SNK took us all by surprise today when they announced that they will reveal their next upcoming game next week, literally 3 days after SNK Heroines Releases. While we have almost seven days left before we know what SNK is cooking for next year, it definitely does not stop us from trying to guess which game it will be. Below is a list of the top three likely and three unlikely games that could be SNK’s next project.

Unlikey:

Last Blade 3:

The Last Blade was a great fighting game series. The first game, released in 1997 on the Neo Geo, gave us fast paced sword fighting with interesting characters and a beautiful setting. While the game was no Samurai Shodown in terms of popularity, it was well received enough to get a sequel. The property, much like most SNK series, remained dormant after SNK’s bancruptcy and have yet to resurface.

While there is a demand for the Last Blade to return, the fact that there are more popular series also dormant makes it quite difficult for SNK to choose this series over others like Samurai Shodown or Fatal Fury. To make it a bit more official, of sorts, in a recent interview with HeartOfGaming, SNK producer Yasuyuki Oda had this to say about the possibility of a Last Blade 3: “I feel that the story was concluded in Last Blade 2. I feel its best left that way so its legacy remains intact.“

Capcom Vs SNK3 or SNK Vs Capcom 3:

Back at the height of Fighting game craze, two massive companies joined forces to give a “fight to remember” (Pun intended). I am of course talking about Capcom and SNK joint title Capcom Vs SNK. The crossover title remains, to this day, one of the best fighters to ever be released. The game spawned an even better sequel in the form of Capcom Vs SNK 2. SNK also did its own version with the mildly successful SNK Vs Capcom.

Ever Since SNK and Capcom had their fighting games revival with KOF14 and Street Fighter 4 respectively, fans were asking about the possibiloity of a new crossover chapter. Those hoping that SNK’s mysterious title is a sequel to either CVS2 or SVC will be disappointed to know that there is no way this could happen at this particular time. The reason why my statement is all doom and gloom is simple: Both Companies have not re-used all their franchises or re-exhaust them enough to be looking for a crossover with the other company. The second reason that might make Capcom even more hesitant to go for CVS3, is the lackluster reception their latest crossover, Street Fighter X Tekken has gotten. And To make things a bit more official, this is what Oda san had to say, in a July 2018 interview, about the possibility of a crossover sequel: “To be absolutely honest, those games were made at a time when both parties had seemingly exhausted the current franchises, so unity and new product were key to keeping players interested. There are no plans for a third game and I cannot see it happening.”

New Franchise:

While most fans are hoping for a revival or a sequel to their favorite SNK series, some fans are wondering if the Neo Geo Company could be announing a new franchise. This is probably not happening for the single reason that SNK knows it has so much sales potential in reviving fan requested series rather than run the massive risk of introducing a new franchise. So the chances of SNK announcing the start of a new franchise next Monday are slim to none.

Likely:

Samurai Shodown Revival:

A Samurai Shodown revival is long overdue. The popular SNK sword fighting franchise has a great following. The first game of the series was realeaed in 1993, and this year marks the 25th anniversary of the series. Samurai Shodown (Known as Samurai spirits in Japan) has spawned a number of sequels, the last one was the 3D title Samurai Shodown Sen which was met with lukewarm reception due to its mundane gameplay, that tried to be a soul Calibur clone rather than a true sequel to the 2D fighter. The series’ best reviewed games are, with no doubt, Samurai Shodown 2 and Samurai Shodown 5 special, both available on numerous consoles and still been played in tournament to this day.

Samurai Shodown has also its place in popular media. The game spawnned two anime back in 90’s and a series of Mangas. A spinoff RPG was released both on PSX and Saturn, and a new MMO was recently announced for Mobile. SNK China has also announced few months ago that a new Samurai Shodown Anime Series is in the works.

To add fuel to the fire, Yasuyuki Oda has been quoted saying, as recently as last week, that he would love to bring back Samurai Shodown. Was that a wish or hint? time will tell!

Garou Mark Of The Volves 2:

A game with a cult-like following! Garou Mark Of The Wolves was the 7th entry of the Fatal Fury franchise. The game overhauled the series by bringing an entirely new roster, besides Terry Bogard. Notable new characters included Rock Howard, who happened to be Geese’s son, the Kim brothers, and JJ Bennet. The game also brought an overhaul to the series’ gameplay by completely removing the 2 planes system seen in previous Fatal Fury games.

Since its release in 1999, fans have been asking for a Garou: Mark Of The Wolves sequel. While SNK was working on one prior to its bancrupty, the plans were scrapped as the focus of the company shifted toward pachinko games and slot machines. With SNK’s second coming it is only logical for fans to get a true sequel to the Fatal Fury franchise and what better way to give them that than with Garou 2, a game that brings both Fatal fury and Garou characters in one setting.

It is also worth mentioning that many SNK employees and Yasuyuki Oda himself has expressed his interest in making a sequel.

The King Of Fighters XV:

Besides Samurai Shodown and Garou 2, a sequel to KOF XIV is one of the top 3 possibilites. The King Of Fighters series has been a staple of fighting games since its first release in 1994. Combinig characters from several SNK games in a 3 vs 3 gameplay setting, KOF has quickly become the flagship SNK title. The latest chapter of the series is, of course, The King Of Fighters XIV, which was released over 2 years ago. Releasing a sequel in 2019 will be a perfect timing to keep the popular franchise going. Add to that the fact that 2019 marks the 25th anniversary of The King Of Fighters Series.

Much like SNK, The King Of Fighters was a recent revival with XIV proving the success, once again, of the franchise. The game has been present in most E-sports events and SNK has kept the game updated with balance patches and DLC characters. The game is also being adapted to a manga series, The King Of Fighters: A New Beginning, which can definitely be used as a bridge between XIV and The King Of Fighters XV. Another proof that KOFXV is coming (whether it is the game being announced monday or not) is the fact that Yausyuki Oda himself said that the King Of Fighters XV is happening. From his interview with Heart Of Gaming, when asked if we will be seeing KOFXV, the following are his exact words: “You are. Its definitely going to happen, but thats really all that can be said at the moment.“

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What do you think of this list? Let us know in the comments section, and tomorrow i will post an article detailing why i am almost 100% sure the new game is a Samurai Shodown Sequel. Keep checking back!