Astonishingly beautiful in it's fluid animations and wonderfully exaggerated backdrops, this classic's presentation rightfully has left it's mark on everyone who played it. By the end of the game, the difficulty winds up becoming that particular bullshit you'd expect from an arcade game, but it's highly responsive controls and extremely entertaining selection of weapons and powerups are never at fault. In particular, the eponymous Metal Slug is a novel and welcome relief from the chaos, with it's three hit points and superior firepower!
The perfect little game to do a few laps in between larger titles. Going to try and, if not 1CC, as few as humanly possible..