Metal Slug Ultimate Collection Announced for Nintendo Switch and Switch 2

Metal Slug Ultimate Collection is headed to Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, assembling 10 entries from SNK's celebrated run-and-gun series in a single package. The collection is positioned as a 30th-anniversary celebration, but its most notable inclusion may be one many fans have never had an opportunity to play at home: the Metal Slug Location Test Version, which is being made available on consoles for the first time.

The compilation is expected to arrive next year and will include online co-op, bringing one of the defining features of Metal Slug's arcade appeal to Nintendo's current hardware. A gallery mode is also planned, giving players a place to explore more material connected to the games included in the set.

For a franchise built around immediate action, hand-drawn animation and famously dense enemy swarms, putting this many releases in one collection is a substantial proposition. The lineup spans the early Neo Geo originals, later numbered sequels, the remixed Metal Slug X, and portable-focused installments that have not always sat alongside the arcade games in prior releases.

All 10 games included in Metal Slug Ultimate Collection

The announced selection covers a wide stretch of Metal Slug history. Players will receive the following games:

For useful background on this topic, read Nintendo Direct Roundup: Metroid Ravenous, Kirby and Major Switch 2 Ports Revealed.

• Metal Slug
• Metal Slug 2
• Metal Slug 3
• Metal Slug 4
• Metal Slug 5
• Metal Slug 6
• Metal Slug X
• Metal Slug 7
• Metal Slug Advance
• Metal Slug Location Test Version

That is an unusually broad collection for the series. The first game established the core formula: soldiers pushing through hostile stages on foot or in hijacked vehicles, rescuing prisoners, collecting temporary weapons and attempting to survive a huge amount of incoming fire. Its controls are simple, but the games demand awareness, fast reactions and a willingness to learn how enemy patterns unfold.

The early Neo Geo titles are especially important to Metal Slug's identity. Their detailed pixel art remains instantly recognizable, whether the screen is filled with tanks, aircraft, towering bosses or the series' exaggerated explosions. The games have always combined military imagery with cartoon absurdity, creating a look and tone that separates them from more grounded action shooters.

Metal Slug 2 expanded the format with transformations and more varied stage ideas, while Metal Slug X revisited that foundation in a reworked form. Metal Slug 3, often regarded as one of the most ambitious installments, pushed the visual spectacle and route variety further. The subsequent numbered games continued the arcade action across different periods in the franchise's history.

The inclusion of Metal Slug 7 and Metal Slug Advance also means the package is not solely focused on coin-op releases. Those entries were made with portable play in mind, making their presence a natural fit for the Switch family's hybrid format. Rather than treating Metal Slug as only an arcade archive, Ultimate Collection appears designed to present multiple branches of the series together.

The Location Test Version is the standout archival addition

The biggest curiosity in the announced lineup is unquestionably Metal Slug Location Test Version. It has not previously been available on consoles, and this collection marks the first opportunity in 30 years for players to access that version.

Location tests have a specific place in arcade development history. They allow developers to put a game or build in front of players before a wider rollout, collecting reactions and observing how it performs in a real arcade setting. Material from that stage can become difficult to access after a final version is completed, altered or distributed. As a result, its appearance in a commercial console collection is notable for players interested not only in playing Metal Slug, but also in seeing an unusual piece of the series' past.

There are no further details here on precisely how the Location Test Version differs from other Metal Slug releases, or whether the gallery will provide extensive context on its development. Still, simply preserving and making the build playable is a meaningful addition. It gives the compilation an archival angle beyond a standard roundup of familiar games.

For longtime fans, it could become the first item selected from the menu. For newcomers, it may offer a reason to look more closely at how a long-running action series evolves from one version to another. In either case, it makes Ultimate Collection more than a routine bundle of previously known classics.

Online co-op suits Metal Slug's chaotic design

Metal Slug is closely associated with side-by-side co-op. Its stages become more chaotic with a second player on screen, but they also become more entertaining as both players react to sudden threats, compete for weapons and scramble to save one another when the action gets out of hand. The games are demanding even before another person joins, so co-op can turn each run into a fast-moving exercise in teamwork and improvisation.

Online co-op should make that experience more accessible for Switch and Switch 2 players who cannot regularly meet in the same room. It is an important feature for a compilation that centers games originally made to draw friends to the same arcade cabinet. The announcement does not detail how online play will work across the individual titles, whether any specific modes will be excluded, or whether cross-platform play between Switch and Switch 2 will be supported. Those particulars will need clarification closer to launch.

Even so, the confirmation of online co-op is a strong fit for the series. Metal Slug's best moments often emerge from shared panic: one player driving a slug vehicle through enemy lines while the other fires wildly from behind, or both players trying to survive a boss encounter with only a few lives remaining. The formula is approachable enough that someone can pick up a controller and understand the objective immediately, while its difficulty gives experienced pairs a reason to replay stages and improve.

A gallery adds context to an arcade legacy

The planned gallery mode may be less flashy than online multiplayer, but it has the potential to be just as valuable for a 30th-anniversary release. Metal Slug's visual legacy is central to its appeal. Its animation is packed with personality, from soldiers reacting to danger to the elaborate machinery that breaks apart in spectacular fashion during battle.

A gallery can help frame that work and provide an additional reason to revisit the collection outside of high-score attempts or co-op sessions. Details about the exact gallery contents have not yet been outlined, so it is not known what kind of artwork, history or supplementary material will be included. Its presence does, however, suggest that the package aims to acknowledge the series' broader heritage rather than offering games alone.

That approach matters because Metal Slug has remained memorable across generations of hardware. The original games are deeply tied to the Neo Geo and the arcade era, but their clear visual language and direct controls have allowed them to remain easy to understand. A player does not need familiarity with old arcade systems to appreciate the immediate satisfaction of finding a heavy machine gun, freeing a hostage or bringing down a giant boss.

A welcoming entry point, with the original challenge intact

For anyone who has never played Metal Slug, Ultimate Collection could be a convenient starting point. The basics are easy to grasp: move through a hostile stage, shoot enemies, avoid projectiles and rescue captives whenever possible. The deeper challenge comes from the volume of hazards, the changing pace of each stage and the limited margin for error that defines arcade-style action games.

These are games with a reputation for being tough, and that is part of their lasting character. Success is not about complicated control schemes or long tutorials. It is about recognizing threats quickly, choosing where to stand, managing power-ups and keeping calm when the screen fills with bullets, explosions and enemies. The result is an experience that can be instantly funny and thrilling, then surprisingly exacting when players try to see a run through to the end.

With 10 games, online co-op and an uncommon historical build in the same release, Metal Slug Ultimate Collection has the makings of a major package for both retro enthusiasts and players discovering SNK's run-and-gun staple for the first time. Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 owners will have to wait until next year for the collection's arrival, with additional information still to come.