SNK is going all-in on *Metal Slug* for the series’ 30th anniversary. Announced during today’s Nintendo Direct, **Metal Slug Ultimate Collection** will bring together 10 games from the franchise’s arcade and handheld history when it launches for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and Nintendo Switch in 2027.
The collection covers a sizeable chunk of the series, starting with the original *Metal Slug* from 1996 and running through *Metal Slug 7*. Alongside the familiar arcade releases, SNK is also throwing in *Metal Slug Advance* and a particularly notable piece of the franchise’s history: the original *Metal Slug* Location Test Version, which was never officially released.
The complete lineup includes *Metal Slug*, *Metal Slug 2*, *Metal Slug X*, *Metal Slug 3*, *Metal Slug 4*, *Metal Slug 5*, *Metal Slug Advance*, *Metal Slug 6*, *Metal Slug 7*, and the previously unreleased Location Test Version.
That makes this more than a straightforward collection of the games most fans already know. SNK is also adding a number of features aimed at making the notoriously demanding run-and-gun series a little easier to revisit, including Quick Save, Quick Load, and a Rewind function that lets players undo mistakes from the previous few seconds.
There will also be new ways to play and compete, with Combat School Mode, online leaderboards, and co-op support among the additions. SNK notes that the available features and modes will differ depending on the individual game.
With its elaborate pixel art, absurd military action, memorable characters, and willingness to throw increasingly ridiculous obstacles at players, *Metal Slug* remains one of SNK’s most enduring arcade franchises. Now, three decades after the series first hit arcades, *Metal Slug Ultimate Collection* is bringing a substantial portion of that history together, including one version of the original game that most players have never had an official chance to play.
*Metal Slug Ultimate Collection* is scheduled to launch in 2027.