Metal Slug 2

Metal Slug 2 for PSP brings SNK’s 1998 Neo Geo run-and-gun sequel to PlayStation Portable through the NEOGEO Station line. Developed and published by SNK, it continues the fast, hand-drawn 2D action of the original Metal Slug with a larger squad, stranger battlefields, and a broader selection of weapons and vehicles. The PSP release preserves the arcade game’s compact mission structure: one or two players advance from left to right, shooting through enemy formations, rescuing prisoners, and reaching an oversized boss at the end of each operation.

The campaign returns Regular Army soldiers Marco Rossi and Tarma Roving to the fight against General Morden and his Rebel Army. Metal Slug 2 also introduces Eri Kasamoto and Fiolina “Fio” Germi as selectable combatants, doubling the roster without changing the essential controls. Players can run, jump, fire in several directions, throw grenades, and use close-range attacks when enemies get too near. A basic handgun is only the beginning; freed POWs and item drops can provide weapons such as heavy machine guns, shotguns, rocket launchers, laser guns, and flamethrowers, each changing the rhythm and reach of an encounter.

Every mission rewards alert movement as much as constant fire. Enemy soldiers arrive on foot, in armored vehicles, from the air, and from unexpected corners of the scenery, while destructible objects may expose supplies, captives, or further threats. Rescuing prisoners is valuable both for the weapons and items they offer during play and for the score bonus counted at a mission’s end. The series’ signature SV-001 Metal Slug tank remains a major prize: its cannon and machine gun give the player much greater firepower, though the vehicle can still be destroyed and its driver forced back into the fray on foot.

Metal Slug 2 expands that formula with new rideable machines and transformation-based situations. Depending on the stage, players may take control of vehicles including the Camel Slug or Slugnoid, and environmental hazards can turn a soldier into a mummy or, after too much food, a heavier version of the character with altered attacks. These comic touches sit alongside a campaign that shifts from cities and deserts to ruins, waterways, and increasingly surreal confrontations. The game also introduces supporting figures such as Hyakutaro Ichimonji, a rescued prisoner who can assist in combat, and the wandering supply carrier Rumi Aikawa, whose pack can yield useful items.

The story begins after Morden’s apparent defeat in the first Metal Slug. When signs point to another coup, Marco, Tarma, Eri, and Fio are sent back into the conflict. The operation gradually reveals that Morden’s forces are entangled with an extraterrestrial threat, leading to a final stretch in which familiar rivalries give way to a fight for survival. That escalation is reflected in the game’s visual design: military caricature, animated machinery, and sudden science-fiction imagery share the screen with dense sprite work and slapstick enemy reactions.

For PSP players, Metal Slug 2 offers a portable version of one of the series’ defining arcade chapters. The original Neo Geo release is known for moments of slowdown when the screen becomes crowded, and SNK later issued Metal Slug X as a reworked version with altered enemy placement, items, weapons, and performance improvements. Metal Slug 2 remains distinct from that revision through its original mission layouts and balance. As the direct follow-up to Metal Slug and the predecessor to Metal Slug 3, it captures the series’ central appeal: short, demanding missions built around cooperative shooting, memorable vehicles, rescues, and a constant stream of animated battlefield surprises.