Metal Slug Anthology

Some would probably argue that 2D graphics are no longer the way to go, with them looking highly outdated when compared to the fanciful 3D offerings that are littering the current generation on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and high end Personal Computers. However, one look at the beauty of the various games in Metal Slug Anthology should quieten a large sector of the two-dimensional opposition. Even going back to the very first Metal Slug, the attention to detail on not just the main environments, but the whole host of characters in the game is fantastic. However, when you move onto the later games you will be gob-smacked by how crisp and clear everything is, how much is thrown around the screen at one time (without any flickering or slowdown) and the intricacy of the work produced by the artists involved in the game's production. Thoroughly impressive! Add to this the over-the-top sound effects and varied soundtrack that pumps through in the background and despite what naysayers may think, the presentation of this package is top notch!

 

If you have ever played anything like Super Probotector or Ghosts 'N Ghoblins, then you will have a vague idea how Metal Slug works. Basically it is a two-dimensional, side-scrolling action shooter. You take control of a little character and guide them along the numerous locations, blasting away with whatever weapon you currently have at your disposal (there are various items dropped by enemies or hostages that you free along the way). But rather than being simple and repetitive, the fact that action is going on all around you, with bullets being launched from all angles, there is simply no time for boredom as you will be on the edge of your seat, with sense heightened to the maximum all the way through.

One major criticism most journalists have aimed at Metal Slug Anthology is that the controls are not designed well enough for this crazy arcade experience. However, with so many control options available, including the choice of even plugging in a GameCube controller, this hardly drags the game down as there is almost certainly at lease one setup that will satisfy all gamers. Personally the default option of holding the Wii controller on its side was perfectly adequate, if somewhat strange in the instances where you had to shake the controller up and down to throw a bomb / grenade...Overall it may not be ideal, but it is still more than workable thanks to the variety of control methods on offer.

 

The games do not change drastically over each version, however the different updates differ in terms of quality, with 4 and 5 being seen as two of the weaker efforts overall and 6 being a true return to form. However, since you have everything in one package it all balances out quite nicely, especially as you can save your progress and skip over to a different version whenever you feel like it. This freedom is what helps to prevent the experience from growing stale...that and the amazing boss battles that fill the screen and can literally leave you sweating due to the level of concentration required to despatch them. But thankfully, despite all the violence, there is a light-hearted, rather wacky at times, sense of humour pumping through its veins, which really adds a special something that other games in this genre generally lack. Finally, in addition to simply running left-to-right, you can hop into various types of metal slugs

 

As for how good this is in terms of its value for money, when you have had just one Metal Slug game in the past and been totally and utterly satisfied with that experience alone, considering how damn hard the games are and the satisfying amount of levels available in such an arcade oriented game, having seven games piled into one package is obviously phenomenal! Each game has its own intricacies that makes it similar, but ultimately different from the next, meaning that the experience of playing through them all never grows tiresome. Throw the wealth of extras that can be unlocked (including a special text-based interview) by wracking up points by playing through the main games and Metal Slug Anthology is one of the best Wii games available in terms of overall 'value for money'!