Compilation of seven arcade Metal Slug games emulated directly from Neo Geo. All essential entries (1, 2, X, 3, 4, 5, 6) with save and unlimited continues. Arcade run-and-gun in full glory, iconic sprite art, dense level design. Local co-op still joyful. Honest emulation, no audio remixes but source material intact. Essential for any genre fan, pure arcade delivery.
Your verdict
Category
Compilation4 players12+
Co-op
Description
Run-and-gun shooting compilation developed and published by SNK Playmore in Japan in December 2007. Brings together Metal Slug 1 to 6 and Metal Slug X in faithful originals with the franchise's legendary characters. Frantic shooting, vehicles to pilot, prisoners to rescue and monumental bosses with the series' characteristic off-beat humor. Japanese version known in the West as Metal Slug Anthology.
Metal Slug Complete review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Few 2D games reach such meticulousness: every soldier, vehicle and setting overflows with hand-drawn animation, funny and precise. Readability holds firm even when the screen saturates with action. This pixelated splendour, intact across the episodes, remains a model of craft.
An anthology of a cult run-and-gun, the compilation gathers nervy military themes blending rock, jazz and supercharged fanfares. Each mission pulses with a frantic energy perfectly in tune with the on-screen chaos. This sonic generosity, retro and rousing, brings back all the panache of the SNK series.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Gathering the run'n'gun saga in full, from the classics to the latest entries, on a single release: this compilation is a feast for fans of frantic action. Gunning, driving lunatic vehicles and laughing at the zany transformations keeps all its flavour, from one entry to the next. Two-player co-op multiplies the fun. Generous and indispensable, a complete dive into a cult series.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Pushing forward screen by screen through a downpour of bullets, freeing captured prisoners and grabbing devastating weapons chains together adrenaline and laughs at every stage. Gathering the whole saga in one place, the compilation fuels the urge to run through each episode. Without infinite credits the challenge stays punishing, yet the lavish pixel art and the frantic action keep a fearsome grip.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Seven arcade-faithful entries fit on a single disc, and each demands far more than a single playthrough: chasing the flawless run, freeing every prisoner, toppling titanic bosses while rationing your lives. Hunting score and mastering patterns invites relentless replays, solo or in pairs. This run-and-gun compendium remains a safe bet for anyone who loves arcade replayability.
Is Metal Slug Complete still worth playing in 2026?
A compilation from SNK Playmore, Metal Slug Complete gathers the entries of the famous pixel art run and gun series, from arcade cabinets of snappy chaos full of soldiers, tanks and oversized bosses. The fluidity of the animation, the sense of timing and the timeless co-op fun stay intact, especially in two player. The pad handling and a sometimes uneven port divide. A tasty compilation for fans of retro run and gun and SNK pixel art, to pick up in snappy sessions.
