Review
Metal Slug Anthology Review (PS2)
Do you remember the 90's? Do you remember when arcade games ruled the waves, and were the height of aspiration for the measly home console? If so, maybe you played Metal Slug in its original environment. Huddled in a dark corner, volume maxed out to compete with the claw prize machines; you could play for minutes and draw a good crowd of onlookers all ready to pass judgment of your skills.
The Metal Slug series was a true child of this era, and won many admirers of its classic side scrolling game play, quirky 2d art direction, not to mention its arsenal of weapons and vehicles. The success of the first game results in a follow up, which in turn resulted in a series which grew to become seven games, Metal Slug 1 to 6 plus Metal Slug X.
Metal Slug Anthology serves up all seven games on the PS2 with an array of different control schemes aimed to suite all tastes. No longer tied to the arcade's coin operated model, you can choose from limited coin play or the newbie pleasing free play that endows you with unlimited ten pence pieces. And for both the new and returning player this proves to be a promising prospect.
First impressions of the game are pretty good. There’s a real sense of time travel as you are whisked back to those smoky noisy warehouses we used to frequent. Just seeing the massive sprites and hearing that forced voice work and samples again was an experience for which I was happy to shell out my hard earned cash.
Seeing the action unfold on my reasonable sized TV added to the authenticity, something lacking from those who dabbled with mame, which never really looked the same on modern high definition computer screens. Those old machines made up for the lack of any wide aspect by their sheer size and brightness. And the emulation achieves this pretty well, although not offering a true wide screen experience; it at least fills our modern displays.
Having played the Wii version a few months ago I was interested to see what lessons may have been learnt. The short-comings of that version were mainly in the control and overall presentation departments.
The PS2’s menus are a world apart from the Wii‘s. They have obviously had time to finish the game off properly in the intervening months. Also the controls are spot on. Unlike its waggle obsessed sibling this outing of Metal Slug offers just a couple of control methods, although the default options do such a great job that it is unlikely you will be doing much fiddling. The D-Pad and the buttons of the Dual Shock prove to be more than a match for the Wii-mote. Going back to basics and keeping it simple really lets the original games shine through once more, and you are put back in direct contact with the genius of the original SNK development teams.
Playing any of the games on offer, and everyone seems to have their own personal favorite, shows the quality and sheer energy that has made the franchise so successful. Add another player into the mix and you really have a great little gaming experience. There is a certain rhythm to the action (no pun intended) that means you slowly get into your groove during prolonged play. And as you play on, it is good to know there is a real wealth of material to tackle here; as you can see the series develop into the phenomenon that warrants its re-release on today’s top platforms.
In terms of value for money, the pack delivers if you are after these particular arcade titles. Previous releases of the series, usually just a single installment, have cost nearly as much as all seven offered here. Again this release improves on the value of the Wii version by retailing five pounds cheaper at £34.99. Once you combine this with the apparent arbitrary retailers discount you should be able to pick it up for around £14.99. This is going to be cheaper than buying the games separately on the virtual console (when they arrive) or live arcade.
Overall, this is great value anthology that was always going to be a hit due to the quality of the material it had to deliver. With the controls ‘done right’ and the price coming down a notch or two, this is going to be hard to resist by those who remember the original arcade machines and those who have enough sense to want to discover these games for themselves.
Top Game Moment: Firing up the first game was like a trip down memory lane. I was back in a dark corner of my local arcade, aiming at the perfect game and that high score with a handful of friends watching the action. Those sprites and sounds brought back just how great those arcade days were, and how the home consoles are still trying to recreate that sense of community.
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| How's that for on screen action? | Take that tank |
The Metal Slug series was a true child of this era, and won many admirers of its classic side scrolling game play, quirky 2d art direction, not to mention its arsenal of weapons and vehicles. The success of the first game results in a follow up, which in turn resulted in a series which grew to become seven games, Metal Slug 1 to 6 plus Metal Slug X.
Metal Slug Anthology serves up all seven games on the PS2 with an array of different control schemes aimed to suite all tastes. No longer tied to the arcade's coin operated model, you can choose from limited coin play or the newbie pleasing free play that endows you with unlimited ten pence pieces. And for both the new and returning player this proves to be a promising prospect.
First impressions of the game are pretty good. There’s a real sense of time travel as you are whisked back to those smoky noisy warehouses we used to frequent. Just seeing the massive sprites and hearing that forced voice work and samples again was an experience for which I was happy to shell out my hard earned cash.
Seeing the action unfold on my reasonable sized TV added to the authenticity, something lacking from those who dabbled with mame, which never really looked the same on modern high definition computer screens. Those old machines made up for the lack of any wide aspect by their sheer size and brightness. And the emulation achieves this pretty well, although not offering a true wide screen experience; it at least fills our modern displays.
 |
 |
|
| The full arsenal of weapons returns once more | Trouble from the skies |
Having played the Wii version a few months ago I was interested to see what lessons may have been learnt. The short-comings of that version were mainly in the control and overall presentation departments.
The PS2’s menus are a world apart from the Wii‘s. They have obviously had time to finish the game off properly in the intervening months. Also the controls are spot on. Unlike its waggle obsessed sibling this outing of Metal Slug offers just a couple of control methods, although the default options do such a great job that it is unlikely you will be doing much fiddling. The D-Pad and the buttons of the Dual Shock prove to be more than a match for the Wii-mote. Going back to basics and keeping it simple really lets the original games shine through once more, and you are put back in direct contact with the genius of the original SNK development teams.
Playing any of the games on offer, and everyone seems to have their own personal favorite, shows the quality and sheer energy that has made the franchise so successful. Add another player into the mix and you really have a great little gaming experience. There is a certain rhythm to the action (no pun intended) that means you slowly get into your groove during prolonged play. And as you play on, it is good to know there is a real wealth of material to tackle here; as you can see the series develop into the phenomenon that warrants its re-release on today’s top platforms.
In terms of value for money, the pack delivers if you are after these particular arcade titles. Previous releases of the series, usually just a single installment, have cost nearly as much as all seven offered here. Again this release improves on the value of the Wii version by retailing five pounds cheaper at £34.99. Once you combine this with the apparent arbitrary retailers discount you should be able to pick it up for around £14.99. This is going to be cheaper than buying the games separately on the virtual console (when they arrive) or live arcade.
 |
| Your masks don't scare me! |
Overall, this is great value anthology that was always going to be a hit due to the quality of the material it had to deliver. With the controls ‘done right’ and the price coming down a notch or two, this is going to be hard to resist by those who remember the original arcade machines and those who have enough sense to want to discover these games for themselves.
Top Game Moment: Firing up the first game was like a trip down memory lane. I was back in a dark corner of my local arcade, aiming at the perfect game and that high score with a handful of friends watching the action. Those sprites and sounds brought back just how great those arcade days were, and how the home consoles are still trying to recreate that sense of community.
