Metal Slug – “Main Theme from Metal Slug” (Takushi Hiyamuta, Jim)

Metal Slug is one of my favorite action games. It’s basically Contra on crack. The series features intense run-and-gun commando action through brilliantly illustrated environments full of slapstick comedy, surrealism, and over-the-top violence. Instead of running and shooting at you, some enemies will run in terror (a perfectly reasonable strategy when an insane-faced commando comes dropping in on you unexpectedly), giant fish hang from posts, and soldiers explode with copious amounts of gore. There is a wide range of weapons including the Metal Slug tank which takes on its own personality as it drives through the environment. Not only is the series hard as hell (which is why it’s great the console versions tend to give you infinite credits), but it’s also got a great soundtrack.  If you’re into any kind of action games, you need to go out and play this if you haven’t already! This is the “Main Theme” from the original game in the series (1996), which was released in the arcades and on the Neo Geo, an impressive cartridge-based system which was ultimately too expensive for its own good. Thankfully, you can get these games now for the PS2 and XBLA.

Metal Slug – “Main Theme from Metal Slug” (Takushi Hiyamuta, Jim)

The “Main Theme from Metal Slug” is probably the most recognizable track from the game. It is appears in several guises, particularly in the “End Title”. Heavy on martial instruments – drums, trumpets, and strings – this is the perfect action piece for a comedic military shooter. The orchestral theme is built around nineteen or so main notes that find themselves repeated multiple times to great bravado. The track begins with a drumroll as Marco and Tarma parachute into the jungles to begin their assault as pounding drums and trumpets blaring the main theme drive the player forward through the gruesome work of warfare. At 0:45, there is a nice flute that is added before becoming more intense at about 1:10. At 1:24, the song becomes more intense before breaking into a hipper drum beat that breaks into this crazy saxophone jazz section. As one of my friends exclaimed, “It’s like Kenny G goes to Saigon!” Which is, of course, perfectly fitting with the crazy action (it’s not called ‘Contra on crack’ for nothing!).

Metal Slug 3 featured a deep congo mix of the “Main Theme” entitled “Blue Water Fangs (The Island of Dr. Moreau)”

Metal Slug 3 – Light ‘Em Up (rem. Protricity)

Wednesday turns out to be Zombie Day, and you can help fight off the zombiepocalypse with flamethrower-wielding Marco and Tarma of the PFSF (zombies burn real good). Metal Slug 3‘s (2000) “Midnight Wandering” (Hiya!, Bero-ou, Hohi_Hohi, Q_Jiroo, Maitaro) plays in the second level when the soldiers come upon a crashed airplane that Morden’s stahlhelm-wearing soldiers had been conducting zombie experiments in. Or maybe it’s coming from the alien Stonehenge at the end of the level; it’s a bit unclear. The infection has taken over civilians as well as soldiers and it’s a grim task of wiping them out. Get hit with zombie goo, and you turn into a zombie yourself. You’re immune to bullets, but not fire or explosions; a second hit from the zombie goo will cause total body meltdown. So strap on your propane tanks and get torchin’! “Midnight Wandering” was remixed by Protricity as “Light ‘Em Up” and is available through OverClocked ReMix’s website.

Metal Slug 3 – Light ‘Em Up (rem. Protricity)

“Light ‘Em Up” has some great guitar progression and nice references to Metal Slug 1‘s “Main Theme from Metal Slug (Stage 1)” and “Final Attack (Stage 6)”, now mainstays in the series. The heavy minor key works fairly well in conjunction with the major scale of these two tracks. I also like the acoustic guitar at about 2:00. By the way, that ‘telephone’ ringing that happens at around 1:25 is produced by simulating a ‘chord’ by playing a square wave rapidly as an arpeggio. This unique sound was a hallmark of the Commodore 64’s three-channel sound chip and sprung from the limitations of the hardware.