Neo*Geo - Metal Slug

Format
Neo*Geo
Publisher
Nazca
Developer
SNK
Country of origin
Japan
Release date
1996
Genre
Shooter

Metal Slug MVS

By John Huxley
21st Apr 04

Back when I bought my Neo-Geo cab, there were two games I couldn't live without. One was Waku Waku 7, which caught me as a fun, original fighting game with lots and lots of style. The other was Metal Slug.

Now, let us take a trip down memory lane, waaaaaay back to 1996. The Spice Girls were No.1 for the very first time, Trainspotting showed us that Edinburgh was full of junkies and games like Tomb Raider and Tekken were all the rage. Yeah, textured 3D was the new toy, and for all we knew, it was time to wave 2D goodbye. Alright, maybe I'm a drama queen, but it's the best intro I could think of, OK? Anyway, back to boring you shitless; up steps SNK and Metal Slug. For all but the dumbest of punters it looks, and plays, like a dream. You have what must be a gazillion sprites on screen at once (lie) and you get to kick ass, shooting up the whole damn place (not a lie).

The basic premise is simple - you play one of two soldiers (Marco and Tarma), and your mission is to eliminate the terrorist threat. I say eliminate, but I really mean annihilate. Armed with nothing but a pistol and a few grenades, you face wave after wave of enemy soldiers, tanks, helicopters and grenadiers. Each regular soldier takes only one shot to kill, but they, in turn, can shoot you just as easily. One stray bullet and you've lost a life. It may sound harsh, but the enemy's rate of fire is slow enough to allow you to navigate the levels safely, without you ever resorting to a temper tantrum and crying ‘it's so UNFAIR' like a baby. Most deaths are typically due to carelessness or recklessness on your behalf, not bad level design or plain cheap tactics from the CPU.

To ease the onslaught of terrorists you are also blessed with the occasional power-up. These are obtained by rescuing POWs, who are dotted around the levels tied to posts and stripped of all their clothing, spare a pair of boxer shorts. The power-ups give you a limited amount of ammo, but greatly increase your fire power. The heavy machine gun is most common, which has an increased rate of fire over the pistol. More fun, however, is the flame shot, which burns enemies to a crisp and the rocket launcher, which sends them flying.

And lets not forget the Metal Slug itself. It's a tank, not much bigger than Marco or Tarma, and kind of cute looking. But don't let looks deceive you; this tank is powerful and lots of fun to boot. It comes armed with a heavy machine gun with unlimited ammo and a cannon, which is similar to a grenade but doesn't come from the same stock, so using it won't deplete your grenade count. It can also jump and duck, just as Marco and Tarma can (why is a question best left unanswered), only it's movements are a little slower. For what you loose in speed you gain in armour - the Metal Slug has an energy bar which depletes after a few shots, but can usually last you quite a while if you play with care.

The animation on the Metal Slug sprite, and every other sprite in the game, for that matter, is astonishing. Each frame is beautifully rendered and full of style, character and, well...I think I've just creamed my pants! Seriously, this is one nice looking game. The backgrounds are rich with detail and variety, and you can blow them all to shit. Nothing is quite as satisfying as crushing parked cars under your Metal Slug or blowing up a shop front with a rocket launcher. The terrorists' deaths are satisfying to watch, also. Shoot a soldier and he goes down with a spurt of red blood. Shoot them a few times and you get MORE blood. Flame them and burn them to a crisp, but not before they run around in agony. I challenge anyone to play Metal Slug and not be grinning like an idiot within a few minutes. And then we have the bosses. One word: HUGE. These guys are monsters. And by and large, they don't have a weak spot, either (none of this ‘hit the panel on my right arm' nonsense). You just have to avoid their fire and shoot when you get the chance. Hard, but fun.

The sound is almost as accomplished as the graphics. The SFX is appropriate, with the firepower sounding typically meaty, and the soldiers' screams are either harrowing or funny, depending on your taste. The music is actually kinda dramatic sounding, but it fits in well with the theme of the game and helps the atmosphere.

The gameplay is 85% bang and 15% brains, which is a respectable ratio for a shooter. You can go in all guns blazing and have plenty fun, but don't expect to last all that long, or get a high-score, for that matter. High scores are earned by careful, calculated play (and a decent knowledge of what's about to happen next).

Metal Slug is an arcade game in every sense of the word. But like most arcade games, its flaws become all too apparent when played in a home environment. Most glaringly obvious, 6 levels may be too short for some. Yes, they are all pretty lengthy (and never a dull moment), but that doesn't change the fact that it takes around 30 minutes to complete from start to finish. But, as I can attest, the replay value is great. I just keep on coming back for more...more action, more blood, more crushing cars. Some days I'll play until I die, others, I'll play all the way through. Its like reading your favourite book - you know it word for word, but that doesn't stop you reading it again. Another flaw is just as negligible. On occasions, the level design will require that you shoot down, below your character. Most rookies will just pull down and expect Marco/Tarma to shoot in that direction (as pushing up will shoot up), only to discover that this actually ducks and shoots forwards. To shoot down, you are required to jump and pull down in mid-air. This may seem kind of dumb, but it works. Nazca were always going to have difficulties making the character shoot downwards and duck, and this system works (although it could be argued that the fourth Neo-Geo button should have been used as a duck, but I feel that this may have over-complicated the control system). Last, and probably the most detrimental flaw of Metal Slug, is the last boss. You finally get to meet the mastermind behind the terrorist operation (who looks suspiciously like Saddem Hussain) and he's in a bloody helicopter. I mean, after all the gigantic machinery he threw your way, the best he could manage is a helicopter? Most disappointing. Thankfully the ending is kinda cool, and you get a couple of variations depending on how well you performed.

But ignore the flaws. Metal Slug is great. If you don't own it, or haven't at least played it from start to finish, you are a fool and have no right to call yourself a gamer.

-- John Huxley 21st Apr 04

Neo*Geo Metal Slug Images