Since 1996, the Metal Slug series has been at the very pinnacle of the side scrolling shooter genre. At a glance, it may look like any other game from a genre that has seen its heyday come and go, but look a little closer and you will find what fans of the series have known for over a decade now - that Metal Slug is as frantic, addictive and more importantly, fun as the best shoot 'em ups out there.

The series began with Metal Slug: Super Vehicle 001 back in 1996 and became an immediate hit, thanks to its exceptional gameplay, robust, well-animated 2D graphics and bizarre sense of humour. Since then, there have been six sequels, each sharing the same frantic and often extremely demanding gameplay as the original. After years of waiting, SNK Playmore have finally released the compilation that diehard fans have been waiting for and that the series has deserved after many sporadic releases across numerous platforms. Now at the tenth anniversary of the original game's release, SNK Playmore have released this definitive collection, housing all seven Metal Slug classics, including Metal Slug 6, marking its first appearance anywhere else other than the relatively new Atomiswave arcade board by Sammy.

For fanboys of the series, the purchase of Metal Slug Anthology is a complete no-brainer. Beyond the completist aspect, the inclusion of Metal Slug 6 alone will be enough impetus for many fans of the series to purchase this collection. For the uninitiated, Metal Slug Anthology holds enough first class gameplay to win over many a new fan as well. The fact that the game is being released at a relatively low price, combined with the inclusion of all seven games in the series, makes this is one of the gaming bargains of the decade, and as such it deserves to acquaint many new fans to the series.

Although little has changed since the series began, the winning formula of shoot, jump and grenade feels as fresh now as it did a decade ago. Beyond the exceptional level design, silky smooth character animation and brilliantly cheesy sound effects, every game in the series feels like it has been treated with the kind of love and affection usually reserved for newborn babies, with the hand-drawn character animation in particular really standing out as one of the high points, not only for the series, but for the genre as a whole.

Every game is here in perfect arcade form. Every bullet, bad guy, boss battle and ridiculous incarnation of the Metal Slugs, from tank to camel, is present and accounted for. There are even new, wholly welcome additions to the series. For starters, you can now save at any point in any of the seven games, a hugely helpful inclusion and something that many arcade players will have wished was available from the start of Metal Slug's appearance on home consoles. There is also the option of autofire for the lazier armchair player. Although only a minor change, it is another welcome one and comes in very useful during marathon sessions to give your thumbs a rest from the relentless action. The only letdown are the brief loading times that occur around the halfway point of each level; although far from long, they do break up the fast-paced nature of the game, intruding a little than they really should. Although newcomers will probably not even notice this minor gripe, it's the hardcore faithful - the ones who this anthology was presumably created for - who will really notice this niggling little issue, which is a damn shame considering that it's the only negative to come from the port from arcades to home consoles.

Although each game in the package has its own merits, the quality of the titles hasn't always been consistent. For many, Metal Slug 3, released on PS2 and Xbox only a few years ago as a standalone title, is not only the best but the most bizarre and ambitious of all the titles to date, with enemies ranging from the usual footsoldiers to alien invaders. The first three titles before that - Metal Slug: Super Vehicle 001, Metal Slug 2 and Metal Slug X are all very solid shooters that share the exact same control scheme as Metal Slug 3, but are arguably lacking in the kind of ambition that sets Metal Slug 3 apart from other games in the series. Metal Slug 4 meanwhile is the only game not developed by SNK and sadly this shows all too clearly. Although still more than strong enough in its own right, it certainly stands out as the weakest game in the collection and serves as a poor sequel to the superb Metal Slug 3. Metal Slug 5 was the first game in the series to introduce new controls, with a rather arbitrary feeling slide move added into the mix. That aside however, Metal Slug 5 stands as a big improvement over 4 and is without question another great part of this exceptional package.

Metal Slug 6, released here for the first time beyond the arcades, is the first title in the series to use the new Atomiswave hardware. Although this takes the rough edges off the ageing graphics of the previous titles, all of which were made using the old NeoGeo board, it also takes away some of the character that the series has been so famous for. This is also the case when it comes to the sound; although technically superior, the fact that the POWs and weapon collection voiceovers have been changed really does grate a little. For many veterans of the series, it is these kinds of synthesized voiceovers that brought so much charm in the first place. The changes don't stop there either. Metal Slug 6 is the first game in the series to give the option of easy or hard difficulty settings. The Hard difficulty setting is the same as you would find in the arcade, while Easy mode replaces the usual handgun with an infinitely supplied heavy machine gun and a slightly shorter playing time. On top of this is the inclusion of even more characters to the ever growing cast, with Ralph and Clark taking time out of their busy ass kicking duties in the King of Fighters universe to help gun down an array of enemy troops and invading aliens. Although this is far from the first time that characters have been added to the Metal Slug roster, it is the first time that each character has been given unique abilities and stats, ranging from stronger Metal Slugs to superior firepower. Finally, characters can now carry two power-ups at a time, adding a more tactical edge to proceedings. Although these changes are implemented successfully for the most part, they still feel arbitrary given the nature of the games and will most like not go down well with the purists, even though the developers' efforts to progress the series are admirable. These issues aside, Metal Slug 6 is another fine example of side scrolling, run and gun gameplay and more than deserves its place alongside the Metal Slug games of yore.

To complete the package, a variety of galleries can be unlocked using points gained by playing through each of the games within the collection. Each gallery provides a brief but interesting look into some of the conceptual ideas behind the unique visual experience to be found in each of the Metal Slug games. Although interesting for fans, there isn't enough content here for fans or newcomers to really get excited about. The unlockable interview with series developers should have really been the killer extra, but while it offers some very interesting insight into the past and possible future of the series, it comes in a written text format that stinks of laziness. If only it had been done via video interview or even accompanied with stills; it could have been a real treat for diehard fans and certainly feels like a pointlessly missed opportunity.

Aside from a few minor grievances, Metal Slug Anthology serves up one of the finest videogame compilations ever created and is without question worthy of a place in anyone's collection. With the budget price and the console debut of Metal Slug 6, this will surely be a big hit with fans - I can only hope that it entices a whole new generation of players into its brilliantly bizarre world, as it certainly deserves to be recognized for the exceptional gameplay experience that it is.

Reviewed by Liam Pritchard for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).