- Pronouns
- he/him
All of this was translated by @gosokkyu on Twitter. A long and fascinating read! But if you don't have Twitter, I try to organize things a bit better here.
SNK's Yasayuki Oda spoke to 4gamer about the upcoming Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves... and a lot of other things, like preliminary plans for a new Art of Fighting and a non-fighting-game SamSho
on CotW:
The seven claw marks on the logo denote that this is the 7th canonical game in the series; for emphasis, this is a sequel, not a reboot or remake. On envisioning charas/concepts from the cancelled MotW2: they haven't completely scrapped those ideas but they have ssentially put them aside; those ideas were conceived for an arcade game with strict capacity limits & a different business model, vs the game they're making now which has completely different expectations re: content, updates, etc so this game's bound to be very different
The game system's new & not a direct rehash of MotW or previous games: they've been going over the systems from previous games & choosing what to keep/ditchone returning system is break moves, which will be back in a more advanced form
Oda also confirms it'll definitely be a traditional 2D game and not veer into 3D VF/Tekken territory; on the line system, he describes it as "basically one-line" (which leaves room for some other system that implies 3D-ness but isn't the line system, I guess?)
Rollback's a lock. They also intend to implement some sort of modern control option a la SF6 (but not exactly the way they did it); the controls are being designed with pad in mind, but so they can be comfortably used with any input device (Oda's personally fussed about hitbox)
Oda talks about this being their first 1v1 game in a minute & how 3v3 games are balanced around higher damage and less reads, whereas 1v1 games require a little more thoughtful design; he thinks the fun of FF (FFSP & MOW in particular) comes from pressure and finding ways to combine moves to create aggressive block strings, rather than big combos; he's not sure how people will take to that style of play in the online era, but they're tweaking it along those lines
On when it might be ready: they intend to really ramp up at the start of 2024, and Oda all but confirms you'll be seeing something at Evo Japan
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
on future games:
There are several in the works, but there's one specific game that doesn't yet have a team but that they're currently brainstorming: a new Art of Fighting. the IP's been dormant since the '90s, so they have to consider precisely how they want to bring it back
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
on AOF:
Oda says he has a vague idea that he'd rather not share a new AOF would not be a direct sequel to AOF3/Gaiden—they do actually have the old story for a planned sequel that never got made, but Oda says it wouldn't make sense unless they retold the story from the beginning anyway
They talk about AOF's unique systems, like the elaborate story modes limited to certain characters, or AOF3's Ultimate KO system, and how those systems run contrary to the concerns of esports, but what's the point of bringing AOF back without all that stuff?
Basically, the discussions they're having right now are not just about the game they want to make but how AOF fits into the modern landscape, how to market it, etc. they're actively recruiting, & Oda wants ppl who can view the series both in terms of gameplay but also world/lore
The interviewer brings up AOF3 & whether the series was always going for a more realistic martial arts vibe; Oda says that specific game took from VF but the overall intent was for AOF to be gekiga—put another way, hard-edged, macho drama between dudes who talk with their fists. (or, as Oda's old boss once put it: if Fatal Fury was their Dragon Ball, Art of Fighting was their Fist of the North Star)
The interviewer asks if, since AOF3 pulled from VF, there's a chance a new AOF might be a 3D game; Oda says today's technology would allow them to maintain the essence of AOF in 3D, so it is a possibility. Whatever direction they take, it's gotta be manly
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
on the new SamSho:
It is, in the broadest sense of the word, an action-RPG.
Unlike AOF, they've been working on it for a while: they had a prototype running pre-pandemic—more of an action game with Yashamaru running around, taking out enemies—but they're rethinking it ground-up
As with AOF, they're hiring for this game too, although this is more of a general action game & AOF's more of a fighting gameunlike AOF, where they encourage ppl who know the universe/lore, Oda says they're pretty much covered on that front when it comes to SamSho
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Misc.::
Their Osaka studio has 150 staff, split across 4 production lines (plus external lines) so they need more staffOda's appeal to recruits: they're gonna wanna join now, while their new building (which they moved into in March) is fresh and sparkly, bc it won't be that way forever
The interviewer mentions all the IP they're reviving, and how Oda had said 7 years ago that these sequels would eventually happen; Oda talks about how they were previously using one team to make every game, but now they have multiple production lines which makes thing easier
Oda kinda doesn't want to bring it up because he knows people will presume it's definitely coming next, but he wants to do a new Last Blade. That said, he thinks the original series ended conclusively, so he'd want to do a reboot/remake, or maybe completely change genre
He basically feels the same way about all their non-KOF fighting games on series popularity: according to their surveys, Fatal Fury and AOF are relatively popular in NA compared to elsewhere; KOF's massive in Asia & South America, which they put down to bigger arcade culture
Back to AOF: Oda mentions that it's fun to idly discuss how to bring it back but actually doing it adds a whole other level of pressure... he jokes about how even just giving Ryuhaku Todoh a second special would open them up to complaints
The interviewer talks about how AOF was made when brawlers and fighting games were at a crossroads and how they leaned more in the fighting game direction, but how it could have gone another way, and Oda agrees that they're examining how the series might be reinterpreted
The interviewer mentions battle royale—Oda says it comes up all the time in their discussions/drinking parties, but it doesn't match with the universe of AOF where, despite being full of criminals and thugs, everyone's weirdly honourable: no guns, politely waiting to engage, etc
Oda signs off by saying they want to revive all sorts of IP, so if you wanna get on board, apply now! The interviewer mentions Windjammers and Buriki One and Oda's like "we don't own Windjammers, but Buriki's possible" (do not read into this... or, join SNK & make it yourself?)
Original article in Japanese: https://www.4gamer.net/games/649/G064915/20230912029/
As a long time SNK fan, it's good to see signs that they're both trying to revive more of the classic IPs, as well as thinking of ways to reinvent them. Biggest complaint of the "Playmore" era was that it was mainly KOF, Metal Slug and you were largely out of luck if you wanted them to try something else. For example: I'll admit that AOF is another series I had a soft spot, but always wondered if its distinct "style" of play would have a place in today's fighting game landscape. But if they can reinvigorate it, so much the better!
Looking forward to seeing what the next decade or so brings!
SNK's Yasayuki Oda spoke to 4gamer about the upcoming Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves... and a lot of other things, like preliminary plans for a new Art of Fighting and a non-fighting-game SamSho
on CotW:
The seven claw marks on the logo denote that this is the 7th canonical game in the series; for emphasis, this is a sequel, not a reboot or remake. On envisioning charas/concepts from the cancelled MotW2: they haven't completely scrapped those ideas but they have ssentially put them aside; those ideas were conceived for an arcade game with strict capacity limits & a different business model, vs the game they're making now which has completely different expectations re: content, updates, etc so this game's bound to be very different
The game system's new & not a direct rehash of MotW or previous games: they've been going over the systems from previous games & choosing what to keep/ditchone returning system is break moves, which will be back in a more advanced form
Oda also confirms it'll definitely be a traditional 2D game and not veer into 3D VF/Tekken territory; on the line system, he describes it as "basically one-line" (which leaves room for some other system that implies 3D-ness but isn't the line system, I guess?)
Rollback's a lock. They also intend to implement some sort of modern control option a la SF6 (but not exactly the way they did it); the controls are being designed with pad in mind, but so they can be comfortably used with any input device (Oda's personally fussed about hitbox)
Oda talks about this being their first 1v1 game in a minute & how 3v3 games are balanced around higher damage and less reads, whereas 1v1 games require a little more thoughtful design; he thinks the fun of FF (FFSP & MOW in particular) comes from pressure and finding ways to combine moves to create aggressive block strings, rather than big combos; he's not sure how people will take to that style of play in the online era, but they're tweaking it along those lines
On when it might be ready: they intend to really ramp up at the start of 2024, and Oda all but confirms you'll be seeing something at Evo Japan
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
on future games:
There are several in the works, but there's one specific game that doesn't yet have a team but that they're currently brainstorming: a new Art of Fighting. the IP's been dormant since the '90s, so they have to consider precisely how they want to bring it back
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
on AOF:
Oda says he has a vague idea that he'd rather not share a new AOF would not be a direct sequel to AOF3/Gaiden—they do actually have the old story for a planned sequel that never got made, but Oda says it wouldn't make sense unless they retold the story from the beginning anyway
They talk about AOF's unique systems, like the elaborate story modes limited to certain characters, or AOF3's Ultimate KO system, and how those systems run contrary to the concerns of esports, but what's the point of bringing AOF back without all that stuff?
Basically, the discussions they're having right now are not just about the game they want to make but how AOF fits into the modern landscape, how to market it, etc. they're actively recruiting, & Oda wants ppl who can view the series both in terms of gameplay but also world/lore
The interviewer brings up AOF3 & whether the series was always going for a more realistic martial arts vibe; Oda says that specific game took from VF but the overall intent was for AOF to be gekiga—put another way, hard-edged, macho drama between dudes who talk with their fists. (or, as Oda's old boss once put it: if Fatal Fury was their Dragon Ball, Art of Fighting was their Fist of the North Star)
The interviewer asks if, since AOF3 pulled from VF, there's a chance a new AOF might be a 3D game; Oda says today's technology would allow them to maintain the essence of AOF in 3D, so it is a possibility. Whatever direction they take, it's gotta be manly
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
on the new SamSho:
It is, in the broadest sense of the word, an action-RPG.
Unlike AOF, they've been working on it for a while: they had a prototype running pre-pandemic—more of an action game with Yashamaru running around, taking out enemies—but they're rethinking it ground-up
As with AOF, they're hiring for this game too, although this is more of a general action game & AOF's more of a fighting gameunlike AOF, where they encourage ppl who know the universe/lore, Oda says they're pretty much covered on that front when it comes to SamSho
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Misc.::
Their Osaka studio has 150 staff, split across 4 production lines (plus external lines) so they need more staffOda's appeal to recruits: they're gonna wanna join now, while their new building (which they moved into in March) is fresh and sparkly, bc it won't be that way forever
The interviewer mentions all the IP they're reviving, and how Oda had said 7 years ago that these sequels would eventually happen; Oda talks about how they were previously using one team to make every game, but now they have multiple production lines which makes thing easier
Oda kinda doesn't want to bring it up because he knows people will presume it's definitely coming next, but he wants to do a new Last Blade. That said, he thinks the original series ended conclusively, so he'd want to do a reboot/remake, or maybe completely change genre
He basically feels the same way about all their non-KOF fighting games on series popularity: according to their surveys, Fatal Fury and AOF are relatively popular in NA compared to elsewhere; KOF's massive in Asia & South America, which they put down to bigger arcade culture
Back to AOF: Oda mentions that it's fun to idly discuss how to bring it back but actually doing it adds a whole other level of pressure... he jokes about how even just giving Ryuhaku Todoh a second special would open them up to complaints
The interviewer talks about how AOF was made when brawlers and fighting games were at a crossroads and how they leaned more in the fighting game direction, but how it could have gone another way, and Oda agrees that they're examining how the series might be reinterpreted
The interviewer mentions battle royale—Oda says it comes up all the time in their discussions/drinking parties, but it doesn't match with the universe of AOF where, despite being full of criminals and thugs, everyone's weirdly honourable: no guns, politely waiting to engage, etc
Oda signs off by saying they want to revive all sorts of IP, so if you wanna get on board, apply now! The interviewer mentions Windjammers and Buriki One and Oda's like "we don't own Windjammers, but Buriki's possible" (do not read into this... or, join SNK & make it yourself?)
Original article in Japanese: https://www.4gamer.net/games/649/G064915/20230912029/
As a long time SNK fan, it's good to see signs that they're both trying to revive more of the classic IPs, as well as thinking of ways to reinvent them. Biggest complaint of the "Playmore" era was that it was mainly KOF, Metal Slug and you were largely out of luck if you wanted them to try something else. For example: I'll admit that AOF is another series I had a soft spot, but always wondered if its distinct "style" of play would have a place in today's fighting game landscape. But if they can reinvigorate it, so much the better!
Looking forward to seeing what the next decade or so brings!
