UK publisher Bitmap Books has announced that it is producing an officially-licenced history of SNK’s beloved Metal Slug franchise, and has been given “unprecedented access” to the company’s archives in order to compile the publication.
Metal Slug: The Ultimate History is the first officially-licenced book of its kind, and covers the history of the series from its inception in 1996 all the way up to the present day. It will showcase original art, concept material, screenshots and 11 “exclusive and incredibly detailed interviews” with key members of the development team, including Kazuma Kujo and Toshikazu Tanaka.
Bitmap Books, as you may recall, has previously published the excellent NEOGEO: A Visual History, another book that was given SNK’s official blessing. It is also the company behind Super Famicom: Box Art Collection and the long-running Visual Compendium range, which has covered the NES and SNES so far, with a Master System edition shipping this year.
Metal Slug: The Ultimate History will be available to pre-order in July, and is expected to ship in September.