The final frontier of a legendary run and gun series

Wars & Conflicts · Published 9 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Metal Slug 7 represents a pivotal shift for a franchise defined by arcade perfection. As the seventh and final main entry, it broke long-standing traditions by bypassing the arcade entirely, trading physical cabinets for the handheld capabilities of the Nintendo DS while introducing high-tech temporal warfare.

Released in 2008, Metal Slug 7 served as the conclusion to the primary Metal Slug lineage developed by SNK Playmore. It marked a significant departure from the series' roots by becoming the first main title not to receive an arcade version. This transition to the Nintendo DS allowed for unique hardware integration, such as utilizing the touchscreen as a live map to help players navigate levels, locate power-ups, and rescue prisoners. The game features three distinct difficulty levels for players. It also introduces a specific homing electric weapon called the Thunder Shot. Toshikazu Tanaka composed the musical score for this entry.

General Morden is pursued by the Ikari Warriors, the SPARROWS, and the Peregrine Falcon Strike Force throughout a sprawling island landfill transformed into a military stronghold. The stakes are elevated by a sci-fi twist: a time portal opens, allowing high-tech soldiers from the future to join Morden's forces. This technological escalation culminates in a final confrontation over a lake of molten lava, where Morden attempts a getaway in a giant mechanical Kraken. The heroes eventually destroy the portal to stop Rebel Army supplies. After a long battle, they capture Morden before a Martian attack occurs. The final scene depicts the team chasing the villains into the sunset.

While the original DS release received mixed reviews from critics like Famitsu, the series saw a resurgence with the 2009 release of Metal Slug XX on the PlayStation Portable. This revised version expanded the experience by adding co-op multiplayer and downloadable content. Despite the mixed critical reception of the initial transition, the game remains a notable milestone in the evolution of 2D action gaming, eventually finding a home on modern platforms like the PlayStation 4 and Windows via Steam. The Xbox 360 version became backwards compatible on the Xbox One in 2015. The Steam release arrived in early 2019. Ignition Entertainment handled the North American launch in late 2008.

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