Metal Slug 3 continues the quest for absolute insanity - the scope of setpieces, enemies, transformations, weapons, and gameplay styles have all increased. It remains possibly the most gorgeous 2D pixel art game ever made, and the personality and animation is world-class. Like all Metal Slug games, it falls short on the ridiculous difficulty. I am glad I am emulating this and not pumping in actual quarters - the scope and ambition of Metal Slug 3 means that there's more bosses with non-telegraphed attacks, ludicrous numbers of projectiles on screen, and harder encounters. It's very clear that Cuphead got its inspiration here, including with the gameplay twist of occasionally becoming a top-down shmup. I am going to try to remember Metal Slug 3 for its ambition, presentation, and spectacle, and not its laughably steep difficulty.

In the deepest heart of Metal Slug 2 lies the DNA of every triple-A game: a bombastic sequel, full of setpieces and twists that create a rollercoaster ride of action, that strain against what the system can do. I can see the roots of games like Cuphead as well in the bullet hell bosses. As charming as the constant slowdown is, the rough framerate and terrible, quarter-sucking second half means that Metal Slug 2 lands a bit short for me compared to the first. Still, this game has some sauce, and it's clear that it was well-studied.