METAL SLUG 1st & 2nd MISSION Double Pack Switch NSP Free Download Romslab

METAL SLUG 1st & 2nd MISSION Double Pack Switch NSP Free Download We do like nice surprises, and the drop of Metal Slug 1st & 2nd Mission Double Pack on the Switch eShop has been a welcome arrival this week. Out now globally, this combines two Neo Geo Color titles in one, as you can see in the trailer above. If you search Metal Slug on the eShop you get a whole lot of results, with 6 archives ports from Hamster covering the Neo Geo mainline entries – including Metal Slug X. Coming out originally on the less powerful but undeniably cool pocket system, 1st and 2nd Mission offer a rather different look but the same core gameplay ideas. This freshly released double pack costs .99 / €14,99 / £13.49, but notably, both of these games are already in Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1, a compilation of ten rather fun games that we liked a lot in our review.  ROMSLAB.COM BSET SWITCH GAMES

METAL SLUG 1st & 2nd MISSION Double Pack Switch NSP Free Download Romslab

Are you tempted to grab this bundle on the Switch eShop? SNK is proud to announce that the Metal Slug 1st & 2nd Mission Double Pack is launching today, September 15th, 2021, via the Nintendo Switch’s eShop. Metal Slug 1st & 2nd Mission Double Pack is a single player action game, coming to Nintendo Switch today for 14,99€. The new version contains both Neogeo Pocket Color versions of Metal Slug 1st Mission and Metal Slug 2nd Mission. From the hit action series METAL SLUG comes two popular titles on the NGPC for you to enjoy! Jump into battle and complete all the missions! METAL SLUG 1ST MISSION released in 1999 for the NEOGEO POCKET COLOR, with its sequel METAL SLUG 2ND MISSION hitting shelves in 2000. Now both are available for Nintendo Switch.

Experience the simple-yet-deep shooting mechanics the METAL SLUG series is known for!

As we write this we still await the Nintendo Switch Virtual Console, but courtesy of HAMSTER we have the ‘ACA’ Neo Geo range on Nintendo’s latest console. These are essentially faithful ports, designed to emulate the original Neo Geo experience on modern hardware while throwing in a broad range of features and customisation options. The treatment is rather similar to the 3DS iteration of Mega Man Legacy Collection – the games have the usual glitches and old-school slowdown, but there are a lot of fan-pleasing bonuses to enjoy. Metal Slug 3 is fondly regarded in the series, delivering on the trademark madness while also providing some uniquely memorable moments. The basic formula is Contra blended with ’90s arcade visuals and slapstick comedy.  Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 Switch NSP 

METAL SLUG 1st & 2nd MISSION Double Pack Switch NSP Free Download Romslab

In its arcade form this was a huge coin guzzler, but the unique aesthetic to these frantic games continues to set them apart. Not only is the art design reflective of some comic book styles, but it was beautifully programmed at the time. Every aspect of the game has a few more frames of animation than is strictly necessary, giving the sense of more fluid and detailed movements and visual effects. It’s all old hat nowadays as developers utilise impressive engines and technology to do remarkable things with pixel-art and more, but at the time Neo Geo games like these – including their arcade forms – were remarkable to behold. The core experience, with it being a score chasing run and gun experience, is relatively quick. You can quite easily rattle through in under an hour, seeing all of the bizarre and humorous twists and turns in the ‘narrative’.

Gone are the days of 1 shot deaths as now there is a life bar to get you through the mission!

So, what makes this ACA range worth the investment? To be fair to HAMSTER it throws a lot of extras and customisation into these titles; in this case we kick off with display options that include a little extra width on the screen and various filters to add scanlines (we liked the cleaner default view, however). You can even adjust the display size in custom ways, stretching the image beyond its 4:3 default ratio if you’re happy to have stretched pixels – don’t do that, though. Burnout Paradise Remastered 

METAL SLUG 1st & 2nd MISSION Double Pack Switch NSP Free Download Romslab

Keeping the focus on the visuals, at launch the colours were washed out, an issue that was quickly acknowledged. Following an update there has been a visual improvement with deeper colours and a more varied palette. It looks fine on a modern TV and suits co-op well (we’ll come to that), but we rather got used to playing solo on the console’s screen – the Switch display is nice and sharp and, through blowing up the low resolution source image less, arguably shows the visuals at their best. As a selling point for ACA games on Nintendo’s system that portable option is definitely right up there.

In other options you can reassign buttons (which are baffling initially but are fine with practice) and also set auto-fire, so you can press and hold rather than trash your controller buttons. You can also ensure you get from start to finish by giving yourself up to 99 lives and as many credits, while you can choose from eight difficulty settings and even unclutter the HUD a little. Online leaderboards also feature and, even beyond that, you can choose from the Japanese or English version of the game. You can also try a High Score Mode in which you have no continues, or a ‘Caravan’ mode in which you have a time limit. All told, there are plenty of options for more casual players that want easy but chaotic fun, in addition to hardcore players keen to showcase their skills.

It wouldn’t be a METAL SLUG game if there weren’t branching paths to explore!

Beyond that local co-op is supported, which is arguably the most enjoyable way to enjoy the game. We had a blast playing this with a buddy with similarly rose-tinted memories of the good old days. It also makes the game far easier, with enemies going down quicker and with good teamwork being genuinely effective as enemies swarm in from both sides of the screen. The game is still a hoot when played solo, but going through it with another player – either on the TV or in ‘Tabletop’ mode – adds a little extra spice. For the record you can use various controller combos such as a Pro Controller / Joy-Con Grip, or just use one Joy-Con each; for the latter option you need to reorder the controllers in the system’s main menu before booting the game, so that it’ll recognise each Joy-Con separately. Cadence of Hyrule Switch NSP 

METAL SLUG 1st & 2nd MISSION Double Pack Switch NSP Free Download Romslab

It’s an undoubtedly enjoyable experience, but we do have some complaints that flirt with the line between ‘authenticity’ and outright performance issues. For one thing, deliberate slowdown is present in these emulations, regardless of whether you’re playing them on PC, PS4, Xbox One or Switch. HAMSTER pitches this as authenticity, and as per the aforementioned Mega Man Legacy Collection that is fair enough – just know what you’re signing up for. This is a faithful port, so you won’t be basking in silky smooth framerates, and this game will chug just like it did back in the day. CLANNAD Side Stories Switch 

Add-ons (DLC): METAL SLUG 1st & 2nd MISSION Double Pack Switch NSP