomiswave) as well as building new key franchises and perhaps even reviving old ones such as Cool Cool Toon. Part of what made SNK was the classic characters and brands we love, but part of it was the curious new directions they often took.