Desert town [Stage 03 ~Desert Town~] (Metal Slug 3D [2006])

You want to know how to make a desert stage track not sound dull? Take notes from this track among many others! There’s the expected sick Electric Guitar intro, followed by a heroic yet slower-paced melody than your usual Metal Slug track; this is something I could get used to!

And holy fucking shit, that emotional Violin accompanied by an imposing Harp that goes up n’ down to put you in the position of a hero who’s fighting to prevent this town from facing a catastrophe, that’s top-tier stuff right there. The way the track loops is sort of unremarkable, but it keeps the melody I liked from the beginning, so that’s why it stays a favorite for me.

This is the last Metal Slug track in the list as well, but I’ve got plenty of other Metal Slug favorites across the entire franchise, they’re just waiting in my favorite VG music masterlist to be presented early next year; Metal Slug has a section all to its own!

(Length before loop: Nearly 2 minutes)

Inner Station (Metal Slug: Super Vehicle-001 [1996])

Here’s a YM2610 composition I have to thank Kitsune DJ (YouTube and Soundcloud) for identifying the instruments within this wonderful soundchip, I pretty much wouldn’t have been able to go into any detail about why I like this track without his helpful videos on Metal Slug music. He’s also got various Metal Slug-style compositions across the channel, and is kind enough to shout out some other Metal Slug enthusiasts from time to time! Also of note is his soundfont contributions to the 6th Division website, which also houses the upcoming Aqua Ippan that recently had its demo released!; ‘tis a wonderful place made by Metal Slug fans, for Metal Slug fans!

The loads of Electric Piano is one thing in Metal Slug 1 and 2 that later Metal Slug games usually lack, for better or worse depending on how much you think the Electric Piano contributes to the melodies. The distorted Electric Guitars, more specifically an Overdriven Guitar on the ADPCM B (Lead instrument) section, which is also shared with the catchy Trumpet, is a mix of intense and cool, especially as far as ways to bridge into the last part of the melody go!

As if the 2 ADPCM B Guitars weren’t enough, the FM Heavy Guitar is yet another part of what makes the addicting rhythm near the beginning and end of the track shine, on top of serving as another bridge into later sections of the track, The Synth atmosphere coupled with the chunky Drum rhythms in said later parts really immerses me into the action too. Metal Slug music rocks for all years to come!

(Length before loop: 2+ minutes)

Finally identified the one who helped identify many parts of the Metal Slug 1 soundfont, which helped greatly with this description, so I updated the description accordingly! It's worth a good read!

Inner Station (Metal Slug: Super Vehicle-001 [1996])

Here’s a YM2610 composition I have to thank Kitsune DJ (YouTube and Soundcloud) for identifying the instruments within this wonderful soundchip, I pretty much wouldn’t have been able to go into any detail about why I like this track without his helpful videos on Metal Slug music. He’s also got various Metal Slug-style compositions across the channel, and is kind enough to shout out some other Metal Slug enthusiasts from time to time! Also of note is his soundfont contributions to the 6th Division website, which also houses the upcoming Aqua Ippan that recently had its demo released!; ‘tis a wonderful place made by Metal Slug fans, for Metal Slug fans!

The loads of Electric Piano is one thing in Metal Slug 1 and 2 that later Metal Slug games usually lack, for better or worse depending on how much you think the Electric Piano contributes to the melodies. The distorted Electric Guitars, more specifically an Overdriven Guitar on the ADPCM B (Lead instrument) section, which is also shared with the catchy Trumpet, is a mix of intense and cool, especially as far as ways to bridge into the last part of the melody go!

As if the 2 ADPCM B Guitars weren’t enough, the FM Heavy Guitar is yet another part of what makes the addicting rhythm near the beginning and end of the track shine, on top of serving as another bridge into later sections of the track, The Synth atmosphere coupled with the chunky Drum rhythms in said later parts really immerses me into the action too. Metal Slug music rocks for all years to come!

(Length before loop: 2+ minutes)

Snowy Country (Metal Slug 7 [2008])

The Metal Slug 7 soundtrack as a whole is one of the crowning achievements of the Nintendo DS; did you imagine hearing stuff like this and the “The Waterfall” in this game at first? I sure as hell didn’t. They did a good job keeping the Metal Slug feel of the music on a weaker system so much that it went mostly if not entirely unchanged for the “XX” rereleases.

As for the track itself, the Flute carries it incredibly well, being a source of tension and later on, motivation. The series-standard Horns and beats certainly help in that regard, with the constant “tapping” of the light Drums plus a Cymbal giving that small extra push to set up the pacing to always be in motion! That’s the GIST of it, really, the other sounds besides what I assume is a lingering String instrument of some kind, don’t contribute nearly as much, but are still well-appreciated nonetheless!

With all of that in mind, you got an all-around solid piece of music to sell the feeling of an all-out skirmish in the snow, making for another fine addition to that ever-growing list of memorable winter-themed music for the cold season!

(Length before loop: 1.5+ minutes)