Bring your Rocket Lawn Chair
SNK has released a new double-pack on Nintendo Switch featuring classic Neo Geo Pocket Color titles Metal Slug: 1st Mission and its sequel Metal Slug: 2nd Mission. The two handheld favorites were available exclusively as part of the Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection compendium, but can now be purchased together from the Nintendo eShop for around $15.
Released on NGPC in 1999 and 2000 respectively, Metal Slug 1st and 2nd Mission are adorably scaled-down editions of the coin-guzzling run ‘n’ gun classics, and see our faithful squad of heroes (as well as some series newcomers) engage in pocket-sized warfare with the enemy on land, sea, and air. Developer Ukiyotei performed an excellent job in reducing the detailed and busy visuals of the Metal Slug series into the NGPC’s dinky, 2.7-inch screen, with the two titles featuring not only the bullet-pumping action of their bigger brothers but even the epic boss battles and vehicular combat.
For anyone still wishing to go the full monty, the Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection is available now, and includes Samurai Shodown! 2, King of Fighters R-2, SNK Gals’ Fighters, Fatal Fury: First Contact, The Last Blade: Beyond the Destiny, and the brilliant SNK vs Capcom: Match of the Millennium. The exclusive additions Big Tournament Golf, RPG Dark Arms: Beast Buster, and both Metal Slug: 1st Mission and Metal Slug: 2nd Mission. All of which are worth checking out.
A solid, ambitious, and misunderstood console, it’s great to see this catalog of releases made available once again.