Graphically, the Metal Slug series contains some of the best hand-drawn artwork that 2-D gaming has to offer.

One of the most entertaining aspects of the series is seeing what kind of tank is going to pop up next. Later Slugs include a submarine and helicopter, and even an ostrich, camel, and elephant. In Metal Slug 1 only one tank is available, and it's relatively tame (it only has a cannon and a machine gun), but in later games the tank designs get pretty far-out. The franchise's main gimmick is its wide variety of Metal Slug tanks, 'super-vehicles' that allow you to run roughshod over enemy forces for a limited time. You can also throw grenades, very helpful when dealing with large groups of enemies or bigger baddies like cannons, mortars, and tanks. Similar to Konami's Contra, you start off with a generic pistol and upgrade to cool stuff like flamethrowers and rocket launchers by picking up weapon icons dropped by enemies. Of course, the destruction wouldn't be any fun without a wide range of weaponry at your disposal.

Each game features an obligatory back story involving stuff like rebels, evil generals, and even alien invaders, but all you need to know is that you (and a buddy, preferably) select a character and then destroy everything in sight. Bullets fly everywhere, and there are new ways to die around every corner. These games aren't called Metal Slug for nothing. If you really suck it up and want to win using limited lives, prepare to put some time in. Even on free play, beating any game in this compilation is a tall order. You can play on free play with unlimited lives, or you can play arcade-style with limited lives for a real challenge. Each game is an arcade-perfect, pixel-for-pixel, sound-for-sound transalation of the original. Its lineup consists of Metal Slug 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and Metal Slug X (a remix of Metal Slug 2 that uses the Metal Slug 3 game engine). To celebrate the series' 10-year anniversary, SNK Playmore gives us Metal Slug Anthology, a collection of the seven Metal Slug arcade games released thus far.Īs far as bang for your buck goes, Metal Slug Anthology is quite a value.

Fans of 2-D run'n'gunners were immediately impressed by its crazy weapons, over-the-top bosses, and wild two-player cooperative gameplay. The original Metal Slug first appeared on the arcade scene in 1996.

Metal slug 1 free to play