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After years of scattered, piecemeal releases on various home consoles, SNK marks the 10th anniversary of the original Metal Slug by rolling up all seven Metal Slug arcade games into a single package with Metal Slug Anthology. It's a must-have for Metal Slug completists, if for no other reason than it marks the first time that the relatively new Metal Slug 6 has appeared anywhere other than Sammy's Atomiswave arcade hardware. However, those same completists will likely be bothered by the unfortunate peppering of short, but noticeable, in-game load times found in all of the games. Still, the lovingly drawn 2D graphics look exceptional, and the series' comically violent style and relentless action make for a singularly awesome experience. At its core, Metal Slug is a traditional side-scrolling shooter. You run to the right, shooting and tossing grenades at swarms of enemies while dodging their bullets, picking up weapon upgrades, and rescuing POWs, with the action regularly punctuated by screen-filling boss fights. As generic as that might sound, Metal Slug has always separated itself from the pack by relying on a goofy sense of humor, great-looking 2D graphics, and the kind of manic, sometimes-punishing gameplay that leaves your hands aching. You'll also regularly happen upon the titular metal slugs--high-powered armored vehicles that come in a variety of forms. At their most basic, slugs look like superdeformed tanks, but they can appear as helicopters, jets, submarines, mobile suits, camels, donkeys, and more. The games in this collection are mostly arcade perfect, right down to the bouts of slowdown you would have experienced in the coin-op versions. The only thing that disrupts the mood are the extra loading screens that make the pauses between sequences linger for a little longer than they did originally. It's a minor point, and one that is only really noticeable in the later games in the series. It'll likely only irritate series veterans, but it does have a net effect on the pacing. An inherent issue with taking the coin-op element out of arcade games is reconciling the fact that you don't need to drop quarters into the game to keep playing when you run out of lives. Limited continues can be too punishing for some, while unlimited continues can eliminate much of the challenge for others. Metal Slug Anthology sidesteps the issue by letting you choose between limited or unlimited continues. You can save your progress at any point in any of the games, a luxury that any arcade player would have killed for after having run out of quarters midway through a game. Metal Slug Anthology also features an optional autofire setting that lets you simply hold the fire button rather than constantly tap on it, which is a welcome addition for the aging (or simply lazy) Metal Slug fan.Read full review
The Metal Slug Anthology collects the seven metal slug games and releases them in arcade-port glory. The games themselves, although not as well known as Mario or Donkey Kong, have had a vast cult following with their sense of humour, lush sprite-driven graphics, and, above all, intense everything-must-die action. You see, unlike "regular" games where you get hit several times before losing a life and starting over, if you get hit once you're dead, and you never start over - the guy just pops in and the game continues. This coupled with simple controls (run, jump, shoot, and grenades - that's it) makes for one fantastic experience. At first, these games will hook you in - ESPECIALLY if you've never played anything like it before. After that, the first two sequels will expand upon the run-and-gun gameplay with more enemies, weapons, and levels (Metal Slug 2 features Mummies and Camels, where Metal Slug 3 has Zombies, Yetis, and an elephant with a machine gun in the same level - yes, you can turn into a zombie as well!), as well as letting you choose your character between the four heroes. But then, it goes... awry. Metal Slug 3 (the best in the series) had its own exclusive release for the XBOX where Metal Slug 4 and 5 were released on one disc about a year ago for all platforms, and now I see why. They aren't very good. At all. WAY too easy, and next to ZERO new things to be pleased about.In fact, I can't even remember a single instance in which they prove themselves as decent other than the double machine gun weapon. As for Metal Slug 6, an exclusive release to this collection, it covers some ground that the previous games lost. It has two new characters (that makes 6), but now they each have a specialty. Marco has a stronger handgun, Fio always starts with a machine gun, and the blonde girl (can't remember her name) has full control of where her grenades land. Of course, this makes the game kind of easy once you pick your favorite character - there's even one who can get hit twice before dying (BLASPHEMY!!!), but nonetheless, it was far superior to MS 4 and 5. But a word of caution - the game's default setting gives you infinite lives and you're not allowed to choose your level (meaning you always start from the beginning of whatever game you choose). I would personally set it at "25" lives and give a "level select" option of whatever games you've beaten as a normal setting, but they don't, meaning little cheaters can blast through the game and get nothing out of it. I think it's stupid, but oh well. Once you get to Metal Slug 6, you won't be particularly enthralled. It's really just the same game again and again, with the exception of Metal Slug 3, which is awesome beyond imagination. If you're a solo gamer, I wouldn't lose sleep over this one. As a multiplayer game, however, this game is absolutely supreme - it's perfectly crafted for taking turns and filling the entire screen with death and destruction, especially MS 6 where the characters are truly different. Final Score - 7/10 for soloists, 9/10 for multiplayer. The games are fun, but tiring if you don't mess with the options and/or you don't have friends playing along. In the end, I would prefer "Alien Hominid" to this collection - it's also much cheaper, on top of being more challenging and more fun to play. It's available in HD on "XBOX LIVE", as well as PS2 and GCN. I hope this helps! -jeponcho1607Read full review
I remember playing the original Metal Slug at a local bowling alley when I was 8 or 9 years old. I never had enough quarters to get very far, and there was always a line of kids waiting for their turn when I died. The Metal Slug Anthology for PS2 is one of the best values in games that I've bought for a while. It has the first seven titles in the series (Metal Slug, 2, X{2 Revamped}, 3, 4, 5, and 6) and they are all direct arcade translations. I am still not very good at the games, but in Free Play mode I don't have to be I can keep continuing infinitely. There are other modes of play that limit your number of credits to unlock special bonuses like artwork. The game also records your high scores just like the arcade unit. I won't get into detail on each game because they are basically all set up the same, you run through each level shooting tons of enemies, collecting power ups, and blowing up pretty much everything in sight. The games have a cartoony, over the top feel to them that is very unique in a run & gun game. In conclusion, if you are a fan of the Metal Slug series at all, this game compilation is a must, even if you've never played a Metal Slug game it's worth picking up if the price is right because I guarantee you wont be disappointed.Read full review
As a true collection of the Metal Slug series, the PS2 version stands tall above the rest, as it houses the shortest load times, allows for full arcade stick support, and performs at a faster, slicker rate than its PSP and Wii buddies. Menus load quicker, the games run faster (due to a lack of mid-level loading), and the ability to use the control set-up you want is priceless. The games themselves stand up pretty well over the last ten years, though each has more of a low-res look that now accompanies the beautiful 2D animation. There was no clean-up made to the art for the PS2 release, and emulated slowdown occurs where it traditionally did back in late-90’s cabinets, but if you’re looking for one solid collection of each of the seven Metal Slug games you won’t find a better one out there
These are some of the best games ever and have them all on one disk brand new is wonderful this game demands your attention it is very fun to watch being played with multiplayer abilities and unlockable galleries any Metal Slug fan knows the Anthology is awesome
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