Metal Slug Anthology
For PSP, £35.
Verdict: Tanks for the memories.
Rating: 3½/5
In this age of 3D, polygon based, bump mapped, shadered and bloomed graphical pizzazz, it’s always refreshing to settle down with an old-school 2D pixel pushing game. There’s something about the art direction - the fact that the designers have to squeeze so much character out of what basically amounts to a collection of different coloured squares is testament to why the pixel art scene is still flourishing. Paul Smith’s got in on the action courtesy of eboy and with Malcolm Mclaren doing the same with chip music (electronica made using old gaming technology) these retro stylings are thankfully here to stay.
The Metal Slug series is one of the last champions of 2D although even it has recently succumbed to the glamours of 3D. Starting out on the legendary NeoGeo it has blazed a trail as an over-the-top, run and gun two player shooter with distinct cartoon stylings, wildly imaginative design and of course its trademark humour and the titular Metal Slugs - super deformed tanks and various other gun laden vehicles and animals.
This anthology brings together all the arcade classics onto one handheld delight, notably including the reworked Metal Slug X and the previously unreleased Metal Slug 6. It’s not a comprehensive list as versions such as the NeoGeo pocket or Gameboy Advance games are missing but with seven games of raw, explosive fun included it’s an absolute bargain for nostalgia heads and shoot-em-up fans new to the genre.
The series could easily be accused of being repetitive, with each iteration recycling old sprites and adding little new to the core gameplay but playing with a friend is an essential and entertaining part of its draw and Metal Slug 6’s score multiplyer system and deeper weapon hoarding mechanic seeks to rectify the repetition and is almost enough to justify the purchase alone.
Given the value and the quality of gameplay, the PSP’s hardware limitations unfortunately mar the overall experience - load times are painfully slow for the quick fix action and many of the games suffer from slow down and mid-battle loading pauses. In a game built around speed, chaos and frenetic action, it’s a blight on an otherwise joyous step back in time.