The logo of the current sound department.
The SNK Sound Team, known in the 1990s as the NEO SOUND ORCHESTRA (新世界楽曲雑技団, Shinsekai Gakkyoku Zatsugidan, lit. "New World Music Performance Group") is SNK's in-house sound department, responsible for music composition and sound design. They are often credited on most of the company's CD releases.
Before SNK went bankrupt, the group had over 30 members and two teams - one in studio and one for recording arrangements. Arrangements were often played by Japanese musicians hired by the company and the studio team worked with their games' development teams to compose melodies. The group's selected genre varied from rock, techno, jazz, classical, folk, and others. Aside from music for the company's games, the department also worked on non-video game projects by SNK, such as the Art of Fighting anime, the first Fatal Fury OVA, various drama CDs, and SNK's radio shows such as Neochupi.
During the the SNK Playmore era, they often hired external freelancers to create music (including ex-SNK composers). SNK Playmore also had a dedicated sound team for their pachislot games, known as SMACK SOUND PRODUCE.
In 2014, SNK established a new in-house sound team, which initially consisted of seven composers and has since expanded to ten. Of these, three members are veterans from the 1990s, while the rest are newcomers. Aside from industry veteran Yu Shimoda, all new sound team members have made their professional debut at SNK.
The current members of SNK's sound team are:
- Hideki Asanaka ("SHA-V") (1995-2000, 2014-present)
- Hiroshi Yamazoe ("ZOE") (1996-2000, 2014-present)
- Masato Horiuchi ("HORI_HORI a.k.a. DUGIA♪") (1998-2000, 2014-present)
- Naoki Kita (2014-present)
- Minori Sasaki (2014-present)
- Mayuko Hino (2014-present)
- Fuga Yamahata (2019-present)
- Yu Shimoda (2021-present)
- Akira Sakamoto (2023-present)
- Rei Wako (2023-present)
Former members of SNK's sound team:
- Toshikazu Tanaka ("TARKUN") (1986-1992)
- "ARAN LEE" (1986-1988)
- Kazuhiro Nishida ("KENNY") (1986-1988)
- Yoko Osaka ("YOKO") (1986-1994)
- Kikuko Hataya ("KIDON") (1988-1990)
- "KONNY" (1988-2000)
- Masahiko Hataya ("PAPAYA") (1989-1996)
- Yasumasa Yamada ("YAMAPY-1") (1989-2000)
- Yoshihiko Kitamura ("JOJOUHA-KITAPY") (1989-2000)
- Yasuo Yamate ("TATE_NORIO") (1989-2000)
- Toshio Shimizu ("SHIMIZM") (1989-2000)
- Akihiro Uchida ("ACKEY") (1993-2000)
- Hironobu Inagaki ("BROTHER-HIGE") (1993-2000)
- Yasuhiro Naka ("YASSUN") (1993-2000)
- “PEARL SHIBAKICHI” (1993-1996)
- "MARIKO" (1993-1997)
- "MACKY" (1994-2000)
- "MITSUO" (1994-2000)
- Kyoko Naka ("KYO-CHAN") (1995-2000)
- "MIWA" (1995-2000)
- Takushi Hiyamuta ("HIYA!") (1996-2000)
- Hirotomi Imoto ("IMO") (1996-2000)
- Hideyuki Ashizawa ("ASSHY") (1997-1999)
- "OKAN" (1997-1999)
- "MARIMO" (1997-2000)
- Yoshihiko Wada ("CAPTAIN BERO-OU") (1997-2000)
- Toshihiro Yonetani ("YONE") (1998-2000)
- Maiko Iuchi ("MAITARO") (1999-2000)
- "USAKO-X" (1999-2000)
- "Q-JIROU" (1999-2000)
- "KIRA" (2000)
- Tomoko Imoto (DECO☆) (2000)
- Rio "88" Hashikawa (2014-2017)
Discography[]
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1987 | SNK Game Music |
| 1990 | The Super Spy / Ninja Combat |
| 1991 | ASO II: The Last Guardian Crossed Swords / Sengoku Denshou |
| 1992 | Garou Densetsu ~ Last Resort Art of Fighting |
| 1993 | Garou Densetsu 2 Garou Densetsu Image Album Neo Geo Collector's Box Samurai Spirits Garou Densetsu SPECIAL NEO SELECTION - NEO-GEO Fighting Tournament Best / SNK.ADK |
| 1994 | Art of Fighting 2 Samurai Spirits Image Album Battle Spirits Art of Fighting Sound Action Garou Densetsu SPECIAL ~ Image Album Part 1 Non Stop! One Way Love / Chiba Reiko Garou Densetsu SPECIAL ~ Image Album Part 2 Art of Fighting 2 Image Album Top Hunter Neo•Geo Super Live! 1994 The King of Fighters '94 Shin Samurai Spirits Haohmaru Jigokuhen The King of Fighters '94 Arrange Soundtrax Shin Samurai Spirits Haohmaru Jigokuhen Arrange Soundtrax |
| 1995 | Samurai Remix Garou Densetsu 3 Garou Densetsu 3 Arrange Soundtrax Fu'un Mokushiroku The King of Fighters '95 The King of Fighters '95 Arrange Sound Trax Garou Densetsu Symphonic Sound Trax Samurai Spirits Symphonic Sound Trax Samurai Spirits Zankuro Musouken |
| 1996 | REAL BOUT Garou Densetsu Samurai Spirits Zankuro Musouken Arrange Sound Trax REAL BOUT Garou Densetsu Arrange Sound Trax Art of Fighting - Ryuuko no Ken Gaiden Art of Fighting - Ryuuko no Ken Gaiden Arrange Soudtrax Neo Geo Gals Vocal Collection The King of Fighters Symphonic Sound Trax The King of Fighters '96 The King of Fighters '96 Arrange Sound Trax Samurai Spirits Amakusa Kourin K.O.F. Dance Trax Fu'un SUPER TAG BATTLE Samurai Spirits Amakusa Kourin Arranged Sound Trax |
| 1997 | NEO-GEO DJ Station Real Bout Garou Densetsu SPECIAL Real Bout Densetsu SPECIAL Arrange Sound Trax Shinsetsu Samurai Spirits Bushido Retsuden SNK Character Sounds Collection Volume 1 ~ Kyo Kusanagi SNK Character Sounds Collection Volume 2 ~ Nakoruru The King of Fighters '97 SNK Character Sounds Collection Volume 3 ~ Geese Howard The King of Fighters '97 Arrange Sound Trax Round Trip RV Bakumatsu Roman Gekka no Kenshi |
| 1998 | Samurai Spirits 64 Bakumatsu Roman Gekka no Kenshi Arrange Sound Trax Samurai Spirits 64 Arrange Sound Trax REAL BOUT Garou Densetsu 2 ~ RB2 THE NEWCOMERS Original Soundtracks REAL BOUT Garou Densetsu 2 ~ RB2 THE NEWCOMERS Arrange Sound Trax OffBeat Racer! Original Soundtrack SNK Character Sounds Collection Volume 7 - Ryuji Yamazaki NEO-GEO DJ Station in Neochupi The King of Fighters '98 ~ Dream Match Never Ends Scitron 10th Anniversary Special: The King of Fighters THE BEST -Selected by Characters- Scitron 10th Anniversary Special: Samurai Spirits THE BEST -Selected by Characters- The King of Fighters '98 Arrange Sound Trax Samurai Spirits 2 Asura Zanmaden Scitron 10th Anniversary Special: Garou densetsu THE BEST -Selected by Characters- Samurai Spirits 2 Asura Zanmaden Arrange Sound Trax SNK Character Sounds Collection Volume 8 - Leona SNK Character Sounds Collection Volume 9 - Rimururu Bakumatsu Roman The Second Act Gekka no Kenshi ~Flowers Blooming on the Moon, Flowers Scattering on the Wind~ |
| 1999 | Bakumatsu Roman The Second Act Gekka no Kenshi ~Flowers Blooming on the Moon, Flowers Scattering on the Wind~ Arrange Sound Trax SNK Character Sounds Collection Volume 10 ~ Shermie NEO-GEO DJ Station 2 ~ B.O.F. Returns Garou Densetsu WILD AMBITION Garou Densetsu WILD AMBITION Arrange Sound Trax NEO-GEO DJ Station Live '99, SNK Presents SNK Character Sounds Collection Volume 11 - Iori Yagami BURIKI ONE-WORLD GRAPPLE TOURNAMENT '99 in TOKYO Iori Yagami Original Drama -Sun and Moon- ~ Prologue King of Fighters R-1 & R-2 Original Soundtrack NEO-GEO GUYS SONG COLLECTION The King of FIghters '99 The King of Fighters '99 Arrange Sound Trax SNK vs CAPCOM: Gekitotsu Card Fighters Samurai Spirits Shinshou Kenkaku-ibunroku Yomigaerishi Soukou no Yaiba |
| 2000 | Choujou Kessen Saikyou Fighters SNK vs. CAPCOM Garou: Mark of the Wolves Original Sound Trax Samurai Spirits Shinshou Kenkaku-ibunroku Yomigaerishi Soukou no Yaiba Drama CD The King of Fighters Best Arrange Collection ~since 94 to 00~ NEO GEO DJ Station in Gemudora night ! The King of Fighters 2000 Cool Cool Toon The King of Fighters 2000 Arrange Sound Trax SNK Original Best |
| 2001 | Shinsekai Gakkyoku Zatsugidan Final ~The 20th Century Memorial Best~ |
| 2004 | THE KING OF FIGHTERS NEOGEO's SOUNDTRACK 10th Anniversary Memorial Box SAMURAI SPIRITS NEOGEO’s SOUNDTRACK COLLECTION BOX Game Sound Legend Arrange Series - Speed & Wind |
| 2006 | KOF Maximum Impact 2 Soundtrack Athena the Music |
| 2008 | The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match Original Soundtrack |
| 2009 | KOF 15th Anniversary Special Soundtrack |