Epilogue
This concludes the Metal Slugopedia - a fan-made encyclopedia packed to the brim with informative content in regards to the Metal Slug universe and a few bonuses straight from the core of my imagination. While this document has finally reached the end, the conflict itself hasn't.
As long as General Morden remains at large, there will be one more war to fight. As long as there is opposition against the Regular Army, there is one more mission to accomplish. As long as activities of the unexplained occur around the planet Earth, there are more investigations that will have to be carried out. As long as the dark side of human ambitions continue to thrive, violence will never meet its end. And as long as there is one more bullet left in our heroes/heroines' sidearms, it will certainly have the name of one of their new enemies engraved on it. The Classified Missions are the prime evidence for the constant instability of our world. And let's not forget about the omens regarding CABAL and the Future Rebellion Army...
The SV-001 Commando Team can and likely will never be able to truly rest on their laurels. However, new members that constantly apply for the elite commando unit will be there to help them, along with those who direct them to their victories - you, the players. The fans of Metal Slug. The ones that recognize the infamous Heavy Machine Gun quote by heart. The veterans that fought to get Marco as your character at the arcade cabinet before your partner got to select him before you did. The same band of folks that thought Fio was the cutest soldier that you ever set your eyes upon (I'm not being serious with the last one, but I'm sure many will admit it, including me).
While the franchise itself seems dead due to the lack of games being released, I have faith that the series is just taking a big nap. As SNK Playmore isn't known for constantly releasing games every consecutive year, I patiently await the eventual arrival of Metal Slug 8 or whatever title they plan to give to the release.
*Seems like SNK Playmore has (somewhat) abandoned the series ever since they started to place emphasis on Metal Slug Defense and Metal Slug Attack, with the former having its support discontinued. Time will tell if they will ever make a 'true' game of the series - I don't consider mobile 'games' to be games in essence. At least Defense and Attack aren't pay-to-win games, which is more than I can ask for in an age where all it takes to gain a massive advantage in free-to-play games is to whip out your credit card and purchase a hideously large amount of 'special' currency. Sure, you gain a temporary leap, but at the cost of your credit card bill making you go bankrupt when it inevitably arrives.
With how much the fic has grown and the amount of content that doesn't belong in the actual series tossed into it, this story doesn't really seem like Metal Slug anymore. But considering MegaAuthor and I are both fine with the content we've built into its foundations, it's not exactly a concern on my part. I don't know how other readers might feel though, as this is more of what our imaginations spit out instead of something truly focused on the arcade series that has transformed the Heavy Machine Gun and Rocket Launcher into memes overnight.
Before I end this, I have to give special mention to MegaAuthor (again). Not only was he the first reviewer and support for my Metal Slug stories and ideas, but he helped me get back into writing four years ago when I read some of his fics. The fact he provided positive feedback for my custom characters such as Leon (I swear, his variation of Fio's daughter is just crazy over him or is there to simply make his life a living hell), Flynn (the one and only Doomguy), and L-X8 (a Future Rebellion Army Cyborg Commando with a change of heart) has given me more inspiration to work even harder and create quality stories for the Metal Slug archive - this encyclopedia is the end result of one such example. His efforts are also evident - just check out his reviews and try to prove me wrong.
It's been over four years since I first joined the Metal Slug fandom, so the stories I initially posted will definitely have a large gap of quality in contrast to my more contemporary works. I would give them an update, but for two reasons, I decided not to. The first one is that I work nine hours a day, and the other is to show an example of how my writing has changed and evolved/devolved (the latter depending on how one views things) over the years.
Keep in mind that this encyclopedia will be constantly updated if new content happens to roll in - for example, the Black Hound tank has received its own section in the Weapons, Vehicles, and Equipment chapter as the armored beast was originally planned to be usable by the player. This has also led to the development of character profiles of 'secret' characters that were meant to be the descendants of the original SV-001 Commando Unit. This is especially the case with the stuff I make up with MegaAuthor, as the custom characters we've invented have formed up quite a party. After much-needed edits and a complete revamp of their profiles (writing styles change drastically over the years if you really pay attention to your own creations) they have found themselves a new home in the Classified Documents subsection.
In conclusion, I had a lot of fun writing this. I've gotten a few laughs myself after typing up the likes and dislikes section for each character, felt a strong sense of heroism after reading some of the feats for the canon characters, and managed to imagine the fiery destruction possible with the vehicles and weaponry that were featured.
To avoid any confusions, the classified missions take place in this chronological order:
Might of the Marines takes place between near the conclusion of Metal Slug 1 and the eve of Metal Slug 2/X.
The Elimination of EXALT takes place during the events of Metal Slug 5.
The Hunt for Rugal Bernstein takes place shortly after the events of Metal Slug 5.
Omens of the Future War takes place after Metal Slug 7/XX.
Valkyria Chronicles takes place after Omens of the Future War and about a year before Vortexes of Time.
Vortexes of Time takes place at least twenty years after Omens of the Future War.
Demon Eclipse takes place immediately after Vortexes of Time.
Paranormal Equation, Yuri's Revenge, and Chaos Control all take place simultaneously and after Demon Eclipse. They also replace the old timeline, so in essence these three missions overlap with Metal Slug 1.
Therefore, the timeline is as follows: Metal Slug, Might of the Marines, Metal Slug 2/X, Metal Slug 3, Metal Slug 4, Metal Slug 5/The Elimination of EXALT, The Hunt for Rugal Bernstein, Metal Slug 6, Metal Slug 7/XX, Omens of the Future War, Valkyria Chronicles, Vortexes of Time, Demon Eclipse, Paranormal Equation/Yuri's Revenge/Chaos Control.
Do note that this timeline will continually change - more and more Classified Missions are being created while the storyline periodically undergo dramatic updates as time passes. War never changes, after all. As long as my imagination remains active and alive while the inspiration keeps pouring in (and I manage to find the necessary time to make it happen), there will be no definite conclusion.
So, will it happen in the future in regards to the forgotten Metal Slug projects that I mentioned earlier?
I cannot provide an answer for this at the moment. To be honest, I intended this fic to be the true final gift that I would provide to the archives before I depart - real life is starting to catch up with me (despite all the updates and work I'm pouring into this, a long-term project is something I cannot handle today). Revival of the deceased stories would mean a complete reconstruction of everything from scratch, which is something that I do not have the time or spirit for at this point - this is exactly how Pokemon Heroes: Uprising died. I lost interest in Pokemon due to both the creators and fandom being so disrespectful to the source material (considering the anime is a complete pile of crap and the games are being released on an almost yearly basis with barely any changes implemented in each new title), and I lost the motivation to continue writing upon realizing that I was working with something that just can't be finished in spite of all the work I've poured into the project - primarily because Nintendo and Game Freak keep on churning out new content and generations. Trying to do so when you're already occupied with work, keeping fit, and a slew of real life problems, there is just no reason to continue in spite of the ideas that I had planned for it.
There was a time when I actually enjoyed writing Pokemon Heroes: Uprising. That happened a long time ago, when my interest in the series was at its peak and I had plenty of followers that were anxious for the newest update. But now that both have vanished, trying to work on the story is harder than running 1.5 miles in a matter of ten minutes - and I do that at least twice a week. It really begs the question as to how I was able to make chapters that were long enough to be twenty-page research papers in themselves. I guess other authors were doing it, and trying to follow their example wasn't too difficult if you took the time to read through their works... but it's not the case anymore. A lot of writers just stopped writing all of a sudden, and my spirit waned with it. Even in the later stages of writing the story, it felt more like backbreaking labour than an actual leisure activity. It's not the case for this story. I enjoy working on this encyclopedia and even if I get tired of it one day, I can revisit it again on another and my interest will be renewed.
In addition, the Pokemon fandom has a huge grudge/vendetta against original characters. If Flynn and Leon were featured in a story from that series, they would be vaporized with negative reviews because of reasons such as 'taking away screentime from the main character' or 'too overpowered, please nerf or I'm removing this from my favorites'. Yeah. Gives me one less reason to care about that series - even more so when I love to write about conflict, and apparently they're more interested in romance than anything else (they're fucking kids... a ten-year-old has about as much grasp on the concept as a blindfolded drunken man with a brick of hot butter).
*I avoid the usage of strong language unless absolutely necessary. However, the Pokemon fandom has driven me over the edge multiple times in the past.
My interest in Pokemon finally vanished once and for all after I got rid most of the Pokemon stuff I have at home in order to make space for more valuable collectibles - I sold most of my cards while keeping some rares (and hope they'll be worth something years down the road, but I'm not counting on it) while I donated my old Pokemon books and toys to a local toy drive this coming Christmas.
Hopefully, this encyclopedia will make up for the disappointment (at least the way I see the doomed story as). I hope - I've spent so much time placing endless amounts of dedication and effort into this that this is easily better than Pokemon Heroes: Uprising, a project that I have considered to be my most ambitious one yet when I still had all the time in the world to write.
Though MegaAuthor has an interest of restarting his own dead Metal Slug fics, he has no plans of doing so anytime soon but he has indeed established a rebooted series thanks to inspiration generated from this encyclopedia. A lot has happened over the few months of progress for this story; in the end, it appears that this website as a whole is just starting to die off slowly. All I can say is that anything can happen in the distant future but for now, this encyclopedia will be my last major project. But considering the updates I'm shelling out for it, it'll continue to receive updates for quite a long time similar to a well-supported game that just refuses to let time wear it out and fade into the pages of history.
My time on this website is up in terms of general activeness and trying to follow the popular crowds and/or leaders; it's time to move on. Everyone else has, so there's no point for me to remain here. Maybe one day I'll return, but don't count on it.
Special thanks goes to:
SNK Playmore: They brought us this amazing franchise and the classic concept of 'shoot everything until the arcade cabinet explodes'.
Westwood Studios: For bringing us Command and Conquer (C&C does not belong to EA in the hearts of true fans, but I'll give them some credit for C&C: Generals for being acceptably decent and allowing game modifications to exist at the very least - unlike a certain rival of Sega - at least if you roll back twenty or so years) and countless mods that have made the games stand the test of time in regards to replayability. Thanks to them, they have inspired me to meld a great deal of lore and units into the Metal Slug universe, such as the Sentinel-Class Mammoth Tank and V-64 ORCA Assault Craft.
The Mental Omega Team: The brilliant fan-driven volunteers that delivered what was easily one of the best C&C game modifications in its two decades' worth of history that still continues on strong even after at least ten years since its inception. Kanegawa Military Industries in particular originated from this mod, as they have a very interesting backstory as Japan's premier defense contractor. However, a lot of the Classified Vehicles and a re-imagined version of the Psychic Corps owe their existence to this very mod and its team as it has given me plenty of inspiration to exercise my imagination.
id Software: For bringing us two of the finest FPS shooters in the history of violent and over-the-top electronic entertainment: Wolfenstein and Doom. The majority of the 'Might of the Marines' mission, the character Flynn 'Mack' Taggart, the Demonic Forces of Hell, and countless amounts of content were inspired by both series, respectively.
Firaxis Games: For bringing us X-COM: Enemy Unknown in a worthy reboot ever since X-COM: Apocalypse. The Mechanized Exoskeleton Cybersuit and their weaponry was inspired by the unit of the same name in X-COM: Enemy Within; the same goes for the mission codenamed 'The Elimination of EXALT'. Also, I've thought of a concept where Metal Slug plays like a turn-based strategy game in some aspects (though I'm sure not everyone will be fond of the idea, even though MegaAuthor and I believe it will turn out well).
Sega: For Valkyria Chronicles, one of the finest RPGs I've played in a while and introducing one hell of an awesome concept of a character with divine powers. I also envisioned certain portions of my story to play out like a typical level from the game series. Also, the character inspired by this series that shows up in this story should be dead obvious.
Kazuki Takahashi: For Yu-Gi-Oh. Without him, the concepts of Minami 'Mimi' Nakao and Alyssa Melchiott, not to mention the more outlandish plot elements that deal with the occult and supernatural likely wouldn't exist. It also helped me replace my lost interest in Pokemon - since I also loved Yu-Gi-Oh as a kid but only enjoyed Pokemon on a lukewarm level, I guess that's why I was able to go back to it so easily.
Square Enix: For giving me additional inspiration of the Valkyrias via one of their rather underrated titles, Valkyrie Profile (of course, I only knew about this series thanks to MegaAuthor bringing it up).
Kadokawa Games: For giving the world (okay, at least Japan) Kantai Collection, a somewhat strangely amusing series that has a certain charm to it, and greatly inspired how I should design the Adepts. MegaAuthor brought this idea up first though.
James Cameron: For Aliens and Terminator. The Pulse Rifle is arguably one of the finest weapons to have ever graced science fiction, and the references to the sentient killer robots should be very obvious already.
MegaAuthor: That one guy who continues to support me all the way despite all the crazy ideas that I have. This encyclopedia probably wouldn't have been made at all without his support, and my focus on the Metal Slug series certainly wouldn't have grown this big if it wasn't for him welcoming me to the fandom on some cold winter day way back in January of 2010. He is by far the second greatest driving force to this encyclopedia (the first being me and my dedication to continue updating this). He has also helped contribute a vast amount of content - the Bioroids, Adepts, and the addition of elements from the King of Fighters universe (albeit on a minimal extent for the latter) are just some of his contributions off the top of my head. All in all, plenty of elements in this story wouldn't even be there if it wasn't for him pitching some of the grander elements into it. For instance, the Classified Missions and Characters that were added during the later portions of the story were mostly ideas on his part.
Real Life: A great deal of the lore was integrated from real-life experiences and events that I hear via the news or word-of-mouth, or perhaps thought up on-the-spot as I walk through the streets.
You: For reading this encyclopedia (of course), and hopefully enjoyed it (I hope). If you didn't, you're free to tell me why this story didn't really suit your tastes.
Me: I burned hell knows how many countless hours making this while ironing out almost every mistake that I could stumble across. This is my second largest project next to my abandoned Pokemon fic, but this one has actually reached a stage of true completion - albeit with continuous updates that keep on being released for it.
There's probably a lot more that I haven't provided credit to, but there's just too much for me to remember. Regardless, just like the ending of any Metal Slug game goes...
Peace forever!
"The Future is Now." - SNK, circa 2000