Metal Slug
Introduction
Metal Slug was developed by Nazca Corporation, a studio staffed largely by former Irem developers behind games like In the Hunt and GunForce II, and released by SNK for the Neo Geo MVS arcade system in April 1996, shortly before Nazca merged into SNK outright. The game underwent a major shift mid-development: it was originally a slower, darker side-scrolling shooter built around piloting the titular tank across short, grim missions, but after a location test drew a lukewarm response, programmer Shinichi Hamada and the team paused development for a month and reworked the concept around human soldiers instead, adopting a brighter visual style influenced by Hayao Miyazaki’s animation work. Players run and gun through war-torn stages as Marco or Tarma, shooting enemy soldiers and vehicles, rescuing captured POWs for bonus items and ammo, and hopping into the tank and other vehicles whenever one becomes available for a temporary firepower boost. Its hand-drawn pixel art, frantic but fair difficulty, and constant stream of over-the-top explosions and destructible scenery made Metal Slug an instant arcade classic and launched one of SNK’s most enduring franchises.
