Metal Slug Anthology

"*Snuggles SNK*"

After many request...and delays. SNK has finally delivered the one collection to rule them all. Metal Slug 1-6 including the X remake and also marks the first time Metal Slug 6 has been released outside of Japan is at your fingertips. Do keep in mind that is a review for the anthology itself and not the individual games.

Graphic: 9/10
Everything looks like it was promised, arcade-perfect. Excellent hand drawn 2-D goodness and crisp animations. The game does not support 480p and I only have standard definition but everything still looks great.

Sounds: 8/10
Every grenade, bullet, rawket louncher, and music seems to be intact. Been a while since I played the real arcade version so I don't remember every single detail, though I have heard people complaining about missing music but if you're a newcomer to the series you won't notice at all. Die-hard fans might be slightly disappointed but you'll probably be too engrossed into the game to even notice the missing music.

Story: N/A
I honestly forgot about Metal Slug having a story. Basic madman/occult/aliens taking over humanity. Nothing too special but the outline is included in the manual for those who must need to know what they are playing

Gameplay: 9/10
The real meat of any game. For newcomers unfamiliar with the Metal Slug series, it is a run-and-gun type game similar to Contra.

Everything is still difficult as ever with the one-shot-you're-dead deal. Thankfully, there is an difficulty option also with the ability to choose between limited or unlimited continues. The zany enemies litter the screen at times but you'll be given equally crazy weapons to demolish through them. The co-op multi-player is incredible fun with a friend as you compete with each other for the best score and weapons. Though for some reason on the back of the box it list the game as 4-player when it only supports two

The controls are the ugly stepchild and prevented this section from getting a perfect score. While SNK has given us several different control schemes to choose from, most are either entirely useless or cumbersome. what astonishes me is the lack of classic controller support which is the anthology is, a classic. While using the Wiimote on it's side is more bearable, button configurations are awkward and you cannot configure the buttons yourself. You can however configure the Gamecube controller which is supported. Though the D-pad itself is not supported so those who have the Hori Classic Controller, it will not work.

One thing I have seen the community uproar about is the lack of hit-flash. For newcomers, hit-flash is when you hit an enemy and they will "flash" a different color to signify that you actually done some damage. In Metal Slug, you will either hit the enemy or miss them. There is no invincibility so you will either always do damage or completely miss them. So without the hit-flash the game is actually more bearable as you won't be inclined to go into a seizure each time you shoot someone.

Pros
+7 Metal Slug in one
+Easy to pick up
+Bonus music and artwork
+Very fun with several friends

Cons
-Can be difficult for newcomers
-Gimmicky controls
-No Classic Controller support

Conclusion
Each individual Metal Slug game is hard to track so SNK has spared us from spending thousands of dollars and conveniently placed them all on one console. Definite must-buy for Metal Slug fans or fans of run-and-gun type gameplay

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/02/07