Absolute legend. Perfect run and gun, sublime animation, irresistible humour and euphoric co op mode. If only one console game could remain, this would be it.
Your verdict
Category
Action4 players12+
Co-op
Description
Marco and Tarma battle General Morden's rebel army in this Neo Geo run and gun masterpiece. Published by SNK, released in Japan in May 1996. 2D run and gun with the Metal Slug tank, hostages to rescue for weapon bonuses, six missions with varied settings. Japanese edition.
Metal Slug review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Pixel art of extraordinary finesse, hilarious animation and backdrops teeming with detail: every screen overflows with life and humour. The graphic density and the readability of the action stand as an absolute benchmark of the run-and-gun. This virtuosity of hand drawing has never been equalled on the platform.
A frenzied military march, roaring brass and martial rhythms: Metal Slug's music gives the warlike chaos an energy at once heroic and comic. Each level pulses with a nervy theme that sticks to the action's sustained fire. This cult soundtrack, now iconic, is inseparable from the run-and-gun legend.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Firing in every direction, hopping onto a tank and freeing prisoners flows together with joyous fluidity, carried by extraordinary animation. Every screen bursts with detail and gags, and the generosity of the action never flags. Short but wildly dense, this foundational run-'n'-gun still delivers explosive thrills, especially in co-op.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Pushing forward gunning down everything that moves, freeing prisoners and triggering explosions galore: the run'n'gun hits a snappy, hilarious perfection here. The pixel animation of rare finesse and the ever-present humour elevate a relentless action. Two-player, the gleeful chaos never lets up. A monument of the genre whose impact stays intact today.
SNK and Nazca Japanese May 1996 edition of the Neo Geo CD port of the first Metal Slug, a Nazca technical feat that became the absolute beacon of modern run-and-gun. The Japanese CD port keeps Nazca's compositions on CD-Audio at maximum quality, lost on the AES cartridge through compression. Desirability rests on the iconic status of the title, on the rarity of the initial CD run before the Rev revision, and on the audio integrity impossible to reproduce on cartridge versions.
Memorable bosses
True showcases of 2D animation, the war machines erected at each mission's end impress with their size and intricate moving parts: titanic tanks, armored helicopters and improbable contraptions. Bringing them down means dodging a hail of fire while aiming at their nerve centers. The irresistible humor and the finesse of the artwork make these duels as funny as they are spectacular.
Better with friends
A legendary run-and-gun where two soldiers advance under a hail of bullets, covering each other and freeing prisoners in joyful chaos. Mutual aid is the heart of the fun: sharing weapons, coordinating fire and pulling each other out of desperate spots bonds the duo. Packed with humor and detail, it chains waves with gusto and makes two-player sessions a complicit outlet to restart endlessly.
A cult cover
An explosion of primary colours and cannon smoke: Marco and the little SV-001 tank burst into a cartoon-drawn theatre of war. The rounded linework and comic energy instantly herald the most expressive run-and-gun on the Neo Geo. Bouncy and cheerful despite the blasts, the image stays a distilled shot of joyful animation.
Is Metal Slug still worth playing in 2026?
Metal Slug is an absolute legend. Perfect run and gun, sublime animation, irresistible humour, euphoric co-op mode and every minute of memorable pixel art set pieces counting. If you could keep only one Neo Geo title, this would probably be it. On Neo Geo CD, between-level loading is noticeable and sprite slowdown is more present than on cart, but the CD soundtrack stays a pleasure. For retro run and gun and arcade masterpiece fans, still an absolute must today, ideally played in co-op.
