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The Gear Used:

Collectibles:

Note:

Links to eBay are links to search results to help in your ultimate buying decision. Availability of retro items fluctuates, so even if i do recommend a seller they may not have the item you want! When buying items please be sure to check their authenticity and working condition! Retro equipment is old and therefore may/may not be in good working order so please do your due diligence! This is a part of collecting original retro games and equipment. For Neo Geo MVS cartridges one source to use to check for originality is MVS-Scans.com.

About the Series:

The Metal Slug series stands as the pinnacle of 2D run-and-gun arcade design and arguably the greatest technical showcase for SNK’s Neo Geo MVS (arcade) and AES (home) hardware. Originally developed by Nazca Corporation—a team formed by former Irem developers responsible for GunForce II and In the Hunt—the franchise is famous for its fluid, hand-drawn pixel animation, over-the-top explosions, slapstick military humor, and tight three-button control scheme (Shoot, Jump, Grenade).

Six mainline titles were released natively for the 16/24-bit Neo Geo platform before the franchise transitioned to newer arcade boards:

The Neo Geo Releases

Metal Slug: Super Vehicle-001 (1996)

Introduced the core universe: Regular Army soldiers Marco Rossi and Tarma Roving fighting against General Donald Morden’s rebellious military coup. While relatively grounded compared to later sequels, it established the series hallmarks: rescuing bearded POWs for weapons/points, vehicular combat via the SV-001 agile light tank, and detailed destruction physics.
Metal Slug 2 (1998)

Expanded the roster to four playable characters by adding S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S. operatives Eri Kasamoto and Fio Germi. It introduced character transformations (turning into a mummy or becoming morbidly obese from food pickups), alien invaders (the squid-like Mars People), and new vehicles like the Slug Flyer and Camel Slug. However, it pushed the Neo Geo Motorola 68000 CPU beyond its limits, suffering from infamous, heavy frame drops (slowdown) during busy sequences.
Metal Slug X (1999)

A modified, upgraded remix of Metal Slug 2 built on the updated Metal Slug 3 engine codebase. It radically optimized CPU performance to eliminate the previous game’s slowdown, rearranged enemy and boss encounters, remixed time-of-day palettes, and introduced new weapons like the Iron Lizard, Drop Shot, and Enemy Chaser.
Metal Slug 3 (2000)

Widely regarded as the magnum opus of the series and one of the best arcade games ever made. Nazca delivered a massive 708-megabit cartridge packed with non-linear branching paths in every level (taking players underwater, through zombie-infested forests, and into deep-space shoot-‘em-up sequences). It introduced unique transformations like the Zombie (whose grenade attack is a screen-clearing blood vomit) and culminated in an epic, multi-stage final mission.
Metal Slug 4 (2002)

Developed by Mega Enterprise and Noise Factory following SNK’s bankruptcy. It swapped out Tarma and Eri for new characters Trevor Spacey and Nadia Cassel. The game relied heavily on recycled sprites, background assets, and music from previous entries, introducing a combo-scoring badge mechanic but scaling back the branching mission design.
Metal Slug 5 (2003)

Developed under SNK Playmore, restoring the original four-person cast (Marco, Tarma, Eri, Fio) while pitting them against a new, doomsday-cult faction called the Ptolemaic Army. It introduced a slide move and a heavier rock/metal soundtrack. Due to rushed production constraints, significant amounts of planned content (story cutscenes, weapons, and entire levels) were cut from the final ROM, though it retained tight mechanical play.

Core Gameplay Mechanics

Element	Mechanics & Features
Arsenal	Default infinite-ammo semi-auto pistol and 10 grenades; upgraded with iconic voice-announced pickups like Heavy Machine Gun, Shotgun, Flame Shot, Laser Gun, and Rocket Launcher.
Slugs (Vehicles)	The signature SV-001 tank features twin vulcan cannons, an artillery cannon, and an invulnerable entry/exit jump animation (the “Slug hop”). Sequels added specialized mounts like the Slug Gunner, Elephant Slug, and Drill Slug.
Slapstick & Gore	Unfiltered Japanese/European arcade MVS carts featured vivid red blood, brutal death animations, and visual gags (soldiers sunbathing, roasting hot dogs, or panicking when spotted). Western AES home releases commonly censored blood to white sweat.
Close-Quarters Combat	The standard shot automatically converts to a knife slash or kick when standing adjacent to basic infantry, providing instant kills and bonus points.

Following Metal Slug 5, the series moved off the venerable Neo Geo MVS platform, transitioning to the Sammy Atomiswave hardware for Metal Slug 6 (2006).