Metal Slug Anthology (PS2)

[MegaDrive20XX]

I played it tonight at work and I was pleased with the final product. Hell even the CD artwork is nice. The first load screen is not too bad, then the rest of the game is smooth sailing. Except in Metal Slug X, you still see "NOW LOADING" after you walk through the first pyramid tunnel at the start of stage 2 (just like in the Wii version). Yet it seemed to load faster compared to the Wii version.

I didnt get to play Metal Slug 5 or 6 yet, but something tells me it's pretty much it's similar to the Wii's load time.

Yet I must say, DAMN I love the control setup! Dead-on to what it was like when I played Metal Slug X on PS1.

[TurboGenesis]

I'm not saying it was intended to be played with an analog stick, but I am saying that the D-Pad is no closer to an arcade stick as the analog stick imo. The analog stick doesn't bother me all that much. It takes some getting use to, but I played through the wii version np with the analog stick.

My biggest point though would be if you wanna play MS the way it's supposed to be played get a Neo-Geo, cause none of the ports have been perfect on any system. If you just wanna play the games and can deal with them not being arcade perfect, I think wii version is just fine, and I would bet that the PS2 version will also be just fine. The Xbox version of 3, 4, and 5 were ok, the Playstation versions of 1 and X were fine. The fact that you can get the entire series on one disc for $40 is awsome despite the imperfections.

The main reason many of the folks here are desiring Metal Slug on the PS2 over the Wii is becasue of digital control. Also of note the PS2 offers some really nice arcade sticks which will work great with Metal Slugs and arcade sticks are - digital control.

[RadiantSvgun]

The main reason many of the folks here are desiring Metal Slug on the PS2 over the Wii is becasue of digital control. Also of note the PS2 offers some really nice arcade sticks which will work great with Metal Slugs and arcade sticks are - digital control.

Yeah, I can see that. But if you use a ps2 to gamecube converter, it works wonders. I don't have any problem with the Wii version of Metal Slug Anthology, using a GC controller, or the converter.

Either way, I'd buy it on ps2 if I didn't already have it.

[GillianSeed]

I'm not saying it was intended to be played with an analog stick, but I am saying that the D-Pad is no closer to an arcade stick as the analog stick imo.

I'm sure it plays fine on the Wii with the GC analog stick. But I would think that a digital d-pad would definitely be a closer approximation to an eight-way arcade stick -- you're limited to eight directions in both cases, it's the same basic technology.

[GillianSeed]

I played it tonight at work and I was pleased with the final product.

Interesting, someone on the Gamespot/GameFAQs boards was blasting it pretty savagely.

[Captain Wrong]

I'm not saying it was intended to be played with an analog stick, but I am saying that the D-Pad is no closer to an arcade stick as the analog stick imo.

Actually a digital d-pad is the same technology as an arcade stick and an analog stick is an entirely different kettle of fish. If it works for you, great. Enjoy. As someone who is used to playing on my Neo with a sitck, I'm telling you, it's not the same thing. Not even close.

[jajaja]

I just tried it, played through Metal Slug 2. Not really much to say here, its Metal Slug and thats what you get The loading is somewhat slow tho. Like if you die, chose contunie and want to select another character it even loads there. No biggie, but still.. There are also some slowdowns (dont know how the original is) when alot happends, but this is liveable.

If you like Metal Slug and dont own the Neo Geo or previous PSX/PS2 versions, pick this one up!

[whoisKeel]

Well, anybody can put anything on Wikipedia -- but yeah it's pretty widely known that the Wii version isn't compatible with the classic controller. You can use the GameCube controller, but only with the analog stick -- no d-pad.

Yes, I was being sarcastic about the Wikipedia thing.

Anyways, picked this up tonight. I'm liking it. To be honest, I'm not much of a Metal Slug player, having only played in Mame and on PS1, so any nit-picking I'm not going to see. This sounds way better than my Metal Slug X for PS1 and the animation is a lot smoother as well. Seems to control just fine for me.

Yeah there's loading, it's PS2 remember, but they don't seem any worse than what I normally would expect from a game. 5 or 10 seconds initially, and maybe 5 sec between levels.

The presentation is nice. There's not too much in the way of options, and no display options. The bottom bit of the screen cuts of for me (the "Credits" I can only see half of). This is common for games, so it may just be my TV, but there's no screen adjust in this game to compensate.

There is a gallery with pictures and an interview, but these need to be unlocked. You can pick credits which is something like 5, 10, 20, Free Play. You can adjust the difficulty. You can change the controls, thank god too, because I plan on breaking out my arcade stick. Sound options are just volume for music/fx. I believe that is about it for options.

I did notice a bit of slowdown on the first boss of Metal Slug 1. No idea if it is normally there or not, and it really was pretty subtle slowdown.

You most definitely can use the d-pad, and the bosses flash when you hit them which I guess is a big deal?

[zektor]

I purchased the PS2 version today myself. Excellent compilation! The load times are not bad at all. It only loads between levels and for a few seconds and I believe when switching characters for like a second. The games themselves seem to be unaltered from the originals, even down to the "Neo-Geo" boot screen (nice touch!). I am running it on a PS3 btw, and it works flawlessly. One helluva great purchase in my book.

[jajaja]

I purchased the PS2 version today myself. Excellent compilation! The load times are not bad at all. It only loads between levels and for a few seconds and I believe when switching characters for like a second. The games themselves seem to be unaltered from the originals, even down to the "Neo-Geo" boot screen (nice touch!). I am running it on a PS3 btw, and it works flawlessly. One helluva great purchase in my book.

The load isnt super bad, but i did especially noticed it. As said, its no biggie, you can still enjoy the game at full Btw, you say you play it on a PS3, is loading there faster on PSX/PS2 games in general? PS2 got a 4x DVD-ROM which got a transfer rate at about 5.5MB/s and it got 32MB of system RAM. PS3 got a 2x BR-ROM which got a transfer rate at about 9MB/s and it got 256MB of system RAM.

[Sotenga]

I got my copy yesterday, and oh holy crap, is it awesome. I mostly got it for MS6, and it is a solid title from what I played. Easily much better than 4, and better than 5 in my book. But I want to beat the games in order, so I clobbered the first game and... struggled my way through the second game. I'm hoping to whomp X and 3 today if possible.

[zektor]

The load isnt super bad, but i did especially noticed it. As said, its no biggie, you can still enjoy the game at full Btw, you say you play it on a PS3, is loading there faster on PSX/PS2 games in general? PS2 got a 4x DVD-ROM which got a transfer rate at about 5.5MB/s and it got 32MB of system RAM. PS3 got a 2x BR-ROM which got a transfer rate at about 9MB/s and it got 256MB of system RAM.

It could possibly be loading quicker on the PS3, but I do not have a PS2 to compare

[klausien]

I was extremely vocal about how much of a tragedy the Wii version of the Slug Anthology was, but I must say that I am now totally satsified. As expected, the PS2 version has analog & digital control. It also has hit flashes, which was my biggest peeve with the Wii version. The blood is intact. It also has a much more polished menu system than the Wii, which makes it feel less like an emulator and more like a console release. There is in-level loading, but it is a small price to pay for having all seven games on one disc.

The ultimate blastathon. Everyone needs to stop whining about the $40 price tag, and buy Metal Slug Anthology for the PS2. You get seven, near perfect versions of games that would cost several thousand dollars if bought in their original form. Just stay far, far away from the Wii version.

[heybtbm]

The ultimate blastathon. Everyone needs to stop whining about the $40 price tag, and buy Metal Slug Anthology for the PS2. You get seven, near perfect versions of games that would cost several thousand dollars if bought in their original form. Just stay far, far away from the Wii version.

I think that about sums it up. The PS2 version of Metal Slug Anthology is just about as perfect a compilation as we will ever get. SNK finally got it right.

[98PaceCar]

Anybody have any experience with the PSP version? Seems like it would be a great portable game.

[SaturnFan]

Did anyone compare playing metal slug anthology on the PS2 vs playing on the PS3 via backwards compatabilty? Would it play faster on the PS3 since these are emulated games?

[Sotenga]

I was extremely vocal about how much of a tragedy the Wii version of the Slug Anthology was, but I must say that I am now totally satsified. As expected, the PS2 version has analog & digital control. It also has hit flashes, which was my biggest peeve with the Wii version. The blood is intact. It also has a much more polished menu system than the Wii, which makes it feel less like an emulator and more like a console release. There is in-level loading, but it is a small price to pay for having all seven games on one disc.

The ultimate blastathon. Everyone needs to stop whining about the $40 price tag, and buy Metal Slug Anthology for the PS2. You get seven, near perfect versions of games that would cost several thousand dollars if bought in their original form. Just stay far, far away from the Wii version.

Well, Klaus, I thank you for telling me to stay away from the Wii version. It was well-worth the wait for the PS2 version, as it is absolute greatness. Best $40 I spent as of late.

I just beat MS6, and it is kickass. Miles better than 4, and... although I need to play it for a bit more to judge accurately, I think it's better than 5 at this point. But goddamn if the final level isn't a total killer. I went through with Ralf, and cool as his Vulcan Punch and double-hit ability is at first, the lack of weapon ammo he gets later on really works against him in the later stages. I'll see if I can do better with Clark... and try to take the path where I get to pilot the final boss from MS3.

[Dire 51]

I picked it up this past Friday, and I'm absolutely loving it. This is the kind of Metal Slug comp I've been wanting for years.

Already finished 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5... I'll be knocking out X and 6 tomorrow.

[Hwj_Chim]

This is well worth the price! 2D goodness at its best

[Lozza]

Well, Wikipedia says you can't, so it's final...that and the Wii version has been out for awhile.

What is the "for real" release date on the PS2 version anyways? I can't seem to find a straight answer.

It's out on Wii already... forgot... Still, I would buy it (if i had a Wii). The controller thing isn't a huge deal