Fans of the Metal Slug series are in for a real treat with Metal Slug: The Ultimate History by Bitmap Books. The text is monumental in its undertaking, and the effort a😼nd care put into its 452 pages cannot be understated, consisting of a little bit of everything that has made up the game from its beginning and first game release in 1996. Without a doubt, the book is a testament to the passion that has gone into the series and is an absolute treat to read.
Telling A Story Spanning Nearly Thirty Years
At its core, the book is more than tidbits about each of the games in the Metal Slug series. It is a comprehensive story from the developer’s humble beginnings, all the way through the planning and release of each game. The introduction begins with a candid tel🤡ling of the earliest days of the game’s design, and some of the challenges that came along the way.
Before diving into Metal Slug, readers are presented with a brief recap of the games developed between 1993-1994. These were In the Hunt and Gunforce II. The included concept art and gameplay images clearly show a strong thematic influence that carried over to Metal Slug.
As expected, the bulk of the text - about 320 pages - is solely dedicated to every Metal Slug game ever released. The first game is presented with a range of the concept art for characters, enemies, settings, and t🎃hen diveཧs into some of the more iconic gameplay images. Scattered throughout these first pages are commentary that sheds light on the process that brought the game to life.
It is with the second game onward that the storytelling aspect of the book takes over. Rather than simply being a collection of more concept art and gameplay images, each subsequent game is presented with commentary that focuses on thಞe challenges and plans at the time. Sometimes this dealt with a design direction, and at other times, thinking back on previous decisions and how those would influence future projects.
The second game in the series, Metal Slug 2, does this by revealing that there🃏 was a strong focus on embracing humor through character transformation into mummies and the use of camels, among other things. Each game from this point on is described in relation to previous work, giving the reader insight into how the tone was chosen for each game, how characters were designed, and overall how the game evolved into what it is today.
Although each individual game h🌼as its own section that shows the artwork and conceptual design for logos, vehicles, characters, a selection of sprites to show of the detail for character and enemy design, level map sections, and beautiful, full artwork, everything included lends itself to this continuous narrative of how each game was conceived and brought to fruition.
A Captivating Read
Reading the book in this way, as an ongoing process spanning over two decades, makes t♋he time fly by. Before one even realizes it, they come to the end with an understanding of the game’s evolution as though the creators themselves had sat down to narrate it in great detail.
The final fifty pages or so are filled with interviews. Here, the series creators open up about their time and experience, including Andoh Kenji a✃nd Takeshi Okui, neither of whom has ever spoken about the series publicly b🧸efore the release of this book. After reading through the bulk of the text, the interviews were a real treat. To read about the thought process of the key players in the creation of a series that has been a favorite of many players for over twenty years was not only insightful, but heartwarming as well.
Without a doubt, Metal Slug: The Ultimate History is the gold standard that should be looked towards ♎when others seek to chronicle the history of a popular series of game. Fans o🎐f the series, or even those with a passing interest in the game, would enjoy this book. Given that the holiday season is upon us, it is a great idea to give as a gift.
A review copy of Metal Slug: The Ultimate History was provided for this review. Currently, the book may only be ordered for £𒊎29.99 and can be shipped globally with tracking. Shipping is free within the UK.