SNK Playmore has arguably produced one of the best fighting games out there today with King of Fighters XIII, and while the previous KOF’s very popular among fans, KOF XIII distances itself as the true KING of King of Fighters, as it has gained worldwide acceptance from not only fans of the SNK series, but also the competitive fighting game community.

We had the chance to interview SNK Playmore and KOF XIII Producer, Kei Yamamoto on their thoughts of it’s development among other details that could have been.  Go past the break to get the inside scoop.

S-C.com: KOF never really saw the light of day at a major fighting game tournament until KOF XIII was released. It started as an invitation by SCR 2010 as a side tournament (the first time a KOF game was streamed from a US Tournament) and never looked back since. What are SNK PLAYMORE’s thoughts about the speed in which KOF XIII gained national and worldwide exposure?

SNKP:  We are very proud that “THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII” is played by our fans worldwide. The official selection of this title in an international event such as EVO has undoubtedly been possible thanks to the unfailing support of our fans. We also hope that “KOF” will experience increased success through EVO.

S-C.com: What improvements, if any, does SNKP think can be made to KOF?

SNKP:  We think we can still make further improvements in terms of “characters”, “battle system”, and “graphics”. Therefore, as we know these features must evolve as the “KOF” series continues, we would like to try many things.

S-C.com:  Were there any specific characters that SNKP wanted to put in KOF XIII that didn’t make the roster for certain reasons?

SNKP:  I would answer “Adelheid”, “Oswald”, and “Marin”. As these characters appeared during the “Ash Saga”, I wanted to see them in “KOF XIII” but, unfortunately, we ran out of time.

S-C.com:  Besides SNK fans, CAPCOM fans have also been dying for a sequel to “SNK vs CAPCOM”. Do you have any plans to make a sequel to this game?

SNKP:  We are sorry, but we can’t answer to this question. However, we know that this game is highly appreciated among fans, and that they’re waiting for a sequel. There are also many “SNK vs CAPCOM” fans at SNK PLAYMORE, and we also hear from people who want us to work in collaboration with other game companies as well. It is not impossible to see a sequel to “SNK vs CAPCOM” one day if fan requests keep getting bigger.

S-C.com:  Since KOF XIII is officially part of the EVO event this year, will there be any announcements?

SNKP:  We are sorry, but we cannot answer in detail to this question. As a video game company we don’t want to limit ourselves only to fighting games, on the contrary, we would like to touch a wide variety of genres. Currently, one of our projects, “METAL SLUG F2P” (provisory title), was presented at E3. This new installment differs from the previous run-and-gun installments in the “METAL SLUG” Series, as entering the Real-Time Strategy genre for the first time. We hope that not only traditional “METAL SLUG” fans, but also new players will enjoy this new “METAL SLUG” game as well.

S-C.com: With KOF XIII as proof that 2-D fighters are still quite popular, is SNKP convinced that this is the path they will continue to take?

SNKP:  Yes, we want to keep making 2D versus fighting games. However, there’s no such project like this decided at the moment. Also, as we answered previously, we don’t want to limit ourselves to only fighting games, and would like to also experience many other game genres. I would like to tell all our fans that we will continue in the pursuit of R&D from several perspectives, in order to always keep offering games that will meet their tastes and expectations. Please stay tuned to SNK PLAYMORE and thank you for your support!

S-C.com:  Thank you for making KOF XIII the 2-D fighting game that we have all wanted all these years into reality.  It is truly a 2-D masterpiece in all aspects, down to every little detail and it certainly shows.