Metal Slug Anthology

"Mostly for the fans"

Old-school gamers were practically raised by the "run and gun" genre. Games like Contra, Ikari Warriors, and Gunstar Heroes were what made it impossible to sleep at night thanks to their intense action and nail-biting difficulty. One premier franchise you may not remember so fondly, though, is Metal Slug. While it dominated the arcade front, only recently has it made a big splash in home consoles. But for all the re-releases there have been, none are as complete as Metal Slug Anthology for Wii. This is the end-all of Metal Slug lore.

Graphics:
What is surprising about playing these games again is just how well they hold up. Metal Slug 1 is ten years old, but it looks absolutely gorgeous with its large assortment of meticulously-detailed 2D sprites. From subtle character movements to elaborate backdrop paintings and huge tank explosions, Metal Slug is rich with old-school charm that is, sadly, seeing a decline in modern gaming. It's amazing how much action the developers were able to cram into these games, too. A lot can be happening at any one time, but that can also be a problem. A few of the automated scrolling levels will give you a headache, and the framerate does fall from time to time. Metal Slug 2, in particular, has a lot of framerate issues. And now that the games are on a CD-based format, loading times are factored in. These are usually restricted to an initial load of the game, but some of the titles, like Metal Slug 5, have way too many pauses between levels. Though brief, they really break up the continuity.

Gameplay:
With seven games in this, however, I suppose it's okay for one or two to not make par. What you are getting with Metal Slug Anthology is a collection of Metal Slug 1 through 6 and Metal Slug X (a remake of Metal Slug 2). This is the most complete Metal Slug compilation available and the first time Metal Slug 6 has been available to the US market. So Metal Slug connoisseurs will definitely get their fill. But what about the rest of you? What is so great about Metal Slug? To put it simply, this is about as hardcore as the 2D platformer/shooter gets. Metal Slug pits you, a lone soldier with nothing more than a handgun and some grenades, against what would appear to be thousands of infantry, robots, tanks, and helicopters. The amount of fire coming your way is, as they say, outta control, so making it through a level in one piece is definitely an accomplishment. Along the way, you can swap your default weapon for something more powerful (like a laser or a shotgun) or hop in a tank or submarine. In some instances, Metal Slug even switches into a side-scrolling shooter. The action is relentless.

Unfortunately, having all six Metal Slug games available in one place is a quick way to see just how little this series has progressed. Though Metal Slug 6 definitely feels more refined than Metal Slug 1, the two are very similar in design. You will undoubtedly find yourself saying, "Wait a minute, didn't I just do this a few hours ago?" All six games start to feel like broken up pieces of one big game, and it gets a little repetitive playing a new iteration which seemingly only mixed up the platforms and changed the look of a boss.

Controls:
Another downside to this anthology is how sloppily the controls were put together. The developers tried to make full use of the Wii remote and nunchuck by implementing many unique control schemes but forgot that practicality is more important than novelty. All of the Wii-specific options are clunky and awkward. The most interesting (and most frustrating) one requires you to hold and shift the remote like it's an actual arcade joystick. It's a clever idea, but this isn't an arcade cabinet, and there's no default position for the "joystick" to slide back to. Then there's the ability to play with only the nunchuck, which is even more clumsy and uncomfortable. The best use of the Wii remote is actually holding it in the classic NES position. But then to throw a grenade, you have to shake the remote. Seriously, what were they thinking?!

If you've got a couple Gamecube controllers lying around, however, you're in luck. Metal Slug Anthology works fine with this controller and is saved because of it. These games don't need gimmicky control options. They don't work with gimmicky control options. You have to have a standard controller if you want to play "for real," because there's no time to stop and think about what you're using. But even this option isn't without problems. The games play perfectly fine, it's the menu options originally mapped to the Wii remote that don't translate well to the Gamecube controller. The Z button--a button I hate very much--pauses the game, the Start button saves any changes made, and the B button selects your character. It's confusing. What's even more confusing, though, is that there's no Virtual Console controller support. If you can use a Gamecube controller, you should be able to use a VC controller.

Frustration:
The only nice thing I can say about the Wii controls is that they would definitely up the challenge. But Metal Slug is hard enough as it is. There is no hand-holding or coddling here. This game will beat you down and have fun doing it. It only takes one hit to kill you (unless you are in a vehicle), and the bullets and rockets never stop flying. Some boss battles are nearly impossible to beat without dying 20 times. You always have a very narrow window of opportunity to escape imminent death. If you want a challenge in your games, you got it. On the other hand, if this scares you, you can always set your continues on unlimited. Now, you can die all you want without much penalty. But the limited continues do feel a little cheap, and I'm sure you'll want to play the games the "right" way at least once.

Lasting Appeal:
It won't take you long to beat all that's offered, either. Each game only features five or six missions, and the entire package can be blown through in about 6-8 hours. But true shooter fans will spend much more time on it than this, working towards being able to beat a game without continuing or, heaven forbid, without dying. And every time you beat a game, you are given tokens to unlock music and artwork (though being able to unlock artwork is a dubious prize). A tradition in this genre has always been a co-op mode, too, and Metal Slug is no different. The back of the box says it can go up to four players, but this is a typo; you can only have two people in a game. And while that one extra character on the screen makes it significantly harder to keep track of what's going on, playing with a friend is always more fun than playing solo.

Overall:
For fans of Metal Slug, this anthology is a no-brainer. You're getting seven (er... six) games for only $40. And not crappy games, either. These are intense, challenging, and, despite a few framerate and loading issues, visually impressive ports of some of the best arcade games you may or may not have grown up with. If you downloaded Gunstar Heroes for the Virtual Console, and it just wasn't enough, you will thoroughly enjoy this compilation. But Metal Slug hasn't changed much over the years, and the games within are eerily similar to each other, to the point where if you've played one, you've quite honestly played them all. On top of this, the new Wii controls are poorly conceived and gimmicky at best. The only way to fully enjoy Metal Slug is to use a Gamecube controller, but even that has its setbacks and runs the risk of you forgetting you're playing a Wii game in the first place.

Points:
+ Seven games for only $40
+ Hardcore action
+ Co-op always appreciated
-- Sloppy controls
+ GCN controller support
-- Framerate and loading problems
-- Games aren't very different from each other

Score: 7.0

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 01/16/07, Updated 01/17/07