Metal Slug Ultimate Collection Taps M2 to Preserve Its Arcade Classics
It's in good hands.
SNK just unveiled Metal Slug Ultimate Collection, a definitive compilation featuring 10 games from every era. While several Metal Slug games are already playable on modern platforms, the quality of their ports varies drastically. Thankfully, I have a lot of faith in this collection since it’s being handled by none other than M2.
M2 Is Handling the Metal Slug Ultimate Collection’s Emulation
M2, renowned for its work on numerous classic game re-releases over the past few decades, is handling the emulation for the collection. According to SNK, each Metal Slug title has been carefully reproduced for modern platforms while preserving the original feel.
This is a huge reassurance because M2’s previous work is practically peerless. The studio puts a lot of effort into maintaining emulation accuracy and the original game feel while adding a bunch of extra quality-of-life features that make sense.
In addition to accurate emulation, the collection includes plenty of additional features, including:
- Quick Save / Quick Load
- Rewind: Turn back time by a few seconds.
- Display and sound settings
- Online co-op: Team up with friends or players around the world in supported titles.
- Score Attack
- Speed Run challenges
- Online rankings
- Replay viewing
- Combat School: Learn the fundamentals and advanced techniques of the series.
- Gallery
Metal Slug Ultimate Collection Games List
This massive collection includes the following 10 games:
- METAL SLUG (1996)
- METAL SLUG 2 (1998)
- METAL SLUG X (1999)
- METAL SLUG 3 (2000)
- METAL SLUG 4 (2002)
- METAL SLUG 5 (2003)
- METAL SLUG ADVANCE (2004)
- METAL SLUG 6 (2006)
- METAL SLUG 7 (2008)
- METAL SLUG Location Test Version (Never officially released)
One of the most interesting inclusions is the original METAL SLUG’s Location Test Version, which was never officially released. It’s a neat addition, especially for preservation enthusiasts.
Metal Slug Ultimate Collection Release Date
Metal Slug Ultimate Collection is coming to PC, Xbox Series S|X, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2 in 2027.
Honestly, I wasn’t fully convinced of the collection’s quality after the announcement until it was confirmed that M2 is handling it. The current releases on Steam, especially, are so bare-bones and suffer from ridiculous input lag that they’re simply not recommended.
M2, on the other hand, has an incredible track record of preserving classic games, with collections like Darius Cozmic Collection and Gradius Origins setting an incredibly high standard that’s hard to beat.
