Metal Slug X

"Good port of a Neo Geo masterpiece"

Amidst the tons of fighting games released for the legendary Neo Geo, between games like King of Fighters, Samurai Showdown and Art of Fighting, there has been series that stands out of the console´s main genre: Metal Slug, probably one of the best side scroll action games ever, easily ranking among the absolute Neo Geo elite. However, we all know that the Neo Geo and its variety of top games are only available to a selected number of players who are able to spend more than 200 $ for a single game cartridge, and not even the Neo Geo CD was a solution for this problem (let alone as good for near perfect arcade graphics and gameplay at home). So us "normal" gamers can be glad that SNK was kind enough to release several of their smash hits for other consoles as well, and "Metal Slug X" for the Sony PlayStation is such a game.

The gameplay in "Metal Slug X" can easily be described as non-stop action. It´s a classic 2D Shoot´em Up, and hardly any moment in this game goes by without you blasting away all kinds of enemies. If you are searching for puzzles to solve or any kind of deep gameplay, then you´re wrong here. It´s all about the fast paced action, but that´s not a bad thing at all - it´s actually the reason for this game to be so much fun in the first place. That might be because of the excellent control scheme that never lets you down and always gives you full control over your character, with the game´s response to your commands being flawless and quick. Speaking of characters, there are four main characters you can choose from before you start playing the game: Marco, Tarma, Eri and Fio, whom Metal Slug experts should know only too well. While there are not too many differences between each of them, it´s still fun to play with either of them, even if it´s only for the visual treat. Anyway, so far, it might sound like there´s not much variety in the gameplay department, but fortunately, there are some aspects that keep "Metal Slug X" from being repetitive and tedious. For example, there are tons of weapons you can choose from in order to make killing enemies more diverse, and most importantly, there are also different vehicles you can use for a more effective way of getting rid of your opponents, like the famous Metal Slug tank, the Slug Flyer or even the Slug Camel. Believe it or not, it´s a hell lot of fun to kick your enemies´ butts with these vehicles, since each of them is unique in its design and also its functions. Another positive aspect about the game certainly is the great level design that always surprises you with some interesting features and clever twists (like your character being cursed by a mummy), especially during the boss fights (all I can say is watch for the boss in the second level already...creative to say the least!). The difficulty level, though, is pretty high most of the times, considering that there are always tons of enemies coming at you at the same time, and sadly, one hit is enough for you to die already, but there are at least quite some lives for you to use. Overall, the gameplay in "Metal Slug X" might seem overly simplistic, but it´s a lot of fun thanks to the direct controls and the extremely cool ideas the developers put into this game.

The visuals in "Metal Slug X" are, in a word, awesome. You won´t find better 2D visuals in any other PSOne game, and even though MSX does not reach the high quality of the Neo Geo original, it´s very close to say the least. First and foremost, the character sprites are beautifully drawn, having an extremely likable comic-feel to them, be it your protagonists or the enemies, and there are also a lot of details to be found in the sprites. They are excellently animated, too, and not just them: each screen in this game seems to be full of impressive animations to be found either in the backgrounds or the character sprites, breathing some life into the game itself - just look at the extremely funny enemy animations for instance. Equally impressive are the boss enemies. They´re huge (sometimes filling half of the screen), they have an astounding amount of detail to them, and their animations are very fluid, making them not just challenging in the gameplay department, but also awesome to look at in terms of visuals. So, even though most PSOne games relied on 3D polygon graphics (and some of them were butt-ugly, by the way), "Metal Slug X" easily outdoes a vast majority of them in the graphics department, not only having some of the best 2D visuals in any PSOne game, but also being one of the visually most impressive games on the system in general.

The music found in "Metal Slug X" is not exactly remarkable or outstanding, but it nevertheless fits the overall atmosphere of the game rather nicely, with none of the tracks annoying you. However, the sound effects in this game are very well done, no matter whether it´s the blast of the explosions or the screams of enemy soldiers once you kill them. There are also a few voice samples, for example whenever you get a new weapon, a voice tells you the name of that weapon, and it´s not really worth mentioning. But all in all, "Metal Slug X" still does rather well in the audio department.

For action fans without a Neo Geo, "Metal Slug X" is a definite must-buy. It´s simply one of the best side-scroll action games you can possibly find, easy to get into and likely to entertain you for weeks with its stunning graphics and large variety of creative gameplay ideas and surprises. And even though the Neo Geo original might have slightly better visuals, this game is still a very good port we can all be thankful for.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/22/06