Ah, Metal Slug. One of the very best classic arcade shoot 'em up ("shmup") games of recent times. Your gallant soldier must battle his way through hordes of enemy soldiers, tanks, zombies, Egyptian mummies, aliens, and more.
But our hero can't do this without some hardware. Every soldier has to have some weapons, preferably large and (optionally) making a satisfyingly loud noise. The Metal Slug series doesn't disappoint. Presenting the tools of the trade:
Standard Weapons
Pistol: The standard gun, equipped from the start. Infinate ammo, and powerful enough to fell your standard enemy infantry, but not effective against much else.
Combat knife: For when you desire the personal touch. This is used when at close quarters with an enemy. Standard issue, like the pistol.
Heavy Machine Gun: The first 'proper' gun. Fires short bursts of fire, each as powerful as a pistol shot. Much button-mashing ensues for volleys of high-speed death. Dakka dakka!
Flame Shot: The anti-infantry king. Fires a short burst of fire capable of killing three enemy infantry at a time, if you're lucky, plus much more effective than the pistol at destroying vehicles.
Shotgun: The most powerful gun in the game. Hands down. Literally blows enemy soldiers off the screen, will take out just about anything else in not more than three shots (save bosses). Crippled by a tiny ammo capacity, but a heck of a lot of fun.
Rocket Launcher: One of the better anti-tank weapons, complete with mild homing tendancies. You can fire two at a time, so be prepared to wear out your fire button.
Enemy Chaser: The true homing missile. Can fire much faster than the standard Rocket Launcher, too, meaning full on-screen carnage awaits. A lot of fun.
Lasergun: Zzap! Capable of frying multiple targets at once, simply perfect for when you've got a whole screen of enemies to deal with. Low ammo capacity but fun while it lasts.
Drop Shot: A bouncing bullet! This odd gun fires blob-like shots that bounce across the screen. Inaccurate but handy for cowering enemies hidden behind cover.
Iron Lizard: Remote-controlled robotic lizards packed with explosives. If I have to explain further, this game is not for you.
Super Grenade: The RPG of the Metal Slug world, and I'm not talking about role-playing games. A loud whoosh and a loud bang soon after.
With the exception of the pistol and knife, all the above weapons can be found as 'super' weapons. They are found in the same way as standard, but their pickup icon will feature a growing and shrinking letter. Trust me, you'll know it when you see it.
Grenades
Grenade: You start with ten of these, but more can be found throughout the levels. They'll be your anti-tank weapons of choice early on, and are great for infantry too.
Fire Grenade: Mummy-killing-madness! Lob one towards the enemy and watch 'em burn.
The Metal Slug Itself
Machine Gun: Like the Heavy Machine Gun, only with unlimited ammo and mounted on a tank.
Cannon: Better than a grenade, but with a similar range, and perfect for blowing enemy tanks into little pieces.
Grenade: Crouch while in the Metal Slug, and you can chuck grenades instead of firing the cannon. Useful for close quarters combat. Mmm.
Armour Piercer: Unlike the standard cannon shot, this travels in a straight line at very high speed. Massive anti-tank damage.
Kamikaze!: Use the tank as a weapon. Jump out of the tank and let it sail towards your enemy, exploding with a satisfying boom.