METAL SLUG

After thirty years, I've finally beaten the game without continues - or using only a single quarter. GG.

Man I played so many flash games based on this series as a kid and honestly I just love these games so much, their style of humor and the sense of personality that permeates the game makes it an unrivaled gem in the Run N' Gun genre of arcade games. I am so glad this masterpiece is on Steam.

The level select is a very nice touch too.

Hello Friends,
Today I will review the game METAL SLUG. Originally it came out on a NEO GEO gaming machines in arcades. These were the arcade cases where you put coins in to increase time in a game, not to buy extra lives. They used this arcade machine lots in the late 1990's. This version on steam includes multiplayer, but good luck finding a game unless you have a friend who also wants to play with you. The game is like the original arcade version, but when i personally played it, the music stuttered a bit and sounded odd to me, like it was not matching the tempo of when your playing in the game.
PROS:
- The original arcade version, ported to steam.
- Multiplayer functionality to play with others.
- Game is easy to get all achievements just by playing thru the game. Personally, it took me 3 hours to get all the level ones.
- Works fine with controllers. I used a NEO ZEN Nintendo switch 1 controller.
- Works on windows 11 OS system.
CONS:
- I heard the music not synching correctly on my pc. It sounded like it was lagging in the background or stuttering for some reason.
- Find a person who plays with you in multiplayer to get the achievement can be difficult. Some steam posters have actually posted on the forums about helping others. You can look here to see it:
Do I recommend this game? For a arcade side scroller shooter, it is good, so yes, i recommend the game. The one issue i have is the music sounded off to me. Like it was stuttering. It could be a personal issue with me, but i have a feeling all modern machines may run into this issue. The game is good for what it is, a arcade side scrolling game. It is not a long game, but if you play with friends in multiplayer, it can be more fun. The problem is if you don't have friends, it is hard to find people to actually fully play the whole game with you.

Even though the game can be beaten in 30 minutes this game is still an absolute banger, still some of the best pixel art in gaming history and only gets better with each new entry.

One of Those Games That Always Comes Back
There are games you discover.
There are games you play once and move on from.
And then there are games that somehow manage to keep finding their way back into your life.
METAL SLUG has always been one of those games for me.
I don't even remember how many times I've played it over the years, or how many different moments of my life it has managed to appear in. Somehow, every now and then, METAL SLUG seems to come back and say: "Hey. Play a little."
And honestly, I've rarely needed much convincing.
A True Milestone
It's easy to look at METAL SLUG today and see a relatively short 2D run-and-gun game.
But that would completely miss the point.
This is one of those titles that became a milestone in video game history. The beginning of a legendary series, an arcade classic that managed to create an identity so strong that even decades later it still feels unmistakably like METAL SLUG.
The hand-drawn pixel art, the absurd amount of detail, the humor, the explosions, the animations and that wonderfully chaotic action have aged remarkably well.
Some games get old. METAL SLUG somehow doesn't.
Finally, 100%
This time, I decided I wasn't going to simply play it again.
I wanted to finish it properly.
100%.
And I'm genuinely happy that I finally did.
It took me only a few hours to complete everything, although one particular achievement gave me considerably more trouble than the others: finishing the game without using continues.
That challenge can be brutal.
But when you finally manage to do it, there's a very satisfying feeling that comes with knowing you've conquered a game that has been challenging players for decades.
The Kind of Game That Doesn't Need an Introduction
What I love most about METAL SLUG is that it doesn't need to explain why it is special.
You start playing and everything immediately makes sense.
Run.
Shoot.
Jump.
Blow everything up.
Laugh at the ridiculous animations.
Get destroyed by something you didn't see coming.
Try again.
And somehow, even after all these years, it still works. There is something incredibly pure about that kind of game design.
Final Verdict
METAL SLUG is a piece of video game history, but more importantly, it is still a fantastic game.
It's one of those rare titles that manages to remain fun regardless of how much time passes. Whether you're discovering it for the first time or returning to it after many years, there's something incredibly satisfying about sitting down and playing through it again.
I finally completed it 100%, and I'm genuinely glad I did.
If you're one of the younger players who somehow never had the chance to experience METAL SLUG, do yourself a favor and give it a try.
You might discover why this little arcade classic has managed to keep calling players back for so many years.
And as for me, I'll always open the door when it comes knocking.

ever since I was a kid I used to 4buse those arcade machines no matter the country I was in and my favorite arcade game was indeed METAL SLUG. thank you for everything.

First Metal Slug game in series, play if you want to know how First game looks.
But playable only with 600x800 resolution, window mode. Because of ancient game engine restrictions.