-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Metal Slug animated gifs are fucking awesome so post your favorites. 56k WARNING!!!
- Thread starter Peltz
- Start date
TheRedSnifit
Member
It still crushes me that SNK's promise of a Metal Slug 8 with 1080p sprites never happened.
nkarafo
Member
You need high budget for that so you are not going to see it from indies. And the big companies don't care for expensive, good quality pixel art anymore. So, i wouldn't bet my money on that.
The closest to that so far is Metal Slug Defense and Metal Slug Attack - those mobile games got a few new units made for them, although mostly human-sized, several based on KoF characters.
CrankyKong
Member
Is it expensive to produce these kind of sprites for games in 2016?
Although Cuphead has cool animation and unique art style, it is not nearly as good looking as Metal Slug. So many aspects of the bosses and environments in metal slug are destructible with very satisfying animation. All sorts of shit can explode and die in very creative ways. Each level has insane setpieces and tons of interactive elements.
Cuphead's animation and evironments are simply pre-canned and not at all interactive. The whole game looks static in comparison to any Metal Slug game.
Trust me, Cuphead ain't the answer to our prayers. Every enemy dies using only one type of animation per enemy. Bosses have no destructible parts. Environments have no destructible parts. Bullets don't "chew up" bad guys. Nothing has any real "impact".
I'll still buy it to support it and try to enjoy the experience, but it's doing Metal Slug an injustice to compare Cuphead to it in the same sentence.
P.s. I do applaud the efforts of Cuphead's developers. I love the work that they're doing and really love the look of their game. But we are comparing it to run-and-gun royalty here, the highest bar possible.
Literally, these games are more well animated (on hardware that came out in 1989!) than any other hand-drawn run and gun games since. Everything is so detailed and there are so many hidden animations in each level that most players will never even see.
I'd assume so, yes. Everything is done by hand. That's what makes it such a treat. Plus the games themselves are actually fun to play. It's not just art for the sake of art. Each level is well crafted scenario (most of the time).
DeathSparks
Member
Some of my favorites
And of course I can't forget Fat Marco.
And of course I can't forget Fat Marco.
Mexen
Member
Mr. Lemming
Member
Well, nobody has come close to this yet
Paul Robertson gets pretty close.
Are you asking which is the best game or are you asking which is the best actual slug?
Gamewise, I'd say Metal Slug 2 if you can find a version of it that doesn't slow down like the original does on Neo Geo hardware. Otherwise, Metal Slug X in my opinion.
Most sane people would probably choose 1, X, or 3 though. 3 is definitely the biggest "spectacle" of the series with the craziest levels and enemies, but is rightfully criticized for being too much of a difficult quarter muncher. Content wise, it's like the Super Mario Galaxy of the series because it's so off-the-wall compared to what preceded it. Play this one if you want to see NAZCA at their finest as artists/craftsmen.
4 is really the poorest one according to consensus, and I agree with that.
I really like 5, 6, 7 and XX too though. You can't go wrong with these, but they are not nearly as memorable as the first few games.
All of the games are totally worth playing though. Each one only lasts an hour or so. I'd just play them in order of you can because there's a really cute tongue-in-cheek story arc to the series.
As far as actual slugs are concerned....
The slugnoid is pretty unfuckwithable in my opinion.
I was going for game but let's go with both.
Yes, the combat school mode originate from the NGCD version infact.
Thank you. It annoys me when people always point fat pixel art when discussing pixel graphics. "Hey look at this awesome pixel art!" It looks like an amiga game with a larger color palette. And the animation is terrible.
That said, at some point the resolution becomes so high that you can't really do pixel art. Pixel art is basically just low-resolution 2D images where you can't effectively do hand-drawn stuff. As such, I don't mind good hand-drawn graphics like Skull Girls; it's basically an extension of pixel art from a practicle perspective.
Any of the ones you can get on Steam is good.
X fixes and revises some issues with 2.
1 is considered the more consistent experience, and has a generally more grounded tone inspired by world war aesthetics.
In 2/X stuff starts going crazy with more cartoonish and over-the-top visuals (starts you off riding a camel with cannons, later on martians).
3 goes full crazy, starting you off against giant mutant crabs then zombies, and ending with one of the longest and most epic final levels ever that brings a hell of a closure to the alien stuff introduced in 2.
Tizoc
Member
I personally like the original Neo Geo series, which is available on Steam and Humblebundle.com
Metal Slug 1
Metal Slug 2 (has slowdown issues, can be fixed with emulators though)
Metal Slug X
Metal Slug 3
Get all of them, they're a blast to play from time to time.
qualitydisc
Member
This thread made me realize that Valkyria Chronicles probably stole some of their tank designs from Metal Slug.
I would say Ori and the Blind Forest is beautiful looking. Not pixel art but it looks damn good
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
MS3 standalone release on PS4 is solid, no? It's a far better pick than the emulated PS2 Anthology.
But I agree that the PSP Anthology played on Vita (or PSP Go for smaller pixel awesomeness) is a bliss. Also, a standalone MS3 Vita release is great.
There's one reason I could think of where the standalone MS3 on Vita/PS4 is better than MS3 in PSP Anthology: No mid level pauses to load (even if they are really short)
If you have a Vita, I'd get the Anthology. 6 games. So good. Only $20.
The funny thing is no, it wasn't. Nazca was set up to port games to the PS1 and Saturn, Metal Slug (or at least the original version that only had the tanks and no humor) was made entirely in their spare time.
Snkfanatic
Banned
Steam for PC
nkarafo
Member
Well, you are not wrong. It's just that my standards in 2D graphics have dropped massively during the last 3 or so generations. I desperately need some modern games to be the equivalent of what Metal Slug did two decades ago. And it's not just Metal Slug, that was just the pinnacle. Plenty of Neo-Geo/CPS1-2-3/Taito F3 games still have better pixel art compared to almost anything today.
Anyway, how about those Vanillaware games? I remember Oboro Muramasa did impress me a lot when i played it.
Still, not quite "pixel art" but at least as far as 2D games go, this is the best i got so far.
NegativeCero
Banned
Bought. I've always been aware of these games but never actually taken more than a glance at them. Portability is a huge plus too.
Enjoy the ride. Play them in order to see how things progressed. Metal Slug 1>2>X>3>4>5>6>7>XX is the proper order by the way. And each is available on handheld. 7 is on DS and all the other ones mentioned above are on Vita.
If you're looking for more Metal Slug portable fun, Metal Slug Advance on GBA is cool but very different in feel, and 1st Mission and 2nd Mission on NGPC are a nice novelty as well.
TheRedSnifit
Member
I'm kind of surprised to see people putting MS2 above MSX here. Slowdown aside, the comparitively low enemy variety (the only type of mummy is the one that breathes gas, for example, so as long as you crouch you can never get hit for the entire level) and lack of the Enemy Chaser and Drop Shot makes the level design seem pretty poor.
MS1 > MSXX (improved version of 7) > MSX (improved version of 2)
MS1 is the perfect length and difficulty. MSXX might actually be better in that regard, but it loses points due to sub-par presentation (almost all non-boss enemies are just palette-swaps of old assets, and the backgrounds are rendered CG instead of pixel art). MSX takes the rather mediocre MS2 and somehow makes it fantastic.
The worst is MS4, which has extremely short levels that are generally poorly designed (although the final mission is one of the best levels in the series, oddly enough) and recycles 100% of its assets (even the bosses are Frankenstein'd together from previous sprites). Advance is pretty dull too.
MS1 > MSXX (improved version of 7) > MSX (improved version of 2)
MS1 is the perfect length and difficulty. MSXX might actually be better in that regard, but it loses points due to sub-par presentation (almost all non-boss enemies are just palette-swaps of old assets, and the backgrounds are rendered CG instead of pixel art). MSX takes the rather mediocre MS2 and somehow makes it fantastic.
The worst is MS4, which has extremely short levels that are generally poorly designed (although the final mission is one of the best levels in the series, oddly enough) and recycles 100% of its assets (even the bosses are Frankenstein'd together from previous sprites). Advance is pretty dull too.
Snkfanatic
Banned
I love this thread. So good.
KojiKnight
Member
I believe the AES starts you with 5 credits, that's probably fair.
Unlimited is definitely beyond game-busting.
IMO, stick to one credit. Being able to only make a tiny handful of mistakes leads to the most tangible and satisfying sense of progress, imo, and it just gets muddier when you start reaching the 10-20 lives territory.
Then again, MS3 is a big tough game with a too-long final stage (from what I can gather), and this may mean never beating it. That's not an issue to me personally, but I get it being one.
TheRedSnifit
Member
Unless you really, really love the game and are willing to put in a ton of time, you will never beat MS3 in one credit.
I'd go with 5 or 6 continues.
I'd go with 5 or 6 continues.
Theonik
Member
My favourite is MS2/X The pacing is really good in the game and beating it is quite fun while it is much more charming than MS1 and includes some of the cool things the series is known for. X comes with a lot of changes and rebalances which are kind of marmite. The fix to the slowdown improves the game a lot. There is actually a patched rom you can mod to MVS carts of 2 to fix reduce the slowdown that basically give you the best of both worlds.
MS3 is a whole different beast. I think it definitely has some of the best/coolest weapons in the series and is probably the most memorable one in some ways. It's an absolute slog to play through though unless you dedicate lots of time learning it.
e: Credit wise, you can breeze through all of those games if you have infinite credits. This isn't all that fun. Playing the game repeatedly until you master them and are able to beat them in less and less credits is the whole point of the game. One credit run is the most satisfying way to play! MS3 is not really made for that though.
e2: Rather reduce the Slowdown. MS2 had a lot of inefficiencies that made certain sections chug. Some later ports address this but not quite, and some ports also have other bugs. Overclocking the board also helps.
MS3 is a whole different beast. I think it definitely has some of the best/coolest weapons in the series and is probably the most memorable one in some ways. It's an absolute slog to play through though unless you dedicate lots of time learning it.
e: Credit wise, you can breeze through all of those games if you have infinite credits. This isn't all that fun. Playing the game repeatedly until you master them and are able to beat them in less and less credits is the whole point of the game. One credit run is the most satisfying way to play! MS3 is not really made for that though.
e2: Rather reduce the Slowdown. MS2 had a lot of inefficiencies that made certain sections chug. Some later ports address this but not quite, and some ports also have other bugs. Overclocking the board also helps.
TheRedSnifit
Member
That's more realistic.
Personally, I just run through the games on unlimited, and then go back and attempt to one-continue it later. But I do understand that a lot of people don't enjoy replaying games as much as beating them the first time.
I replayed X last night. While 2 is a favorite of mine due to nostalgia, X is absolutely the better game in every possible way. I just prefer how the surprise ending of 2, really was more of a surprise.
X has that particular type of surprise enemy in earlier stages which makes it a bit less exciting when you reach the last level.
Objectively speaking, X is probably the overall best and most balanced game in the series. It has big bosses and craziness of 3, with grounded length of 1, while introducing tons of new weapons. It's the game that really made the Metal Slug series what it is today with all of its craziness.
I think 3 would have been far more grounded had it not followed a remix of two which forced the developers to really experiment to make the remix worthwhile.
I'd like to go off the side here a little and would like to add that, besides amazing artwork, the series always has some pretty damn good music.
Seriously underrated imho.
Bar81
Member
PepsimanVsJoe
Member
For a lot of games I tend to take a reverse approach. I'll use however many credits to beat a game the first time through, then on all subsequent retries I'll try to cut into that number.
The Metal Slug games track how many continues the player uses. So if it takes 10 credits on the first attempt, then try going for less the next time around.
MS3 is problematic even for players who've mastered the game. IIRC the 4th boss has a random move that can ruin otherwise perfect runs.
eso76
Member
You mean in HD? That would be next to impossible.
Same res as the originals (so 320x240) ?
Certainly not more expensive than the average modern game to be fair, I think this needs to be debunked and we need to get things in perspective. But still probably wouldn't be attractive enough to be profitable.
Theonik
Member
Springfoot
Member
Peltz's earlier posts got me to go back and fiddle around with MS2, and I finally played it for the first time without the awful slowdown that's part of the standard base game. It was great, and like playing it for the first time again. I still hate the subway car section, though, that part and the very start of the next level with the freezing water, missiles, and guys behind sandbags are a bit of a slog but everything else is great. MS2's final boss is also my least favorite of the original 3 games, mainly because those little spaceship adds are the only way to get decent weapons but have a tendancy to hide behind other larger sprites and fill the screen with their tiny lasers.
I also love the destructible backgrounds in Mission 4. The whole level looks great, and nearly everything can be shot and broken, with the last bit as you roll down the hill of houses in the tank while everything crumples and explodes around you really showing off their wonderful background art.
One thing that I've never gotten used to in all the years I've played 2 is using the Slugnoid against the second boss (Aeshi Nero robot snake that chews up the pillar) without causing it to self-destruct suicide. The default input for the self-destruct is hitting jump and shoot simultaneously, but those are the two exact things you need to do constantly while fighting that boss. I think I've only beat him twice without accidentally hitting that combo at some point during the battle.
You mean Sol Dae Rokker? He has the move that fires random yellow shots, but they're all dodgeable, especially if you keep moving and watch what direction they shoot out so you can tell where they'll land a second or two later.
MS3 just gets nutty because of its final level that comprises more than half of the entire game. It mixes things up quite a bit in the end there with a ton of varied gameplay, but it's definitely intense.
I also love the destructible backgrounds in Mission 4. The whole level looks great, and nearly everything can be shot and broken, with the last bit as you roll down the hill of houses in the tank while everything crumples and explodes around you really showing off their wonderful background art.
One thing that I've never gotten used to in all the years I've played 2 is using the Slugnoid against the second boss (Aeshi Nero robot snake that chews up the pillar) without causing it to self-destruct suicide. The default input for the self-destruct is hitting jump and shoot simultaneously, but those are the two exact things you need to do constantly while fighting that boss. I think I've only beat him twice without accidentally hitting that combo at some point during the battle.
You mean Sol Dae Rokker? He has the move that fires random yellow shots, but they're all dodgeable, especially if you keep moving and watch what direction they shoot out so you can tell where they'll land a second or two later.
MS3 just gets nutty because of its final level that comprises more than half of the entire game. It mixes things up quite a bit in the end there with a ton of varied gameplay, but it's definitely intense.