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But that's because back then that was something unique. And even now, it's the same thing and nothing really has changed.
![the king of fighters 98 artwork the king of fighters 98 artwork](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2e/51/f6/2e51f61fcaf3e8205b0539f79778011f.png)
And that's one of the, that's one of the things that really sets them apart. "In SNK's case the people are more casual the way that their clothing is, right. With Capcom at the time, with Street Fighter, these are like traditional fighters right? The way that they're wearing clothes, they're like traditional garments. They're very vibrant, they pop out, they stand out - especially the way that they wear their clothes, right? Take an example like Terry Bogard - they don't look like your average fighter. A lot of the SNK characters and their fighting games pop. "First and foremost there's a lot of emphasis and a lot of effort in the storytelling and characters," he says. What was it, I ask Ogura, that made SNK's games stand out? SNK's output at the time was astounding, and what's even more remarkable is how so much of it still stands strong today the boldness of those games, with their high contrast 90s aesthetic providing the foundation of much of the company's aesthetic to this day. "As an artist, first and foremost my main focus was on 2D fighting games," he says, and within his first two years he was put to work on legendary games such as Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown and The King of Fighters '98. When he joined in 1996 the 3D revolution was beginning to take hold with the likes of Sega's Virtua Fighter and Namco's Tekken, but SNK's commitment to a more traditional style helped attract Ogura. "Fighting games were super popular and so companies like Capcom and SNK were immensely adored, and they were filled with people that really wanted to work on fighting games," says Ogura. "You know, I couldn't help but feel really inspired by the way it was drawn - we had these big moving characters on screen and it was really interesting to me." He was in luck, as a recent graduate had gone onto work on Street Fighter icon Ryu's palette animation and a path had been established from the school to the vibrant game development scene in Osaka. "When I was in high school Street Fighter came out and was quite popular," Ogura says, speaking from his home where he's been working remotely through the pandemic. Availability: Out now on PC, PS4/PS5 and Xbox One/Series S/X.He's been a key part of the fighting games that have defined the company - and it's the fighting games that first drew him there. So it's something of a privilege to talk to a pivotal part of all that: Eisuke Ogura, an artist who's been with SNK - on and off, given the somewhat turbulent history of the company in the early 00s - for over 25 years, and who's at the forefront of their recent revival. I've spent hours transfixed by the likes of The Last Blade, Metal Slug and The King of Fighters '98, my face almost pushed against an Astro City's 29-inch monitor drinking in their beauty - it's that boldness, that style and all that colour served up in chunky 2D that ensures these things are timeless in their beauty. There's something truly special about SNK games.