ACA NeoGeo: Metal Slug (2016)
9 min read
“God created war so that Americans would learn geography.”
-Mark Twain
Strap on your army boots and grab the biggest bazooka you can find because that golden classic, the original Metal Slug is now available on the Nintendo Switch. The ACA (Arcade Archives) series has been of tremendous value in gaming by translating great arcade titles to home consoles, making games accessible to gamers who previously might have never had a chance to play them, given the rising rarity of actual arcades. The sub-category ACA NeoGeo re-releases Neo Geo titles, some of which have never been on home console before. ACA NeoGeo Metal Slug can be found on PlayStation and Xbox but this review is focused on the Switch version. The hardware is uniquely appropriate to short games with high accessibility and co-op, after all.
Metal Slug is the first game in the series released by Nazca Co. and SNK in 1996, ten years before the Arcade Archive version. It is an energetic, dynamic, humorous run and gun. The series hasn’t changed much since its inception though it has steadily grown weirder over time. What you’ll find in this first entry is more realism, though in Metal Slug more realism simply means “less ridiculous”.
There are however none of the space aliens, gigantic mutants, marching undead, or impossible war machines that later games in the series introduced. Metal Slug is much more straightforward and somewhat within the realm of being grounded. One could at least imagine that this is the adapted story of two soldiers who single-handedly win World War II armed with nothing but their pistols, a few heavy weapons, and a tank now and then… okay, so not realistic at all. Maybe just about the only realistic thing in Metal Slug is you can only get hit once before you’re dead.
But that’s the enjoyable thing. The reason why Metal Slug retains its appeal, among other things, is because it’s the gaming equivalent of two kids playing with their action figures. “Well I brought my dinosaur! Who eats forcefield dogs!” This is underscored by the delicious animation. It’s enough to make Don Bluth blush. The cartoonish explosions and almost slapstick violence keep the game from appearing too serious as you charge through ranks of enemies and their vehicles, blasting away the bad guys as macho men Cpt. Marco and Lt. Tarma.
Both highly proficient soldiers are members of the Peregrine Falcon Strike Force. Their mission, broken down into six stages, is to stop the villainous General Morden from exacting his coup d’état upon on the world. His army of tyrannical and riotous rebels aim to overthrow the governments and establish Morden’s rule. The General has also procured the deadly Metal Slug all-terrain tank and its technological variants. Only you can stop them. Marco and Tarma must destroy every Metal Slug they come across to keep the tech out of the General’s greedy hands, as well as defeat the rebel armies and rescue prisoners of war. The grateful POWs will offer their two rescuers ammunition and weapon upgrades. You’ll need all you can get. More firepower equals more freedom! It’s all very much Saturday morning cartoon stuffs.
Metal Slug’s fun-factor is instantaneous and incandescent but brief, like a giant smoking fireball. With only six stages and no huge secret levels or hidden bosses, there isn’t a tremendous amount of replay value other than coming back for the endless ammo blast-fest. There is a special ending of sorts, after defeating the General (spoilers: highlight to reveal) he is shown to have survived, looking up to the starry skies, setting up the outer space intervention events for the sequels.
One of the biggest blows against Metal Slug being an engaging experience, and I make the distinction between the arcade version and the home ports, is the fact that there are essentially infinite continues at home. Sure, you the player could have as many continues as you liked in the arcades, provided you had as much money as you liked. With how easy it is to die in Metal Slug, this could mean quite a lot of cash.
There really are no stakes in Metal Slug. We need stakes for everything. In Metal Slug death means nothing. The game advances straight from level 1 to level 6 as you push past every fortification. The only stakes existed in the arcades where you were feeding your very real quarters or tokens into the cabinet. At home, it’s just a matter of button mashing your way to victory. That inevitably and exponentially gets boring after a single playthrough.
The ACA version adds a high-score mode with no continues and a caravan mode that prods you to collect as many points as possible in a set time limit, so these are essentially the new stand ins for the higher stakes of the original arcade gameplay. This, to my mind, is the thorn in the side of arcade ports for home consoles.
As wonderful as it is to revisit these games which maybe never saw any other kind of accessible re-release, the boon of infinite lives and infinite continues detached from depositing quarters and tokens is a double-edged sword that ultimately undercuts the enjoyment and challenge. There is no easy way around it, especially here where you’re bound to play the main mode upon first purchasing the game but after that point you probably won’t be too interested in taking on the limited high-score or caravan modes. As such, arcade home ports exist like short excursions into the past, a place you can return to but where you really can’t stay.
The 8-bit Review
Visuals: 8/10
Metal Slug’s graphics are as smooth as delicious salted butter. Visuals are one of the game’s best and immediately striking features. They are recognizable to virtually anyone who has seen them, even non-gamers. First and foremost are the character sprites. They’re animated with the bounciness and stretchiness characteristic of Disney animation. Soldiers yawn, laugh, scream, and vaporize in hysterical pantomime while your ludicrous protagonists charge forward with their heavy machine guns and rocket launchers.
The developers spared no apparent expense in the details they lavished upon the backgrounds, which were painted with muted palettes so the characters would really pop. Perhaps the most impressive graphics belong to the bosses awaiting you at the end of each stage. These are typically gigantic robotic monstrosities or fearsome super-weapons. Remembering that this is pixel art makes the complexity of these graphics all the more astounding. So while technical limitations cause a bit of slow down now and again, that infamous annoyance in retrogaming, and while there aren’t the tremendous fantasy weapons seen in later Metal Slugs, this first outing is still rich in visuals. It’s instant eye candy.
Audio: 7/10
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xdv3fKqbYk&w=560&h=315]
The soundtrack by Takushi Hiyamuta isn’t anything to write home about. In many ways, it’s typical of the sound of the mid-90’s when the rock of the 80’s began to die out and we started getting this weird fusion with hyper-jazz. Though the result isn’t particularly memorable or melodic, Metal Slug’s soundtrack served the game it belonged to. It was as musically volatile as the rest of the game. It in addition captured the sound of militarism and reckless abandon that Metal Slug is all about. You know if you play these tracks in reverse the backmasking chants: “Guns! Guns! Guns! Guns! Guns!” Plus, hey, there’s that iconic announcer.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF5PlhFXEZ8&w=560&h=315]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6wbKqiBlUQ&w=560&h=315]
Gameplay: 8/10
As mentioned, the Metal Slug series hasn’t changed much from the first game to Metal Slug X. It did however give the 2D side-scrolling genre, by then a tired one, a fast-paced facelift that threw tons of enemies at you at once, covered the screen with explosions, introduced plenty of new weapons and so on. Rescuing POWs is one thing which sets Metal Slug apart and made it unique. If you died, you’d lose the bonus points for any rescued prisoners collected at the end of each level, so there’s an extra layer of incentive there to push for higher scores and avoid enemy fire.
It’s the fluidity and speed of Metal Slug which is still engaging even after a decade. It is clear to me why the series did so well by changing so little about itself. What is also clear is how Metal Slug served as an influence to so many games to come. Just ask Broforce, which is basically just Metal Slug on steroids.
Challenge: 3/10
We are talking about the ACA version here, so at this point we’re talking about a game with a main mode that has infinite continues. I can tap the shoulder button to add as many credits to the game, essentially quarters, as I want. With this setup, nothing is truly challenging unless you grow weary of playing at all.
Accessibility: 10/10
With only three buttons descended from the primary colored circles of the arcade cabinet, Metal Slug is the perfect game to pick up for the first time and immediately enjoy. There are a few secret points to pick up in each level but that’s about the only thing hidden from you at the start of the game. Everything else is just a steady march forward against all odds, picking up weapons, rescuing prisoners, gunning down enemies, and seemingly causing as much collateral damage as possible. Metal Slug was a slightly more skill-based game before there were infinite lives but now dying hardly matters.
Replayability: 4/10
The extra modes don’t add much to Metal Slug’s replay value. As a single-player game, it can get boring quickly, especially after you’ve already beaten it. I find myself returning to games like the Metal Slugs most often when I have guests over in my home to hang out. Metal Slug is, as seen, highly accessible so it’s easy to jump in with two players without having to “explain the rules”, as it were, to someone who has maybe never played this kind of game before. That’s even easier with the Nintendo Switch, since the hardware specifically allows for ease of switching between one and two players.
As far as the ACA NeoGeo price, I could wish it was just a little cheaper for how little replay value there is. A few graphics filters and two alternative game modes only go so far on such a short and straightforward game. Unless we’re counting the inclusion of the Japanese version a boost to replay value?
Uniqueness: 8/10
A representative of its genre, Metal Slug saw four main sequels, numerous spin-offs, plenty of ports, and several recollections over the years. It manages paradoxically to be a fairly white bread army shooter while at the same time advancing its image with unique caricaturing, eccentricity, and smoothness.
My Personal Grade: 8/10
Metal Slug successfully launched one of the most memorable 2D side-scrolling shootie-pies in human history. For that it deserves to be set on a pedestal. This was a game I for one was always excited to find in a local arcade. At a pizza joint in my town they actually had one of these cabinets. It was for the second game but then Metal Slugs are virtually all the same. And that’s what remains best about them. They didn’t aspire to lofty philosophy, high thoughts or buzz words, character development or social topics. They were just fun to play as a reprieve from daily life. And isn’t that really, essentially and fundamentally, what gaming is all about? You can’t really expect a whole lot out of this ACA title but at least you can expect consistency.
Aggregated Score: 7.0
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I’ve always enjoyed Metal Slug, though I don’t have a lot of experience with it. I attribute my enjoyment of Metal Slug to the fact it reminds me of Gunstar Heroes; does anyone else see that?
I’ve always suspected that all the Metal Slug games were the same (and you kinda confirmed that!) but is there any Metal Slug game that you would consider the best of the series? I’d love to get a Metal Slug for my collection, but not sure which one to get…
Gunstar Heroes is way too far back in my past for me to personally remember any comparisons, so I’ll trust your instincts and say they’re there on the word of a colleague. I think all the Metal Slug games are fairly similar. I’d suggest Metal Slug X, which we also reviewed, for the best in the series that I’ve played. It’s a wacky game and so enjoyable in couch co-op. Frequently pops up on sale on PSN. Which platforms do you have?
PS4, a laptop (that can’t run Metal Slug X, checked the specs last night!), Wii U, 3DS and PSP. Thinking I might wait until the PS4 version is on sale.
If you pick up a Switch, the system is uniquely well-suited to playing indies and retro games exactly like Metal Slug.
Ah, doubt I’ll get a Switch. We splashed out on a Wii U end of 2015, so want to make the most of that really. Am I right in saying you’re not keen on the Wii U?
Hm well that’s a complicated question to answer but I’ll try my best. When the Wii U rolled out, I was like many others who was confused by it and what its purpose was. I think the Wii U suffered in the eyes of consumers like me because of poor marketing, presentation, design and most importantly games. Not to say there are none but we’re talking about the difference between the Wii that sold amazingly and the U which barely did anything. I love Nintendo and I’m quick to point out there flaws and faults because of that. To me, the Wii U was a bad piece of hardware. I’d pick it up eventually for Smash Bros. Wii U and maybe a few other games but there was little to get me to buy it. If I did own one, though, I’d make exactly the same decision you’re making and I’d at least wait on the Switch. I can attest to you though that the Switch is a wonderful device. I wanted it the moment it was revealed, in comparison to its predecessor. I’ve been able to play the Wii U a few times and it’s just weird to me. What are your thoughts on it?
I like the Wii U…but it’s an awkward machine, I can certainly see your view on it – I’m not sure who it’s aimed at either, kids or adult gamers. Our Wii U was bought for me and my son (both groups) and we’ve both enjoyed it. It’s easy for him to grasp as the Wii U gamepad is a bit like an iPad and he’s enjoyed Lego Batman and Mario Kart.
I like the Wii U’s Virtual Console and it has lots of great games if it’s own to discover. However I find the Gamepad very awkward – it can be a pain when you have to play a game using the TV, like Splatoon. Breath of the Wild on the Gamepad is flawless though….
I love ‘underdog’ consoles though – my favourite consoles ever are the Master System and the GameCube. The Wii U has potential to join them, based on it’s games, both VC and Wii U. However it’s not the best design Nintendo has ever had.
I’ve not seen much of the Switch, however I’ve no desire to buy another console yet…unless I can get a cheap Xbox One that is fully backwards compatible and can take screenshots….
I know I’d enjoy the Wii U, like I enjoy every hardware thingie I purchase but I couldn’t see myself getting it day one. With the Switch, I preordered it and I haven’t done that since the first PlayStation years ago. Virtual Console is one thing which the Wii U currently has over the Switch. I liked the GameCube and my games from that system are currently enjoyed on the Wii. Yay, backwards compatibility! When I think of the Wii U, I think of the Power Glove and the Virtual Boy. It’s like a novelty I’d get eventually but it’s not on the top of my list.
I’ve been recommending to people on the fence about the Switch to wait at least until the end of this year or the start of the next to pick one up. The price may go down and they may roll out a great bundle pack for it. Odyssey, Mario + Rabbids, Metroid Prime 4, a core Pokemon RPG, heck even Arms and Splatoon 2 look like they’re going to kill it on the market. But my favorite thing about it is the convenience of the handheld mode switcheroo. I wish I could take my PS4 games anywhere on the go now, or switch to handheld mode if someone wants the tv. That’s a presentation aspect that I think brought Nintendo back on board and back in the public eye (so to speak). Keep your eye on the Switch, I guess is what I’m saying.
I can see the logic of your comparisons for the Wii U – it is very gimmicky. I think history will judge it as the decent forerunner of the Switch. The Switch however has captured imaginations, the one thing the Wii U largely couldn’t do. I think that’s due to the improved, streamlined design.
You’re right about waiting on the Switch. The games will be crucial. I think Nintendo will get it right though. Mario Odyssey looks intriguing, new Metroid will appeal to the hardcore Nintendo fans plus newer IPs like Splatoon and Arms will show gamers that Nintendo have great new games that cover the genre’s they love. The handheld aspect looks awesome too.
I’m keeping my eyes on it, but I have limited space/funds. Maybe I’ll get a cheap Switch in a few years, just so I can blog about it’s games…
That limited space/funds thing is the worst, especially for this hobby!
Agreed – most of my collection is digital these days which saves a lot of space!
Such a fantastic opening Quote!
This game was an arcade classic.
Gotta love Metal Slug… and Mark Twain lol
I love Metal Slug. It’s like Contra with some tongue in cheek moments, and reference humor. I bought the Anthology for the Wii a while back. I fire that up from time to time, as you get nearly every Metal Slug game ever made on it. I also like that later entries in the series let you play as the Ikari Warriors.
Thanks for the comment! I never made the mental connection between Contra and Metal Slug but yeah it’s pretty obvious when you stop to think about it. I only have Metal Slug X elsewhere and now since I own that and this one I probably won’t be picking up the Anthology. Does the collection include the 2nd game?
MSA includes 1,2,X, 3,4,5, and 6. Worth every penny. A loose disc goes for around $20.
Loved it, is a true classic. I haven’t played it for a long time, I could give ACA version a chance. Good review!
Thanks! I’d recommend checking out any of the other anthologies such as those available on PlayStation, unless you really want it on the Switch. The Switch version is somewhat pricey for just one very short game, in my opinion.
This game is so hard but fun
I loved Metal Slug! Spent quite a few coins on it on the local bowling hall:) I like the action figure connection.
Thanks for commenting and reading! I appreciate it! Metal Slug also holds a special place in my heart and oddly the game itself holds up better in its original arcade form. There’s just something about a real joystick, a real cabinet, and the dark, neon-lit atmosphere of an arcade.
It is. Somehow seeing this review made me think of Shadow of the Beast II, even though they are very different. I guess it was the same time, more or less, I played Beast at home an Metal Slug out. Ever played it?
Shadow of the Beast II… I had to look it up. I definitely missed it and a lot of other Sega games. If it’s anything like Metal Slug I probably would’ve enjoyed it, odds are. I own zero Sega consoles, but it’s funny that I had the thought this morning when I woke up that I want to hunt down a Sega Saturn.
It’s not Sega:) I played it on Commodore Amiga. Made by Psygnosis. You can find a version online, but it’s far from the same quality…
Ah when I googled it it showed a cover for Sega CD. Must’ve been a poet of some kind. I don’t know when I could ever find a Commodore anything haha but low quality online doesn’t sound great either.
Classic game! I’d agree with the 8/10 rating too. Good, simple fun.
I fear we’ve been spoiled in a lot of ways by the depth of some modern games. I catch myself almost expecting things like trophy support, hidden modes, unlockables and DLC side quests. It’s nice to return to a more limited and simple era of gaming, and Metal Slug is a great example of that.
Thoroughly agree. It’s always good to get back to basics like that. My way of looking at it is that side quests and DLC aren’t necessarily a sign of quality. A good game I’d a good game, whether it takes 4 hours to beat or 4 months to 100%’
I absolutely agree. Now I have to make the distinction here that I don’t think a game needs DLC or other modern perks like trophies to be a good game, but my assertion was that we’ve been trained to think this way, widely and generally speaking, since that’s the way games are now produced and marketed. Being a classics gamer though I am convinced that the best games ever are already behind us: focused, simplified, streamlined, immediate experiences without the baggage of modern marketing and development.
I thought that may be what you meant. It does seem that we’re expected to expect it all though. That being said, there are very few games where I’m willing to buy DLC. I’ll happily play through to get unlockable content, but it almost feels like a con to me to pay for DLC unless it makes a major change to the game.
I feel like when there’s a tremendous amount of DLC and the main game feels hollow that yeah the devs ripped us off. Games are more expensive than ever it seems and that’s because sometime’s we’re having to pay twice for a full game. It’s one of the biggest flaws of modern gaming but we’ve been conditioned to just accept it, it seems. I only ever bought DLC for Arkham Knight. It was pseudo-worth it. BotW just got its set of DLC but I’m going to wait on that if I get it at all.
I’ve got an article set up to post next month for Shantae: 1/2 Genie Hero and I mention in there that I would probably pay for the DLC when it’s avialable. The reason for that is that the game was both cheap and complete, and the DLC coming essentially adds five more characters, each with their own abilities and storyline to follow. Provided it’s not silly expensive, that seems worthwhile to me as it doubles the game length without making me feel like I was ripped off by the game itself. When you have to buy DLC to make a game worth owning though, that really feels bad to me.
It does feel bad, and it feels vicious and lazy also. When we start talking about devs fixing games through DLC then we’ve reached a place where some reform is necessary. However, that can’t happen unless sales and interest in DLC go way down, it seems to me.
That’s the thing, isn’t it? If sales remain high, nowt changes. But, if a game needs giving and this find through DLC, the customer is left in a difficult position of
either having to pay out or having to miss out on a working game.
*That should have been one post, but I managed to hit SEND with my thumb. That’s the downside to using my mobile to reply, I guess*
I picked up the Metal Slug Collection on PS4 for around $5, which has made it increasingly difficult to fathom investing $8 per game on the Switch (granted they only have 1 and 3). I love the series to death and I can imagine how much fun it’d be to prop up the Switch and hand a friend one of the Joy-Con controllers for impromptu co-op sessions.
I also like the idea of the Nintendo Switch as a portable NEOGEO, particularly as someone with loads of sentimental attachment to their variety of shmups and fighting games. However, I *do* hope they add a bundle later, or even an “SNK Pass” feature. Paying a discounted price for access to all of the NEOGEO games would dull the sting of double/triple paying for titles I own elsewhere.
Great review! I’m sure it took you far longer to write than to actually beat Metal Slug, haha.
Thanks for dropping me the comment, sir! It did indeed take me longer to write this than beat the game, but mostly because I struggled to say something special about this game after I reviewed Metal Slug X. I have X on the PS3 but not the first game so I did drop the money for it. I sorta regret it almost as much as paying full price for Bomberman R. But at least it’s a neat little arcade title for the Switch to pass time. Still, I had Kamiko on there… Ah so much rationalizing needs to be done!
This one made me want to hunt down 2 next. Portable arcade on the Switch is great in theory but hopefully they can roll out cheaper titles and collections, and maybe an actual virtual console. Getting all of these in a bundle would be genius but I get why they’re doing a slow trickle of them individually now in order to bulk up the Switch’s library. And hopefully, like I mentioned, someone can figure out a way to raise the stakes for these home console versions and give them some replay value.