SNK Announces New Neo-Geo Hardware In Time For 40th Anniversary

SNK is serious about celebrating its 40 year gaming legacy. Along with making a forthcoming compilation of its arcade games for Nintendo Switch, it's also hard at work on returning to the hardware market, according to a tweet it sent out this evening.

In the tweet, the company noted that, as part of its anniversary celebration, it would be releasing new Neo-Geo hardware featuring a number of its hit titles. But it didn't say much more than that, and only showed the teaser pic above -- hinting that it could be designed similarly to its Neo-Geo arcade units of old.

"This year, SNK celebrates its 40th anniversary," the company said on Twitter. "It is with gratitude towards the fans who have supported SNK's titles, including The King of Fighters, Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown, and Metal Slug, that we introduce a new game machine that compiles the popular titles of Neo Geo! Please look forward to it. The Future is Now!"

The company has dabbled with hardware in the past that celebrated the Neo-Geo's legacy. In 2012, it released the Neo-Geo X, a hybrid of handheld console and original arcade design -- sort of a two-in-one thing like the Nintendo Switch did, although not as well received. The system ran on game cards (again, similar to Switch) and featured a library of Neo-Geo hits. Unfortunately, it didn't sell as well as expected, and the company discontinued the system last year, leaving it in the hands of a few lucky sellers.

Again, it looks like SNK is going for more of a mainstream design this time around, something that would entice the Neo-Geo arcade gaming crowd. That would make it stand out from the consistent line of game releases that have come to the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, courtesy of Hamster's Arcade Archives line-up. It appears that this anniversary release won't affect how those games are released, as it's getting more titles in the months ahead.

We'll have more details on what SNK has planned in the months ahead -- possibly as soon as E3, where the company is likely to be teaming up with NIS America to display its forthcoming titles, including SNK Heroines for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.

Whatever it is, we're sure classic gamers are sure to be thrilled. (And probably won't have to worry about large VHS-style game cartridges, like the original Neo-Geo had.)