SNK has a treasure trove of classic fighting games from their arcade days of the ’90s, and they’re looking to start modernizing at least some of them in their new NEOGEO Premium Selection line.
Kizuna Encounter: Super Tag Battle was the second game to release in this lineup last week, and we recently had the chance to interview SNK’s Retro Game Development Manager Laurent Vernezy about the title and the premium selection games.
Probably the coolest thing about this new Kizuna Encounter release is it’s the only home version to include the 2v2 four-player mode that was only available on select arcade cabinets back in the day, so most people have probably never gotten to try the game out like that.
Since it’s actually a sequel, we of course had to ask why they went with Kizuna Encounter now over the original Savage Reign.
There has been a lot of questions about whether these NEOGEO Premium Selection titles will come to more platforms besides Steam as well as their price point at $20, which we asked about too.
Right now, however, Kizuna Encounter is 25% off on Steam until tomorrow, October 18, at around 9 a.m. PT to make it $15 for its first week.
We also previously did more recent interviews with SNK about Joe’s return to Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves and Real Bout Fatal Fury 2’s return, so check those out if you haven’t already.
You can find our full interview with Laurent below.
DarkHorse: Why choose Kizuna Encounter to bring back now?
Laurent: With its unique tag-team mechanics (where players must ensure not to lose even one character or the match is over!), its fast-paced gameplay for intense battles, its 12 iconic characters, and its unique atmosphere, we decided to bring back Kizuna Encounter: Super Tag Battle in its most complete shape via our new NEOGEO Premium Selection lineup. We hope you will like it!
DarkHorse: Why go with the sequel over Savage Reign?
Laurent: Kizuna Encounter: Super Tag Battle was chosen over its predecessor to be the 2nd entry of the NEOGEO Premium Selection line-up as it was a title requested by fans for its
tag-battle mechanics and its unique 4-player mode.
DarkHorse: Why should people play Kizuna Encounter here in 2025? What does the game have to offer?
Laurent: Kizuna Encounter: Super Tag Battle is very unique with its iconic characters, easy-to-learn mechanics, and its fast-paced gameplay, so it definitely is a great title to make its
return in 2025. We are looking forward to seeing a lot of matches from both veteran and new tag players!
DarkHorse: What are the new features included in this version of the game?
Laurent: As a pioneer in the tag-team genre and known even back in the day for its 2 vs 2 tag battle mechanics, Kizuna Encounter: Super Tag Battle returns this time with this legendary game mode, now playable wherever you live, thanks to the game’s online rollback netcode.
On top of this, this premium version of Kizuna Encounter: Super Tag Battle will feature all the bells and whistles of our premium line up such as online versus features (allowing players to participate in lobbies of 9 players, as well as spectate and join tournaments), train your favorite characters and tags in a brand-new Practice Mode with a hitbox viewer, and more. There is also a Gallery Mode gathering all the original art and the new key art that was made especially for this rerelease, as well as a Jukebox mode allowing you to play your favorite tunes in the game’s interface, leaderboards, and achievements for countless hours of fun.
DarkHorse: Will these new NEOGEO re-releases eventually come to more than just Steam?
Laurent: Steam is a great platform, popular around the world and very appreciated for online play, so we decided to launch our NEOGEO Premium Selection lineup on this platform first, but we would like to consider extending this lineup to console platforms, too.
DarkHorse: Do you already have a set number of games selected for the NEOGEO Premium Selection?
Laurent: It’s still too early to answer this question, but we would like to hear what our fans would like to see brought back with plenty of bells and whistles included in our NEOGEO Premium Selection lineup. Let us know!
DarkHorse: Why did SNK choose to release these games as individual titles instead of a collection like the NEOGEO Pocket Color and Samurai Shodown?
Laurent: We wanted to take a new approach with our NEOGEO Premium Selection lineup and focus on bringing back cult classics in the best format possible to allow for the best game
experience ever.
DarkHorse: What has the reception been like for Real Bout Fatal Fury 2 so far? Are there any issues, updates planned or things you want to improve?
Laurent: Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers has been out for a few days, and the reception has been good so far. We received a lot of comments from fans happy to play RB2 in online battles. Regarding updates to the game, we have been working very closely with our developer before and after the release, and we plan to discuss with them regarding potential updates and fixes for RB2 from now on if needed.
DarkHorse: We’ve witnessed some complaints about fans feeling the $20 price tag is too high. How do you feel the games provide that amount of value?
Laurent: We are aware of some comments regarding the $20 price tag, but we wanted this time to bring back Kizuna Encounter with all the options and features possible, and most importantly, the possibility to play this cult classic in 4 player mode online for the first time!