neo-geo world tour

A guide to global SNK hotspots

01 OSAKA, JAPAN ■ The home city of SNK, and a frequent background location in the King Of Fighters series. The company has had a number of offices in the area over the years. 02 TSUKUBA, JAPAN ■ The first Neo-geo World location was opened here in December 1995. This indoor theme park offered a variety of attractions including Q-zar laser tag, Drift King cart racing and a horror attraction called The Walk. Additionally, you could enjoy a game of bowling, karaoke, games and a variety of cafes, and there was even a Tsutaya video rental shop. 03 TOKYO, JAPAN ■ The second Neo-geo World opened here in March 1999. The rides at this indoor theme park included the car chase simulation New York Getaway, the shooting adventure Agent Metal and a hostage rescue walking attraction called No Fate. The company has also had local offices here at various points in time.

04 TORRANCE, Ca, USA ■ SNK’S first American office opened here on Kashiwa Street in the early Eighties. The company moved back to an office on Earl Street in the early Nineties. 05 SUNNYVALE, Ca, USA ■ When SNK formally established its American subsidiary in 1986, its first office was in Sobrante Way. 06 SAN JOSE, Ca, USA ■ SNK returned to the Bay Area in 1997, relocating to Great Oaks Boulevard in San Jose. 07 CYPRESS, Ca, USA ■ SNK Neogeo USA Corporation, the arcade distribution arm of SNK in the late MVS years, was located here. 08 WALL, NJ, USA ■ SNK operated out of a very small office during the Playmore years. Established in 2003, this was far from SNK’S traditional California locations.

09 KOWLOON, HONG KONG ■ 1992 saw the establishment of SNK Asia, which kept the same offices up until the branch was dissolved following SNK’S bankruptcy. SNK Asia was re-established here in 2015. 10 SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL ■ SNK’S first branch in South America was established in 1993, and the MVS was very popular here. Some of the Neo-geo World locations it opened still exist, albeit under different companies. 11 LONDON, UK ■ SNK Europe was established here in 1994, initially occupying an office in Albemarle Street before moving to Regent’s Park Road in Finchley in 1996. 12 SINGAPORE 13 DUBAI, UAE ■ Other offices including SNK Singapore and SNK Middle East operated from these locations, but both subsidiaries were closed by 1999.

14 OSAKA, JAPAN 15 NAGAKUTE, JAPAN 16 NARA, JAPAN 17 KATO, JAPAN ■ These cities all hosted Neo-geo Land arcades. These typically offered a mixture of games, karaoke and pool, although smaller locations had fewer offerings. SNK held events at these arcades, the most popular of which were the location tests of new arcade games. Osaka was lucky enough to have two, one of which remained open under Sun Amusements until 2004 – you can see it in the background of King Of Fighters games often. 18 YOKOHAMA, JAPAN 19 CHIBA, JAPAN 20 FUKUI, JAPAN 21 NATORI, JAPAN 22 FUKUOKA, JAPAN ■ Each of these cities had a Neo-geo Bowl facility, offering bowling, games, karaoke, pool and cafe facilities. Sun Amusements kept the large out-oftown facilities in Chiba and Natori running for a few years after SNK’S 2001 bankruptcy.