Metal Slug

This is an Arcade Special edition!

When I went to an arcade back in the day, I ran into many games that were made by SNK for the NEO GEO. These games were mostly fighting games based loosely off the popular Street Fighter II, but there was also a series of run and gun games that were kinda like Contra, but with super explosions, blood, and lots of stuff blowing up all over the screen. I'm talking about Metal Slug. This game can be found in pizza places, gas stations, and pretty much anywhere there's an electrical socket available.

Metal Slug is a run and gun game known for it's sense of humor, fast paced action, and amazingly hand drawn backgrounds and characters. Waves after waves of enemy soldiers attack you and you have to kill them all. Much of the environment is destructible, and blows up when shot at. Surviving countless enemies is key to run and gun style games, much like shooters, a single hit can kill.

NEO GEO is often known for their insanely expensive consoles and their Multiple Video System (MVS) arcade cabinets. The MVS had up to six games in a single cabinet, allowing the player to select one of five fighting games... or Metal Slug. NEO GEO had a lot of fighting games.

The home console was very expensive. I didn't know anyone who had a NEO GEO, but I remember seeing ads for it in the back of old issues of Electronic Gaming Monthly. It sold for upwards of $650 in the early nineties and that pretty much kept it out of reach for the average gamer. The home console and the arcade system were basically identical, which meant that you could play perfect translations of these games at home. Nevermind that games themselves were outrageously expensive, and hard to come by as well. SNK continued to support the NEO GEO with software from 1990 until 2004, making it one of the longest lifespans of arcade or home consoles ever produced. The NEO GEO today is a collectors item for those interested in MVS arcade cartridge collecting, and niche gaming.



As technology improved SNK tried to develop games for better arcade hardware using 3D technology, but when it didn't work out, they reverted back to developing 2D games. This pushed the limits of what the NEO GEO was capable of doing.

Side note: I often find that towards the end of a console's life, developers are able to pump out the best content possible with surprising results. Often these games are overlooked by upcoming technology.

Development for Metal Slug began when a number of dissatisfied programmers left Irem and made some other run and gun style games like Gunforce, In the Hunt, and Gunforce 2. Gunforce 2 is considered by fans to be a sort of Metal Slug Zero because of similarities in game play, sound effects, and features.

The Art

I'm amazed at the backgrounds and the detail given to the enemies. There a fluid animation that is way above what a 16 bit console can do. Everything seems to have a way of moving around the screen and it just looks great. The backgrounds are awesome. Each level is carefully designed with every detail in the right place. Other games, and I'm thinking of some that were made during the 16-bit era, often lacked the depth that Metal Slug has. The rocks, machines, and buildings all look very good for a two dimensional side scroller.

The Results

So I started the game and died a lot. I figured I would because I can't keep track of all the explosions on the screen. You start off each level parachuting down and then you shoot as much stuff as you can. I found that the game itself was pretty easy, but designed to eat quarters if you were to play this game in the arcade. Often you get trapped on the screen by enemies or rockets or whatever, and you die. Did I mention that you die a lot? That's kind of typical with run and gun style games. 

To be honest, I'm not sure why I wanted to play this game. I've seen Metal Slug or any number of it's six sequels at gas stations and arcades all over the place, and it didn't look that much fun. It looks like something made fifteen years ago, and something that I'd play at a friends birthday party at Golf n Stuff. I kinda hated Contra growing up because it was so unforgiving. Getting killed in one shot is realistic, but come on... how are you supposed to physically get through the barrage of bullets, rockets, and fire to reach the end? Impossible. But then I began to look past the gameplay and look at the graphics of the game, and that's what got me. The backgrounds are beautiful and distracting. The Boss design is incredible, and I wish that there was something I could compare it to for the SNES or other 16-bit arcade era title, but I can't. It's good. I've played a few levels of Metal Slug 2 and 3, and they've got great design behind every level. That's something that often seems like an afterthought during game development. 

Mission One boss. A rocket gunboat thing. 

The music isn't something I can brag about, but that's how it was back then. Composed by Takushi Hiyamuta, It's a typical fast, fanfare type action hero soundtrack that would accompany any game around the 16-bit era. Lots of orchestra hits, and slapping bass. That's what video games were known for back then. If I could compare it to something, it would be a cross between StarFox and 16-bit Capcom game music. With all the sound effects going off all over the screen, it's tough to hear the music anyway. When you hit enemies with a flamethrower they run and burn and give a Wilhelm Scream sound effect. It's strangely satisfying. 

The game pits you against an evil Nazi-style army. Along the way you jump into tanks, liberate bearded P.O.W's and kill everything in your path. The end boss resembles Saddam Hussein. Fun Game. I got the feeling about halfway through the game that if I'd just stick with it, I would inevitably win the game. And that's what happened. If I were to have played this game in the arcade, I would have spent over seven dollars to reach the end. I'm sure there's some sort of strategy to this kind of game, but I chose to barrel through everything in a fury of blood and gore. And after some failed attempts, I managed to destroy the Saddam clone and beat the game. 

I was kind of surprised at the long credits roll at the end (keep in mind this is an arcade game). The credits come up over a montage of all the stages that you've beaten while following a single paper airplane. Then it ends with the game over screen which reads "PEACE FOREVER!", which I can't assume is true because of the six or seven other Metal Slug sequels. Oh well. 

I really liked this game. It was short, the violence was gratifying, and it was fun. I wish I would have had a second person to play with, that would make the game even better. The next time I go an arcade and I see this game... I'm going to own it. 

VICTORY!

Statistics:

Deaths: 90 Continues: 30 Game Overs: 30 Levels: 6 High Score: 514869 Approximate time: 40 minutes Arcade Cost: $7.50

Metal Slug®, and all associated video games, music, characters, etc. are owned by SNK - all rights reserved.