No game in the main Metal Slug series has lost an iota of its original splendor. What’s more, cleaning each of the six missions in Metal Slug: Super Vehicle-001 from gunshots, fire and pixel art explosions from enemies and mechanized colossi is still a great pleasure. And two players, a blessed madness.
It was in 1996, when daredevils Marco Rossi and Tarma Roving made their arcade debuts. Both armed to the teeth. And, a quarter of a century later, I’m still amazed at how damn good and fun the original Metal Slug is. A double merit, considering that all the sequels that will come later will far exceed it.
While most of the arcade kings such as SEGA, Namco or Konami began their own transition to 3D, the no less legendary SNK completely turned over when it came to squeezing the full potential of its MVS board and Neo Geo systems . A move that, seen from the perspective of time, allowed the acronym of the Osaka company to remain synonymous with timeless jewels.
Of course, to Caesar what belongs to Caesar: the merit and each of the successes of the first installments of Metal Slug belong to Nazca Corporation . A specially inspired team, born in 1994 after passing through the mythical Irem and that -two years later- will become part of SNK. The same year, by the way, that the original Metal Slug hit the arcade.
And it is that, despite the resounding blow received after the change of millennium by the creators of sagas such as The King of Fighters, Fatal Fury or Samurai Shodown, it must be recognized that the Japanese had a glorious second half of the 90s. It is beyond doubt that Metal Slug had a lot to do with that achievement. Cementing that image of a titan from the golden age of arcades that the Shin Nihon Kikaku still radiates.
and Discord
In this regard, if the acronym SNK was synonymous with 2D fighting, the Metal Slug saga considerably raised the bar for run and guns . Firmly resting one of his feet on the classic and unbridled action, while the other was masterfully supported in the pure and simple fun. Premises that were strengthened in each new delivery. Consecrating himself more and more, both playable and artistic.
An innovative game? As we will see, perhaps not too much. But undoubtedly Metal Slug: Super Vehicle-001 was crafted with exceptional care and mastery. So much so that, 25 years later, they continue to be felt in each game. And it doesn’t look like that’s going to change in the future.
Metal Slug: Super Vehicle-001, an action-packed arcade with pixel art that will make you fall in love
The world is at stake and their fate is in the hands of two soldiers armed with a handful of grenades and two sad pistols. Mind you, the daredevils Marco Rossi and Tarma Roving are more than enough to stop any army with ambitions for world domination. Above all, if between shootings and explosions they manage to get behind the wheel of the ultimate weapon of the free world: the Super Vehicle-001 , better known as the Metal Slug .
That the original Metal Slug captivates you visually, from the first game, is normal. The level of detail that Nazca Corporation put to life to its very careful sprites and its very elaborate scenarios goes beyond the screen. And that, in a very intentional way, it was sought to bring the essence of the action to the field of comedy.
Beyond some pixelated animations that will end up setting a good lesson , we find a whole waste of subtle elements that elevate the whole. If we pass over a puddle our reflection will be shown and if we shoot inside the wreckage of a crashed plane, we will see how its walls light up internally. Subtleties that are lost when we blow up walls, bridges, houses and colossal war machines.
What is not so hidden is the superb expressiveness of our heroes and the hundreds of enemies that will come our way. Both when it comes to dodging bullets at the minimum, as well as reacting and adapting to the chaos that is generated on screen, including epic deaths caused by different types of ammunition. And what is better: immersing yourself in the game, in that continuous chaos that manifests itself in each section of the game, is very simple. Because where Metal Slug really shines is in the playable.
Both the outstanding playability and the very strong and recognizable visual identity of Metal Slug are key elements to understand what will be the essence of the SNK saga and, from it, excellence is achieved. According to statements to Shmuplations by Meeher , who was the designer and planner of Metal Slug: Super Vehicle-001 , the goal is for everything that happens on screen to feel with a life of its own.
We care a lot about the details of the [huge mechanical enemies], but I think what we paid the most attention to was the characters. We wanted to make sure that everyone felt alive and that the player felt like they actually inhabited that world.
The Metal Slug series is known for featuring a host of character animations that have no direct bearing on the gameplay experience, but we do it for a reason: we hope players feel that all enemies, big and small, have a life of their own.
To bring that feeling of metal colliding with metal, of menacing bullets whizzing at high speed, and a feeling of weight and strength for all the destruction … I think that was the hardest thing to express in Metal Slug.
On paper, Metal Slug does not deviate too much from what is seen in the maximum references of the run and gun . A formula widely popularized in classics like Contra and an infinity of side scrolling shooters born from arcade and home systems. In practice, that game manages to radiate its own sensations.
Thus, Meeher himself simplifies the creative process behind Metal Slug into three simple concepts:
- Offer a game of constant action, with lots of explosions and quirky elements with which the player can free themselves from daily stress.
- Use blatantly comic characters whose actions and reactions are as funny as they are believable
- Keep the controls very simple, so that anyone can play.
Three pillars that would gain new weight and more nuances in the following installments. And, in the process, a greater prominence to one of Metal Slug’s star characteristics: putting ourselves at the controls of a hilarious mini-tank with a great destructive capacity.
The Super Vehicle-001 , nicknamed in the game Metal Slug, is a conveniently armored little tank. In offensive matters, it has its own turret, a missile cannon, but the best of all is that it reacts to what happens on the screen like another character and even takes small jumps. And what’s better: far from giving the player a notable advantage, their appearance makes the game much more interesting.
Overcoming Metal Slug: Super Vehicle-001 will take us about half an hour or less. The difficulty level is reasonably high, but the outstanding playability and simple controls balance the scale. Putting in several coins, playing doubles and shooting crazy it is possible to cut several minutes, but given the intensity of the scenarios it is not short. Of course, the Nazca Corporation did not take long to devise new missions for Marco and Tarma.
Metal Slug, classic action beyond the most exquisite pixel art
Two years had not passed since the launch of Metal Slug: Super Vehicle-001 when its sequel burst with a devastating force in arcades and Neo Geo systems: in Metal Slug 2 everything that shone with its own light was back improved, but Nazca Corporation raised its own bar with brilliant ideas.
- From the start, the number of protagonists went from two to four, with Marco and Tarma being joined by the equally skilled Eri and Fio. And although they all shared skills and characteristics, each had their own screen presence and animations.
- In addition, new interactive elements were introduced that added more comedy and variety: the sprites of the heroes were transformed during the games, in most cases making them more vulnerable. Giving much more weight to cooperative play.
- But best of all, the variety of the scenarios and the epicity of the plot itself were raised considerably. The landscapes and levels were not only brimming with life and color, but the final missions would confront us with a spectacular interplanetary threat.
Metal Slug 2 surpassed the original in almost everything, although it was not perfect: the game took its toll when the screen was filled with enemies, bullets and explosions. Something that was solved with Metal Slug X , a very successful and highly acclaimed definitive revision of the sequel in which Nazca excelled by introducing all kinds of changes, tweaks and even new content, including weapons, enemies or game settings.
With two main installments, a celebrated review and an established reputation, SNK was clear that Metal Slug had to be one of its sagas to prioritize. Thus, already in the year 2000, we will see a Metal Slug 3 that settled more and better what was seen and, in the process, intentionally sought to surprise the player with more impressive situations and bosses. Always maintaining its playable simplicity and its outstanding pixel art by flag.
And not only that, after the fall of SNK itself, and during its first resurgence as Playmore, two more numbered installments of Metal Slug will be published on Neo Geo, PS2 and Xbox with a twist: the saga will now pass into the hands of Noise Factory. , a studio assembled with ex-members of Atlus and that had produced Sengoku 3 for the Osaka company.
- Thus, Metal Slug 4 will arrive in 2002 introducing a new system of combos among its novelties. Being, in many respects, an extension of what has already been seen in the two previous installments.
- However, the end of this stage will come with Metal Slug 5 , which will be published in 2003, just a year after the previous delivery and with a SNK involved in constant restructuring.
The main Metal Slug saga will receive two more numbered installments, various reviews, compilations and quite a few especially notable spin-offs; including Metal Slug 1st Mission and Metal Slug 2nd Mission for Neo Geo Pocket systems. And although, for technical reasons, these portable deliveries could not be measured with the outstanding finishes seen until then in recreational and tabletop games, it succeeded by recovering the true essence of the most inspired deliveries.
25 years later, the legacy of Metal Slug lives on and is played on all systems, including adaptations of the classics that revive on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, as well as versions surprisingly faithful to the arcade re-released on Nintendo Switch through the ACA label. NeoGeo.
It would be unfair to say that since Metal Slug 7 and its revision ( Metal Slug XX ) the adventures of Marco and company have stalled: in addition to tons of cameos and stellar appearances, including the appearance of one of the aliens in SNK vs. Capcom: Chaos as a selectable fighter, we’ve seen all sorts of new license-based titles on iOS and Android devices.
In this regard, there is a game that deserves a very special mention: announced in 2020, Metal Slug: Code J represents a comprehensive update of the saga, retaining the arcade gameplay, the humorous tone and several of the most memorable moments of the first installments of Metal Slug. However, its much-acclaimed pixel art gives way to visuals inspired by digital animation movies and series.
TiMi Studios, who are shaping Metal Slug: Code J, are aware that by leaving the so iconic classic Metal Slug sprites parked they face an inevitable division of opinion between those who welcome the change and those who they are not in favor.
That said, the studio with headquarters in Shenzhen, Shanghai, Chengdu and Los Angeles has the benefit of the doubt: its work includes Call of Duty: Mobile, Arena of Valor and, in addition, the approval of Nintendo to shape Pokémon UNITE. In addition to shaping the project in collaboration with SNK, there is room to think that it will not be a minor production.
The Metal Slug saga was never, nor did it seek – nor did it need – to be revolutionary. In fact, the key to its success is how it stayed true to its core principles: delivering intense action in a world where there is plenty of room for humor through exquisitely simple controls. Ideas very well assembled under an artistic section elaborated with so much care that, 25 years later, they retain their original splendor. Especially when there are two or more players sharing a game.
