Metal Slug Anthology
Score: 95% ESRB: Teen Publisher: SNK Playmore Developer: SNK Playmore Media: CD/1 Players: 1 - 4 Genre: Classic/Retro/ Arcade/ Third Person Shooter
Graphics & Sound: We love the new games with their glitz and glamour, but there's nothing quite like retro gaming. My wife walked by when I booted this up and was like, "What are you playing?" You would think a couple of old fogies like us would have fond memories of Metal Slug, but the truth is that when Metal Slug was coming onto the arcade scene in 1996, I was moving into my "responsible" phase. I wasn't spending much time in the arcade, so I flat out missed the beginnings of the franchise. When I did discover Metal Slug, it was tucked away beside some pinball and 4-player games in a little room on a cruise ship. Weird, right? My buddy and I blew every quarter we earned on that game until we saw the credits roll. The excitement of seeing new levels and wondering what was around the next corner was what kept it fresh. Metal Slug Anthology collects the entire spectrum of these games across the last ten years. I'm not sure I ever played more than a few and I clearly missed some of the best. After the original, there was much varying on the theme and the basic formula was kept intact. Interesting ideas like swimming or piloting watercraft made an appearance and the enemies got wild in later games. More character choices and totally over-the-top weapons also popped up later in the series. The visual effects were part of a landscape that included good sound and music and we now get to enjoy all kinds of unlockables that take you further inside the sights and sounds of the Metal Slug universe. This collection is a like a Metal Slug museum and will delight even fans who don't consider themselves "collectors." Any retro gamer worth his salt will see something to love the minute the Metal Slug logo flashes on the screen.
Gameplay: Talking about the way Metal Slug Anthology plays isn't really accurate. There are seven whole games here with many unique features. The common ground between all of them is that they are side-scrolling arcade shooters with vehicles, power-ups, mighty bosses and multiple characters. The ability to switch weapons and characters didn't appear until the last few games. This is a war-themed game, although you'll see zombies and futuristic elements and possibly the kitchen sink in one level. The typical Metal Slug Anthology game drops you into a battle zone with nothing more than a simple handgun. You can free hostages and pick up new weaponry during the level that will make life much easier against enemies. Commandeering vehicles will give you a power-boost, but you'll also be somewhat more limited in your options when you're in a vehicle. Enemies are a varied bunch in these games. The consistent theme is that enemy A.I. is not stupid. Some enemies creep up behind you while others parachute in from the sky. You'll find enemies hunkering down under barbed wire and throwing grenades at you. Some pop out of cover and take potshots at you with big guns. There's nothing subtle about the bosses. Most are of the screen-filling variety and take a satisfyingly long time to destroy. The gratification you'll feel at the end of each level is tremendous. You do get points for rescuing hostages, but you'll just be glad to have survived. A big part of what keeps the games from becoming frustrating are the hilarious images and settings in which you find your character. From the first to the last game, there are distinctly more elaborate and creative stage designs. The style of play isn't fundamentally different, but the background art and enemy animations are all over the map. Aliens, ghouls and lots of interesting new vehicles appear throughout Metal Slug Anthology. And the best part is... you get to share it with friends. Playing through a game like this solo isn't really what the Good Lord intended, you know? Plug in those Wii-motes and go to town with four players! The later games that feature characters with different skills and abilities really shine in multiplayer games. Don't say I didn't warn you, but this is some addictive stuff!
Difficulty: Periodically, you read comments on a blog opining on how new games are more difficult and obscure than old games. Why anyone who was around to play these old games would actually form that opinion is beyond me. The Metal Slug Anthology games are nigh impossible to beat without numerous continues. Thank goodness we have unlimited continues this time around... Setting the difficulty low enough will probably make all these games accessible to most folks, but don't expect to breeze through. I'm still not sure whether it helps or hurts to have so many control options, but that seems to be a staple of the Wii and its many controllers. For my money and most of the retro fans out there, the basic controls are best. Anything else seems like a distraction to me, but Metal Slug Anthology lets you pick your poison.
Game Mechanics: At heart, there aren't more than three or four basic things to do in any of the Metal Slug Anthology games. You run, jump and shoot. Occasionally you jump and shoot... or run and shoot. There are plenty of buttons on the Wii-mote to cover these actions and I am a fan of turning the thing on its side to play the retro titles. For the developers, there was apparently a bet to see if every possible combination of controllers could be included for Metal Slug Anthology. Three (count 'em...three!) variations on the Wii-mote controller, two variations with the Nunchuk controller, and the Gamecube controller are all options. Strangely, the Classic Controller - the only one designed with the express purpose of playing retro games - isn't included as one of the options. There are neat options to use the tilt feature of the Wi-imote to run, climb and crouch if you like that kind of thing. At the very least, all these controller options are a neat demonstration of the Wii as a versatile platform. In the midst of all this innovation, it's a strange omission to not see the "save point" feature here that is present in all the games available for download on the Virtual Console. Even though unlimited continues are available in Metal Slug Anthology, it would have been nice to restart in the middle of a level rather than replay from the beginning. Apart from any nitpicking over preferences, there is no denying that Metal Slug Anthology is like a king's harem of classic side-scrolling arcade titles. All these beauties gathered in one place just waiting to be conquered. I dropped the analogy, by the way, so get your mind out of the gutter... :) Seriously, if you have any leaning toward classic titles, this is one to add to your library. No amount of Wii Points will let you get your Metal Slug on.
-Fridtjof, GameVortex Communications AKA Matt Paddock
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