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[Dark_Tzitzimine]

Ok, so we suddenly got a bunch of Heroines info.

Is a neat detail that each costume has its personalized portrait.



Then a bunch of interviews with Oda about the game.

This are the bits I found more interesting from the one with TX

Do you feel like this is a setting for more of a fighting game tournament audience, something like EVO, or is heading for a more casual – because I know this game is heading to the Switch as well – is it trying to reach and audience that hasn’t played fighting games before?

Oda: As you’ve played yourself, controls have been simplified, and we feel like that opens up the gates a little wider for people to know a game like SNK, but at the same time there are mechanics in the game that we feel are capable of it becoming a competitive fighting game that be played potentially in EVO or fighting game tournaments.

So one thing I notice is the control method doesn’t seem to lend itself well to something like fight sticks, but it does work with a controller. (Item use is relegated to the right stick.) Is that an intentional design, or is that something that can be changed for arcade sticks?
Oda: It was a design choice … so more people would be able to play this game without an arcade stick. As for the question about it being changeable; at this moment there is no option for the more traditional input option.

Culturally, where do you think this game actually fits in with a modern, more broad gaming culture? There has been backlash against games of this type that kind of flirt with sexuality as a driving force. Do you think this game follows in that, do you think it bucks that trend?
Oda: There is exposure of female parts, but we don’t feel like it’s overly sexualized. It is there, but we want to push the acute aspect of things, the elegant-ness of the women, and we feel like we are able to cull the people that would bash this game for there being too much exposure.

Do you feel like that the game, with reference to sexuality, tends to respect the characters? Mai has always been a very sexualized character, but for example Leona hasn’t. She’s been a very stoic character, and yet in this game she’s wearing a catsuit in a thong. What would you say to a fan who has loved that character for years, but sees this and doesn’t jive with what they know of that fighter?
Oda: There’s a reason they’re wearing these costumes. They’re not just wearing these costumes because we wanted them to. There’s a full story behind it which we can’t really go into details about at this moment, but if you play the story I think our fans would better understand why they were put in this situation.

We made an effort to make sure the image of our characters will stay the same, even after people play this game.

So for the actual audience of this game, do you expect there’s going to be a lot of crossover with the King of Fighters main audience, or do you expect a lot of the players will be new to it?
Oda: We’re going to do it by platform to platform. I think for Switch, as we mentioned earlier, since this is a brand-new title and the first (SNK) IP on Nintendo in a long time, we feel people that maybe just know about KoF or just know about SNK will pick up this game, so maybe a lot of new players. Players on the PS4 side, there are a lot of people that play KoF, and maybe there will be more KoF carryovers into this game.

The fighting game genre in general, in terms of competitive esprots, is changing quite a bit. I don’t know if you saw the EVO announcements, but KoF
XIV wasn’t part of it, Marvel vs. Capcom wasn’t part of it, Dragon Ball FighterZ ended up being part of it. But do you think within a modern fighting game culture that there’s a chance for this game to latch on the more competitive aspects?
Oda: Regarding the current EVO roster, since it is a touchy subject and it is other people’s works we can’t really say too much about it. As of this moment, we don’t have any plans for it to be at EVO, but I feel like it’ll be dependent on the fans to voice that they want this game to be at competitive events, and if that is the case then we’ll be more than happy to accomodate and be a part of the competitive fighting game community.

http://www.txclan.de/yasuyuki-oda-o...tion-accessibility-and-competitive-audiences/

So basically the game is more of a party game than a proper fighting one. And SNK is quite aware of the controversy the costumes might spark.




This comment from SNK cracked me up

DualShockers had the opportunity to sit down with SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy producer Yasuyuki Oda and designer Kaito Soranaka to ask how the team at SNK would approach DLC characters announcements for their upcoming fighting game. Soranaka-san’s reply indicated that they’re learning from BlazBlue‘s mistakes.

“Since BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle received bad feedback about how they announced their roster and DLC characters, we really need to think about how we are going to approach future announcements.”

As a follow up to the question, NISA Senior Product Marketing Manager Travis Shrodes added that there are no DLC announcements at this time, but they do intend to release a “full game” at launch on disc and cartridge.

https://www.dualshockers.com/snk-he...learning-blazblue-cross-tag-battle-dlc-plans/

They also confirmed the game will have a story mode that is similar to XIII's in the sense that you'll get specific dialogue for each possible combination of characters you can choose.

There will be a Story Mode offered in the game, but depending on the characters you chose, the conversations will change.”

https://www.dualshockers.com/snk-heroines-tag-team-frenzy-story-mode/

That if we count all the characters shown on the comic and the way the character selection screen is arranged, will be quite a bit of them

 

[Sapiens]

I'm sure that people who will never buy it will campaign for it's censorship for infinity.

 

[KevinKeene]

If it turns out good, I'll probably buy it simply to support the stance against censorship.

 

[SLoWMoTIoN]

I'm sad this isn't 2D. I like KoF15 but this just seems like KoF15 women only with alt costumes and not much else in the way of graphical change.

 

[Hoya Destroyer]

So basically the game is more of a party game than a proper fighting one. And SNK is quite aware of the controversy the costumes might spark.

lol. That is actually a brilliant idea. Lots of guys (or am I just projecting?) would love the idea of naked fighting girls, so that pixelation is a novel way to bypass any problems it might otherwise cause. Very clever.
If this game has a decent amount of customization, I will be really disappointed that its not on Steam, as hot girls, beating up opponents and a chance for a bit of creativity, are all elements I love in games.

 

[TheShadowLord]

their reasoning is kind of why they are dressed like that way is kind of stupid. They should just be upfront with it as it kind of a giving that fanservice sells to the people they are catering to.

 

[Garnox]

their reasoning is kind of why they are dressed like that way is kind of stupid. They should just be upfront with it as it kind of a giving that fanservice sells to the people they are catering to.

I agree. When I read that, my mind went to MGS and thought, why not say “fans of Leona can still use her OG costume, but this new sexy one just gives options for those who want to spice up their favorite character”?

 

[kunonabi]

Classic costumes my ass, Leona is still stuck with her garbage redesign.

 

[OH-MyCar]

I'm completely on board with the unabashed glittery trash vibe, but it's a shame that KOFXIII is one of the most beautiful games ever made and SNK is still giving us PS2-era character models in 3D. They're not just PS2-era in the sense that they're not "technically demanding", because you still have gorgeous games like Haunting Ground out there. They're PS2-era in the sense that they're just sorta bland and perfunctory. They're a zipper or two away from belonging in The Bouncer.

 

[SLoWMoTIoN]

I'm completely on board with the unabashed glittery trash vibe, but it's a shame that KOFXIII is one of the most beautiful games ever made and SNK is still giving us PS2-era character models in 3D. They're not just PS2-era in the sense that they're not "technically demanding", because you still have gorgeous games like Haunting Ground out there. They're PS2-era in the sense that they're just sorta bland and perfunctory. They're a zipper or two away from belonging in The Bouncer.

Budget!

 

[Holy Order Sol]

I like that answer regarding the outfits because it's basically the Japanese "lmao fuck you for even asking".

Tired of this whole accessibility shit tho.

 

[deadscreensky]

I'm sure that people who will never buy it will campaign for it's censorship for infinity.

I can't see any sort of censorship campaign ever taking off for this game. It might get criticism, but that's totally okay for any art and (though often confused) not the same thing as censorship.

I'm worried about the suggestion that this won't be playable with an arcade stick. That would legitimately be a deal breaker for me. Hopefully I'm just misunderstanding their answer.

Also I don't appreciate the bullshit non-answer about the fanservice, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now that there's actually a great reason they're keeping secret (other than the obvious "god, nobody in Japan buys games anymore, we need to pander to otaku" angle). The Metal Gear Solid 5 defenses were dumb, but they also weren't entirely false even if too many people took the initial fake answer (breathe through the skin) as the real excuse.

Spoiler: MGS5

(Quiet was an infiltrator intended to seduce Big Boss. Somehow this worked?)

I don't really see that happening here, but it's not impossible that this game is secretly some damning Evangelion-esque horror critique of moé or something.

(It's not.)

 

[F0rneus]

Really hoping the customization is in-depth, and not locked behind paywalls.

 

[Spukc]

cool thread OP nice to see threads like this coming back to neogaf

 

[Red Crayon Aristocrat]

Looks fun and has lots of sexy anime gals, what's not to like?

 

[Ostrava04]

actually looks alright

 

[TheDuskwalker]

As long as its fun, and it looks like it is.

 

[BulletSmoke]

getting it for switch for sure

 

[MrMorningMan]

This looks like a blast. I'm glad they've decided to keep some of the complexity, because that's what has me interested more than anything. The only thing needed now is a Switch compatible arcade stick. Pretty sure I saw news of one some time ago, no idea if it's available though.

 

[Agent_Carnage]

Cant wait to pick it up on the Switch. Looks like a blast hope there is no DLC or Lootbox bullshit with this.

 

[Blam]

actually looks good I'm surprised.

 

[Hoya Destroyer]

I'm completely on board with the unabashed glittery trash vibe, but it's a shame that KOFXIII is one of the most beautiful games ever made and SNK is still giving us PS2-era character models in 3D. They're not just PS2-era in the sense that they're not "technically demanding", because you still have gorgeous games like Haunting Ground out there. They're PS2-era in the sense that they're just sorta bland and perfunctory. They're a zipper or two away from belonging in The Bouncer.

I dont know about one of the most beautiful games ever, but I think KoFXIII is the best looking 2d fighter ever. SF3 was too low res to compete there.

 

[Dark_Tzitzimine]

Here's more impressions on the game, this time from Destructoid

SNK Heroines

is one of the simplest fighting games I've ever played, and in this case, I mean that as a compliment. Even easier to grasp than the straightforward but deep Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, Tag Team Frenzy has just three attack buttons: light attack, heavy attack, and special attack. On the PlayStation 4 controller, circle is the special attack and all I have to do is press the button to send a projectile flying. I can combine that button with a press of the directional pad to use one of the girls' other special attacks. Chain light and heavy attacks and sprinkle in some specials and you have the basics of the game down.

Though it is a two-on-two fighter, both girls on my team share a single health bar. They do have their own special bar that depletes anytime I use a special, switch them into combat, or use the Dream Finish technique. Unlike other fighting games, the end of my energy doesn't mean the end of the match. In order to defeat my opponent, I have to hit her with a Dream Finisher when a knock-out is viable. I can use my Dream Finisher at any time as long as I have enough juice in my special bar, but if it hits and she's not knocked out, the match keeps going. In several of my matches, it got to the point where both my opponent and I were completely out of energy, trying desperately to hit that Dream Finisher and end the match. When I fought against the game's designer in front of everyone at the event, that's how the match ended.

Beyond that, there is a dedicated block button, a swap character button, and items my partner can use to attack our opponent. This completely optional feature adds gold coins in the stage that, if I hit them -- and I mean physically hit them not just walk into them -- it gives my partner some sort of trap or tool they can throw at my opponent. A flick of the right joystick is all I need to make it happen, but hitting my adversary isn't always easy to do. I can also end up hitting myself, which can lead to my KO.

I'm going to be honest: SNK Heroines was very button-mashy for the first several matches I played. Anyone can string together a combo and it's very hard to get out of them. I don't know if there is a combo break technique beyond just hitting my opponent with an item, but I wouldn't blame people for looking at this game and thinking it's nothing more than a cheesy fanservice fighter.

And yet, when I watched Yasayuki Oda and Kaito Soranaka -- the game's producer and designer respectively -- duke it out, I saw legit strategy, epic comebacks, near misses, seemingly impossible maneuvers; all the drama the fighting game genre is known for. There is depth here, and while it may be a shallower pool than its contemporaries, it's certainly something that can be studied for the metagame I keep hearing about every time I turn on Twitch.

The more I look back at the fighting system, the more it seems like an amalgamation of a traditional fighter and Smash Bros. That game has just one attack button and one special button that operate differently depending on how you use them. Tag Team Frenzy has separate weak and strong attacks, but it largely works in the same way. And just as Smash doesn't need a wide array of buttons to make it a reputable fighter, neither will this game if SNK gets it right. Because they're on to something here and I can't wait to see the final product. SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy may be silly and sexy and have the visual stimuli of beating up AKB48 with a cake-filled piñata, but it could also be a competition-worthy fighter.

https://www.destructoid.com/snk-heroines-tag-team-frenzy-shines-in-its-simplicity-487137.phtml

 

[Jezan]

Mai's alt costume, the one that has decorations on her hair, actually makes her look like another character all together, probably confusing to fight against her with so many details in her costume.

 

[Dark_Tzitzimine]

Oda and SNK Heroines' Lead Designer having an exhibition Match



Plus a more in-depth analysis of the mechanics revealed so far.

https://www.hardcoregamer.com/2018/02/11/snk-heroines-looks-as-risky-as-it-is-frisky/289892/

 

[Griss]

I don't know about this game... I love a good fanservice game, but if that's what you're going for I feel like the visuals should be better, you know? It's not exactly impressive graphically which makes me think I'd stick to DoA for my sexy fighting needs.

That said, I've never been a huge fan of 2d fighters in the first place so I'm probably not the target audience here.

 

[Dark_Tzitzimine]

 

[Holy Order Sol]

unnecessary "counter balance"
Really tired of everything being a trade-off in modern FGs and having to tone down shit especially like speed and movesets
Also I've never heard someone complain about having to crouch wtf

 

[Holy Order Sol]

-double post-

 

[Dark_Tzitzimine]

More footage, also the win quotes seems to reveal a bit of the game's plot.

 

[TheDuskwalker]

Well Holy Order Sol it does seem they're trying to appeal to Smash fans, which would explain the Switch focus and a LE online store only physical PS4 version, as the controls have blatant Smash inspiration.
Anyway that's what I find hilarious about modern fighters. In interviews they constantly talk about wider appeal, appealing to casuals, and all that when talking about mechanics, simplification/stripped down movesets and/or adding auto combos, but then they downgrade singleplayer modes, content, and ignore fans with character selection (or intentionally withhold them for DLC) when those things are usually what appeals to casuals.

For this game I'm still hopeful however.

 

[TheShadowLord]

More footage, also the win quotes seems to reveal a bit of the game's plot.

There's definitely a lot of plot in there...
.

 

[Hoya Destroyer]

I don't know about this game... I love a good fanservice game, but if that's what you're going for I feel like the visuals should be better, you know? It's not exactly impressive graphically which makes me think I'd stick to DoA for my sexy fighting needs.

That said, I've never been a huge fan of 2d fighters in the first place so I'm probably not the target audience here.

Yeah, the visuals are a bit rough (but I'd still buy this on Steam if I could).
Even Mai's boob-jiggle is off. It was that way on KoFXIV too. There only seems to be movement in the front half of them.
Getting a decent jiggle animation is pretty important, when the game places a large emphasis on sex appeal.

Other than that though, I think Mai looks pretty good.

 

[KevinKeene]

I'll never understand why boob animations in games are bad. In Japanese games you have jelly-boobs, in western games you have solid skin bumps that don't move an inch.

How about ... realistic boob animations? I know, an outrageous idea.

 

[Dark_Tzitzimine]

Here's another interview about SNK Heroines

HPP: We love the over-the-top stories found in the King of Fighters series, and The King of Fighters XIV was no exception. That said, we’re really looking forward to SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy. Can you tell us a bit about the premise behind the game’s story?



Oda: The basic story of this game is that it takes place after the story of King Of Fighters. To go into a little more depth, these girls are gathered in a mysterious mansion and a lot of stuff happens. You can expect this to be another over-the-top story, and I hope our fans really enjoy it.



HPP: Obviously the game focuses on SNK’s vast and iconic history. What are the challenges in choosing what characters are added to the roster, and is there a process by which characters are chosen?



Oda: There are tons of characters in the SNK universe that we wanted to put in the game, but we wanted to make sure that the title was well balanced first and foremost. We also wanted to make sure the characters added something to the fun story.

HPP: As of late, it seems as though tag team fighters have had a resurgence in popularity, and there have been many highly-publicized ones released recently. Are there any specific mechanics of note that you want to highlight that makes SNK Heroines different from what is currently on the market?



Soranaka: Traditional tag fighting games do not have a singular HP bar, but this game does. Typically in a tag fighter, you would swap characters to prevent more damage being done to them, or if they lost your next character would appear. With there being a shared HP bar there is none of that, this game is more based on management of your SP (a special gauge in other fighters). We’re really interested in how people will play the game when it’s more about managing SP than focusing on HP. Also, the Dream Finishes and specials play a huge part in winning matches.



HPP: It seems that fighting games have been making a transparent effort to make themselves more accessible to casual players. Is SNK Heroines designed more for these types of gamers, or is it being developed with the really experienced fighting game enthusiast in mind?



Soranaka: On a surface level, the game’s simplified controls allow for a casual fighting game player to pick up the game and start playing it right away. For the more seasoned there are complicated combos that involve tagging, gauge management, and item management. These elements along with a fighting game’s typical footsies will appeal to the more hardcore FGC (fighting game community).



HPP: The game is currently being developed for the PS4 and the Switch, to the joy of many including myself. What are the challenges when developing for two consoles that have very different hardware specs and ecosystems, and how much do the platforms affect elements of the game?



Oda: First off, we’d like to state that we are working hard to make sure that there is no difference between the two platforms the game will be released on. We will say that there are growing pains while developing on the Switch because it’s our first time working with the hardware. That being said, everything we encountered we’ve anticipated beforehand because of those growing pains.



HPP: Art style is probably one of the most important aspects when it comes to a fighting game’s visual appeal. With so many characters from different games that each have their own unique theme and motif, how hard was it to bring these different characters together? How what was the process in deciding the art style we see in the current version of the game?



Oda: Obviously this game strays away from more realistic games, and into the more fantasy side of things. At first it was hard to decide what kind of direction we wanted to go with the art style. But once we decided on the current concept, it was easy to for us to really work with it and create what you see today.



HPP: One aspect I am incredibly excited about is the ability to customize your fighters. How in depth is the customization and can you give us a rough estimate of the amount of customizables you can unlock?



Soranaka: There are several parts you can put onto different parts of your character’s body. For example, you can put accessories on character’s head and face. Outside of the character’s body, you can chase the pose, background, and stickers. This could be used for taking screenshots in the game. As for the amount of unlockables, we have at least 100 parts as of right now.

HPP: With all the beautiful characters bound to be on the roster, are there any that really stick out to you? Who is your personal favorite heroine?



Oda: I’m sorry to say this, but the characters I want players to focus on and my favorite character haven’t been announced yet. Please keep following us so we can revisit this question *laughs*.



HPP: SNK may be best known for their wealth of unforgettable fighting games, but the studio has released a slew of other great games from many genres over the years. Are there any heroines from non-fighting game properties who will make an appearance in SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy?



Oda: Ever since we announced the game in January, we’ve been getting a lot of fan requests for many different characters. We would love to answer those voices and perhaps do something with them. We’re currently in the planning stages of things to come, can while we can’t guarantee anything, we hope you keep following the game for some possible good news in the future.



HPP: Online play is obviously one of the most important aspects when crafting a fighting game. Can you tell us a bit about the online modes that will be available in the game in the game when it releases this spring?



Soranaka: In this game, you can create a room and play up to 4 players at once. You can do 1v1s, 2v1, and 2v2s with all players. There’s also going to be a quick play casual mode where you can be matched with a player.



HPP: Are there any plans for amiibo figures to accompany the Switch version of the game?



Oda: No *laughs*.



HPP: From what we’ve seen so far, SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy showcases a bit more fanservice than previous offerings from SNK. Are you worried that this new direction will make longtime fan of SNK’s fighters take the game less seriously than they would games like The King of Fighters XIV?



Oda: It just so happens that a lot of the costumes we have shown so far have been sexy, but there are other costumes that are cute and comical. We hope that those other costumes and the gameplay itself will appeal to all our fans.



HPP: Are there any characters from the Neo Geo’s history that you would have liked to see join the roster of SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy but were unable to use due to copyright reasons? Personally, we would love to see Angel from Shock Troopers make the cut!



Oda: They’re not necessarily SNK characters, but if possible I’d love to do collabs with other characters outside of SNK.

HPP: Thanks again for taking the time to chat with us about SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy. Is there anything else you’d like to say to all of the SNK fans or anyone looking forward to the game?



Soranaka: SNK Heroines is a change up from most other SNK titles we’ve released in the past. We challenged ourselves by adding different factors and making it more playful. We would like to continue to introduce our characters, but we also want to start to focus on the gameplay aspect. So please keep following us, and please look forward to it.



Oda: I feel that SNK Heroines is a game that can be picked up by anyone whether it be a casual gamer or hardcore gamer. So please look forward to it.

 

[TheDuskwalker]

Yeah, the visuals are a bit rough (but I'd still buy this on Steam if I could).
Even Mai's boob-jiggle is off. It was that way on KoFXIV too. There only seems to be movement in the front half of them.
Getting a decent jiggle animation is pretty important, when the game places a large emphasis on sex appeal.

Other than that though, I think Mai looks pretty good.

Yeah, Her face is thankfully much better than XIV which looked really weird at times.

 

[Holy Order Sol]

If the story is indeed based on the webcomic SNK has been posting from its official Twitter accounts for the past year leading into the announcement it's definitely going to be some wild wacky stuff. Comic's still ongoing too.

 

[Dark_Tzitzimine]

New Interview with Oda and Soranaka. Man, Oda is quite the cheeky bastard.

CFG: SNK HEROINES: Tag Team Frenzy includes some of SNK’s most popular characters. Were there other factors in deciding the game’s character roster besides popularity?

Oda: There are a good amount of characters, and some are not the most popular. We want fans to get a good laugh and surprises out of this title!

CFG: What motivated SNK to bring this title to the Nintendo Switch?

Oda: The Switch was released after development started. We felt the game was a good fit for the hardware. We talked to Nintendo and they were very cooperative and helpful.


CFG: Did the decision to release it on the Switch lead to the game having a more simplified control scheme?

Oda: No. The game is as intended, and there were no cuts because of the Switch’s hardware.



CFG: Do you hope that the game will attract newcomers, or do you expect it to mostly appeal to existing SNK fans?

Oda: Both. We don’t want to let down old school SNK fans, but we also want to appeal to a new player base.CFG: We noticed that the game has many idol-inspired elements such as stars and hearts. Is there any particular reason why you chose this particular visual style?

Oda: The setting of the game is very different compared to other SNK games. It has a different cute style, which is why we went with aspects like hearts and stars.



CFG: What are the challenges of providing accessibility without taking away complexity?

Oda: One of the first things is making simplified controls. They allowed for a big entrance for many different players. On top of these controls, we added more complex hardcore gamer aspects that would appeal to traditional fighting fans.



CFG: What other games have you enjoyed playing?

Soranaka: Monster Hunter World.

Oda: Dragon Ball FighterZ.


CFG: Do you have any favorite outfits out of what has been shown so far?

Soranaka: Kula’s Angel costume.

Oda: Yuri’s Matsuri costume.



CFG: Are there any developers you admire?

Soranaka: Naughty Dog.

Oda: NIS America.



CFG: As a follow-up to the idol question, do you guys follow idol culture in any way?

Soranaka: I love games with a lot of cute girls in them.

Oda: I like games with buff old men.



CFG: Are you interested in expanding the game via downloadable content in the future?

Oda: At this moment, we’re definitely thinking about it. Nothing is guaranteed, but we’re looking into it.



CFG: Who’s your waifu?

Soranaka: I have too many waifus.

Oda: Pikachu.


CFG: For this game’s characters specifically, are you looking at all of SNK history or just its fighting games?

Oda: Anybody is potentially a future character. We’re looking at all avenues. Any character as long as they’re a girl.

CFG: I’m a huge fan of Nakoruru, and I noticed that her hawk Mamahaha does not appear to be present. Is there any particular reason why she is not present such as game mechanics or balancing?

Oda: Mamahaha could not come this time. Nakoruru was not able to bring her into this new trip. However, Mamahaha does make appearances for Nakoruru’s projectiles.


CFG: Do you take a look at feedback from Western audiences as well as Japan?

Oda: We take any feedback from anywhere — even if it’s not from a human!



CFG: We’re huge fans of SNK, and we’ve been playing SNK’s games for over two decades. Are you more interested in creating sequels to established games such as Garou: Mark of the Wolves, or are you more interested in creating brand new titles?

Oda: We’re going to do both! We’re going to work on new and old IP.

Here's also a new strip from the tie in manga



A new Oswald Screenshot

 

[Dark_Tzitzimine]

New Interview

https://wccftech.com/snk-heroines-tag-team-frenzy-interview/

I bolded the relevant bits.

Why the focus on heroines specifically?

Oda: Because the female characters of SNK are very popular, we had the idea of creating something new that brought all of them together.

When did SNK HEROINES: Tag Team Frenzy begin development? How did the team manage to develop SNK HEROINES alongside King of Fighters XIV?

Oda: We’re developing it at the same time as the KOF XIV DLC. Our schedule is chaotic!

Is SNK HEROINES Tag Team Frenzy using the same game engine as King of Fighters: XIV?

Oda: We customized the KOF XIV engine for this title. The biggest change is displaying four bodies on-screen at once.

Not many readers may remember the original Neo Geo Pocket Color release of SNK Gals’ Fighters. How would you say your upcoming project ties into the NGPC title? Would you say SNK HEROINES Tag Team Frenzy is a sequel or more of a spiritual successor? Are there any mechanics that carry over from SNK Gals’ Fighters?

Oda: You could say that this title is the spiritual successor to Gals Fighters. We referenced Gals Fighters’ bright, comical style and the cute-but-sexy elements.

Will SNK HEROINES Tag Team Frenzy feature a single player story mode or arcade mode? If so, how long will it be?

Soranaka: There will be a story mode. Character interactions are different depending on the combination of chosen characters. We feel that our fans will be satisfied by the volume of the story.

Compared to the dozens of fighters in a typical King of Fighters roster, the lineup to SNK HEROINES Tag Team Frenzy is more compact and refined. How do you decide which fighters make the cut?

Oda: To make the costume and accessory customization a reality, we had to reduce the number of characters compared to KOF XIV. However, we also added the ability to change voices, so there is a lot of content.

Will we see heroines from other famous SNK franchises making their fighting game debut in SNK HEROINES?

Oda: Keep an eye out for more news on that soon.

What is your design focus for SNK HEROINES Tag Team Frenzy? Does your team want this to be something viable for tournaments or more for a casual audience to enjoy?

Oda: Because we are releasing on the Switch and PS4, we considered pad play while designing the game. Performing skills is simpler, but with items and gauge management, there is plenty of new content that can offer a challenge to past players.

Can you talk a little more in-depth about the spectator features in SNK HEROINES?

Soranaka: You can watch players in the same lobby. You can also cheer on fighters during battle by playing crowd sound effects.

How much character customization is available? Will there be the opportunity for new costumes and DLC after release?

Oda: We are currently planning DLC.

Soranaka: You can place accessories on different parts of the body. You can also adjust the position and size of each accessory, so the possibilities are endless.

If some of the costumes for those heroines are scantily clad, is there any worry of how they are perceived in today’s climate in Western counties? (Cowgirl Mai being one costume in particular).

Oda: The development team was very careful about that, but we heard a lot of requests from fans all over the world to “make it sexier!” I think the final product reflects that.

What is the targeted resolution and frame rate for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro versions? What about Switch Docked/Undocked Versions?

Oda: We aimed for stable 60 FPS.

Thank you for your time.

Sounds pretty good.

Also, Storm Collectibles unveiled their Rugal at Toy Fair. Looks amazing.

 

[Dark_Tzitzimine]

Vanessa's Seiyuu is so cute.





And yet another SNK Heroines interview

NI: I wondered whether we could start by asking why you decided to have an all-female roster?

YO: We saw that the popularity of SNK’s female characters has been rising around the world, so we wanted to use them to create a brand new title.

NI: Who is your favourite female fighter in SNK Heroines, and, to talk more broadly for a second, from other games in the fighting genre?

YO: Everyone.

Kaito Soranaka: Of the ones that have been released, I like Kula in the Angel costume.

NI: Who is your target audience for this game? Is it approachable for newcomers, or more suited to hardcore fans of the genre?

YO: Both, if possible. Experienced gamers will enjoy the mind games and new players can learn the simple controls.


NI: What inspired the decision to add this element of customisation?

YO: We thought this system would be enjoyed more in the world of SNK Heroines than the KOF series.

NI: I understand that there’s going to be around 14 characters at launch. Will we be seeing any DLC down the line?

YO: We are currently planning DLC.


NI: Is there any chance of seeing any other characters beyond those that have appeared in previous fighting games from SNK? Such as Eri Kasamoto from Metal Slug, perhaps?

YO: We’ve received many requests for that after the game’s announcement, so we are currently considering a number of things.

NI: It seems to me like this could be a testing ground for KOF XIV. What are the possibilities of that game seeing release on Nintendo Switch?

YO: I am very hopeful about the possibilities of the Switch. I think that, after this title, there will be a stronger push toward releasing KOF XIV on the Switch.

 

[Gormless Noodle]

Vanessa's Seiyuu is so cute.

What´s with Japan suddenly and these road racer bikes? There was a Rockman road racer announced recently as well. I'm starting to think they're all watching Yowamushi Pedal or something.

 

[Ridcully]

I bet there's a few people stung over 'we heard a lot of requests from fans all over the world to “make it sexier!”, which frankly should be the default answer to any question about the costumes now. I'm sure there're people who think maybe they can convey a point by repeatedly asking it, but publishers don't have to rely on journalists to get their feedback any more. The market wants what it wants.

Not sold on that Rugal, though. He looks like he belongs in a 90s bargain bin.

 

[MayauMiao]

Haven't seen update on this potentially great title.

Gender bend Terry Bogard. Lovely.