I just recently got around to playing the Metal Slug games, and they're pretty damn great. Remarkably consistent too, even the weakest Metal Slugs are still a fun time all around. So, I thought I'd rank them while also giving my thoughts on them and the series as a whole. Just as a disclaimer though, I'll just be ranking the mainline games, not any of the spinoffs, and I won't be ranking 2 or 7 since X and XX are pretty much superior in every conceivable way.
7. Metal Slug 6
Metal Slug 6 is a bleak entry in the series in terms of tone. The main premise is that a new species of alien has arrived that's even more powerful than the Mars People, and now you'll have to team up with every villain from prior entries in the series to stop them. MS6 stops at nothing to emphasize how hopeless your situation is in this game. The color palette is darker, the music is more robotic-sounding, and Stage 3 in particular has you walk through a city that's slowly being destroyed and taken over by the new alien threat. It shows in how MS6 starts off quite easy, but the difficulty immediately skyrockets the moment the new aliens show up, making for what's in my opinion the hardest game in the entire series. Unfortunately, none of this really works out too well in execution. I can't understate how unfun MS6 can be post difficulty spike, boasting a ton of obnoxious enemy spam and some of the most frustrating continue-eating bosses in the series (that goddamn Brain Robot, I swear to god). It also doesn't help that the only difficulty options in this game are Easy and Hard, the former of which not even letting you finish the game. The plot is also kind of a let-down, as despite the neat premise, it rarely ever evolves beyond being a rehash of Metal Slug 2 & 3's story, complete with fighting a possessed version of one of your allies. Even the soundtrack feels really hit-or-miss and un-Metal Slug. There are still things I like about Metal Slug 6, like the brand new engine which introduces a ton of neat mechanical improvements like the combo system, weapon stock, and character-spectific abilities, and the final boss may just be the series' absolute best, but as a whole, the game just doesn't come together like it should for me.
6. Metal Slug 4
Metal Slug 4 is often regarded as the weakest entry in the series, but honestly, I think it has quite a bit to like. For starters, this is the first game where Toshikazu Tanaka took over as composer. I always preferred his Metal Slug soundtracks and MS4 definitely has one of the better ones in the series. Metal Slug 4 also has a pretty unique spy theming to it that I kinda like, between the more industrial environments, the final boss being an evil scientist, the Mission Impossible reference in the final stage, and the whole score sounding right out of a James Bond film. And at its best, Metal Slug 4 does have some genuinely great stages and setpieces, with the pirate ship stage being a series highlight in my eyes. Unfortunately, Metal Slug 4's biggest issue is the fact that it came after the Nazca trilogy, and their absence is sorely missed. The art direction can feel inconsistent since so many of the original assets made for this game aren't as detailed as Nazca's beautifully-animated sprites, though it's not like that matters much since MS4 reuses so much from its predecessors. But honestly, it's not even the asset flipping that drags Metal Slug 4 down for me, it's how repetitive and enemy spammy some of its later stages get. The mummy segment in Stage 4 is probably my least favorite bit in the entire series for that reason, and the final stage as a whole ended MS4 on a pretty sour note between its ridiculous amount of enemies, repetitive rooms, limp escape scene, and obnoxious final two bosses. I don't dislike the Noise Factory era and I think they were able to do some great things within the series, but Metal Slug 4 was definitely a bit of growing pains for them.
5. Metal Slug
I actually played the first Metal Slug as a kid, so I actually have quite a bit of nostalgia for it, even if I couldn't get past the third level at the time. So it was nice to finally be able to see Metal Slug through to the end. This first entry is quite grounded, lacking much of the supernatural elements or crazy vehicles that the series would become known for, but that also means there aren't any wacky gimmicks or out-of-nowhere difficulty spikes. Metal Slug is an incredibly solid and visually-stunning action platformer from start to finish, and it established the series' visual and musical identities pretty much right off the bat. That being said, I think the first half is way better than the second half, always seem to lose interest by the last few stages and the final boss is kind of unimpressive. Overall, I find it pretty easy to compare the Nazca trilogy of Metal Slug games to many other big platforming trilogies of the time. In the same vein of games like Donkey Kong Country, Spyro The Dragon, and Sly Cooper 1, the first Metal Slug is a simple but effective first game that's easy to get back into, even if many of its sequels reached far greater heights.
4. Metal Slug 5
3. Metal Slug 3
Following that comparison, Metal Slug 3 is a lot like Spyro: Year Of The Dragon or Sly 3, being the super ambitious conclusion to the trilogy that may veer a bit too far into gimmickry but still manages to end things on a high. Metal Slug 3 introduces multiple routes which is a great addition that improves replayability, but it's a shame that the first four stages are kind of uneven in terms of quality. These stages throw everything at the wall to see what sticks from crabs to zombies to underwater segments to stealth sections to drills to slugs, and only about 50% of it lands for me. However, Metal Slug 3 more than makes up for that hit-or-miss first half with its incredible final mission, which just so happens to take up around half the game. Metal Slug 3's Mission 5 is my favorite mission in the franchise, filled to the brim with twists and turns, memorable setpieces, shifts in gameplay, and plotline resolutions that end the trilogy on a bang. Despite its crushing length, I found Metal Slug 3's infamous final mission to be super engaging the whole way through, so the game didn't feel like it dragged to me. Add in my favorite soundtrack of that initial trilogy, and you get a fantastic entry in the series overall, with only a shaky first half preventing Metal Slug 3 from taking the #1 spot.
2. Metal Slug XX
Metal Slug XX feels like a culmination of everything Noise Factory had learned over the years, and easily stands out as their best and most complete entry, at least in my eyes. While they obviously lack the artistic talent and sheer inventiveness of Nazca's games, I always thought Noise Factory had a knack for thrilling setpieces and boss fights, and that's on full display in the noticeably subterranean Metal Slug XX . The boss roster is full of hulking intricate mechanical threats that are a joy to fight, and the stages are filled with fun and dynamic setpieces like the minecarts in Stage 2, the elevators and boulder chases of Stage 3, the parachute drop in Stage 5, and of course, the giant mech battle in Stage 6. It's also the longest game too at seven stages, taking advantage of the fact that it's the first mainline Metal Slug to release onto consoles. While Metal Slug XX is definitely up there with some of the hardest in the series in terms of difficulty, unlike in 6, it also adds in proper Easy/Normal/Hard difficulty options, all of which let you complete the game this time. And of course, the music is a massive step up from 6 as well, with Tanaka returning to deliver a powerful symphonic rock score. Honestly, I don't have too many complaints for XX, it kinda just has everything I want out of a Metal Slug game. It's well paced, consistently thrilling, and showcases the strengths of Noise Factory's entries without feeling compromised in any way.
That being said, you could make an argument for the original version, Metal Slug 7, being the straight-up worst entry due to lacking important features like multiplayer and infinite continues. Thank goodness XX exists.
1. Metal Slug X
Metal Slug X (aka Metal Slug 2 but with a good framerate) is the Metal Slug game that perfected the formula. I think it has the best balance of everything that makes the series great. For starters, it introduces Eri and Fio to the cast, and lets you pick between any of the four characters even if you're on your own. It also adds a bunch of new vehicles, weapons, and level mechanics, and of course, Metal Slug X even introduces supernatural elements to the series with the addition of the mummies and aliens. But it's not too biased towards the supernatural threats like 3 was, Metal Slug X has a balance between shooting down soldiers like in the first game and facing off against the weirder threats. On top of all that, Metal Slug X is just consistently fantastic and well-paced from start to finish. Every stage is an absolute blast and nothing drags on too long. From the inventive desert stages that kick off the game, to the phenomenal train stage, to the stage in China with all the food and the introduction of the Mars People, to the iconic and infamous subway stage, to that show-stopping finale where everyone teams up to take down the Rugname. Metal Slug X is everything a good sequel should be, and it's everything a good Metal Slug game should be. It's just nonstop high-octane action from start to finish.
And since I kept bringing it up, I did want to do a quick soundtrack retrospective of all seven of the mainline Metal Slug soundtracks as well:
Metal Slug: Takushi Hiyamata already established himself and his unique jazz fusion sound in the similarly great Neo Turf Masters soundtrack, but he really came into his own with the first score for Metal Slug. While easily the shortest of the Metal Slug soundtracks, MS1's score is pretty much all-killer, no-filler, being chock full of all the most iconic tracks in the series like Assault Theme, Final Attack, and Steel Beast. That being said, it still kinda falls around the middle of the pack for me since most of the later soundtracks have more bangers.
Highlights: Inner Station, Assault Theme, Final Attack
4.5/5 Stars
Metal Slug 2: From what I can tell, most fans tend to think Metal Slug 2/X has the weakest soundtrack of that initial trilogy, and yeah, I can kind of agree despite it being my favorite game in the series. While it certainly has its fair share of stellar tracks, MS2's soundtrack suffers quite a bit being sandwiched between the tight consistency of that first soundtrack and the intensity of MS3's score. Still, at its core, Metal Slug 2's soundtrack is more Takushi Hiyamata, so if you like his style of music, there's plenty to love here.
Highlights: Living On The Deck, Judgement, Steel Beast 6Beats
4/5 Stars
Metal Slug 3: Out of the Nazca trilogy, Metal Slug 3 has my favorite soundtrack, hands down. Not only does it bring back a whole bunch of the series' best themes, but it also boasts a ton of stellar original tracks that show Hiyamata maturing his sound a bit. There's still plenty of fun jazz here, don't get me wrong, but MS3's soundtrack goes for more of a heavy rock sound befitting the intended final game in the series. I always felt that Metal Slug music is at its best when it's rock, so this shift in direction absolutely worked for me. It also has my favorite version of Final Attack, for what it's worth.
Highlights: Final Attack, Hard Water, Marine Diver, Desert, Midnight Wandering
5/5 Stars
Metal Slug 4: As much as I like Hiyamata's jazzier scores for the first three games, my favorite Metal Slug composer has to be Toshikazu Tanaka, who worked on 4, 5, and 7. His tracks tend to be a lot more dramatic and symphonic, and they just go so incredibly hard all the time, and Metal Slug 4 is a great example of that. This is one dramatic as hell soundtrack, every track feels like it would belong to the final level of any other game. It also fits the spy theming MS4 is going for incredibly well, with tracks like Let's Run Through and Secret Place in particularly feeling like they belong in a James Bond score. I do think Tanaka's other two soundtracks reach higher heights, but MS4's score still ranks as one of the better ones in my eyes.
Highlights: Secret Place, Let's Run Through, Furiously, Go Ahead, Final Madness
4.5/5 Stars
Metal Slug 5: Metal Slug 5 has hands down my favorite Metal Slug soundtrack and it's not even close. The entire score is pure heavy metal and it shreds so freaking hard, there's not a single weak track in the bunch. From the heavy Stage 1 themes Heavy African and Ruins Excavation, to the heart-pumping Stage 2 themes Windy Day and Zoom Down, to the exhilirating boss theme Fierce Battle, to the phenomenal final stage themes Speeder and Last Ditch Resistance, to that godly guitar remix of Final Attack, MS5's music is on a whole nother level compared to the rest of the series, it honestly doesn't even feel fair to compare them.
Highlights: Speeder, Fierce Battle, Windy Day, Final Attack, Zoom Down, Last Ditch Resistance, Ruins Excavation, Heavy African, Bottom Of The Sea
5/5 Stars
Metal Slug 6: Well... this soundtrack is kind of weird. It wasn't done by Hiyamata or Tanaka, instead it was a collaboration between Manabu Namiki and Mitsuhiro Kaneda, and I just don't think their styles mesh too well. Namiki is actually a phenomenal composer, and most of his tracks are quite great, with Asian Impact in particularly being one of my favorite tracks in the series. He does a good job at capturing the atmosphere of each stage. On the other hand, Kaneda's orchestral tracks sound kind of aimless and generic, and don't mesh too well with Namiki's more techno-tracks. As a result, despite plenty of high points, the whole soundtrack to MS6 comes off as pretty disjointed and feels out of place compared to all the other soundtracks in the series.
Highlights: Asian Impact, Aim High Chase Fast, Cliff And Cave, Final Attack
3/5 Stars
Metal Slug 7: Toshikazu Tanaka is back and his last Metal Slug soundtrack feels like a fusion between the dramatic orchestral sounds of 4 and the heavy rock sounds of 5, leading to a ridiculously intense and dramatic symphonic rock soundtrack for 7. Remember how I said that it felt like every level theme in 4 would fit a final stage in any other game? Well, yeah, that applies doubly so to the level themes in 7. There's a real sense of finality to the music in Metal Slug 7, almost as if Tanaka knew this was going to be the last mainline Metal Slug game (hopefully just for now). While it doesn't quite top 5's soundtrack for me, Metal Slug 7's score is a very close second, it's right up there in terms of sheer consistency. It also has my favorite remix of the Assault Theme, for what it's worth.
Highlights: The Waterfall, Assault Theme, The Beginning Is The End, Underground Fortress, Coal Mine
5/5 Stars
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