Limited Run #274: Mercenary Kings SteelBook Edition (PS4)

Mercenary Kings played like someone fed Metal Slug and Monster Hunter into a pixel art blender, and the result was glorious. Limited Run #274: Mercenary Kings SteelBook Edition for PlayStation 4 gives that co-op run-and-gun the premium PS4 treatment with a proper G2 SteelBook, reversible cover art, a full-color booklet, and the soundtrack on physical CD. The slipcover ties the SteelBook, game, and soundtrack into one cohesive unit that sits on a shelf like it was always meant to be there.

This is mid-gen PS4 collecting at its most satisfying, a time when physical indie releases still felt like events rather than obligations. Mercenary Kings thrived on crafting systems and cooperative chaos, the kind of game you'd marathon with friends during the golden years of couch co-op's unexpected revival. The SteelBook's art does justice to Tribute Games' gorgeous sprite work, and having that soundtrack on CD means you can relive the mission briefings without booting up the console.

Limited Run #274. That's early catalog territory, and early numbers have a way of becoming very interesting over time.