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Metal Slug is back -- and better than ever
Rating: 9.0/10
How could this game(s) slip right past me?! I had no idea Metal Slug Anthology existed until I was bored at work and looking up some of the classic games that helped build my childhood gaming experience. Video games were a big part of my life back then; the Sega Genesis and SNES were my main source of entertainment, and Metal Slug was one of those games that kept me happy. There was always something different about the series compared to the other titles being released around the same. It used the basic side scrolling and shoot-everything-that-moves formula, but had awesome weapons and sometimes wacky but equally cool enemies and designs that made the game mind blowing. I loved it then, and I love it now.
Metal Slug Anthology is probably the best collaboration of games to appear to date. It’s Metal Slug 1, 2, X, 3, all the way to 6 – that’s seven titles for $40 US. I’ve gotten my hands on the PSP version and I’d imagine it doesn’t look too different on the PS2 or Wii. In fact, the game looks pretty crisp and clear on the PSP’s miniature screen, rendering the games pixels that appeared on the SNES all the way down to smooth lines.
No one remembers the story in the Metal Slug Anthology, either because it’s not really there to begin with or people just don’t care. I certainly never did; I wanted to grab machine guns and blow up gigantic, bizarre tanks with hand grenades. A lot of enemies can appear on the screen at the same time, and it’s just mindless fun, plain and simple.
As I said, the enemies in the game are pretty out of this world. Metal Slug might appear to be based around a commando running and gunning his way through enemies, but a lot of the game is no where near the realm of this world. Enemy vehicles range from small buggy type… things, all the way to six story mammoth machines that shoot hordes of missiles and beams of plasma. The worlds are no different – you leap and shoot through strangely twisted but entertaining levels.
I don’t have any REAL gripes about this game, except for the load times. The transition of sticking all of these games together has made them a bit choppy and slow in their gaps. Is it noticeable? Yes, but it isn’t too annoying. After all, you should be grateful for this $40 opportunity. Back in the day, all seven of these games would have cost what? $150+?
Ah, I love technology. If you haven’t played Metal Slug, it’s time to come out of your cave and start here. Pick it up, it’s worth it.
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