If you started playing video games in the 16-bit or earlier generations, you more than likely have fond memories involving games of the “running around shooting people/robots/aliens/monsters” genre. Some of the most popular games of this era, including Gunstar Heroes and the Contra series, were as simple as run, jump, and shoot. In 1996, SNK tried its hand at the genre with Metal Slug: Super Vehicle 001, and it became an instant arcade classic.  Now, after 10 years, five sequels, and one updated remake, SNK has collected the series in Metal Slug Anthology for PS2.

This is actually the third time this collection has been released; it was originally available for Nintendo Wii, and was then brought out on the PSP. Although each version has contained arcade-perfect ports of all seven Metal Slug titles, the first two had unique problems. The Wii version was saddled with finicky motion controls, denying players the precision of control necessary for games of this sort. The PSP version nailed the controls, but added horrendous load times to the mix; up to a minute of loading between stages and at level midpoints were severe annoyances. Fortunately, the PS2 version’s controls are spot-on (customizable, even!) and the load times here are minimal. Rest assured, PS2 owners, this is the definitive version of the Metal Slug Anthology.

Anyone who has ever played a Metal Slug title knows what to expect here: tight 2D action, smooth and hilarious 2D animation, crazy vehicles, and more than a few cheap deaths. This series created a formula in the first title that, aside from a few minor additions (branching levels, character transformations), it refuses to vary from. Not that that’s a bad thing; the Metal Slug games have always contained some of the fastest, most precise shooter gameplay to be found anywhere. Although the core gameplay hasn’t varied much, the level design, enemy design, and art direction are so varied and inspired that you won’t soon feel bored.

Still, the action here is hardcore, and tailored in difficulty as such, and is therefore not for everyone. Although unlimited continues allow you to work your way through any of the titles here in a sitting, deaths will come quickly and often unless you hone your skills to an expert level. Frustration is a possibility for anyone who is not prepared for these games’s difficulty, so take heed: Metal Slug does not mess around, and will show you exactly what it thinks of your “gaming skills”.

Playing through these games again (especially the later titles in the series, like the heretofore-Japanese-only Metal Slug 6) reminds me just what a talented art team can accomplish in 2D graphics. Silky smooth animations pervade every pixel of the screen, from the backgrounds to the enemies to the characters themselves. Every character on the screen exudes personality, and the enemies are often just as funny as they are threatening. This is definitely one series that has always kept a lighthearted tone, and in the modern gaming world, when everything seems to be going towards the serious and the dark, it’s like a breath of fresh air.

The music, too, perfectly balances the military theme with a humorous tone; archetypal shooter music (read: cheesy Japanese heavy metal) feels simultaneously fresh and classic, memorable and unique. This is the sort of game music that you don’t hear too often anymore, and the gaming world is worse off for that fact. Sound effects, too, are perfectly fitting for the tone and these games’s arcade lineage. From the announcer’s shouts of “Mission Start” to the screams of your enemies, every sound is perfectly over-the-top in the way that only mid-90s arcade games are.

What 2D arcade shooter would be complete without a co-op mode? All seven titles here have full support for a second player, albeit not online. But who wants to play these online? These games were designed to be played standing next to your partner, trash talking, strategizing (“You keep the guards off of me, I’ll take out the boss”, etc.), and so on.

Unfortunately, this collection is not without its flaws. Foremost among them is the relative lack of extras. Outside of a text interview with the series’ notable personalities and a few image galleries, there are none of the unlockables we’ve come to expect from these anthology-style collections. Maybe I’ve been spoiled, but I want soundtracks, obscure commercials, and handheld-exclusive titles, like the NeoGeo Pocket’s Metal Slug: First Mission. Also, these ports are arcade-perfect to a fault. If someone out there wants major slowdown during frantic action scenes just like there was in the arcade versions, SNK has answered your prayers. For the rest of us, this will be a minor point of annoyance.

These flaws are far from enough to tarnish this exquisite collection, however. This is the quintessential set for shooter fans, and there’s enough solid gold 2D gameplay to satisfy even the most hardcore action fan. So whether you’re trying them for the first time or just trying to recapture memories of the arcade scene you remember and loved, Metal Slug Anthology deserves a place on the shelf for anyone who considers them self a true gamer.

Gameplay: 9.2
As precise and smooth as 2D shooting action gets. Some cheap enemy placements and unavoidable deaths aside, this is action gaming at its absolute finest.

Graphics: 8.8
While they may not impress kids weaned on high polygon-count 3D, this is 2D state of the art. What it lacks in modern graphical sophistication it more than makes up for in style and artistic merit. Some of the finest hand drawn sprite work of all time.

Sound: 8.5
The music and sound effects here will bring you back to 1995 in the best way possible. Digitized explosions and gunfire have never sounded better.

Difficulty: Hard
These games come from a different era. Don’t expect any hand-holding or tutorials. Do expect ultra-intense, ultra-fast twitch action. Also, expect plenty of deaths.

Concept: 9.3
It’s been done a million times, but rarely this well. Add a healthy dose of humor and personality out the wazoo, not to mention some of the craziest, most inventive levels and vehicles of all time (machine-gun laden camels, anyone?), and you can’t go wrong.

Overall: 9.1
Sure, they might be a little dated. Sure, you’ve played this sort of thing before. You still won’t find a better pure action experience anywhere. If there’s one thing this set does, it reminds us why we fell in love with video games to begin with.