The Animation in Metal Slug Games

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  • Опубликовано: 2 июл 2024
  • This time we attempt to cover the animation in the Metal Slug series.
    This is the the article from which the interview translation from the NeoGeo magazine comes: shmuplations.com/metalslug
    Follow me for more animation and video game things on Twitter @Rootayable
    Consider donating $1 a month to my Patreon to help support the channel in getting better equipment, better games to talk about, better software, better research, better quality editing and seeing your name in the credits: www.patreon.com/DanRoot
    Thanks to my youngest daughter for shouting "WOW!" whenever she saw me playing Metal Slug for footage capture.
    Stay tuned for The Animation of Hollow Knight next:
    #MetalSlug
  • ИгрыИгры

Комментарии • 682

  • @nnamdiekwueme4895
    @nnamdiekwueme4895 4 года назад +849

    I don't care WHO you are. You've had to at least seen a metal slug explosion once in your life.

    • @dominics.8796
      @dominics.8796 4 года назад +31

      Nnamdi Ekwueme True. Never played Metal Slug, but I saw few of its explosions in Sonic For Hire.

    • @osamaroum
      @osamaroum 4 года назад +31

      i played all metal slugs games since the 90s except the strategy ones .

    • @fishyfinthing8854
      @fishyfinthing8854 4 года назад +16

      To me, I like seeing mummies get blasted into dust by a shotgun. Look so cheesy! Best 2D animated game series ever!

    • @bappojujubes981
      @bappojujubes981 4 года назад +13

      True. Especially in thousands of Flash animations and games.

    • @ZuoKalp
      @ZuoKalp 3 года назад +1

      @@osamaroum "Strategy" ones

  • @zxGHOSTr
    @zxGHOSTr 4 года назад +834

    All those secondary animations with those big machines are on another level. They realy knew what they were doing.

  • @stripedhyenuh
    @stripedhyenuh 4 года назад +432

    Metal Slug used one of the most arcane black arts of pixel techniques: subpixel animation. Instead of moving whole pixels every frame, inbetween movements are implied by moving the colors of pixels that stay in the same position. It's insanely hard to pull off successfully but it lets you imply fluid animation even at Neo Geo's low screen resolution

    • @VideoGameAnimationStudy
      @VideoGameAnimationStudy  4 года назад +40

      Thanks for that!

    • @IlSharmouta
      @IlSharmouta 4 года назад +21

      I've honestly never considered that, and I'm now very glad I am aware of this, thank you

    • @somerandombub
      @somerandombub 4 года назад +41

      One of the most noticable objects that uses subpixel animation is the Metal Slug tank itself, which allows it to look like it's subtly shaking from the engine, even when you're not moving it. (Also makes it look even more alive!)

    • @thrillhouse_vanhouten
      @thrillhouse_vanhouten 4 года назад +3

      Could you suggest some other good examples of subpixel animation?

    • @Faun471
      @Faun471 4 года назад +1

      @@thrillhouse_vanhouten donkey kong country, castlevania I guess? But don't worry, metal slug's sub pixel animation is godlike. Just take a look on this website 2dwillneverdie.com/tutorial/give-your-sprites-depth-with-sub-pixel-animation/ The elephant's animation is amazing, btw.

  • @CompleteAnimation
    @CompleteAnimation 4 года назад +480

    The last generation of pixel art (before pixel art had a revival) holds up a lot better today than the first generation of polygonal graphics.

    • @cannonfodder4000
      @cannonfodder4000 4 года назад +88

      Likewise; the last generation of practical movie special effects holds up better than first generation CG

    • @TJ-ck3fp
      @TJ-ck3fp 4 года назад +69

      These graphics are timeless because they are built on strong fundamental art and animation principles. Same goes for the old 2D Disney movies.

    • @Toack
      @Toack 4 года назад +19

      And of course the technology to generate 2D graphics (pixel art or whatnot) was way less demanding and affordable than the ones to create 3D specially when it was starting. Basically they were creating technology, techniques and processes. That is why your comparison makes no sense.

    • @kabronex9877
      @kabronex9877 4 года назад +9

      @@cannonfodder4000 shit dude most cg these days looks *worse* than last gen practical.

    • @jasongarrett768
      @jasongarrett768 4 года назад +18

      Toack No, it still bears noting because it was that exact point in time that many leaders in the industry insisted on burning the old to make way for the new. See Sony higher-ups’ hostility towards sprite-based games at the time.
      The hard work and craft of pixel artists is well worth vindicating.

  • @taufanadikurniawan7170
    @taufanadikurniawan7170 4 года назад +758

    Metal Slug is really a classic game.
    Doesn't take themselves seriously, no boring cut scenes, complicated story, fun for beginners, have co-op players mode, and of course all that insanely detailed funny, strange, and cute animation that exceed players expectations.
    Just like pizza, something that so humble but insanely delicious 😋

    • @Icantpickaname12
      @Icantpickaname12 4 года назад +18

      Then came metal slug attack, i have never seen such boring cutscenes.

    • @taufanadikurniawan7170
      @taufanadikurniawan7170 4 года назад +26

      @@Icantpickaname12 there's nothing perfect in this world. Let's hope that's not becoming a trend, anyway who came with brilliant idea "oh let's slap long, boring and unskipable cutscenes, everybody will love it"
      I hated it.. personally, deeply, passionately hate it

    • @Icantpickaname12
      @Icantpickaname12 4 года назад +16

      @@taufanadikurniawan7170 i know nothing is ever perfect, but I'm just saying that maybe they should've put more work into those MSA cutscenes, the character portraits don't even move let alone any facial expression that relate to the text your reading.
      like this-
      marco: i am so sad *default portrait*
      MS-Alice: good bye *dies* *default portrait but then turns gray and fades*
      marco: NOOOOOO *default portrait*
      Only thing i really liked was the music, because metal slug has some good music anyways.

    • @jasoethesentienteyeshapedg4847
      @jasoethesentienteyeshapedg4847 4 года назад +2

      @@Icantpickaname12 *DeviantArt:* "Hahaha, time to redraw them all..."

    • @Kilesfactor
      @Kilesfactor 4 года назад +2

      Pizza is humble?

  • @dracmeister
    @dracmeister 4 года назад +508

    Fun fact, this series originally was supposedly literally just about the titular tank, Metal Slug as the character, no named human protagonists. But the developers decided telling a story of just about a machine, that was possibly sentient, was difficult to tell at the time.

    • @majorblitz3846
      @majorblitz3846 4 года назад +85

      That's pretty much explained why they add the story later but with a remodeled story in MSA
      _"Instead of just a sentient machine, it's a sentient waifu tank AI"_

    • @ags8507
      @ags8507 4 года назад +36

      that explains the animations of the metal slug, nice

    • @harlannguyen4048
      @harlannguyen4048 4 года назад +10

      With the next Metal Slug game being announced, I wonder what they're going to do for the story?

    • @ivoo604
      @ivoo604 4 года назад +7

      Honestly it would be amazing and, possibly for the time, ground breaking. I always felt like the tank was the true protagonist and is so iconic

    • @tomhill3248
      @tomhill3248 4 года назад +6

      @@majorblitz3846 I preferred it as just a machine. Wally did super good. Why are people so insecure that they feel the need to inject the human shape into everything? We're hungry for non-human protagonists! We're ready you don't have to keep changing yourselves! We've been around our own species for millions of years, give me the game about the giant invincible invisible skeleton. I can handle it.

  • @pavro_w0t719
    @pavro_w0t719 4 года назад +271

    Metal Slug explosions were a work of ART.

    • @bubbastevegarcia2459
      @bubbastevegarcia2459 4 года назад +16

      Pavro w0t the entire game is!! Some of the best sprite work in the business!!

    • @theprocrastinator6813
      @theprocrastinator6813 4 года назад +4

      yea seeing the frame by frame effects all at once makes you appreciate the work they do

    • @noesunyoutuber7680
      @noesunyoutuber7680 4 года назад +7

      There's a reason every damn flash animation ever stole them for effects. MS explosions are the best.

    • @DonVigaDeFierro
      @DonVigaDeFierro 4 года назад +2

      "Were"? They are still case studies for aspiring animators!!

    • @M0D776
      @M0D776 4 года назад +3

      Im sorry but they were not a work of art...
      They ARE a work of art

  • @Gamersgoinblind
    @Gamersgoinblind 4 года назад +253

    My favorite little detail of metal slug is the reloading animation even though it is not necessary since you have basically endless bullets.

    • @brute6896
      @brute6896 4 года назад +42

      There’s this animation where one of them pulls out a canteen and takes a chug out of it, I think it was Marco

    • @edsionmartinez8828
      @edsionmartinez8828 4 года назад

      @Derago 2. Ralf and Clark are from king of fighters. The white hair blue vest is trevor from metal slug 4

    • @dr.eisenhauer8922
      @dr.eisenhauer8922 4 года назад +21

      My Favourite little detail is when the Rebel Soldier with the Rifle reloads between shots, all the motion and how the rifle reacts, you even see the bullet casing beeing ejected.

    • @NeonLeV95
      @NeonLeV95 4 года назад +10

      I agree, that's really a neat - though unecessary, as you said - detail indeed. Also, on top of that, I've noticed that the reload animation occurs depending on the pistol you're using and the number of bullets you shot.
      For example, playing with either Fio, Eri or Nadia will trigger the reload after six shots, because obviously those gals use revolvers; as for Marco, Tarma and the others, that animation is triggered after 12 shots or so (I don't remember precisely), naturally because of their semi-auto guns and related magazine capacity.
      These games get more interesting the more you analyze them.

    • @Abel-Alvarez
      @Abel-Alvarez 3 года назад +5

      @@NeonLeV95 Wtf I did not know that. Damn this series has been around for almost 25 years (woop woop) and to think that there's still new things to see and learn about this game is incredible. Talk about attention to detail (massive respect for NAZCA and SNK for this amazing gem of a series.)

  • @WanArk86
    @WanArk86 4 года назад +110

    Metal Slug will always be one the best and most expressive sprite animation ever

  • @stevewik2280
    @stevewik2280 4 года назад +55

    The team that did the King of Fighters games for Neo Geo were brilliant pixel artists as well. Actually, that platform had a LOT of excellent pixel artists and animators.

  • @riosol8950
    @riosol8950 4 года назад +173

    man i never realized just how spicy metal slugs animations were

    • @joaquinfernandez3977
      @joaquinfernandez3977 4 года назад +4

      how can you not notice????

    • @born2war1
      @born2war1 4 года назад +5

      Metal slug 3 when female character get hit by acid from snail i always pause frame by frame to look the detail :P

    • @gaygoddessnamedmadoka2252
      @gaygoddessnamedmadoka2252 4 года назад +9

      @@born2war1 especially when it's fio
      we're perverts
      also fio best girl

    • @saidoterodiseno
      @saidoterodiseno 4 года назад +2

      Honestly that was the most impressive aspect of the game IMO. Watching those aliens melt and explode is very impressive.

  • @SIMIFU
    @SIMIFU 4 года назад +103

    Metal slug to me is still peak 2d sprite animation, its ridiculous how good this looked back then and is still (in my opinion) the best looking sprites that have yet to be dethroned.

    • @TailsGuy72
      @TailsGuy72 4 года назад +6

      Street Fighter III wan't's to know your location. (But, Metal Slug is top tier too)

    • @sgnitzlennahv
      @sgnitzlennahv 4 года назад +3

      @@TailsGuy72 well kof 13 say hello.

    • @TailsGuy72
      @TailsGuy72 4 года назад

      @@sgnitzlennahv you aren't wrong...

    • @Ploist
      @Ploist 2 года назад +2

      Rainworld is a potential contender

  • @benwilliams5760
    @benwilliams5760 4 года назад +99

    For a series that is clearly an overwhelming treasure chest for animation study you covered a lot of ground here! Great job, pal. It makes me miss our break time sessions on the cabinet.

    • @VideoGameAnimationStudy
      @VideoGameAnimationStudy  4 года назад +8

      There's so much to study, it was a tough call!
      Ahh yeah man, those were the best. It'd have been cool to play it all day.

  • @capoman1
    @capoman1 10 месяцев назад +5

    Metal Slug should go on forever. I'd keep playing no matter how many came out.

  • @TheDoctorProfessor
    @TheDoctorProfessor 4 года назад +56

    Metal Slug has the best sprite art you will ever see. SNK kept churning out incredible sprite work until the art form became a dead art. With the reintroduction of pixel graphics, I hope we get another Metal Slug someday.

    • @VideoGameAnimationStudy
      @VideoGameAnimationStudy  4 года назад +4

      Hopefully one day!

    • @zebra972
      @zebra972 4 года назад +2

      KoF XIII has amazing sprites too!

    • @everythinggoesforjack3987
      @everythinggoesforjack3987 4 года назад

      Well, we are. It's just not the kind we're expecting lol. The 3D animations so far are pretty good though.

    • @VideoGameAnimationStudy
      @VideoGameAnimationStudy  4 года назад +1

      Another Metal Slug?? 🤔

    • @everythinggoesforjack3987
      @everythinggoesforjack3987 4 года назад +1

      Yeah, it's codenamed Code J. Its a 3D side scroller in the vein of the original Metal Slugs just with RPG elements. They replicated the original animations in 3D pretty well.

  • @justvibin1087
    @justvibin1087 4 года назад +26

    This series has some of the best pixel art animation I have ever seen.

  • @dekoldrick
    @dekoldrick 4 года назад +55

    >Relieve daily stress
    >Makes a game with an insane difficulty even on easy mode

    • @Crspss
      @Crspss 4 года назад +2

      funny, that is the opposite for some if not many people

    • @விஷ்ணு_கார்த்திக்
      @விஷ்ணு_கார்த்திக் 4 года назад +1

      By default, in any MS game Its not hard until you get to Mission 3.

    • @zhaoyun255
      @zhaoyun255 4 года назад +1

      @@விஷ்ணு_கார்த்திக் Well, until you play MS3 onward when Mission 2 is starting to get fucking hard. And then, in MS3, there is a beginner trap in Mission 1.

  • @p59u00
    @p59u00 3 года назад +7

    It just goes to show how much care and effort went into the art and animation of these games. It's unsurprising how they still hold up so well even after 20+ years later, especially when compared to many 3D games during the time.

  • @Akko1
    @Akko1 4 года назад +15

    Don't forget when that Rambo dude gets eaten by an Orca. The physics involved in those bones lol

    • @livretro
      @livretro 2 года назад +2

      He name is allen o'neil

  • @BigShinyPearl
    @BigShinyPearl 10 месяцев назад +4

    Metal Slug might be an Old game, but the dedication and everything the developers made for that game is no joke. Even the arts itself is too much, plus animated. It even has some secrets. This game will forever be in my heart.

  • @kyoyamurasaki9169
    @kyoyamurasaki9169 4 года назад +21

    Metal Slug is just a joy from start to finish, everything is so smooth and cartoony and we love it for that. Glad to see you like how the 001 reacts and moves as well

  • @asmara9779
    @asmara9779 Год назад +5

    SNK has the best sprite and animation back in the day.

  • @EiShatMaiSelf
    @EiShatMaiSelf Год назад +4

    I’ve gotten into metal slug recently. It is now one of my favorite game series ever.
    Keep in mind this was in the span of a couple months.

  • @matthewfunk6435
    @matthewfunk6435 2 года назад +6

    This is why I love metal slug while all it’s contemporaries continue to age and look worse trying to look cutting edge metal slug is ageless and looks spectacular

  • @AkosiJeThro
    @AkosiJeThro 4 года назад +19

    Mission 1 Start
    OHHhh BIG
    Heavy Machine Gun
    Rocket Launcher
    FlameThrower
    Laser Gun
    Mission Completed

  • @elone3997
    @elone3997 5 дней назад +1

    The amount of love the artists/animators put into this series is just straight up sickening. It's just a complete eye-gasm. You mentioned the 3D iteration, and while I didn't play it myself, it just looked so generic and devoid of..well..anything. There's just so much soul that goes into *good* pixel art and it's almost as much problem solving as anything else when you have 1 pixel that can make or break a pose - it's the limitations that force you to get good right? The metal slug vehicle character treatment reminds me of the early Pixar short "Luxo Jnr" (I'm sure you know it of course) and how they really conveyed that playful, goofy behaviour beautifully while still staying believable to it's physical form (more or less). It's so cool that so many games are coming out that are continuing the artform with some pretty striking presentation, but I can't think of any that have matched Metal Slug for just gratuitous stubborness to be the absolute benchmark 😉👍

  • @yoshinpixels9924
    @yoshinpixels9924 4 года назад +2

    God damn
    I haven't even played a MS game, but just from visuals alone, it's genuinely top 5 favourite game aesthetics, the backgrounds are so high quality and faithfully textured, the material of the landscape represented brilliantly with pixels, the sub pixelling on practically everything is obscenely godlike, the actual animations themselves are silky smooth and full of character, fuck dude
    Imma be real, in regards to really small sprites, i genuinely can't think of another game that tops this

    • @JSN117
      @JSN117 4 года назад +3

      Youre missing out not playing this. The gameplay is as smoothe as its graphics.

  • @125discipline2
    @125discipline2 4 месяца назад +2

    this game was perfect from the start, one of its kind, playing MS1 in sunday morning is one of the best experience a gamer could have

  • @TheBigL1
    @TheBigL1 3 года назад +6

    The zombie vomit beam is one of my favorite bits of animation in the series too. I think it might have directly inspired the Brimstone weapon in Binding of Isaac - it's a nearly identical beam of projectile vomit blood that shoots across the screen and blasts through pretty much everything in your way.

  • @lambdalabs7807
    @lambdalabs7807 2 года назад +7

    Fun fact about the slug: In MS1-5, the tank uses a average amount of animation frames, but there’s a copy of almost every single frame for a ton of different angles, to at least 90 degrees!

  • @trigs7127
    @trigs7127 4 года назад +5

    "Metal Slugs feel alive and full of character."
    But you know what. I like to think that the metal slug IS a character. Frankly, it has more personality than the playable heroes themselves. I adore it to bits. I want a plush of this thing and hug it and see all his parts pop out as if reacting to being squeezed.

    • @VideoGameAnimationStudy
      @VideoGameAnimationStudy  4 года назад +1

      Yep, me too! I think I do call it a character later on in the video, actually. If I recall.

    • @trigs7127
      @trigs7127 4 года назад

      @@VideoGameAnimationStudy oh yes you did. I just think that saying that it is a character has the same value as saying that's its full of character, as you stated in your video.

  • @TalkSickMass
    @TalkSickMass 2 года назад +3

    Akio and Susumu should be given lifetime achievement awards for making memorable 2D sprites and backgrounds pushed to the Neo Geo hardware's limits

  • @DDRUTOU
    @DDRUTOU 4 года назад +7

    SNK really knew quality. Look at today. The games they made vs the games they were competing against.....Metal Slug has still held up!!!

  • @broodypie2216
    @broodypie2216 3 года назад +1

    I love it when a machine opens up with 10 more massive guns and missiles than could ever fit on it

  • @ducktail4068
    @ducktail4068 3 года назад +4

    In metal slug anthology they shared their secret to the detailed animations.
    I think they said it took a lot of ANGER, SADNESS, EFFORT AND GUTS.

  • @freshlymemed5680
    @freshlymemed5680 2 года назад +5

    I remember seeing a metal slug cabinet in an arcade once. I was completely entranced by the preview gameplay. It was absolutely gorgeous. This game definitely sparked my love for sprite work and animation.

  • @hermesdavidms
    @hermesdavidms 4 года назад +29

    [frees prisoner] THANK YOU!

  • @yiannispe2117
    @yiannispe2117 5 месяцев назад +2

    I dont think we gonna ever have a better pixel game when it comes to animation. Its far and beyond anything weve seen. At least for the first 3 games ! Its beyond impressive

  • @fuminy6175
    @fuminy6175 Год назад +1

    I remember my friends watching me play metal slug for the first time, and now it makes sense why they described the Metal Slug tank as cute.

  • @endlessedgar4576
    @endlessedgar4576 4 года назад +7

    This is hands down my favorite artstyle of any arcade game, is so realistic yet cartoony, pretty much anything you can think that is in this game is full of details and beautiful animation, my favorites are the amount of details in the spaceships you can pilot in the final mission of MS3, the trolleys carrying missiles during the Crablops fight in MS7 when you shoot them and the attacks and movements of the Slug Gunner & Black Hound in MS5.

  • @ankd956
    @ankd956 4 года назад +90

    I hope Marco is in the next Smash Bros character pack DLC

    • @bikeybill
      @bikeybill 4 года назад +39

      honestly I think the the metal slug itself would work as a character.

    • @alexhardline2208
      @alexhardline2208 4 года назад

      @@bikeybill that'd be a final smash. Marco (or any other playable Metal Slug character) has enough weapons.

    • @brycebitetti1402
      @brycebitetti1402 4 года назад +24

      @@TheRealBatabii Yeah, they ruined it by putting in their more recognizable character who is the mascot for their fighting games which is what SNK is mostly known for. What idiots.

    • @chronic939
      @chronic939 4 года назад +7

      @@brycebitetti1402 whining fools begone

    • @VideoGameAnimationStudy
      @VideoGameAnimationStudy  4 года назад

      @chronic - Haven't you already used that insult elsewhere in the comments?

  • @juanrodriguez9971
    @juanrodriguez9971 4 года назад +23

    I would LOVE a crossover game between Metal Slug and Cuphead, I mean, both are basically the same genre of videogame and also are mainly popular thanks to their beautiful and incredible art style, a videogame crossover where you constantly change between hyper detailed pixelart and old goofy boneless cartoons would be amazing to see.

  • @jdawgthethingod3212
    @jdawgthethingod3212 4 года назад +3

    I legit still play MS3 on my phone up until this day. I adore this game since first playing it at a local arcade.

  • @capoman1
    @capoman1 10 месяцев назад +2

    I think the first games where animation really drew me in as a kid was Prince of Persia, and the Earthworm Jim then Cool Spot (7up) and BattleToads. Very exaggerated animation... Another was where Sonic would animate if you just stood there, he'd start making "I'm bored" or "let's go" animations, and he'd animate like he was losing his balance when near an edge.

  • @david2618
    @david2618 4 года назад +4

    That giant crab had excellent animation.

  • @FireBomberBassist
    @FireBomberBassist 4 года назад +24

    That Dominion Tank Police inspiration in the tanks are my favorite thing. Great old anime.

  • @ruki25
    @ruki25 2 года назад +2

    That reload animation is on par with all those snappy john wick reloads you see online. Master-class work these guys did.

  • @theimperfectgod7140
    @theimperfectgod7140 4 года назад +5

    When the Metal slug fires it recoils its entire turret.

  • @shallowguy8417
    @shallowguy8417 2 года назад +3

    This game really appeals to me as a kid and I sometimes still play it because of the nostalgia. Besides its replayability, the design and animation were amazing, I'm always mesmerized with the bosses' design. I really love the Metal Slug too just like what you said it somehow makes you think that it's alive and how almost every part of it moves in every frame. This will be one of the best classic games, I wish that they would still release titles with the similar design.

  • @5x385
    @5x385 2 года назад +1

    i remember playing a metal slug mod for cortex command when i was a kid and being blown away pixels could look detailed, that was my first introduction to the games' look and it'll stick

  • @Devilsblood
    @Devilsblood 4 года назад +7

    The metal slug series are an absolute work of art.

  • @apocalypse930
    @apocalypse930 4 года назад +11

    This is half of the reason why Irem is my favourite game company. Yes, Irem. I don't mean SNK.
    The other half is their weird sense of dark humor.

  • @SimplyDad
    @SimplyDad 4 года назад +7

    missed your videos! good to have you back, loving the video so far.

  • @bigdude1384
    @bigdude1384 3 года назад +2

    In my opinion the best pixel art i ever see is :
    - Metal slug series
    - Mo astray
    - Carrion

  • @dutchy5406
    @dutchy5406 4 года назад

    One of my favorite series ever, and the animation and pixel alone is what caught my interest in the series. Awesome vid :)

  • @dave14647
    @dave14647 4 года назад +4

    I forgot how beautiful the animation of Metal Slug is.
    I really appreciate the game now than back then when i was a kid

  • @IlSharmouta
    @IlSharmouta 4 года назад +5

    In games, I personally don't like too much bobbing in running animations. I like that in this game, their body and head are completely still, vertically, so when you move side to side it's very easy to keep track of.
    Even if the legs flailing in the air look really silly

  • @Bloxed
    @Bloxed 4 года назад +23

    I am such a big fan of Metal Slug. I actually beat Metal Slug X in August. Great video! =)

    • @VideoGameAnimationStudy
      @VideoGameAnimationStudy  4 года назад +3

      Thanks!
      Yeah I've been playing the collection on PS4 for research and forgot how much I loved it!

    • @Bloxed
      @Bloxed 4 года назад +1

      @@VideoGameAnimationStudy It's always a blast of epic proportions whenever someone returns to this series. Personally, I had modded the game on to a PS1 Classic. I need to get those games for the Switch.

    • @RigbyIsTheMan
      @RigbyIsTheMan 4 года назад

      @@VideoGameAnimationStudy isn't there an input delay on that port?

    • @VideoGameAnimationStudy
      @VideoGameAnimationStudy  4 года назад

      Sssssort of.
      It's not too detrimental, though.

  • @aaronjecevicus3843
    @aaronjecevicus3843 4 года назад +5

    In terms of graphics from early arcade games from late 1980s through early 2000s, SNK definitely has a lot more heart and soul with its game franchises. One of the biggest one being the king of fighters series. So many Easter eggs, so much going on with the character dialogues especially facing your rival(kyo kusanagi vs. Iori yagami, Terry bogard vs geese Howard, etc) SO much detail with the stages! Weather it's the climate changing, people passing by, and ofcourse seeing our beloved characters from other snk games in the background watching the beatdowns take place was a nostalgic and iconic treat, SNK Never disappointed me till China took over and are now whoring out our iconic characters to company's like Namco. Never in my years of playing old school arcade games have I ever seen so much going on in one game franchise. Its the little things that make snk stand far away from capcom. Street fighter is amazing. But sadly doesn't hold a candle to SNKs nostalgia. Also snk has an ENORMOUS list of fighting games where capcom had only Street fighter, darkstalkers, the early marvel fighting games, besides marvel vs capcom and the almighty capcom vs snk. Which capcom had the animation rights to CVS 1 and 2. So there went all our Easter eggs. And we looked at our KOF fighters with a somewhat less pixleated animation. Then snk made CVS chaos which had fucking violent ken in it besides shin akuma and our Easter eggs were retrieved being that snk has the animation rights to that one. I'm an old school retro game junkie. Snk is a religion besides being one of the GOATS of the arcade era. RIP old snk. Them damn mongorions a take over my a shitysnk. Lol

  • @danielhale1
    @danielhale1 3 года назад +1

    One of my favorite memories from Metal Slug X was fighting a battleship that was literally dropping tanks on me. Each tank would lurch over the edge, fire once, and then fall to the ground and explode, because the enemy is so desperate to stop me they're throwing all their weapons at me as fast as they can in any way they can, and dropping a tank on my head is as good as anything.
    That wonderfully represents the fantastic over-the-top opulence of the Metal Slug series and I love it.

  • @haru9666
    @haru9666 4 года назад +1

    thank you for making this video, i always appreciate when someone makes a video about this game series, since even if metal slug is such an iconic series not that much people talk about it

    • @VideoGameAnimationStudy
      @VideoGameAnimationStudy  4 года назад +1

      Thank you for taking the time to watch it!

    • @haru9666
      @haru9666 4 года назад

      you're welcome, you make high quality content

  • @TheBandoBandito
    @TheBandoBandito 2 года назад +1

    I'm looking forward to seeing more from the channel. Subscribed.

  • @PersephonevanderWaard
    @PersephonevanderWaard 4 года назад +4

    One of my favorite videogame series, animation-wise! Can't wait to sit down and watch this. :)

  • @pheenmachine
    @pheenmachine 3 года назад +1

    The trick used on the boss animations was used in Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium as well it helped give the game un precedented animations at a relatively low resource cost

  • @thrillhouse_vanhouten
    @thrillhouse_vanhouten 4 года назад +1

    I could listen to you point things out in Metal Slug animations out all day. Hope to see more Metal Slug-centric vids in the future!

  • @ayrtonjoga
    @ayrtonjoga 2 года назад +1

    Now I hope someone makes a video about Metal Slug's soundtrack, they are gold

  • @zenadvent8122
    @zenadvent8122 4 года назад +2

    First I seen a video Metal Slug: The Complete History - SGR by
    Daniel Ibbertson, which is a sight to see a complete review of the series. So it is quite a joy to see this video talking about the sprite animations done in the game, you hit the nail man. The way the game was before after looking it now, really was way ahead of it's time on how much sprite animation and detail it have going on the game. Great video man.

  • @sufficientframe
    @sufficientframe 2 года назад +3

    10:00 - Okay, but I found Marco surprisingly good-looking in that game... and the voice he had? Pure honey to my ears.

  • @CrokeyHigati
    @CrokeyHigati 4 года назад +1

    I always wait till the end to hear the end "loveyoubye". There could be a whole series on the animation in this series. I love hi bit pixel art so much, I hope to have it my games one day. Thanks for sharing your favorite bits of Metal Slug Dan!

  • @MadsterV
    @MadsterV Год назад

    6:42 my eyes, it burns! that uneven scaling with shifting compressed uneven scanlines!!

  • @robinpayapag861
    @robinpayapag861 4 года назад +2

    In the Mobile ver of MS they take explosion off the charts
    The spider one is called Dragon Nosuke

  • @FOXDUDETV
    @FOXDUDETV 4 года назад +19

    Pixel art will never have this sort of quality again and even if it did, I'd still prefer hand drawn HD sprites. If SNK ever remakes the Metal Slug Series with HD sprites and backgrounds, those would probably be the best looking 2D games ever made. At the very least, rivaling Vanillaware.

    • @plasticflower
      @plasticflower 4 года назад +3

      I like Vanillaware sprites as well, but what I think seperates MetalSlug or titles like SF3 from Vanillaware is, that that Vanillaware often uses software to deform a sprite to create animation, as opposed to redrawing every frame. It's more cost effective, but the animation also looks more artificial, even if (or especially if) it is very smooth.

    • @TJ-ck3fp
      @TJ-ck3fp 4 года назад +4

      I disagree that pixel art will never have this quality again. HD sprites can look amazing (Cuphead, Wario Shake It) but pixel art has it's own charm and will likely co-exist alongside HD art for a long time, if not forever. We're seeing a resurgence of pixel art games and it's only a matter of time before artists push the boundaries again. Actually it's already happening.

    • @FOXDUDETV
      @FOXDUDETV 4 года назад +3

      @@TJ-ck3fp But indie studios use pixel art nowadays mostly to save time and money and pixel art at the level of quality of the Metal Slug series takes a lot of time and money. Owl Boy took ages to develop and it doesn't even come close.

    • @TJ-ck3fp
      @TJ-ck3fp 4 года назад +1

      @@FOXDUDETV Yeah that's good point, I see where you're coming from. But this is only the beginning of the resurgence. Owlboy isn't a great example, because I'm pretty sure that game was not being worked on full time for the 9 years(I think?) it took to develop. Noitu Love 2 was made by one guy in about 10 months or so if I remember correctly. Now, NL2 might not be Metal Slug quality, but bear in mind it was made by one guy who had to do the game design and music himself too, it would seem reasonable that a small team could do something similar to Metal Slug in a few years given enough time and money. After all, we eventually got the beautiful graphics of Cuphead, which were probably even more painstaking to create than the Metal Slug animations were. Give it another 10 years or so and I bet we'll start seeing something similar to the level of Metal Slug again.

    • @FOXDUDETV
      @FOXDUDETV 4 года назад +1

      @@TJ-ck3fp But do we really want that instead of crisp high definition sprites? The only adjective people ever use to describe pixel art is "charming", And I believe people always use that word because they can't think of any other quality the medium of pixel art provides. After all, what is pixel art besides being just low resolution art? Have you ever seen the concept art for Moonlighter? It is also very charming, the only difference being that the concept art is HD and the final product is not. I believe that Moonlighter did itself a disservice by going for the pixelated look. The only pixel art game that I bought at full price in recent years was Dead Cells, because when I look at pixel art games, they just look cheap compared to games like Darkest Dungeon, Mark of The Ninja, Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap and the upcoming Streets of Rage 4.

  • @calibulaminus4778
    @calibulaminus4778 11 месяцев назад +1

    considering that during the games creation procress, they had to rely on prototype hardware that once caught on fire due to overwork, you get an idea of how much effort when into it, (the reliance on prototype hardware stems from the sheer volume of work that was being done taking infinitely longer on the standard development hardware for the neo geo)

  • @WolfeScratch
    @WolfeScratch 4 года назад +1

    Amazing Break Down of one of my favorite games. This is the quality content I subbed for. Please keep up the great work!

  • @bestofmusicchannel
    @bestofmusicchannel 7 месяцев назад +1

    I dont think there are many action 2D scrollers that can really go next to Metal slug series. They stand out so much for a reason. The main series that is. One of my favorite arcade games hands down.

  • @tomservodoctor42
    @tomservodoctor42 4 года назад +1

    Thank you! I fuckin' love Metal Slug and you hit the nail on the head. One of the the things that sets the series apart is just how alive and energetic everything feels!

  • @moonsdonut5188
    @moonsdonut5188 4 года назад +2

    my friend i always wanted a video on metal slug animation but there was none until you came thank you as a student of grapich design this is like a chapter frome the bibile to me

  • @Icantpickaname12
    @Icantpickaname12 4 года назад +5

    Rebel soldiers i think have the most animation sprites in the metal slug games. They all look cool.

  • @cassiusgaio9524
    @cassiusgaio9524 Год назад +1

    I never knew why I always loved Metal Slug. Amazing video dude. Got a new subscriber for sure.

  • @luminousepoque8666
    @luminousepoque8666 4 года назад +1

    This popped up in my youtube recommendations out ot the blue and, boi, I'm so satisfied.
    Awesome video.

  • @Lukeormaybenath
    @Lukeormaybenath 4 года назад

    Your channel is one of the true reasons why I really enjoy creative content :) thank you for doing such a great work on analysis

  • @ty_sylicus
    @ty_sylicus 4 года назад +1

    I'll never forget finding a Metal Slug arcade cabinet in the wild as a boy. The fluid animation and sound effects really left an impression on me. I hadn't been exposed to that level of 2D polish before. I've been a fan of the series ever since.

  • @redalchemy7322
    @redalchemy7322 4 года назад +2

    Excellent video!
    The design of the MS Tank 001 was brilliant in terms of making it cute but cool. Its body which consists of the treads and base make up roughly 1/2 of the character making it chibi when you consider the Turret . The Turret acts like a head with the hydraulics acting like neck muscles. There is also its side "arms" that get blown off as you take damage that sort of flail around in the direction you move in. So you can imagine it as a chibi character that belches out tank rounds and has flailing machine gun arms.
    Its absurd and I love it

  • @Sebass2021
    @Sebass2021 4 года назад

    I saw the title and immediately clicked. Did not disappoint! Thank you!
    Brb, going to find a Metal Slug 2 arcade cab in my city.

  • @yurirafa3679
    @yurirafa3679 2 года назад +1

    Only discovered this video after 2 years, but thank you. For years I would think about it this especially on metal slug 3, on the second mission with the zombies. Thank you

  • @user-zo9dc1lu3q
    @user-zo9dc1lu3q 4 года назад +4

    Great video !
    I have the Metal Slug Anthology + Metal Slug Double X for the PSP and i LOVE IT !!!

  • @user-fy1nq3nf1q
    @user-fy1nq3nf1q 4 года назад +1

    Gee, I never thought I'd see a video on this. About time!

  • @NeoDeltaMedia
    @NeoDeltaMedia Год назад +1

    God, I love Metal Slug. It's been a connection between myself and others that could only be experienced through an arcade machine. "Just pop in a quarter and play with me, bro!"

  • @destructive_thoughts_
    @destructive_thoughts_ 2 года назад +1

    Metal Slug has to be my favorite gamming franchise ever. And most of the charm relies on how well animated it is, the Nazca team really knew what they were doing.

  • @_G.C
    @_G.C 10 месяцев назад

    I've always enjoyed that most bosses in this series seem to pop out dozens of weapons out of nowhere.

  • @heardofrvb
    @heardofrvb 2 года назад +1

    It's a miracle the games even run on a Neo Geo.
    Heck, I heard in an interview that the machine caught fire during the first game's location test.

    • @implord4197
      @implord4197 Год назад +1

      There's a reason why Metal Slug 1 and 2 Lagged/slowed down to hell and back on the arcade machines. They were REALLY pushing that processing power to its limits.

  • @fireaza
    @fireaza 4 года назад +9

    FYI, I once heard that the game gets it's name from the slug-like movements of the metal slug tanks!

    • @plhector
      @plhector 3 года назад

      I think metal slug is another name for bullets. Not too sure, though.

    • @pretzel6629
      @pretzel6629 11 месяцев назад

      Yeah I always thought Slug like a shotgun slug

  • @MrSmashySmash
    @MrSmashySmash 4 года назад +2

    I find it neat that Metal Slug is finally getting some attention again.

  • @somerandombub
    @somerandombub 4 года назад +1

    I believe the run animations on the player sprites are a bit stiff due to the way they divided the character into two separate pieces, legs and upper body, which are then combined at runtime.
    By dividing the character this way, it can perform actions such as shooting or reloading, while standing or walking, without multiplying the amount of unique animations they had to create. But the side effect is that it became a little bit more limited and static in terms of bobbing and moving in order to keep the halves convincingly connected.

  • @bigsmoke9209
    @bigsmoke9209 3 года назад +1

    This guya doing pixel art for like 30 years, metal slug and Kof are their masterpieces

  • @VilaToro64
    @VilaToro64 4 года назад +1

    The background art was out of this world for a arcade game hands down my All time favorite video game ever

  • @broodypie2216
    @broodypie2216 4 года назад +1

    The way mordens machines change and new things pop out was always so badass

  • @Tur713
    @Tur713 4 года назад

    This was great! Love the game series and love your videos! Keep it up!

  • @stonetic2515
    @stonetic2515 4 года назад +1

    If you love Metal Slug, be sure to check out the old Irem arcade games made by the same staff. In The Hunt and Undercover Cops are two of my favorites, they have the same great pixel animation. You can play them with MAME.