Metal Slug 3 Review

Developer	SNK
Publisher	SNK Neo Geo
Genre	Action

The arcade action game has come a long way since Contra and Ikari Warriors. Three dimensions, multiple combos, complex button configurations, and incredibly realistic graphics have pushed the genre leaps and bounds ahead of its classic forefathers. But you wouldn’t know it by looking at the Metal Slug series. Each game retains roughly the same look, feel, and mechanics of its predecessor and remains a run and gun blast fest from left side of the screen to the right.

But you know what? It still rules.

Metal Slug 3 for the Xbox is based on a game that’s been in the arcades for four years. But judging by the two games that have come out since, it could have been released yesterday and it would still be the same game. No, Metal Slug doesn’t believe in evolution. But with the Xbox exclusive features and its solid fun factor, we don’t care.

Gameplay - There is some irrefutable charm in the Metal Slug series; an indescribable fun factor in that while you feel like you’ve done this a million times, it still feels fresh and exhilarating. For those of you unfamiliar with Metal Slug, imagine the original Contra with a lot more action, humor, explosions, and character. It’s a two-player game in which you select from four different characters and blast the hell out of everything in sight. Along the way, you’ll collect gun upgrades like the Heavy Machine Gun, Rocket Launcher, and Flame Thrower, and from time to time you’ll even get a vehicle to burn around in. Sure, there’s some sort of story about aliens, mutants, the undead, and whatnot, but that’s all quite secondary. The only things you have to learn to avoid (other than the bullets and bombs, of course) are the undead who shoot some sort of magical vomit from their mouths, turning you into a slow, bumbling zombie.

As mentioned, half the fun of Metal Slug is the character and charm it possesses in every incarnation. From the cartoonish waves of enemies to the helpful hostages to the screen-filling, devastating bosses, Metal Slug 3 will make you laugh and exclaim, “Holy crap that was cool!” at the same time.

One major difference between MS3 and the previous Slug games is the continue system. In past games, continues were unlimited and you would start from the exact place you died. With an apparent desire to amp up the difficulty, Playmore has implemented a system in which continuing sends you back to the beginning of the level. Our initial impression when we heard of this feature was, “Damn!” But after playing the game, we realized that this hardly detracts from the game. Furthermore, with the Xbox Live ranking system, it’s almost a necessity.

That’s right, while unfortunately you can’t play co-op via Xbox Live, you can post your high score. It doesn’t seem like a huge feature, but once you become a Metal Slug junkie (and you will), competing to get in the top 500 alone will be enough challenge to keep you going. If that’s not enough, upon finishing the game you get a new mission called “Storming the Mother Ship” and a versus mode called “Fat Island” in which you square off as tubby soldiers.

You may have heard that Metal Slug 3 is hard, and due to the continue system you may have heard that it’s even more difficult than its predecessors. While this is true, it doesn’t detract from the greatness of the game. Even upon getting our asses handed to us, we still had loads of fun. Sure, Metal Slug could have done so much more: Xbox Live co-op, more detailed stat boards, more unlockables, etc. But at the end of the day, the game shines and reaffirms the status of Metal Slug as the king of the side-scrolling shoot ‘em ups.

Yeah, that’s what I said.

Graphics - There’s a certain quality to the hand-drawn 2D art of the classic SNK franchises and makes them unlike any other. And somehow, without the lighting and particle effects of its contemporaries, Metal Slug 3 still looks fantastic. And happily, on the Xbox it looks even better than it does in the arcades.

As would be expected, the characters are very cartoonish and proportionally exaggerated, and they all look their best on Microsoft’s powerhouse. The game also seems to run a bit more smoothly on the Xbox than it did in the arcades, which is a welcome bonus.

Sound - The exaggerated look of the game carries over into the feel of the music. While mostly of the typical guitar-rock variety, certain zombie/alien portions of the game sound like something out of a great 50s drive in movie. In all, the audio track and sound effects have all been carried over directly from the arcade version, including the voices of the hostages, enemies, and item notification. It seems quite primitive, and well, it is. But again, when in Rome…

Bottom Line - There’s been some bitching about Metal Slug 3 not taking advantage of the Xbox’s power. The fact of the matter is that not all games have to. Not all games are meant to. It’s hard to imagine a Metal Slug game that adds all sorts of fancy effects just for the sake of keeping up with the other guys. Metal Slug 3 is just plain fun. It’s freaking tough, but fun nevertheless.

The game could have used some improvements such as expanded Live functionality, more unlockables, and other bits to appeal to longtime fans. And the fact that it doesn’t have these – that it’s a four year-old arcade game – makes it difficult to warrant the $40 price tag. If Capcom can release the Mega Man Anniversary edition for $30 and Sega can release Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution for $20, surely SNK could knock a few bucks off the price tag. However, if you don’t mind dishing out a few extra bucks for some of the best shooting action to be had on the Xbox, don’t hesitate.

Review by John Luedtke