Although now easily available thanks to several mainstream re-releases, Metal Slug has long been a focal point for the hardcore. Developed at a time when 3D was usurping sprites both in arcades and at home, it showcased what was still possible with 2D. It was also developed for SNK's Neo Geo hardware, which epitomised rich and cool. Even when ported elsewhere, such as to Sega's Saturn, it required an additional RAM cartridge to function, reinforcing the fact that it was special. Whether in arcades or as a console port, Metal Slug is something that today remains aesthetically and functionally beautiful.
Yet for a long time we didn't really know who made it. While Metal Slug has become synonymous with SNK, it was actually developed by the mysterious Nazca Corporation, an offshoot of Irem that was later absorbed into SNK, and a company that many know little about. It's also hard to even get interviews via SNK Playmore, as many of the original developers no longer work there.Further complicating things is that the original series is credited only to a series of mysterious pseudonyms: Kawai, MeeHer, Akio, Susumu, Cannon/Max-D, Tomo, Kuichin, Andy, Seeker and Hamachan. Also, with the exception of a transcript in the Metal Slug Anthology release and a surreal Q&A with MeeHer on Metal Slug Database (mslugdb.com), there don't appear to be any interviews with the team – at least not in English.
