Metal Slug 4

"The Slug is back -- With a Vengeance!!"

It was Sunday, and I was bored, so what did I do? Well, I walked on over to the old arcade, and to my surprise (not really) saw the Metal Slug 4 machine. Sure, great. I put in my change, and got ready to play.

My remark after playing the game was exactly as follows :

Woah. Cool.

Keanu Reeves would be proud. Now, do I get a position in the second Matrix movie? No, but hey, getting to see the Metal Slug series alive and kicking is enough.

GAME PLAY :

First off, I'd like to say that I'm not trying to annoy those who are old school hardcore Metal Sluggers, who find the aspect of change about as bogus as Dick Clark dying. Well, folks, it happens, and Metal Slug 4 is a fine example. A sure fire aspect of Game play is characters, and I'd say that Metal Slug is famous for them. Marco Rossi still lives, and is a prominent character in this title. Fio Germi returns as well, still sticking to her roots after a Striker appearance in King of Fighters, and the third Metal Slug. The new characters, in my personal opinion, are pretty damn cool. Nadia Cassel, a pigtailed cheery girl, simply doesn't match up to Eri, but she's still alright. Trevor, I believe, is an excellent replacement for Tarma (the guy with the sunglasses). I'd say the new team has more diversity. Explosives, Computers, etc. It's neat. The Prisoners of War are still highly present, and they are now officially more useful, as they can perform a variety of new tasks, of which they could not do before. I have yet to see the famous Metal Slug X ''Hadouken Hostage'', which is disappointing (those SNK folks are jokers), but hey, you can't win it all. You can now steal vehicles (ala Grand Theft Auto 3), another feature I found to be quite cool, and helpful in the long run. There is a new timing mechanism with the use of shield emblems, which I also thought threw in a bit of change. It can be confusing at points, as there is more to be aware of regarding the status of your character, but generally this is more of a benefit, than a problem. Perhaps my favorite aspect of this new installment to the Metal Slug series is the incorporation of an actual (and decent) storyline! Dear Lord! Apparently, it revolves around an organization called ''Amadeus'' (no Falco puns intended) devising a computer virus called ''White Baby''. This story actually explains Trevor's presence on the team (Tarma is in the opening sequence, but I guess he didn't come along). I'm grateful to Mega Enterprise for including this, for I was a bit baffled as to why the heck the old MS team was exploring an Egyptian Temple for the second level (Metal Slug 2, and X ). There are several new weapons, one of which being a double machine gun, which I personally thought shook hell, heaven, and everything in between. My last complaint exists in the fact that I felt this game was not as challenging, or explosive as the previous titles. There isn't as much commotion, so your focus will rarely be diverted. Bosses are decent, but the final boss was a bit simplistic. Still, I don't think you'll be disappointed, as there is a lot to do in this game. Generally, it's all wrapped up together quite nicely, and these new changes really add to the game's quality, and yes, replay value. But we'll get to that a bit later.

CONTROL :

Generally, the control layout is the same as it's always been. This is nice to know, considering that the Metal Slug series is no longer under the wing of SNK. Now, I know this fact will discourage many from playing this game, but hey, get over it. The new company, known as Mega Enterprise, has done a fine job preserving the classic MS controls. As a side scrolling action arcade game, one would expect simple controls, and that's just what they are : simple. Needless to say, anyone who's played Metal Slug can tell you that the simple controls do not take away from the game AT ALL. Controlling the Slugs is about as simple as controlling the characters, which is a good thing most of the time. One thing I would like to see fixed is how the direction the player travels affects the alignment of Slug weaponry. This often makes it hard to dodge and fire simultaneously, but hey, that's just a minor complaint. Jump. Bombs. Shoot. That's pretty much it. The arcade layout is fairly decent, nice and generic, so you can expect that you won't have to use your leg to hit that essential firing button (bad joke, I know).

SOUND / MUSIC :

The original perky quality of the Metal Slug series' music remains fully in tact in this installment. That nifty ''shaft'' like guitar, the use of piano and instrumentals is quite nice. And yes, the changes exist in this category as well. As a result of this series being under Korean management, a special treat awaits players, and long time fans of this game. Lee Jae Jin, a talented (and may I add, hot) singer in Korea now performs the title song for Metal Slug 4. It's nice to see how the game has evolved into a more dominant stage, where it can attract such benefits. Sound effects have always been a lush, complete aspect of Metal Slug games, and yes folks, this game is no different. You can expect just the right amount of screaming, shooting, yelping, exploding drama here. Fans of the older Metal Slug games will not be disappointed.

GRAPHICS :

I hate this section, and that's mainly because I believe most of a game's worth comes from the inner beauty, the game play, fun factor, etc. ( no, I'm not turning into Alicia Keys). But if you must know, the graphics are fine and dandy, and live up to the standards of it's predecessors. The characters look more dramatic and dynamic, and more cartoon like. In my opinion, this is a poor area of the game. The world looks less real, as opposed to how things looked in say Metal Slug X ( the city level, for example ). Despite this, many fans will enjoy the new look of things. After all, this title usually storms out at a whopping 700+ megs, so there's really not much to complain about, as the graphics are right up there with King of Fighters. The style of this game's graphics is awesome, might I add, and rarely used in other games.
As far as Art goes, I love the SNK art to death, and I will miss it greatly, but the current artist does a decent job. He's the guy that did the artwork for Mark of the Wolves, Tonko or something like that . . .

REPLAY VALUE :

This is an area I emphasize on, and luckily, Metal Slug 4 delivers sufficiently. While not necessarily exclusive to Metal Slug 4, but the entire series, this is a game that has an odd form of replay value. It isn't about the variety of things to do, and side quests to go on. It isn't about the branching levels and different endings. This is just one of those games I can pick up and play, without having to think too much. Having a bad day? Put in some quarters and play this little puppy. Blowing things up left right and center, creating huge massacres and explosions from a few machine gun rounds, it's a real stress reliever, and it's just plain fun. And see, my friends, this is what makes this series THAT DAMN GOOD. It's fun. And because of this, I could play it 1000 times over and never get bored of it.

OVERALL :

This is just a cool game. It's a worthy installment to the legacy that is Metal Slug. With new features, characters, and story, this is a very slick and enjoyable title. Let's just hope it can find it's way to the mainstream consoles, like Metal Slug X did. If you don't want to see change happening to Metal Slug, you have been warned. If you think Metal Slug needs new elements and just a general change of pace ( like me ), then I suggest you go and give this title a try. It's well worth the change.

BREAKDOWN :

Game play : 9- / 10
Control : 10 / 10
Sound : 10 / 10
Graphics : 9- / 10
Replay Value : 10+ / 10
Overall : 9+ / 10

GameFAQs Score : 9 / 10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/24/02, Updated 06/24/02