Double the pleasure, double the fun, the Metal Slug side-scrolling has gamers on the run – from one level to the next, that is.

Ok, back up … for the uninitiated – Metal Slug is a side-scroll arcade-style shooter. Don’t go looking for immersive environments or a plot so full of twists and turns you immediately have to stop playing after several hours for fear of frying your brain from thinking about who is playing whom, and which faction is really the bad guy. It’s all laid out here – very straightforward gaming stuff.

Metal Slug 4/5 Combo Pack is one of the latest releases from SNK NeoGeo USA for the PlayStation 2 console system. Quick refresher course: The Neo Geo was an arcade home unit (cartridge based) that came out in 1989, with the final functional system (the Neo Geo CDV releasing in 1995). Among the titles built for and released on the system were Neo Bomberman, King of Fighters and Metal Slug – all arcade hits.  

The 4/5 Combo Pack is a translation of the series over to the PS2, and while this game certainly is dated in terms of the look and play style, there is still something compelling and simplistically entertaining about jumping in, ducking and jumping, running forwards and backing up to the edge of the scrolling screen to shoot and blow up a seemingly endless onslaught of targets.

Just because there are storylines in the two-disk set, they are worth mentioning. In Metal Slug 4, the year is 20XX and a group of cyber-terrorists have unleashed a virus through the Internet. Their goal is to hijack control of military computers of the nations of the world. As one of four members of the Metal Slug team, you are tasked with shutting down the virus before it takes control.

In Metal Slug 5, a research facility that is developing next-gen Metal Slugs is attacked and secrets are stolen. As one of four members of the Metal Slug team, your job is to track down the paramilitary syndicate called the Ptolemaic Army and stop them. Oh, and get the secrets back.

It is sort of important to get a sense for the storylines simply because when you play the game, you really don’t have that feeling of a cohesive plot driving the action. Is this a bad thing? No.

So, what exactly is a Metal Slug? The slugs are vehicles you can jump in and usually they have more firepower than you carry, plow through the levels, and can take a lot of damage. This is a good thing, because your enemies will be throwing a lot of bullets, bombs and missiles at you, all coming from various locations. You can duck under some, and jump over others, but some you will have to shoot down before they get to you because they track to you and regardless of how much avoiding you do, they continue to track.

While Metal Slug 4 is more of the throwback title, with pixilated edges to the graphics, repetitious level environments and enemies, Metal Slug 5 is the featured star of this twin-set. The graphical design is much stronger with better levels and some innovative (for the series) design elements. The sound is precisely what one would expect from the series. 

Where the games shine is when it comes to the control elements. This is twitch-arcade gaming at its best and simplest. The PS2 controller fits the game design (or the game design fits the controller) very well, and the game is fast-paced.

If you die, you can pick up where you left off, eventually completing the level after exhausting all the lives you are given and agreeing to continue on nevertheless. So while you may not be able to dodge all the missiles, grenades and bullets, you will be able to continue through the game in quick order. “Quick” is the operative word here simply because the games can be completed in about an hour each. SNK is counting on players wanting to go back, try different tactics and find different power-ups. It is a nice little diversion, but it does fall just short of pure arcade-gaming bliss.

Metal Slug 4/5 Combo Pack is a solid title, make no mistake about that. This is a package that takes players back to the days of simple arcade gaming, where the game was easy to jump into and play, and the smiles flowed freely.

Gameplay: 7.3
Short levels, infinite lives, and easy controls. Not exactly the most sophisticated of game packages, but the load times are moderate and the players will be well into the game in a matter of 10 minutes or so.

Graphics: 7.0
While definitely not up to today’s standards, this game does a good job of recreating the graphics of these arcade titles.

Sound: 7.0
See the notes for graphics, but apply them to the sound.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
With infinite lives, you don’t have to worry about being kicked back to the start of the game if you die. The trick is to play it over again and try to find the other items locked in each level to aid you through quicker and with less loss of life.

Concept: 7.0
A nice bundle – it’s just that even with two games, this is still a short gaming experience. 

Overall: 7.1
This was an enjoyable game experience. Easy to play, easy to run through, nostalgic game style and the memories brought on more than a few smiles during the game.