Originally released in 1996, KIZUNA ENCOUNTER: SUPER TAG BATTLE still stands as one of SNK's less popular games . Despite never reaching the mainstream success of other franchises like The King of Fighters, Fatal Fury or Samurai Shodown, its cast of characters, tag mechanics, and distinctive visual design attracted a small, yet passionate cult following. Almost 30 years later, the game has arrived on PC with some brand new features as the second release of the NEOGEO Premium Selection
Before spending some time playing the new KIZUNA ENCOUNTER: SUPER TAG BATTLE release, which made me appreciate the game's unique take on the tag mechanics based on character positioning, I had the chance to talk with producer Laurent Vernézy about the new 4-player mode, how the developers approached modern balance changes while keeping the spirit of the original intact, and what the future might hold for SNK’s classic arcade catalog.
NOTE: This interview was conducted via written Q&A.
Q: KIZUNA ENCOUNTER: SUPER TAG BATTLE is considered a cult game, its popularity far from that of other SNK franchises like King of Fighters, Fatal Fury and Samurai Shodown. What inspired SNK to bring the game back now as part of the NEOGEO Premium Selection?
A: With its charismatic characters, its tag battle mechanics, fast-paced gameplay, and unforgettable soundtrack, we felt KIZUNA ENCOUNTER: SUPER TAG BATTLE would be a great fit to join our brand-new NEOGEO PREMIUM SELECTION line-up after REAL BOUT FATAL FURY 2: THE NEWCOMERS, which launched a few weeks ago.
Q: How do you expect the game to be received by a modern audience who never played it before?
A: We are very confident that KIZUNA ENCOUNTER: SUPER TAG BATTLE will be well received by younger audiences as well, due to its iconic characters, soundtrack, and great gameplay.
Q: Were there any lessons learned from REAL BOUT FATAL FURY 2: THE NEWCOMERS that influenced the development of this re-release?
A: REAL BOUT FATAL FURY 2: THE NEWCOMERS just came out a few weeks ago, so it’s still too early to note anything specific.
Q: Is the gameplay a faithful recreation of the original arcade release, or was balance changed in some way?
A: Absolutely. This premium port of KE STB is 100% faithful to the original title released on NEOGEO in 1996, so the gameplay and character balance is unchanged.
Q: Rollback netcode has become the standard for online play in fighting games. Was it challenging to implement in a classic game?
A: Implementing rollback netcode in KE STB was not challenging, as it wasn’t the first time we added rollback netplay to our classic fighters. However, adding rollback netcode to a 4-player online game was quite challenging, but everything is ready now for intense online battles!
Q: KIZUNA ENCOUNTER: SUPER TAG BATTLE is remembered by enthusiasts for its tag-based gameplay, and the new release further leans into it by expanding the 2 v 2 mode with 4-player and 3-player play modes which introduce an interesting twist to traditional online play. How did this idea come about? Was its development challenging?
A: We wanted with our developer to ensure that all possibilities of versus tag battles was available in this premium port of KE STB, and we hope players will be happy with them!
Q: KIZUNA ENCOUNTER: SUPER TAG BATTLE comes with a hitbox viewer, which is an essential tool to master any fighting game as much as frame data is. Is it accessible in the game? If not, would you consider adding it post-launch if requested by the community?
A: Yes, this premium version of KIZUNA ENCOUNTER: SUPER TAG BATTLE offers a hitbox viewer feature which is easily accessed through the Practice Mode, and can be toggled on or off.
Q: KIZUNA ENCOUNTER: SUPER TAG BATTLE makes boss characters playable without any cheat code. Was anything done to make their inclusion in the base roster balanced for competitive play? Boss characters are notoriously overpowered in traditional fighting games.
A: No, nothing was done to change or alter Jyazu and King Leo. They are infamous for being very strong, but as they can’t tag other characters in our out, they’ll have to be careful when choosing one of the boss characters
Q: Has fighting game community feedback from the launch of REAL BOUT FATAL FURY 2: THE NEWCOMERS influenced the design of the new modes or features?
A: No, as REAL BOUT FATAL FURY 2 came out only a few weeks ago, it’s still too early to have enough feedback from its launch.
Q: Do you see KIZUNA ENCOUNTER: SUPER TAG BATTLE potentially finding a place in the modern fighting game competitive scene, even as just a side game at the biggest competitions like EVO?
A: Absolutely. There are countless fighting game genres and communities, and we are confident that a lot of young and veteran players will enjoy the return of KIZUNA ENCOUNTER: SUPER TAG BATTLE.
Q: REAL BOUT FATAL FURY 2: THE NEWCOMERS has yet to launch on consoles, and KIZUNA ENCOUNTER: SUPER TAG BATTLE is only launching on PC. Are there plans to bring the NEOGEO Premium Selection to consoles? If so, would cross-platform play be considered?
A: We haven’t decided yet if we will expand our NEOGEO PREMIUM SELECTION line to consoles, but if there is demand for, we will definitely consider it. Nothing has been decided yet regarding adding crossplay or not.
Q: What are the future plans for the NEOGEO Premium Selection? Will releases be limited to fighting games?
A: Yes, of course. There will be more rereleases of SNK classics as part of our NEOGEO PREMIUM SELECTION lineup, and it won’t be limited to classic fighting games.
Thank you for your time!
The relaunch of KIZUNA: SUPER TAG BATTLE clearly establishes the NEOGEO Premium Selection as a brand focused on enhanced classic experiences with new features and expanding beyond fighting games. While console plans remain undecided, the quality of this port and its new features only confirm that SNK is taking its arcade legacy seriously.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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