Metal Slug Anthology

"A fun, though straightforward set of SNK shooters."

During the arcade boom of the 90's, many developers of arcade games took the shooter genre by storm. One of the greatest is the SNK company, who wanted to show the world the power of a true arcade experience. SNK launched the famous Metal Slug franchise, a side-scrolling shooter series that grew into a cult hit, even after SNK backed out of the console race. After re-releasing the Metal Slug games as standalone games on the last generation of consoles, Metal Slug gets its true compilation in Metal Slug Anthology, now on the Nintendo Wii. Is it what fans wanted in a Metal Slug compilation.

Metal Slug grew up in a growing genre, the shooter, and Metal Slug Anthology collects Metal Slug 1, 2, X (a remake of 2), 3, 4, 5, and 6 on one Wii disc. The games themselves are mindfully reminiscent of their arcade roots and hold up incredibly well since then. The typical “run-and-gun” strategy is in full effect, and the game throws a slew of challenges at the player. First is the one-hit kill. If the character gets shot, attacked, or defeated by any enemies, regardless of size or stature, a life is lost. Yes, it's challenging. The huge slew of enemies makes the game very difficult. Continuing is extremely common, but the player can continue with no loss outside of a point deficit. This makes the game extremely easy. If you run out of lives, you can always get back up and continue. However, Metal Slug fans will no doubt want to play the game as in the arcade. If you play by serious arcade standards, the game can be very difficult. On the whole, though, the game really has no medium. Each game is very short, but the over-the-top war atmosphere makes each game fun to player. Whether the game is easy or difficult depends on how the player wants to play. Regardless, the game is fun.

But, this is a Wii game, and Metal Slug Anthology does let the player use the motion-sensing capabilities of the Wii Remote to play through the Metal Slug series. The bad thing is, though, that the Wii controls really don't work. The controls range from putting the Wii Remote on its side and shaking the remote to throw a bomb (which is extremely difficult in the high action world of Metal Slug) to using the Wii Remote like an arcade joystick (which just plain doesn't work). The best, and generally the only true traditional control setup lies in those trusty Gamecube controllers, which satisfy the control setup where A, B, the Control Stick, and the X button all possess either shooting, jumping, moving, and fragging. If you don't have any Gamecube controllers, then the game can be ridiculously difficult and frustrating, and being that nearly all the Wii controls are so fidgety and broken, persevering through the frustration becoming much more difficult.

But looking past the control gripes, Metal Slug is an incredibly fun game series, and the collection of the classic shooting series is still in its absolute prime. Simply running from left to right and blowing enemies away with the many armaments is nothing short of exhilarating. But after playing all seven games, you really start to see a pattern. Metal Slug is the poster-child of the whole “if it's not broke, don't fix it” philosophy. The difference between the game's can range from new weapons to new stages, but the core of the gameplay never really evolved. The games when compared look near identical. If you're a true Metal Slug fan, finding the difference can be pretty easy, but for the average gamer, Metal Slug is just a bunch of shooters in a series that never really evolved. The game's lack of depth and change may turn others away, but the game still manages to be fun, despite its stinginess in evolving.

As for cosmetic design, Metal Slug Anthology shows some of the best looking sprites seen in arcades. The characters are stylistically hilarious and the gunners will react differently depending on the level. A cold level will show the characters' breath and when not in action, the characters will pass the time with some funny animations. The backgrounds still look good, even for a 2-D sprite game, and the incredible mix of different enemies look great. The bosses especially are quite stunning, and the mix of colossal design with the challenge makes the game a real sight. Certain levels will show some stranger effects. The zombified world of Metal Slug 3 lets your characters transform into stalking undead monsters. Underwater levels lets them suit up for deep-sea combat. There's a ton of quirky and unique aspects to the game's arcade roots. The music and sound is generally straightforward, with huge explosions and the announcer shouting off “Thank you!” or what weapon you picked up. Despite being packed with nostalgia from the 90's, the games still look and sound great. Many of the load times are now much shorter, but still can be pretty annoying. The game menus also don't show a ton of personality. Regardless, the games still look, sound, and play great, which is very good for such a compilation.

Pros
+ Accessible
+ Full of action
+ Some of the best shooters altogether
+ Straightforward (though, mindless) fun

Cons
- Extremely mindless and straightforward
- Wii controls seem tacked on
- Difficulty is either too easy or too difficult

Metal Slug Anthology is a great collection of the famous arcade game, with enough arcade shock n' awe to be better than the average collection. The game is incredibly accessible with the easy functions on and you'll no doubt be interested with the incredible action and challenges. The games when played as arcade games, though, possess difficulties beyond even the difficult game standard. Anyone looking for their classic arcade nostalgia will be up in arms for this excellent anthology of some of the best arcade games around. Everyone else, though, will see through the explosions and debris and will notice a series that never evolved and simply created small changes to capture interest. The Wii controls are also flimsy and convoluted, and seem like a simple tack-on after collecting the Metal Slug series together. Metal Slug Anthology has its problems, but it has enough nostalgic charm and arcade action to be a good time to both the Metal Slug fans and your average gamer. The fans will love it; the rest will mostly like it.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 05/17/07