Metal Slug is an overall meh series with two (three?) great games

Takumaji

Master Enabler
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Slug 1 and 2 are beyond reproach, they wanted too much in 3, it has some of the best-looking sprites ever made but gameplay is not as fun for me as in the first two.

4 I like but that's prolly just me. Ape mode does it for me.

The rest I haven't played enough to comment.

So, basically all you need is the first two. That's where the magic is.
 

LoneSage

A Broken Man
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So, basically all you need is the first two. That's where the magic is.
The sad thing is, is that we all knew this in our hearts. But to say it outright, that the Slug series is not great as a whole, it hurts.

Those first two (three?)games, though. Just wow.
 

Niko

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But mah Slug 5 cost more. It haz to be the best.
 

Moob Butter

Bare AES Handler
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I’d honestly say 2 or 3 good games is enough to make a series legendary. And even a bad Metal Slug is fun to play (I’m looking at you 4 and 5)… apart from 6 which genuinely felt like a chore to finish which is why I’ve only played it through once.

I was playing Tekken 2 on PSN last week, I forgot how solid a title that was without all the millions of goofy characters and bs which crept in after Tekken 3. It’s why I still think of Tekken as a good series, even although I got bored with it after Tekken 5 Dark Resurrection on PS3.
 

kernow

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I haven't played a metal slug in years at this point I think
 

Ajax

way more american than wyo, way more
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In the Hunt is not a good game. Excellent artwork, but the gameplay just isn't there.

Slug 1 and 2 are incredible.
 

HeavyMachineGoob

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I disagree, all 6 metal slug games for the Neo Geo are excellent, none of them are actually bad.

If anything, Metal Slug 1 is the least best. It is very plain and dry compared to its sequels. Even the first mission of Slug 1 is literally just a basic unspoken tutorial level to get you familiar with the game, mission 1 should have been an extra training level.

The only blemish on the whole series is in Metal Slug 3's final mission, the super fast vertical scrolling section inside the mothership... That needs a fix to slow down the scrolling.
 

kernow

The Goob Hunter
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I disagree, all 6 metal slug games for the Neo Geo are excellent, none of them are actually bad.

If anything, Metal Slug 1 is the least best. It is very plain and dry compared to its sequels. Even the first mission of Slug 1 is literally just a basic unspoken tutorial level to get you familiar with the game, mission 1 should have been an extra training level.
...
 

Burning Fight!!

NIS America fan & Rent Free tenant
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I think Metal Slug 1 and 2 gives them a free pass to do as many mediocre to dogshit metal slug sequels as they want. I'd be happy to learn everyone that worked on 1 retired as millionaires shortly after, because that's what would happen in an ideal world
 

terry.330

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In the Hunt is not a good game. Excellent artwork, but the gameplay just isn't there.

Slug 1 and 2 are incredible.
Yeah ITH is a bit of a slog, it's slow and clunky. Gunforce 2 is also pretty meh aside from the boss battles.

Slug 1-X and half of 3 are all fantastic.

4 is not good but it can be enjoyable since it goes back to a more run and gun focused style. You can just blaze your way through levels but it's still so bland and cheap.

I really wish they would have actually finished 5, there's some really cool stuff in that one.

6 just flat out sucks.
 

smokey

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I think Metal Slug 1 and 2 gives them a free pass to do as many mediocre to dogshit metal slug sequels as they want. I'd be happy to learn everyone that worked on 1 retired as millionaires shortly after, because that's what would happen in an ideal world
One of the dudes working on the sprites broke his neck because he was always sleeping under his desk. After some painstaking years he has to go back to work because he is basically broke. Because of the constant headaches he can’t work as fast as he used too.
Check the metal slug creators on twitter thread. Some gold but heartbreaking info there.
 

Fygee

Bewbs! Z'OMG, Teh BEWBS!,
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I think all the Neo MS titles are fantastic. 4 and 5 less so than 1-3, but they're still very fun to play, and I think they get an unnecessarily bad rap just because they're the post-SNK bankruptcy titles.

XX was a lot of fun too and also very underrated in the series.
 

famicommander

Tak enabled this rank change
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I like all the side scrollers I think. Some are much better than others but 1-7, X, XX, 1st Mission, 2nd Mission, and Advance are all varying degrees of fun. 1 is still the best.
 
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