Metal Slug: Super Vehicle-001 (Neo Geo)

Metal Slug: Super Vehicle-001
Developer: Nazca Publisher: SNK Platforms: Neo Geo, Arcade (Neo Geo) Released in JP: February 23, 1996 (MVS), April 2, 1996 (AES) Released in US: April 2, 1996 Released in EU: April 2, 1996 This game has unused graphics. This game has unused sounds. This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden sound test. This game has a hidden level select. This game has regional differences. This game has a prerelease article

To do: Get more of the unused graphics.

Originally conceptualized as a game where you control the titular Metal Slug alone, the game wasn't received well during the location testing. Nazca went back to the drawing board and decided to add human players into the mix as well. This transition wasn't as smooth as it could've been, however and a bunch of stuff was left unused. But that's why we're here, right?

Sub-Pages

Prerelease Info

Object ID Swap Where some unused sprites have actual behavior.

Debug Dipswitches

Metal Slug doesn't have a debug menu, unlike its later sequels. However, there are some debug features that can be enabled by toggling the debug dipswitches:

Bit	DIP 1	DIP 2
1	Unknown	Show screen debug data.
2	Unknown	Unknown
3	Unknown	Kill everything on-screen.
4	Unknown	Players are invincible.
5	Unknown	Show debug data for tanks.
6	Unknown	Y-position lock
7	Unknown	Unknown
8	Players can move after boss is defeated	Unknown

DIP 2, Bit 1: Screen Debug Data

This will show 7 4-digit hex numbers whom indicate.

• The set beneath the Player 2 HUD denotes on-screen enemies, though it doesn't seem to recognize some foes, particularly endlessly-spawning enemies.
• The small green marker is where the player will respawn.
• The coordinates on the left-side tracks how much of the level has been traveled.
• The center-top and center-middle values record horizontal screen coordinates.
• The rightmost value record vertical screen coordinates.
• The center-bottom values are yet to be identified.

This will give access to a primitive version of the later games' VIEW GEO SCROLL by pressing either combination of buttons simultaneously: A and D or B and D, with the latter having different colors and tiles. Pressing C and D will disable it.

• 

  GEO SCROLL A&D

• 

  GEO SCROLL B&D

Accessing this dipswitch also enables sound test and level select by holding Up and pressing D. For level select, the options can be scrolled through with the B button, and then confirm selection with the A button.

Sound Test

Stage Select

To operate level select, press the B button to go to the next option, and press the A button to select it. Available selections are shown below.

Bit	DIP 2
1 STAGE	Mission 1.
2 STAGE	Mission 2.
3 STAGE	Mission 3.
4 STAGE	Mission 4.
5 STAGE	Mission 5.
6 STAGE	Mission 6.
ENDING 1	1P Ending.
ENDING 2	2P Ending with "Hold You Still!" lyrics present, karaoke-style.
ENDING 3	2P Ending, crashes the game if not in 2P.
7 STAGE	Unused Area.
8 STAGE	Unused Area.
9 STAGE	Unused Area.
12 STAGE	Unused Area.
VALKAN FIX	Black screen.

DIP 2, Bit 3: Kill Everything

This dipswitch once enabled is basically the precursor to the "D Kills Everything" debug button in the later games, however the execution is much different here.

By using Player 2's controls, hold Right and press the A button to destroy all enemies and objects on-screen.

(Source: Mr_Beacon00 (信标先生)])

DIP 2, Bit 4: Invincibility

This dipswitch enables invincibility for the player and the Metal Slug, at the consequence of the HUD not updating ammo, bombs and score. Even if this switch is turned off, players cannot advance to the next level thus necessitating level select listed above.

DIP 2, Bit 5: Tank Tread Debug Data

This dipswitch specializes in tank tread physics, displaying coordinates and graphical indicators to the Metal Slug and the Girida-O tanks. The coordinates remain until either one or both is on-screen, and will cease operations once it leaves the screen or is destroyed.

The coordinates and their purpose are shown below.

• Unknown
• Unknown
• X coordinate of the first sphere.
• X coordinate of the second sphere.
• X coordinate of the third sphere.
• Y coordinate of the first sphere.
• Y coordinate of the second sphere.
• Y coordinate of the third sphere.

This will also show 3 sprites under any Metal Slug and Girida-O's thread, which will determine the tank sprite rotation amount while walking on a vertical drop. In that case, the 3 sphere sprites will result misaligned and the Metal Slug sprite colors will become brighter, except the Vulcan.

When jumping, the 3 spheres sprites will automatically align, while the Metal Slug sprite will return his normal palette and the 2 sphere sprites on the ends will change their color to black. When it lands, if there is a sphere which is not touching the ground, it will change its colors to brighter ones.

If there is a Girida-O in the screen, it will also show its 3 sphere sprites and the debug values will point to them in place of the Metal Slug's ones. However, the Girida-O palette won't change when its spheres get misaligned.

Unused Graphics

This page or section needs more images. There's a whole lotta words here, but not enough pictures. Please fix this.

To do: Finish uploading the remaining sprites form here: http://randomhoohaas.flyingomelette.com/msmia/1/ug.html

Player Characters

At one point, the playable characters were to be more flexible with varied movements. This was axed for a simpler yet smooth set - and despite the fact that most are not used at all they all appear repeatedly in later games, to the extent that the same animation is made for other new playable characters and they still remain completely unused. Someone in the company seems to not want to let it go.

Some of them does actually get used in varied ways, as will be mentioned below.

Shooting Backwards

Technically, these were used in the game. It is obscured by the stage title call. In missions where you drop into the area via parachute, hold Left and fire. Arcade version only allows pistol starts, but console ports on the Saturn and PSX has an option that allows you to keep your weapon after stages during Combat School, allowing them to be seen.

These were redrawn and re-purposed for the helper NPC Achilles in Metal Slug 5 and even so he is unused in the proper game. A frame of Tarma's fourth animation is used in the credits scene of Metal Slug 7/XX.

Alternate Throwing

Lobbing grenades, front, backwards and backwards with weapon extended. Only the third and fourth sets are used for each character with the same method of shooting backwards, again, obscured by stage title call. Marco's first throwing animation finally sees its use in Metal Slug Attack, while the final frame of the animation is used in the credits scene for Metal Slug 7/XX.

The later new characters would receive their animations for the alternate crouch throw... and it remains unused.

Alternate Turning

While the second set for both Marco and Tarma are used for the obscure shooting and throwing the grenade backwards, the rest simply won't appear in the game proper, possibly on how overly complicated they all look.

Looking Up

Supposedly turning around while firing was to be smoother.

Startled Soldier

A weird sprite of a soldier with a distinct uniform, which somewhat matches this concept art, suggesting that this is the original Metal Slug pilot from the tank-only prototype version of Metal Slug. This and the Metal Slug itself has similar amount of rotations (10, covering angles that is unused as well) too.

Enemies

Grenade Soldiers

Soldiers throwing grenades similar to those used by the players, a remnant of the early location tests where freed soldiers will tag along and help.

An exclusive remnant of the said prototype, where allied soldiers will throw pipe grenades while running, whereas regular infantries will stop to throw grenades. No pineapple grenade of this sprite exists.

Prisoner Soldiers

More remnants from the tank-only prototypes. Some of the animations here were partially reused (the first two in particular) in Metal Slug 3's PS2/Xbox port as part of the Storming the Mothership mini-game, aside from being fully redrawn for the captured Regular Army trainees in Metal Slug Advance.

Turret Soldier

Soldiers manning a mounted machine gun turret. Early previews show that they use the same mounted gun as you do in Mission 6 as allied soldiers, and when the concept was axed these later get used for Sea Satan's mounted gun in Metal Slug 4. There are no rotations pointing to the left as the early machine gun turret rotation is limited to 90-degrees angle.

These two gun emplacements on the other hand are originally purposed for the Mission 1 boss, Tetsuyuki, as evidenced by the early tank-only test versions, placed on its wings. Their graphics are found close to the boss' in the final, with the machine gun emplacement being static and the launcher have rotations for five directions downwards.

While it is used by enemy soldiers against the player, it's also usable against the boss itself if it was hijacked by friendly soldiers.

Diagonal Floating Soldier

The enemy itself is actually used, but it appears to have 2 unused animations and a frame. The animations are practically identical to those used for floating and firing, except the fact that the bazooka is aiming diagonally.

It would find use in the unused area 8:1 of Metal Slug X, for some odd reason.

Taunting Soldier

A rebel soldier licking his fingers in order to put them on his ears, probably it's a taunt but it can be a reaction to the player.

Donald Morden (2 Players Ending)

These animation frames of Donald Morden would make a better transition between his two states.

(Source: http://www.spriters-resource.com/arcade/ms/sheet/26745/)

Vehicles

KT-21

This tank, named as the KT-21 from the game's concept arts survived long enough to have a good set of animations. Its animations make it seem to be the prototype of the Di-Cokka. A fired shell exclusive to itself exists, which is similar to the unused Di-Cokka shell.

Armored Vehicle

A vehicle with sandbags and appears to be falling. A destroyed version of it exists too.

Iron Iso

Iron Iso's turret turning. It's not seen until Metal Slug 4. This animation would play in the game, but the camera doesn't let you get behind the tank.

Iron Iso's turret separated off the tank body.

Bull Chan

The Bull Chan firing in different angles.

Metal Slug

This splotchy animation for the Metal Slug shows it firing his cannon while crouching, normally this can't be done because the player throws grenades instead. Possibly a remnant of the tank-only prototypes.

The Metal Slug facing upwards, not seen in the game. There's probably more facing angles for this vehicle.

Items and NPCS

Elk

Would be fitting for Mission 3 or the ending sequence.

Tiny Fish

A very tiny fish. Is unknown if it was an item or a decoration. Probably used on the ship scenario in the final mission.

Little Otter

A little otter. Probably used on the ship scenario in the final mission as a decoration.

Mission 5 Dog

Animations of one of the dogs in Mission 5 walking and sniffing as opposed to running. In the final game, the dogs are only seen running in-game.

Kid

These kids show up in all games, and yet didn't show up in the game at all proper.

Female Civilians

Only one frame each.

Metal Slug's Vulcans

The vulcan guns, detached and still sparking before landing on ground (or water) before exploding. In-game, they spark in blue and explode in mid-air instead.

Parachutes

Parachutes with clamps - probably for parachuting in Metal Slugs but it was never used.

Cargo Lift

These cargo lift were probably intended for the Metal Slug or the enemy tanks.

Cannon Shell

A fired cannon shell, found between the tiles for Girida-O and Iron Iso. Neither do the two use this kind of shell but at least the former can fire it in multiple angles.

This one is found close to the Di-Cokka's tiles. Originally that tank were to fire this shell than fireballs, as shown in various early footage of the original build of the game. This is similar to the unused tank's projectile detailed above.

Early Turret

Early turret used by friendly soldiers in Mission 6 has only one ammo box and four rotations. The final version has boxes on each sides, and has more rotations.

Bullet Casing

Discarded bullet casing. Early prototype screenshot shows that the machine gun turret in Mission 6 and the vulcans would originally eject these casings. This would be later used for soldiers with miniguns in later games and then the Slug Gunner in Metal Slug 5.

Iron Iso Early Projectile

Rotating Balls

Translucent balls with roman numerals in it. The static ones are used for debug features described above.

Background Objects

Turret Outpost

The turret outposts in Mission 4 have four unused variants, with varying amounts of foliage and designs for the cannon port. The top-left design would later be used in Metal Slug 4 for Mission 2.

Effects

Tilted Splash

Tilted water splashes not used anywhere in-game.

Dust Explosion

This elaborate explosion effect was used in the original tank-only prototype of the game. It's repurposed in later games as a part of the mummy transformation, but not all of last frames are used.

Dust Cloud

Dust cloud most likely kicked up by the Metal Slug and Girida-O. The ones used in-game are less elaborate.

Early Shotgun Blast

Appears to be an early animation for the shotgun blast.

Blast Animation

This was found among the Metal Slug's tilted cannon blast animations. Unknown what it was used for, perhaps the rolling projectile found in early prototypes.

Missile Exhaust

Exhaust effect meant for the missiles fired by the Hairbuster Riberts boss in Mission 2.

Miscellaneous

Nazca Corp logo

This should have been shown in the title screen in conjunction with the unused soundbyte below, but they don't. They appear to be animated to rotate as well.

It even has an unused sound found at 0x002C identifier, which means it was to be used with the logo. This sound can be listened to by using the Neo Geo UniBios, and can also be heard in the first track of Metal Slug Complete Sound Box (SCDC-00542~9, Disc 1).

S, G, H and M Icons

Seems to be early pick-up sprites of the special weapons.

Grenade-Juggling Monkey

This monkey is unused in the arcade version, but shows up in the console ports as a part of the loading screen. Its latest appearance is in Metal Slug Attack, as a loading screen element.

HUD Elements

Technically this is used in the AES version as the cursor for the main menu. Originally its purpose was to be the life counter indicator for the early test version where you only played as the tank.

This is the health bar for the slug, again from the early test version. Final version uses a single bar that's filled with a single color.

(Source: A special thanks to randomhoohaas.flyingomelette.com for a majority of the unused graphics found.)