Ah, Metal Slug. It’s undeniably a classic arcade series, with its top notch gameplay, a great sense of humor and a killer difficulty. With the success of Metal Slug 3 on the Xbox, SNK has seen fit to release both 4 and 5 on the PS2 (and eventually the Xbox) in one two-disc set. Hardcore SNK fans have no doubt already purchased this gem, but anyone who hasn’t should seriously consider it. Two AAA action gems for the price of one is a hard deal to pass up.

For those unfamiliar with the Metal Slug series, it is, at first glance, a typical side scrolling run and gun shooter. And, I suppose, for all intents and purposes, it is your typical side scrolling run and gun shooter. But everything really comes together in Metal Slug; the gameplay is polished and top notch, the level design gets pretty creative (for the genre, anyway), and the Slug universe is simply pretty damn cool. In all Slug titles, the objective is pretty much the same: get to the end of the level, destroy the boss and move on. There is a storyline, but you wouldn’t know it - and it doesn’t matter.

The heros are equipped with a basic pistol (that can, with enough shots, destroy tanks and the like) and grenades. Grenades are precious, and you only get 10 per life, but they pack a punch. Just a couple can usually take out even the toughest foes, aside from the bosses. There’s also a knife attack, which is typically a one-hit kill against enemy soldiers. Weapon pick-ups are common, and they range from the standard heavy machine gun and rocket launcher (“lawn-cha”), to more exotic attacks like the flame thrower and iron lizard. Vehicles are equally abundant, and aside from allowing players to skirt around the otherwise standard one-hit-and-you’re-dead rule, provide tremendous firepower. Enemies that would normally give your hero serious problems are mowed down like nothing in a decent vehicle.

There’s no question that Metal Slug 4 and 5 are fantastic arcade games. If you’re a fan of action gaming in general, you’ll love both these titles. Yes, Metal Slug 4 is considered by many to be the weakest entry in the series, and while I do agree with that assessment, it’s still a very fine game in its own right. It just lacks some of the creativity, both in level and enemy design, that is so prevelent in the other games.

So what’s the problem with this collection? Well, for starters, it’s a quick ride. Tearing through both games will take players less than two hours. That won’t bother the hardcores, who will be content trying and earn high scores and finish the game without continuing, but little Johnny might not have that old-schooler mentality about it. Speaking of continues, most regrettably, Metal Slug 4/5 features mandatory unlimited continues. There’s no way to reduce the number of alloted continues, so players hoping to say, beat the game in only three continues, will have to keep track of those themselves. Other than that, the only other bummer is the total lack of any real extras. These aren’t exactly brand new arcade games; SNK could’ve done a little something for the fans, since development costs ought to have been quite low.



Article By: Joe