 |
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Metal Slug
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Sega Saturn - SNK - Action - N/A - 2 Players
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| It's the end of June, the last day of school, to be exact. I take a walk to the local game store, stopping at a nearby Laundromat to plunk a few quarters into the Metal Slug 3 machine. I didn't stay long, as I needed all the spare change I could muster for my next purchase, which just happened to be Contra Shattered Soldier. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I walk home faster than I normally do. I end up having to slow down halfway because my side cramped up, but the intent was there. I close the door to my room, crank up the AC, and slide Contra into my rather sorry looking PS2 (which had been sitting idle for the past 2 months). I jam on the start button until the game actually loads (No FMV introductions need apply) and immediately get accustomed to the controls. Maybe they're a little complicated, but they work well enough. I make a little progress in the level, set some alien peons ablaze, destroy some rather nifty looking enemy machinery, and die. I die a lot. No biggie, Contra games have featured a steep learning curve since the beginning of time (well, at least the 80's). I start the game up again, making more progress, but dying all the same. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At first this comes as a breath of fresh air. I mean, the whole Wind Waker experience was still fresh in my mind, but that's another story for another day. The problem is that the whole game is structured like this. Contra games have always required a hefty amount of memorization, but for the first time I really felt as if I was 'cracking the code' rather than cracking some skulls. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Contra ultimately proved to be an enjoyable experience, but it wasn't entirely what I was looking for. The Contra series had evolved along a different path than I would have liked. Many point to Hard Corps as the beginning of this transformation, but I actually say the whole thing started with Alien Wars (the fact that I've never played Hard Corps might have something to do with my opinion). In any event, fast forward a few weeks. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| That Metal Slug 3 cabinet I mentioned earlier has all but vanished. I had been debating whether or not I should buy a Saturn for quite some time, so when I saw a Saturn packaged with an Import copy of Metal Slug, I jumped at the opportunity. After a bit of sniping and a week or so of waiting for that damned UPS guy to show up, I'm ready with the review that you all (weren't) waiting for...Here it is, a review for the (wait for it...) Import only Saturn port of the original Metal Slug! Whooo Doggy! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Metal Slug is a return to the more free flowing run and gun action that made Contra famous in the first place. There are six levels, and (count 'em) six bosses. There are only three buttons used (as opposed to the seven used in Shattered Soldier). There's one for shooting your gun, one for jumping, and one for lobbing a grenade. However, there are a few other moves for you to perform as well. You can crawl under electric fences, man mounted machine guns, or whip out a knife for some in close combat, whether it be to take out those pesky shield soldiers, or to just conserve ammunition. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yup, you heard right, this game featured limited ammo. But before you get your panties in a knot, it's really not as bad as it sounds. Throughout the levels you'll find and be able to rescue POW's (just look for people whom you might see at a Grateful Dead concert). Each POW will give you a reward for your troubles, whether it be a new weapon, some extra ammunition, or simply a point bonus. They're almost always worth the trouble it takes to find them, and some are hidden pretty well. I guess that's what you'd call 'replay value' in the modern market. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| You'll race through each of the levels, laying waste to entire squadrons of enemy tanks, planes, helicopters, and Mr. T impersonators. All this while armed with only a combat knife, pistol, some grenades, a heavy machine-gun, flame-thrower, shotgun, and rocket launcher (Ha, but can it core an apple?). Even though you're armed to the teeth it doesn't make up for the fact that there's thousands of them and only one of you. Evening the odds a bit is the games namesake, the Metal Slug. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Metal Slug is a rather badass piece of military machinery, sporting a fully rotatable machine-gun and some really damaging shells to fire from its main cannon. The slug also features a lot of durability. Normally you kick the bucket after a single strike, but the Slug gives you a life bar of sorts, allowing you to absorb up to three blows from the enemy. The Slug also renders you invincible to melee attacks, and that allows for some of the more humorous moments of the game. Grunts will jump on top of your tank, trying to impede your movement. Some will even throw themselves across your Vulcan cannon. Now, I don't yet have a high school diploma, but even I can see that's not such a good idea. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| But that's just part of the charm of Metal Slug. Members of General Morden's army (who just happens to be the love child of Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein) will flee in terror when you spring up on them, they'll hide and take cover when it's available, and even laugh when you die, only to get scared shitless when you reappear a few seconds later. The game doesn't take itself too seriously, and that's a nice change of pace. It also helps that the graphics, particularly the animation is top notch. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| That brings me to my next topic of discussion, how the game rates as a port. The game runs a lot smoother than the PSX port of Metal Slug X. However, while the frame rate of Metal Slug X is lower, it is more consistent. The Saturn port of Metal Slug features a decent amount of slowdown. Now I don't know about the arcade version of Metal Slug, but there is no slowdown when I play the game on my PC through Winkawaks. However, the arcade version of Metal Slug 2 features more slowdown than this, so for all I know this could be a perfect port. The slowdown in the game is consistent however, so after a few plays you'll get used to it, and learn to adjust. It really doesn't affect the fun factor at all. Besides, the Model 2 Saturn pad is just about the coolest thing ever, and the game handles like a dream. What more could you really ask for? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The game even throws in some extra game modes for good measure. The main one is something called Combat School. By doing well in Survival mode and in Time Trial mode you earn points which go to increase your military rank. Both modes feature infinite ammunition and some minor changes involving the Slug, so they're worth playing through a few times. However, I think you'll be spending most of your time playing through Arcade mode, as that's where the heart of the game is. And with multiple difficulty levels, a stage select, and finite continues, it should last you a good long while. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Agree or disagree with the review? We want your opinion! Submit a Reader Review! All reasonable reviews will be posted. We support free speech, so don't hold back.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
