Game Review: Metal Slug Anthology (Wii)
Overview: I, like many of my generation, have fond memories of going to friends' birthday parties held at arcades. We would get a bunch of quarters, or go to a place with free play, and spend hours doing the ADD dance between cabinets. One of the absolutely best kinds of games to ram your quarters into were sidescrolling shooters, and Metal Slug was one of the best. The Metal Slug Anthology is another great compilation of a classic series that is currently available for basically every console (including PSP, which is pretty great). SNK sent out the Wii version, which features some Wii-specific control schemes. Metal Slug is a classic sidescrolling arcade game, with lush graphics and animation, a driving soundtrack and tons of explosions. The anthology features seven Metal Slug titles, which all are pretty much just the same as the rest. Does that mean they aren't a lot of fun? Read on to find out.
Shininess: One thing that marks the Metal Slug series is the beautiful sprite art and expressive animations. The backgrounds and landscapes are stunning, and the giant detailed machine bosses are intricate and impressive. Even the little things, like the salute rescued prisoners give you are all brilliantly done, and remain consistent throughout the series. That's another thing about Metal Slug: between the first and the last game, there is really little difference both in graphics and gameplay. This is actually not a bad thing, as even the first game in the series is really nice to look at. Tons of enemies and bullets litter the screen as the areas around you explode, all with no slowdown. It's a perfectly faithful port, and just neat to watch as someone rolls through the levels.
One thing I have to complain about is the user interface for game selection. It's really hard to navigate and kind of sloppy. The Mega Man collections were the same way. What's up with that?
Funness: In addition to the standard run-and-gun levels, Metal Slug also features the ability to hop into a tank and roll around shooting things. It's a fun mechanic and tends to break up any tedium (of which there is very little). It's a classic arcade series that immediately feels familiar and fun. You can even join up with a friend for some co-op. Shooters like this are just classic gameplay that you can't help but love, and luckily there are seven different titles for you to play through on this disk.
The Wii version also features some exclusive controls, which are interesting. The default control is to hold the remote like a classic NES game, where you can actually flick the remote to throw a grenade. They get progressively sillier from there. There is another control mode where you can use the nunchuk to move and the Wii remote to fire and throw grenades, one where you can tilt the Wii remote to move left and right, and another control scheme where you can actually hold the wii remote upright and move it around as if it were a joystick. Does that sound stupid to you? Well it's stupid when you try to play like that, as well. For one thing, the extension link for the nunchuk gets in the way if you want to rest your fake joystick on anything, and also you look completely retarded. Luckily you can switch between any of these control modes, and even use a Gamecube controller if you wanted to. Personally, I'd prefer to use the classic controller, but it isn't supported. It is nice of them to include so many control options, however. You don't see that much these days, and it's a nice feature for the Wii.
Worthiness: If you like arcade style sidescrolling shooters like Contra and Gunstar Heroes, you will absolutely love the Metal Slug Anthology. It's a great game to have in your collection to whip out when friends come over, maybe just to show them the silly joystick controls. It's lower priced than other Wii titles, too (only $39.99 at Amazon) so it's not so hard on the wallet. The best part? Not having to set foot in a seedy arcade with a bag full of quarters anymore.
Score: 3/5 Rent it!
What say you?!