5 new games like Metal Slug coming out in 2026 and five other really good games you can play right now

Since those intense games on the recreational machines, the run and shoot games They flooded our daily lives, alternating the adrenaline in our veins with failed attempts that made us lose coins at a dizzying pace.

the saga metal bullet of SNK It has many of these merits, starting with the 1996 classic Metal Slug: Super Vehicle-001 to the most recent edition, Metal Slug Tactics. But it’s not the only one.

We should also highlight more recent releases like Nitro Express, or modern classics of the genre like Cuphead (a masterpiece of the last generation) and Valfaris.

There are also examples more focused on the action shooter, such as the correct Contra: Operation Galuga (keep an eye out the Konami sagabecause it is SNK’s ”sister”), or the upcoming Operation Highjump: The Fall of Berlin.

Today we will talk about those games similar to Metal Slug that you can already enjoy on your PC or console, but also those that are coming from 2026.

These are the 5 new games like Metal Slug coming out in 2026 and 5 you can play nowso don’t miss them.

5 good races and weapons that are alternatives to Metal Slug

If you like the Metal Slug saga, you should know that there are great run & gun games that you should try, although they are not as well known as the SNK franchise.

Next, we will highlight 5 very good run and gun gamesincluding a title that recently hit stores:

Broforce

Join your ”bros” in the most patriotic run & gun there is, which is also available with many new features with the Forever version on all platforms. Broforce releases testosterone and adrenaline everywhere.

When a grave threat looms over the world, only a paramilitary organization known as Broforce can save humanity from disaster. Grab your weapon, choose the best skills and get ready for action.

In addition to the campaign, the Free Lives game includes cooperative mode and Deathmatch Modeboth for up to 4 playerslevel editor and new characters like Seth Brondle or Xebro. A modern essential of this genre.

Weapons of Fury

Pure 80s nostalgia converted into run & gun with metroidvania touches. This is Guns of Fury, the best possible tribute to the Metal Slug saga, which stands out as one of the great games of the genre in 2025.

Guns of Fury is the story of Vincent Fury, a special agent fighting to rescue Dr.inventor of the Tetra cell, which was kidnapped by the greedy A. Easton.

It has a little bit of everything: challenging, open-ended levels (exploration required), difficult final bosses, explosions, a variety of weapons, and traveling shops to purchase upgrades. It is, perhaps, the best possible spiritual successor to Metal Slug.

Hunt

If Huntdown was a Mega Drive game released in the early 90s, it wouldn’t be strange at all, actually. Easy delivery of Trigger games a frantic run and gun with beat ’em up touches whose spirit is completely arcade.

Set in a distant future, society is the victim of all types of criminals, faced with police passivity, so only these 3 mercenaries will be able to restore peace to the city. We talk about Anna Conda, John Sawyer and Mow Man.

Huntdown is pure 2D action at its best, 60FPSwith 16-bit pixel art graphics and the possibility of play cooperatively with a friend. Oh, and you’ll even have Arcade mode to prove your worth to the world.

Neon hell

In the year 2055, several criminal organizations fight for control of New York, but the Family wants to dominate the great city alone. And, for this, he hired his services at Neon Inferno.

It is the premise of one of the covers of 2025which connected our retro hearts for its 16-bit graphics, impeccable artistic direction and, above all, for its variety of 2D levels, final bosses and spectacular action.

Neon Inferno also has soul beat ’em up, with the duo formed by Angelo Morano and Mariana Vitti distributing wax to the bandits. To mention something negative, Maybe it’s a little short and I wish it had online co-opbut it’s a gem of its kind.

Warhammer 40,000: Shotas, Blood and Teef

The Warhammer franchise offers a lot of variety. There’s a 90s FPS like Doom (Shotgun), a Gears-style game (Space Marine), strategy installments (Total War), and even an upcoming roguelike like Warhammer Survivors.

With Shotas, Blood and Teef we met before a run and gun starring an orkwho seeks revenge after losing his most precious squig at the hands of Ogruk Gutrekka, the warlord of Luteus Prime.

This Warhammer 40,000 spin-off is pure 2D action and is varied enough that it won’t be wrapped up in a few weeks. He has 4 characters, multiple classes, local and online co-opand above all an addictive development to the maximum.

The 5 most promising run & gun games for 2026

Now that you know the best alternatives to Metal Slug, let’s talk to you about the 5 most anticipated run & gun games which will be available from 2026 for PC and consoles.

These are the future run & gun games that promise to dazzle fans of the genre:

Another Space Opera

An epic sci-fi adventure we can’t wait to experience. Furthermore, its creators confirm that there will be several chapters, but first it will be the turn of The Giant’s Awakening, episode 1 from Another Space Opera.

This run & gun game takes us to Earth at the end of the 23rd century, after a nuclear attack on a global scale, with humanity structured under a severe technocratic order. However, everything will fail in the face of a growing and unknown threat.

Before you they wait 12 levels as resistant as they are beautiful (handmade), even 30 different enemies, procedurally generated rewards, a thoughtful soundtrack and, above all, a great story that will captivate any player.

JET Black Finger

The creators of Märchen Forest and the upcoming Navinosuke are getting nostalgic by betting on a traditional run & gun game, which leaves history aside to focus on classic gameplay.

JET Black Finger a side-scrolling action game based on the mechanics of 8 addresseswith a varied arsenal (pistols, rifles, machine guns, shotguns and much more), and the possibility of controlling the JATO car.

The peculiarity of this vehicle is that turns into a submarine in the aquatic phases, and by plane during aerial scenes. It’s a really nice addition that ties directly into 90s run & gun, and we love it.

ChainStaff

An artistic marvel that It looks like an album cover from the 70s or 80s.and, at the same time, it is a clear homage to Metal Slug and Metroid. With just a few screenshots, ChainStaff is already one of the most anticipated games of 2026 for us.

This run & gun adventure makes us the only hope for humanity, which has been colonized by alien spores. Now Earth’s inhabitants are fearsome mutants and superbugs.

Lucky we are the ChainStaff, a futuristic weapon capable of transforming in hook, shield and a deadly spear. Of course, a parasite has taken root in our heads, so we will have to make important decisions for one side or the other during the game.

Shadows of the Steel Mons

If Dark Souls became a run & gun game, it would certainly be very similar to Shadows of Steel Mons, since on a visual level they have many similarities. The same does not happen with his story, as Shiv’s new work embraces techno fantasy.

Shadows of Steel Mons is an action and platform game that puts us in the shoes of a brave knightwho embarks on an epic journey to defeat mechanical beasts and gods.

7 long and difficult levels await you, with a final boss in each, a variety of weapons, lots of enemies and an epic feel that suits you perfectly. sometimes even It’s more of a Boss Rush (like Cuphead) than a run & gun to use.

The Red Selene

The best tribute that could be given to Dead Space. From story to setting to character design, The Red Selene clearly is inspired by EA’s famous horror sagawith well-defined run & gun and metroidvania mechanics.

The Red Selene puts us in the shoes of Aaron, a bounty hunter who travels to the space colony EC-21 JANUS to extract a rich mineral. However, upon arriving he realizes the horror that awaits him.

The most fearsome aliens await this metroidvania run & gun 2Dwhere the scarcity of resources It is palpable, the scares There is no shortage of them, and with enemies who will only kneel if they lose limbs. Come on, what It’s pure retro horror with action, adventure and puzzles.

Some of these run & gun games could very well be among the 14 indie titles that smell like success and are going to rock, following in the wake of Hollow Knight: Silksong, Absolum or Ball x Pit, among others.

Historically, both the Metal Slug and Contra sagas and similar games stood out for their diabolical difficulty. What is the hardest game on each console? We answer the question in this report.

If you are a fan of Metal Slug and looking for a new run & gun game to fall in love with, now you can try it out. 5 very similar titles, or discover 5 other very promising ones arriving from 2026.