Metal Slug Anthology

Overall, the Metal Slug games are great, and Anthology's biggest plus is that all seven games are here. Beyond that, don't expect much.

An entertaining and generous blast from the past, but that's all that it is. [Apr 2007, p.70]

Metal Slug Anthology is another one of those Wii games that tries to get creative with the new controller but just falls flat on its face.

A healthy package of games, then, but we were expecting more in the realm of additional content.

Wii games use the Wii controller brilliantly. Old arcade games simply don’t, and shoehorning them into the latest innovation/gimmick feels awkward and robs the game of its fun. Dig out an old GameCube controller – that’s the difference between enjoying Metal Slug Anthology or simply remembering how much fun it used to be.

Sure, the presentation is poor, and the lack of d-pad support is a real drag; but the individual games are just so enjoyable that I can't help but recommend the Metal Slug Anthology to any fan of the franchise or the run and gun shooter genre.

The cheeseball presentation doesn’t really do the series justice, but Anthology rocks at delivering Metal Slug games. The arcade-faithful translation should delight fans and purists, putting up a good time and a lot of laughs for you and a friend.

There are so many problems caused by pure sloppiness that it is difficult to recommend it. However, if you are willing to overlook the terrible controls and lacking extras and sub-par interface, Metal Slug Anthology can provide a very rewarding experience.

The opportunity to play it all over again, along with the unconventional Metal Slug 6 (in its home debut), makes this collection a joy to play through and exceptional value for money. If only its controls were perfect. [Feb 2007, p.120]

Most disappointing is the shoddy way this celebration of all things Metal Slug is presented.

On the one hand, the games included in Metal Slug Anthology are a blast, they're translated perfectly from the arcade, and they're just as fun, over-the-top, and well-designed as they were ten years ago. On the other hand, this is a stripped-down package with no meaningful extras to speak of, its Wii-specific control options are an almost complete bust, and the lack of Classic Controller support is puzzling to say the least.

Assuming you have a GameCube controller, these classic games are still a blast to play, but this particular release of them is hardly the tenth anniversary treatment the series deserves. Hopefully one day SNK will get the job done properly.

Here we have a game that compiles seven barely-different shoot 'em up games into one Wii disk, so the only way you're going to like it at all is if you like the original Metal Slug. None of the sequels have done anything particularly different, and every one of them has a ton of throw-backs to the original.