Metal Slug X

"Great taste... MORE KILLING!"

Having never played a Metal Slug game before (yeah, I'm SO un-hardcore... bite me), I was excited to hear that Agetec would be bringing an entry in the highly-regarded series to the US on the PlayStation, and I would get to see what all the hype is about. While it still has its feet firmly in the realm of the arcade quarter-muncher, the awesome action and quality port of Metal Slug X don't disappoint.

Video: 10/10
It is unfathomable to me how this game was accomplished on the ''can't do 2D!'' PlayStation, but, here it is. Tons of enemy soldiers, gunfire, and explosions litter the screen, not to mention the two well-animated heroes, and the chaos proceeds without precious little slowdown. The kind of little details that are present in this game are just the ones that conventional wisdom demands removed for a PSX port: enemy soldiers pointing and laughing when you die, then gasping in astonishment as video-game logic respawns you right before their eyes; a hero reloading his weapon during a lull in the fracas, or a heroine clutching herself and shivering, her breath misting, during the snow-covered final mission. The big-headed enemy soldiers and adorable Thomas The Tank Engine-style vehicles just ooze personality, the whole package never taking itself too seriously--heck, never taking itself seriously at all. Gratuitous violence never looked so good, or so hilarious, and while the future promise of the 3D paradigm is dear to me, Metal Slug X is a strong reminder of what can be accomplished, even with the ''old'' way of creating graphics, by talented artists.

Audio: 9/10
Metal Slug X's distinctiveness continues onto its soundtrack, a collection of jazzy tunes that make a perfect musical companion to the visual richness and hilarity, keeping up the pace with their fast tempos but also light-hearted enough to maintain the game's comedic attitude. Melodic cues even reflect the place you're doing battle in--an Arabic melody whines over the heavy-metal guitars during the desert-themed first stage, and the Eastern influence is unmistakable when you make your assault on Chinatown.

Sound effects pack plenty of punch; indeed, the death cries of the enemy soldiers are disturbingly earnest, considering the fun-loving feel of the rest of the game, but with the way they drop like flies, you get used to it. The noise of the special weapons' and vehicles' firepower is intimidating, and explosions are just plain loud. A little over-the-top, and not always in a funny way, is the voice of the in-game announcer that calls out your power-ups; the first time I heard him announce that I'd picked up a ''Rocket Louncher,'' I was rolling my eyes, not rolling on the floor.

Control: 4/10
Darn shame about the sub-standard score of this element, but aside from the two-player simultaneous mode, I could find nothing to like about Metal Slug X's control. I don't think it's too much to ask to be able to aim diagonally, especially downward; it's unnecessarily life-threatening to have to jump to fire at a target below you. Nor do I think a rapid-fire button is an unreasonable demand, especially when a couple segments of the game require you to just shoot, a lot, and fast, to take down a door or encroaching train. Having to jam on the button might not be uncomfortable on an arcade cabinet, but on a PSX controller I can practically feel the repetitive motion wearing out my joints. Also: when I stand on a platform and press down and jump, I expect to drop down to a lower platform. These are all conventions that were set up over ten years ago by Contra, and I didn't like having to work around their absence in MSX. ''But the arcade version is the same way!'' purists may cry; well, the arcade version has sucky control too, then. In the end I suppose the weak control doesn't take all that much away from the experience, but it is a blemish, holding Metal Slug X back from complete perfection.

Gameplay: 9/10
At its heart, Metal Slug X is a very simple game: one or two of the four playable characters move from left to right and kill anyone or anything that gets in your path. Take a hit from an enemy attack, and you're meat. Spicing things up are several optional weapons, like a machine gun, shotgun, or rocket launcher, and your limited supply of grenades, for when serious damage needs to be delivered. You can also steamroll over the enemies with one of four vehicles that you might find abandoned on the battlefield.

The above paragraph does nothing to describe the sheer chaos that unfolds as you progress into Metal Slug X. Countless enemies perform knife-wielding suicide rushes or hide behind riot shields as they try to close with you, and ride in on cars, trucks, motorcycles, tanks, parachutes, planes, choppers, or flying saucers, firing all manner of guns, cannons, grenades, mortars, acid, rockets, missiles, and lasers at you. Of course, armed with a special weapon or vehicle, and a little skill, you have a good chance of taking them all out. Enemies are smart enough to hunker down behind cover, waiting until your suppression fire stops before taking a shot at you, so just hop over the sandbags and fillet them with your knife (handy for saving ammo on the better special weapons). The great variety of enemies and enemy tactics, as well as the incredibly cool bosses, make Metal Slug X the most perfectly-executed game of this type I have ever had the privilege of playing. The end of the game even holds a surprise plot twist, as you find out who's really backing the dictator that you're out to take down.

Blast your way through the game's six stages and a little more value is added by the ''Another Mission'' mode. Twenty minigames, ranging from pure platform jumping with no weapons to dogfights with the Harrier-like Slug Flyer, are a little bit of a change of pace and unlock more pictures in the game's excellent art gallery when all completed, but were ultimately too simple to compete with the main game for my attention. Also available is the Combat School mode, where you can tackle time-attack and survival versions of the game under the tutelage of an anime-styled drill instructor. She'll berate you for a lame performance, praise and promote you for a skilled one, and a little easter egg even allows you to hit on her--kudos to Agetec for inching us towards getting dating simulators released in the US.

Overall: 82/100
Metal Slug X's aims are rather humble; this is not a title that's out to revolutionize gaming. But it delivers everything it promises, and except for the rather limited control setup, there are precious few flaws to find. It's got personality, creativity, variety, and gameplay to spare, and is highly recommended to anyone with a PlayStation that's out to kill an hour, and a hell of a lot of enemy soldiers, by themselves or with a friend.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/13/01, Updated 05/13/01