SNK has told 4Gamer that its Metal Slug 30th Anniversary Project is not a one-year celebration but the start of a long-term franchise rebuild. Three staff, led by chief producer Naoto Abe, opened up about the new game's direction (home consoles and PC), behind-the-scenes development lore (the tank was originally the player character), and how they plan to turn a beloved arcade icon into SNK's number-one brand. Here is what overseas fans need to know.
Blaze Entertainment has confirmed that Evercade's NEOGEO support will continue into 2027, sharpening the contrast with PLAION's faithful-recreation NEOGEO AES+. With six games per cartridge at roughly $5 per title versus AES+ cartridges at $89.99 each, the two officially-licensed approaches to SNK's legendary console couldn't be more different — and Japanese media is calling it the 'Reiwa NEOGEO War.'
SNK has officially launched the Metal Slug 30th Anniversary Project, confirming a new game in development alongside a retrospective video that ends with the cryptic words 'Mission Reboot' and three vehicles silhouetted on a sand dune. We unpack what this return means for the beloved run-and-gun series, its arcade legacy, its global fanbase from Italy to Latin America, and the Reddit reactions already pouring in 18 years after Metal Slug 7.
