This year really feels like it's SNK’s moment, with the new NEOGEO AES+ launching in November and a year-long Metal Slug anniversary catching the eye, which is why SNK has announced that, in partnership with Wave Corporation, it's reissuing the 1/24 scale SV-001/I model kit to mark the 30th anniversary of Metal Slug.
There aren't many video game vehicles as instantly recognisable as the SV-001. The little tank from Metal Slug somehow manages to look cute, tough and completely indestructible all at once, and nearly 30 years after it first rolled onto NEOGEO arcade machines, it's getting another chance to sit on your shelf, this time as a buildable plastic model. If the kit looks familiar, that's because it first appeared in 2015, followed by another production run in 2017, both of which proved popular with collectors. Now it's back again, and honestly it's easy to see why.
Part of Wave's Memorial Game Collection, the snap-fit kit recreates the iconic one-man tank at around 12cm tall. It comes moulded in multiple colours to match the in-game design, includes marking stickers and doesn't need glue, so it's an easy weekend build whether you're already into Gunpla and scale models or you've simply spent years admiring SNK's pixel art.
The SV-001 is loved because it's one of the best vehicle designs ever created for a 2D game. Designed by Akio Otsuka and the original Metal Slug team, every part of it oozes personality, even when static in a model kit. The oversized treads, chunky armour plating, oversized rivets and rounded bodywork make it look more like an animated character than a military vehicle, and once it's moving, the sprite work takes over, bouncing and recoiling with exaggerated squash-and-stretch animation that somehow makes several tonnes of steel feel light on its tracks.
That's part of what has kept Metal Slug looking so good while so many games from the same era feel rooted in the '90s. Instead of chasing realism, SNK's artists leaned into expressive animation, bold silhouettes and meticulous hand-drawn detail, creating sprites that artists still reference today. It's a reminder that pixel art wasn't simply a technical limitation but an art form, and one the Metal Slug team absolutely mastered.
The Wave 1/24-scale SV-001/I is available to pre-order now through hobby retailers, including HLJ and Nin-Nin Game, with more details on the official Wave Corporation website.
The best way to play SNK and Metal Slug games today:
