Metal Slug Anthology

North American box art North American box art
Developer(s)	Terminal Reality (Compilation), Nazca Corporation, Noise Factory, SNK Playmore
Publisher(s)	SNK Playmore
Distributor(s)	Ingram Entertainment
Designer(s)	Steve Mallory
Series	Metal Slug
Engine	SNK's Neo Geo MVS arcade hardware
Platforms	PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii
Release date(s)	Wii PSP PlayStation Store PlayStation 2
Genre(s)	scrolling shooter, run and gun, Arcade
Mode(s)	Single-player, 2 player co-op

Metal Slug Anthology (called Metal Slug Complete (メタルスラッグコンプリート) in Japan) is a video game compilation for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable and the Wii. The Wii version boasts different controller configurations, most taking advantage of the Wii Remote, but the Classic Controller is not supported. The game also marks the return of SNK Playmore as a third-party developer for a Nintendo console since the SNES era.

The graphics are virtually the same as the original versions released on arcade (and the more recent titles published on PS2 and Xbox). The only major change is that all games now display at a converted 480i resolution (compared to the standard 240p). Cooperative gameplay is enabled on the console versions of the game, while the PSP version has a wireless mode so that two people can play together and work as a team.

A downloadable version was made available on the PlayStation Store for PSP on October 1, 2009.

Included titles

• Metal Slug
• Metal Slug 2
• Metal Slug X
• Metal Slug 3
• Metal Slug 4
• Metal Slug 5
• Metal Slug 6

Metal Slug 1-5 are done via emulation of the Neo Geo AES versions while 6 is an arcade port.

Included features

Metal Slug 1-6 and X are included in the release, and the games have not been altered in any way. This is the same with the characters and abilities, which have all been kept the same. However, the game's manual erroneously states that the 'slide' ability is achievable in Metal Slug 4, 5, and 6 — Metal Slug 4 and 6 does not include this feature in either the arcade or console version.

Extra features

The game includes several special features.

• Art Gallery - Concept art of Metal Slug 1 to 6.
• Wallpapers - PSP-only option. A collection of wallpapers that can be copied to the Memory Stick.
• Sound Gallery - Music from Metal Slug 1 to 6. The PSP version includes an option that allows the player to copy the music to the Memory Stick as Atrac3+ format audio files with the proper track name and album tags.
• Game Options - Including difficulty, lives (which can be limited or unlimited, if they are limited the amount of lives the player has depends upon the difficulty) and a rapid-fire option.
• Interview - A readable interview with some of the games' designers and programmers about the Metal Slug series itself.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores Aggregator Score GameRankings 80.91% Metacritic 78 Review score Publication Score GameSpot 8.2/10

The Metal Slug Anthology received positive reviews but was criticized for its lack of Classic Controller support on the Wii version and sluggish, "laggy" controls on the PAL PlayStation 2 version, which had a noticeable delay when entering button presses.

External links

• Japanese Official Site of Metal Slug Complete
• IGN: Metal Slug Anthology Preview (PSP)
• IGN: SNK Slugs Wii