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SNK NeoGeo fans are in for a treat. Metal Slug 3 was set to be released on PS2 a while back but unfortunately something happened in the approval process and the game was unable to be released. Luckily, to the delight of SNK NeoGeo fans everywhere, Microsoft accepted the game and allowed Metal Slug 3 to see a console release here in the States.
Metal Slug 3 is gaming at its purest. SNK NeoGeo would want you to believe that Metal Slug 3 has some kind of story behind it but really there isn’t anything holding these missions together. The game’s five missions are all different with their own unique setting and overall feel to it. You’ll have a too much of a blast shooting things to mind that there is no reason for you to do so.
This basic philosophy carries on over to the visuals, as well. In technicalities, Metal Slug 3 isn’t going to win any awards since gaming technology was able to pull this game off quite a while ago. Nonetheless, you are greeted with reasonably detailed characters and an excellent animation system which makes the game more bearable. The backgrounds are hand-drawn and fit in perfectly with the rest of game, and there isn’t any slowdown even when everything is blowing up. Nonetheless, the game could look a lot better. 2D games like Viewtiful Joe show how good 2D games can look.
The sound is as equally standard. The soundtrack is pretty cool and fits the game pretty well, but the sound effects are basic, nothing too noticeable.
None of this matters though. In Metal Slug 3 as long as you can keep on moving right and shooting everything in sight, you’ll done fine. Along the way you’ll find numerous different enemies to shoot, as I stated above, since all of the levels bring their own unique enemies. You’ll also find tons of weapons at your disposal. Metal Slug 3 also lets you control some vehicles in order to… you guessed it, kill more things.
If you do a really good job you can post your score using Xbox Live’s Leaderboards. If you want you can also play the game through with a friend in the system co-op mode. Once you beat the game you unlock Storming the Mother Ship which is essentially a new mission and Fat Island where you play as fat little characters.
Die-hard fans wouldn’t have it any other way but casual gamers may be turned off a bit by the game’s difficulty. If you mess up, you’ll have to begin from the beginning of the game, unlike the arcade version which let you play from where you left of. This is particularly annoying since you will lose quite a bit in the various stages.
Metal Slug 3 is a fun little game and it will provide you with several hours of enjoyment thanks to the quirky action. If you blaze through the first four missions and feel like you are getting ripped off, keep playing – the final mission is quite long. If you’re a SNK NeoGeo fan, go purchase this right now since you’ll enjoy the visual fidelity and bragging rights that come with Xbox Live. Even if you aren’t a fan, playing Metal Slug 3 will remind you of the days where gaming wasn’t all about having the best graphics engine. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Jun 2, 2004
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