For three decades, one version of the original Metal Slug has been close to impossible to play. It never got an official release, and SNK says it has seldom been shown to the public. In 2027, that changes.
SNK Corporation has announced Metal Slug Ultimate Collection, a 30th-anniversary compilation that squeezes 10 games into one package. It first appeared during Nintendo’s latest Direct, its regular online games broadcast, and SNK followed with the full details on 10 September 2026. The collection is due in 2027 on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam, and you can wishlist it today.
Four Machines, 12 Years, One Menu
The lineup runs from the 1996 original to Metal Slug 7, with the handheld spin-off Metal Slug Advance slotted in along the way. Until now, the catch was hardware. The first six games, from the original through Metal Slug 5, lived on SNK’s NEOGEO arcade system between 1996 and 2003.
Then the series went wandering. Metal Slug Advance landed on the Game Boy Advance in 2004, Metal Slug 6 on PlayStation 2 in 2006, and Metal Slug 7 on the Nintendo DS in 2008. To play the full run on original hardware, you’d have to track down an arcade cabinet plus three consoles that left shop shelves years ago. Here, it’s a single purchase.
The timing is deliberate. Metal Slug started life in arcades in 1996, so 2026 marks its 30th birthday, and SNK counts it among its flagship series. New to it? Picture a side-scrolling run-and-gun where you sprint right, shoot everything that moves, and commandeer the tanks that give the series its name. The detailed pixel art is what won fans over worldwide.
The One That Got Away
First, a quick history lesson. Before an arcade game shipped, publishers would often put early builds in a handful of arcades to see how real players reacted, then tweak the game before its final release. These trial runs are called location tests. Once the finished game arrived, the test builds usually vanished.
The Location Test Version of the first Metal Slug is one of those builds. SNK calls it “legendary” and confirms it was never officially released, which makes it the headline act for collectors. After 30 years out of reach, it’s getting a proper home.
Retro compilations have raided the archives before. Konami’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection bundled 13 classic games with 11 Japanese regional versions. A never-released build of a series’ very first game is a different kind of treasure, though. It’s a peek at Metal Slug before it became Metal Slug.
Rewind Button, Meet Arcade Cruelty
Here’s the thing about Metal Slug: it was built to eat coins. One stray bullet usually costs a life, and enemies swarm the screen fast. Anyone raised on generous checkpoints and autosaves could find the originals brutal.
SNK’s fix is a set of modern quality-of-life tools. There’s quick save and quick load, plus a rewind function that runs the action back a few seconds after a botched jump or a surprise grenade. Veterans get score attack and time attack modes to chase once the main campaigns are cleared.
Complete beginners should head for Combat School Mode, a beloved series staple that teaches basic controls and techniques before easing you into battle. It’s the smartest inclusion in the package for anyone who bounced off these games as a kid. One caveat from SNK: available features, modes, and content vary by title, so the toolkit won’t look identical across all 10 games.
A Museum Mode for Pixel Nerds
Between runs, an extensive gallery and museum mode collects logos, visual materials, and other extras tied to each title. For a series whose sprite work is half the appeal, that’s a welcome addition. It lets the collection double as a small archive of SNK’s history with the franchise.
Competitive types get online rankings for chasing high scores against players across the globe. The collection supports one or two players, too, so a sofa session with a friend is on the cards. Expect the classic argument over who grabbed the heavy machine gun first.
Your Homework Before 2027
The wait doesn’t have to be empty. SNK’s 30th-anniversary project, MISSION REBOOT, is already rolling out community events, starting with the Global Pixel Mosaic Project. Anyone can send in photos and illustrations, and each entry becomes a single “dot” in a giant anniversary artwork.
To take part, post your work on X (formerly Twitter) with the hashtag #GLOBAL_PIXEL_MOSAIC_PROJECT, or submit through the mosaic project website. Entries close on 30 September 2026. Three entrants will be picked at random to win a 30th-anniversary T-shirt, and the finished mosaic goes public on 30 October 2026.
Prefer something quicker? The anniversary AR frame (AR stands for augmented reality) layers the Metal Slug universe over whatever your camera sees, so a bus stop queue can look like a pixel war zone. You can use the web-based AR frame until 30 October 2026, and share your shots on social media.
Keep an eye on 30 October. The AR frame expires that day, the same day the finished mosaic goes public. If you want something that outlasts a filter, go for the mosaic: one photo, and your face (or your cat) becomes a pixel in Metal Slug history.
Price, Date, and the Fine Print
Now for the less exciting bit. SNK hasn’t announced a price or an exact launch date, only that the collection is due sometime in 2027. Wishlists are open on supported platforms, and all five of those are easy to find in Singapore.
SNK clearly has Asian fans in mind. The announcement went out in Japanese, English, Korean, Thai, and both Traditional and Simplified Chinese, and the Thai edition of the release promises Thai language support in the game. For a series that grew up in arcades, it’s a fitting way to celebrate across the region.
Two minutes of pixel art in motion will explain the fuss faster than any spec list, so here’s SNK’s English announcement trailer, location test reveal and all.
🎮 Title: Metal Slug Ultimate Collection
🗓️ Release: 2027
🕹️ Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam
📦 Games included: 10, including the never-released Location Test Version
👥 Players: One or two
⭐ Wishlist: Open now on supported platforms
🖼️ Mosaic Art entries close: 30 September 2026
📸 AR Frame available until: 30 October 2026
Add the collection to your wishlist, and put 30 September in your diary if you’re after that anniversary T-shirt. Platform details sit on SNK’s official Metal Slug Ultimate Collection site, and for the price and the release date, keep an eye on Metal Slug’s official TikTok.
Visuals courtesy of SNK Corporation.
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