SNK Announces Art of Fighting: Ryuko no Ken Gaiden R Remake at EVO 2026
The addition of King and Yuri, two fan-favorite characters absent from the original Gaiden, marks a significant content expansion for a remaster rather than a simple port.
Reporting from 4 sources: GAME Watch (Impress), 4Gamer.net, Denfaminicogamer, Game Spark.
SNK announced a remaster of the 1996 fighting game Art of Fighting: Ryuko no Ken Gaiden, titled Art of Fighting: Ryuko no Ken Gaiden R, during EVO 2026 on June 29. The game will be released on PC via Steam as part of the NEOGEO Premium Selection series. A release date and price have not been announced. The remaster adds two new playable characters, King and Yuri Sakazaki, who did not appear in the original. It also includes balance adjustments for existing characters and rollback netcode for online play. Other updates include an expanded training mode and a VS mode. The original game was known for its rotoscoped pixel art and systems like parrying and Ultimate KO. The 'R' in the title stands for concepts including REIGNITE, RETUNED, and REVIVAL, and also references the initials of protagonists Ryo and Robert.
The announcement was made during EVO 2026, the annual fighting game tournament, where SNK positioned the title as a premium revival under its NEOGEO Premium Selection label. The original Art of Fighting: Ryuko no Ken Gaiden, released in 1996, was a side story set in Grasshill Valley that introduced mechanics such as parrying, down attacks, and one-hit Ultimate KO finishes. It was also notable for its smooth pixel animation achieved through motion-capture rotoscoping. The remaster retains those systems while adding modern online infrastructure. King, a Muay Thai fighter known for her calm style and sharp kicks, and Yuri Sakazaki, Ryo's younger sister who fights with Kyokugenryu Karate, join the roster as playable characters. SNK stated the remaster includes thorough balance adjustments to existing characters to enable more offensive and defensive options. The game supports both local and online multiplayer. SNK has not yet set a release window or price.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 4 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- GAME Watch (Impress) 「ART OF FIGHTING 龍虎の拳 外伝 R」がNEOGEOプレミアムセレクションに登場！
- 4Gamer.net ［EVO2026］「龍虎の拳」シリーズ3作目のリメイク作「ART OF FIGHTING 龍虎の拳 外伝R」を発表。キングとユリが参戦決定
- Denfaminicogamer 『ART OF FIGHTING 龍虎の拳 外伝』のリマスター版がSteamで発売決定。「キング」「ユリ」が新規プレイアブルキャラとして参戦するほか、バランス調整やロールバック方式のオンライン対戦も実装
- Game Spark 96年SNK格ゲーのリマスター『ART OF FIGHTING 龍虎の拳 外伝 R』発表！キング＆ユリ新規参戦にロールバックコード搭載