Metal Slug 5 (2003). Play online

Summary

The most recent Carriage onto Neo Geo’s arcade board still delivers the beloved side‑scrolling shoot‑'em‑up with enough new tricks to feel fresh. Jumping behind the helm of any of the four veterans—Marco, Tarma, Eri or Fio—I blaze through five varied missions packed with classic enemy hordes. The title’s biggest gameplay upgrades let you wield two weapons simultaneously and slide while firing, keeping the action fluid. Vehicles evolve, too: the undersea ‘Slug Mariker’ (sp?) and skybound ‘Slug Flyer’, plus the brand‑new walker 'Slug Gunner', let you switch gears mid‑run. Two‑player co‑op remains tight, and the menu tracks cleared stages so you can jump back into any level on a whim. Overall, Mobile: new hardware feels like an natural evolution of the series without losing its frantic charm.

Storyline

Metal Slug 5 opens a year after the events of its predecessor when a data disk containing the next‑generation Metal Slug secrets is stolen from a laboratory. The theft is blamed on the shadowy Ptolemaic Army, a paramilitary group that mixes archaeological digs with espionage. Marco and Tarma of the Peregrine Falcon Strike Force are dispatched to recover the disc, while Eri and Fio of SPARROWS join the chase.

The quartet tracks the thieves to an ancient ruin dubbed the "Corridor of Fire," where native forces and massive Metal Slug prototypes block their advance. A second, elite assault is launched, combining PF Squad and additional SPARROWS members to reclaim the secrets and crush the Ptolemaic threat.

In the final showdown the Ptolemaic Army summons a giant demon, a masked commander’s ultimate weapon. After a fierce battle the heroes defeat the beast, forcing it to retreat from Earth and ending the army’s dark scheme.