Metal Slug is action-packed, funny, has lots of charm, fun, and a very good game.
Lows: Can be very challenging on newcomers and longtime vets of the series, aiming in all directions can require some effort, too many loading times.
Verdict: Metal Slug is still as good as ever.
When Contra started to fall apart, diehard shmup fans were looking for the killer app they so desperately wanted. They got it, as SNK came in to save the day with their own start in the shmup genre, Metal Slug, released in arcades in 1996 and ported to the PlayStation a year later. Metal Slug is one awesome shmup where you and a friend can destroy enemies with all sorts of weapons like machine guns, shotguns, rocket launchers and flame throwers, along with the Metal Slug tank, in order to save the world from terrorists. The game controls and plays just fine, the graphics are decent and it's just a lot of fun to play. You can change the settings of the game like, difficulty, number of lives and what have you. This game also comes with an art gallery, as you can see the different artwork for characters, the Metal Slug tank and more. The music is excellent and very memorable too that it deserves a soundtrack CD and some of the music in this game would appear in future Metal Slug games. There are problems with Metal Slug though. This game is very difficult, and can be tough on newcomers, and even series vets, aiming in all directions is a bit of a chore using the PlayStation controller's d-pad, and there are lots of loading times, even during the actual gameplay. But overall, Metal Slug is a great game and it has aged very nicely for an original PlayStation game. Copies of the PSX version should be cheap, as mine only cost $20, and if you want to make it work on an NTSC or PAL region PlayStation, use the "Double Disc Swap Method" to make it work. You can find videos of this method on YouTube. Check out Metal Slug when you get the chance.