Metal Slug Anthology sidesteps the issue by letting you choose between limited or unlimited continues. Limited continues can be too punishing for some, while unlimited continues can eliminate much of the challenge. 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.

It's a minor point, one that will likely only irritate series veterans, but it does have a net effect on the pacing of Metal Slug. 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. The games in this collection are mostly arcade perfect, right down to the bouts of slowdown you would have experienced in the coin-op version. At their most basic, slugs look like superdeformed tanks, but they can appear as helicopters, jets, submarines, mobile suits, camels, donkeys, and more. You'll also regularly happen upon the titular metal slugs-high-powered armored vehicles that come in a variety of forms.

As generic as that might sound, Metal Slug has always separated itself from the pack with a goofy sense of humor, great-looking 2D graphics, and the kind of manic, sometimes punishing gameplay that leaves your hands aching. 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. Metal Slug takes Contra-style gameplay to its logical and comical extreme.Īt its core, Metal Slug is a traditional side-scrolling shooter. Still, the lovingly drawn 2D graphics look exceptional on the PSP screen, and the series' comically violent style and relentless action make for a singularly awesome experience. 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. It's a must-have for Metal Slug completists, if for nothing else, because it marks the first time that the relatively new Metal Slug 6 has appeared anywhere other than Sammy's Atomiswave arcade hardware. 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.

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