I played through Metal Slug first. I even made it to the third stage before continuing, I think it was, which for me is doing pretty good. Didn't notice any slowdown at all.
For that matter, I had no technical issues to speak of throughout my time with the game, aside from the one moment I mentioned where the bonus stage entrance took forever. That may have been a technical issue. I'm simply not sure. I do know that someone else has played the game and complained about issues, but I didn't have any (or I would have mentioned them in my review, for sure).
"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - John F. Kennedy on reality
"What if everything you see is more than what you see--the person next to you is a warrior and the space that appears empty is a secret door to another world? What if something appears that shouldn't? You either dismiss it, or you accept that there is much more to the world than you think. Perhaps it really is a doorway, and if you choose to go inside, you'll find many unexpected things." - Shigeru Miyamoto on secret doors to another world