Metal Slug 5

"Feels too short!"

Metal Slug has always been one of my favorite game series from SNK! The last Metal Slug game made by the true SNK was Metal Slug 3 before they went bankrupt in 2000. Then SNK Playmore took over the rights to all of what SNK has been doing for the past 22 years. From then, each of SNK's most popular series has started to go down the drain, but still creates a immense amount of fun. Metal Slug 5 is one example of that matter.

Metal Slug has always been a 2D side scrolling shooter. The story has always been about Morden and his army. Metal Slug 5 takes that element out. You'll barely be fighting any enemies that are familiar in past Metal Slug games, but in fact, there are plenty of new ones to go around this time.

You choose one character out of a possible four from the start(Marco, Eri, Tarma, and Fio.. Yes, the returning cast from Metal Slug 3), and you start blasting your way through missions, killing tons of foes and a boss on each mission. From there, you can pick up different weapons that are usually dropped by objects or enemies, including Dual Machine Guns, Rocket Launchers, Shotgun, and more... There are also slugs you can ride on, and usually these slugs carry a infinite amount of firepower and a limited amount of alternate explosives.

Perhaps the flaw of every Metal Slug game is the "one hit kills you" kind of gameplay, much like other arcade titles such as Raiden Fighters. While this creates a sense of realism, it can be very irritating due to the limited amount of lives you have. The player must be very careful on preventing themselves from being buried under the ground.

There are some new gameplay features that SNK Playmore incorporated into this game. One outstanding feature is the ability to slide, which can be executed by pressing Down + B. This can be very helpful at most situations, where the player might think there is no chance of escape. Also, you can self-destruct slugs by simply pressing the D button, which this game makes use of, as opposed to A + B in the previous games.

This game has been created using the old, outdated Neo-Geo system, so the visuals and sound are pretty much where they were in terms of quality. SNK Playmore did create some new tunes, as well as remixed some of them, for this game, but that is pretty much it.

Overall, I felt that the game was too short and easier compared to Metal Slug 3. I don't really like the way the game ended so quick. But don't be fooled, SNK Playmore still has done well creating this game, and I hope the next Metal Slug game will be better and longer. There's nothing more fun than blasting your way through missions, endlessly slaughtering all your foes into itsy-bitsy pieces.

PROS: Good gameplay, A great addition to the Metal Slug series. No more Morden.
CONS: Shotgun creates a huge flash, and 30 shells/flashes is a pain for your eyes. Gameplay too short, Bosses are easy.

You may spend quarters trying to beat this game, but on a Neo-Geo home system, you wont have to worry about that, other than the huge price tag.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/27/04