METAL SLUG 2
METAL SLUG 2
Game
Game2014
METAL SLUG X
Developer SNK CORPORATION, Dotemu
Metal Slug 2 is a 1998 run and gun video game developed and published by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home platforms. It is the second installment in the Metal Slug series and the first to not be developed by Nazca Corporation, who developed the 1996 game Metal Slug, as they were acquired and absorbed into SNK. The original version of the game had extensive slowdown and performance issues, eventually leading SNK… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
224 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
76
LovedLoved
120 positive · 37 negative
95% range 69–82%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 120 | 37 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 34 | 2 | 25 |
| Lemmy * | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Mastodon * | 1 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
1,065 of 1,253 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
78% recommend · 130 yes, 36 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 166 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (3,525 of 4,018 positive).
Players praise Metal Slug X as a superior version of Metal Slug 2, fixing slowdown and adding new features. [1][2][3] Some reviewers complain about poor PC port quality, with lag and multiplayer issues. [4][5][6] Many find the game fun and challenging, with great pixel art and music. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [4]
How 2 play with ur frens (WORKING 2069): - do NOT use Steam's built in invite cause it will crash Player 2's game - Have the host make a lobby - Find it in the server list - Join - DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, TOUCH THE KEYBOARD AS THE HOST. LET PLAYER 2 PICK THEIR CHARACTER FIRST. OTHERWISE IT WILL CRASH PLAYER 2'S GAME. With that out of the way, this is unaceptable and the constant freezes kinda suck the fun …
- [1]
Metal Slug X is an overworked Version of Metal Slug 2. It gets rid of all the slowdown that plagued the original PC release and reworks some minor aspects of the game. The lightning of stages has been altered and in some stages the time of day changed. If you only want to get one version of the game on PC, this is definitely the one to get. The original Metal Slug 2 is a slowdown-fest on PC, while this version works …
- [9]
Extremely Recommended. 10/10* The art style is amazing, gorgeous pixel art, awesome character design, the music is fantastic, the controls and game mechanics are simple but top notch, the animations are incredible even for random npcs, lot of easter eggs, lot of hidden stuff. I though that this was the same as metal slug 1 but better, but no, accordingly to wikipedia its metal slug 2 but using metal slug 3 engine. …
- [2]
A superior version of Metal Slug 2. There's no reason to buy that game, especially since this one features Steam trading cards and points shop items.
- [3]
I'm not that attached to Metal Slug X, but what can I say... the "new features" are: it has day, night and dusk phases. A new weapon called Iron Lizard that shoots small missiles with wheels... and another weapon called Enemy Chaser, which launches chase missiles. on consoles there was a new mode called Another Story... the characters were all repositioned, and the music was reworked and remixed too! In the end... …
Summarised from 34 of the 227 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 10, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
78% of the 166 Steam reviewers we collected recommend METAL SLUG X. The complaint that keeps coming up: poor PC port with lag and bugs. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Upon their initial appearance, both Metal Slug 2 and Metal Slug X received generally positive reviews. Many of the subsequent ports and re-releases have received mixed reviews. For example, the iOS version of Metal Slug 2 holds an aggregate score of 77% on GameRankings, based on 5 reviews, and 76 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 6 reviews. The exhibition of Metal Slug 2 at the February 1998 AOU Show made a significant impact, with Sega Saturn Magazine reporting that "SNK proudly displayed what many felt was the game of the show - Metal Slug 2. Huge crowds gathered around the stand to take a look at one of the greatest sprite-based games they'd ever seen." When Metal Slug 2 was released on…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 224 · most liked firstBoth games have enough differences (as well as positive similarities) in level design and feel/vibe to warrant buying/playing them both if you like this genre of game and it really is more down to what frame of mind you’re in to which particular one you feel like playing. They are such enjoyable, well designed games to play it’s hard to say which is better. I do suggest you get both but I guess if I had a Heavy Machine Gun pressed to my head and I had to choose only one then Metal Slug 3 might…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I can't tell you how much i love that the key art for hyper action game Metal Slug X depicts a tender moment where the team finds a mouse nest in the barrel of their tank
positive · AI labelView post →Love this box art for Metal Slug X, really tells you what the game is all about
positive · AI labelView post →Fun-short-beautiful But i'm still searching for the slug made of metal https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3363012207
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A remake of Metal Slug 2 and the only Metal Slug title on Steam that is fully compatible with the Steam Deck.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Post a game you remember playing that nobody else remembers @rilem.nl’s gift to the entire world. Untitled Goose Game x Mega Man x Metal Slug x Contra x Bucky O’Hare. MONEY!!!!!!!
neutral · AI labelView post →How 2 play with ur frens (WORKING 2069): - do NOT use Steam's built in invite cause it will crash Player 2's game - Have the host make a lobby - Find it in the server list - Join - DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, TOUCH THE KEYBOARD AS THE HOST. LET PLAYER 2 PICK THEIR CHARACTER FIRST. OTHERWISE IT WILL CRASH PLAYER 2'S GAME. With that out of the way, this is unaceptable and the constant freezes kinda suck the fun out of this classic.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My mom beat this game with her eyes closed. She would only open them to stare me directly in the eyes adjacent to the screen. After beating the game she said "Man that was easy was this a baby game or something?" "This was probably one of the easiest games of my life".
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Metal Slug X is maybe the least fatphobic game of all time because there is a power up where you eat too much food and get fat but it has no meaningful downside, all your bullets become crazy powerful and huge, and when you get it the announcer gets hype and yells www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj_Y...
positive · AI labelView post →I do not recommend this game. DotEmu doesn't know how to port a game properly. This game has been out for so many, many years, yet they didn't have the decency to fix bugs that completely ruin the experience. No matter how good your PC is, it will always, always lag whenever there's a lot of action on screen. The multiplayer is awful, both local and online. In local co-op, the game doesn't recognize two controllers/joysticks, making Remote Play Together an absolute nightmare. I ended up buying…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have very mixed feelings about this port. While it is great to finally have a decent port available to pc, I think the PSX version is way better than this one. The PSX version had better art for the mission select screen, had the military bootcamp with extra missions and it included concept art for the game (with the soundtrack). I can't believe a 2001 port is better than one made 13 years later. Hell, playing a bootleg version with an arcade emulator gives you a better experience (no…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Dig & I did runs of Bubble Bobble & Contra & TMNT & Metal Slug X hell yeah hell yeah. (apparently you can't let Bub & Bob game over at the same time) I wanna play w more oomfs in the future!
positive · AI labelView post →Oooh I can now mention this! I'll be playing Metal Slug X at ~4:30 ET. This'll be the first time I played a Metal Slug game on the GDQ channel in 12 years. I'm super stoked that I'm finally getting the opportunity to play such a fun speedgame again!
positive · AI labelView post →Unfamiliar with the device, but here's some from the top of my head and from my experience that seem less on the masochist side: Neo Geo: Metal Slug X, 3 and 5, I'd say. SNES: Final Fantasy VI Mega Drive: Tanglewood (and yes, it's an actually modern game) GBC/GBA: maybe Shantae? It feels in an odd spot between arcade difficulty and streamlined/story-oriented difficulty. Apple IIGS & Macintosh Classic: the MacVenture series. NES: Nyx: The Paradox Relic (also modern game)
neutral · AI labelView post →The game itself is gem. But its very badly ported to PC and Steam. Game was even more playable on ancient PS1. Because of poor emulator, that drops fps on every AI populated locations, this game version is unenjoyable... If you want to play somehow and see minimum freezes, run game in window mode with 600x800 resolution..
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →👁️👁️SOON👁️👁️ The first game of the Arcade-a-thon will soon begin with Metal Slug X!!!! Joined by @emthirty.bsky.social. Starting at 6PM CST. Hope to see you then!!!! Link in thread.
neutral · AI labelView post →Four Video Games from my childhood that defined my taste in gaming Crash 3 was my vey first Crash bandicoot Game Tekken 3, I always let my Uncle battle True Ogre as he gives me nightmares at that time. Metal Slug x on the PS1 really fun! Crash team Racing, Played this for hours! :D
positive · AI labelView post →It gets really nutty in the back half of the game (Metal Slug X) 🔗below #RetroGaming #SNK #NeoGeo
positive · AI labelView post →Dotemu saw how bad the port of the first game was and thought "we can do worse". And they f*cking did.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →SNK is owned by the piece of garbage Mohammed bin Salman, so if you buy this game, your money goes to funding human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia the game is fine, it's about 3.5 roentgen
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I actually followed the PlayStation for a good long time - Metal Slug X was the last game I bought as a new release in 2003, well after I'd got the Dreamcast and GameCube. I did pick up the final issue of OPM when that came out in early 2004, too. So much I'm skipping over too. What a great console.
positive · AI labelView post →Metal Slug X is an overworked Version of Metal Slug 2. It gets rid of all the slowdown that plagued the original PC release and reworks some minor aspects of the game. The lightning of stages has been altered and in some stages the time of day changed. If you only want to get one version of the game on PC, this is definitely the one to get. The original Metal Slug 2 is a slowdown-fest on PC, while this version works much better. The game itself is great fun and in my opinion equally good as…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →SKATE 3 is a BAD GAME SO IM PLAYING METAL SLUG X NOW www.twitch.tv/sukurimi
positive · AI labelView post →🟡 Metal Slug X (1999, Neo Geo) 🟢 REVIEW: SNK revitalised Metal Slug 2, fixing crippling slow-down issues whilst introducing new weapons, new enemies and a host of tweaks. I recap Metal Slug's finest hour, and arguably the Neo Geo's best game. 😊👇 #gaming #snk 🔴 www.thepixelempire.net/metal-slug-x...
neutral · AI labelView post →Like any other console, it had its hits and duds. Not every game can be SamSho2 or Fatal Fury Special or Metal Slug X.
neutral · AI labelView post →A very poor port plagued with eating your inputs and stuttering/lag not present in other emulations. I'll be looking to try the ACA ports on the Microsoft Store instead.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Neo Geo Metal Slug games were extremely fun to play side by side with a friend. Just note Metal Slug 2 has lag problems due to the engine used, but it was later ported to MS3's engine as Metal Slug X. Also, most versions of the games on PC come with the ROMs, if you'd rather use your own emulator. Another set of games we also enjoyed a lot were the River City Girls games. Just had to use health cheats on the SNES game repurposed because it was getting too hard for the time we had. "<.<
neutral · AI labelView post →A superior version of Metal Slug 2. There's no reason to buy that game, especially since this one features Steam trading cards and points shop items.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Metal Slug X this is a repost i know but i gotta watch my language this game lets me take down fascists this is awesome nazis should always be dealt with violently
positive · AI labelView post →today's arcade game: METAL SLUG 2 that's right, it's the second game of the series you DIDN'T see in your local grocery store all the time growing up -- you're thinking of Metal Slug X. this one's also real good though playin' it at twitch.tv/anderjak soon
neutral · AI labelView post →>"It is believed that the main reason for SNK developing Metal Slug X was that Metal Slug 2 had issues with severe slowdown during several stages of gameplay. This issue is non-existent in Metal Slug X. " This port has worse slowdowns than Metal Slug 2.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Metal Slug X feels like a faster and tougher version of the first game. The quicker pace makes fights more intense, especially when the screen fills with enemies. It’s a solid pick if you want a more challenging Metal Slug experience.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's Metal Slug and it's running great on steamdeck. If its too difficult for you even tho you can put it on easy; take your kiddy ass back to roblox
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm not that attached to Metal Slug X, but what can I say... the "new features" are: it has day, night and dusk phases. A new weapon called Iron Lizard that shoots small missiles with wheels... and another weapon called Enemy Chaser, which launches chase missiles. on consoles there was a new mode called Another Story... the characters were all repositioned, and the music was reworked and remixed too! In the end... Metal Slug X is the "Metal Slug 2 remade" so meh... I still prefer my…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I mean, it's a good game and it can be fun, but just like the first METAL SLUG, it's a bad version of the game and it has the same problems. So, since they never bothered to fix it since 2014, I won't bother recommending it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i have a 4070 rtx idk how its lagging but it is
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Easily one of the best in the series This takes me back Doing this for hours alone or with a friend / family member is a blast So addictive and the soundtrack is also a banger Damn Love it
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The emulator lags all the time, fps drops to what feels like 10 and the game looks terrible with the filter on.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Update: Stream has been reset! Going to vote for a horror game and then after we play Metal Slug X and Marvel Rivals for the first time! (I'm going to regret putting Marvel Rivals as a goal for this celebration... TTwTT ) ✧ #furrylive ✧ #furry ✧ #streamer ✧ #vtuber ✧ 🔗 twitch.tv/hirocorgi 🔗
neutral · AI labelView post →drop anthology on steam where are the rest?? 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What was fun in childhood feels rather ordinary now. Perhaps this is what they call the nostalgia filter.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Extremely Recommended. 10/10* The art style is amazing, gorgeous pixel art, awesome character design, the music is fantastic, the controls and game mechanics are simple but top notch, the animations are incredible even for random npcs, lot of easter eggs, lot of hidden stuff. I though that this was the same as metal slug 1 but better, but no, accordingly to wikipedia its metal slug 2 but using metal slug 3 engine. Still, for me, this has to be the best metal slug of all. Has easy to get…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →what a fun game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My recommendations: - Anodyne ([Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=air.Anodyne.mobile) | [Humble Bundle](https://www.humblebundle.com/store/anodyne) | [Humble Widgets](https://www.humblebundle.com/widget/v2/standalone/anodyne/Sndn9sjSnlz)) - Chloe Playtime ([Amazon Appstore](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09QBZ3D6R) | [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rmstudios.chloee)) - Codemancer…
neutral · AI labelView post →purchased a pirated copy 20 years ago, here to pay now
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →13. Metal Slug X I know MS3 is the more popular one, but this one is my personal fave. I liked to play it with my dad and cousins on our chipped PS1. I know I sound so predictable now, but the artwork, music and pixel art are so damn good. SNK was the best at it, IMO.
positive · AI labelView post →You are given three arcade games and one pinball machine to put in your home. What are they? Tempest (those vector games look amazing on the real cabinets) Metal Slug X (which I guess is just a Neo Geo cab) Time Crisis II (Maybe the best light gun game) Black Knight 2000 (An obvious pick imo)
neutral · AI labelView post →🕹️ Gameplay: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📖 Story: ⭐⭐ 🎨 Visuals: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🎵 Music: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🔄 Replayability: ⭐⭐ ❤️ Enjoyment: ⭐⭐⭐ Metal Slug X is another solid entry in the series. The gameplay is fast, chaotic and enjoyable, with the same creative enemies, expressive character designs and iconic 90s pixel-art style that make the series so memorable. The soundtrack is also packed with energetic tracks that fit the action well. However, I found Metal Slug X somewhat underwhelming, especially after the grandiose finale…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This version seems...inferior.. to the other versions of this game I have played. I love this game, but something about this feels cut-off. And believe it or not, censored. Well, it a shame the other many versions are not available. STEAM DECK WORTHY. To those that really need to know.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just like all of the other metal slug games on steam this one is so poorly emulated its not worth buying. Also im like 99% sure the steam page for this game was AI generated lmfao
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Played up to Metal Slug 5 from the franchise (incl. Metal Slug X), and all were pretty good, specially if playing with a friend. Also all of those you can find digitally officially nowadays. Other than those, only played The King of Fighters 2002, which was fine.
positive · AI labelView post →Is short is fun is metal slug
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Played Metal Slug X yesterday with my gf watching and it was so fucking fun. I have played that game thousands of times but moments like this just stick.
positive · AI labelView post →Classic , just as good as i played it when i was a kid 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A mixture of nice pure nostalgia and rush fun + the amazing soundtrack and sound effects as i remember it, been a huge fan since i was a kid.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I grew up with the PS1 port of Metal Slug X, a very demanding arcade game for its time. It would slow down constantly, but as a kid I saw that as "the console can't even handle this much goodness" 🤣 It is just as you said, both it and SotC offered enough to make me want to play them regardless 😌
positive · AI labelView post →This game reminds me the good old days. Still the same game, classic old game. I love it ! Good job to the developers for adding the leaderboard and multiplayer mode.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →More often than not, game sequels tend to be straight upgrades. Metal Slug X follows this trend - in terms of controls and the things you're doing, Metal Slug X is identical to the first – that means a lot of shooting, a lot of different vehicles, and many one-hit kills. This game shines in one key area which ends up making it a lot more fun than the first – variety. One world will see you turning into a mummy as you navigate a desert, the next will have you climbing across train cars that are…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →69 (Nice). Metal Slug X This game was at the local Cici's Pizza and was really the reason to go. We didn't call it "Fici's Pizza" for nothin'. Everything about this game is amazing. I put so many quarters into this but I don't think I ever passed the pyramid boss. #365games
positive · AI labelView post →This was the easiest Metal Slug I’ve ever completed
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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