|
|
|
METAL SLUG 3 (NEO)
|
Publisher: SNK.
Developer: SNK. Released: March 2000 (Arcade); June 2000 (AES). Genre: Run 'n' Gun. Other versions: PS2; XBOX. Posted 21st December 2024. By Tom Clare © 2024 |
|
By 2000, Metal Slug had become a somewhat illusive gaming contradiction. It arrived three years after the discontinuation of the Neo Geo, and three years before the wider European market would discover the series via a reworking of the second game, Metal Slug X, when it was ported to the PlayStation. A run ‘n’ gun that seemed paradoxically cutting-edge and old-fashioned thanks to its remarkably frenetic action and distinctive art style, MS3 stuck faithfully to the formula established by its predecessors. Despite interest in arcades waning by the turn of the millennium, SNK’s effort wore its heart proudly on its sleeve, and fans had another cult hit on their hands.
Marco, Tarma, Eri and Fio return for another madcap 2D shooter whereby, once again, they take on General Morden’s Rebel Army and the invading Martians. Cue five missions (the final one being the longest in the series, roughly twice the norm) of high-octane action, where the series’ signature explosive bombast and quirky humour barely relent for a second. Whilst the MVS version allows you to add credits, the AES edit is geared to offer a sterner challenge by limiting two players to five continues each. To balance things, it comes with the option of five lives instead of three, as well as easier and harder difficulty settings.
[MVS] 'Wandering at Midnight' is one of the series' finest levels
The core mechanics remain mostly the same, with the iconic, fifties sci-fi comic style returning and as gorgeous as ever. It’s a grand gaming fusion of all the cheesiest Hollywood B-Movie tropes you could think of. Strong-chinned heroes, gloopy Martians with rayguns, an evil general with Third-Reich vibes, an array of massively over-the-top weapons and a near-unending supply of cannon fodder. Sprite design is some of the strongest to date, with some especially extravagant bosses and locations that are an absolute magnet for destruction. Shoot, grenade and jump: that’s all you need to know. These three functions will be in near constant use as you attempt to stay the veritable tidal wave of baddies.
Metal Slug 3 will undoubtedly look, feel and sound familiar to those who’ve played the previous games. If you weren’t a fan of its tongue-in-cheek nostalgic aesthetic before, there’s nothing here that will change that opinion. However, a raft of small additions have a positive effect on the experience. Every mission has split routes or hidden sections, and they’re no mere distractions, but tangibly different routes. Figuring out the least dangerous or most rewarding is a lot of fun. The opening level allows you to pilot a submersible through a cave of sea monsters, each with a cosy lair and nameplate (Linda, Jenny, Barbie and the like, in case you were wondering). Some paths, such as the Iceman cave in the second mission, are a little more obscure and can easily be missed.
Metal Slug 3 will undoubtedly look, feel and sound familiar to those who’ve played the previous games. If you weren’t a fan of its tongue-in-cheek nostalgic aesthetic before, there’s nothing here that will change that opinion. However, a raft of small additions have a positive effect on the experience. Every mission has split routes or hidden sections, and they’re no mere distractions, but tangibly different routes. Figuring out the least dangerous or most rewarding is a lot of fun. The opening level allows you to pilot a submersible through a cave of sea monsters, each with a cosy lair and nameplate (Linda, Jenny, Barbie and the like, in case you were wondering). Some paths, such as the Iceman cave in the second mission, are a little more obscure and can easily be missed.
|
|
[MVS] Still some of the most extravagant and explosive sprite work to feature in a game: Metal Slug 3 looka a riot in motion
Several sections see SNK indulge in a bit of genre-swapping. With former Irem employees working on the Metal Slug series, it stands to reason that the scrolling shoot ‘em up sections should be a blast. There are run-outs for both horizontal and vertical-scrolling variants, featuring jets and space rockets, and they’re as explosively brilliant as you’d hope. The third mission, ‘Eyes Over the Waves’, plays like a throwback to Irem’s underappreciated 1993 subterranean shooter In the Hunt, which sadly never released outside of Japan. As the game progresses, we’re given countless reminders of the myriad animations the game possesses, and the incredible attention to detail that’s such a facet of the series. Deaths in space and underwater animate differently to the on-land ones, whilst the player can be eaten alive by giant plants, or see themselves burst Monty Python style, should you die during the use of the ‘big’ bloating power-up.
Depending on which of the four characters you opt to play as, the game unexpectedly switches control to one of the other protagonists in the closing stages. It’s a clever touch, as you’re suddenly tasked with saving the lead after they’re captured by the alien menace. There are more vehicles than ever, including helicopters, machine-gun mounted camels and mechs. These are always a joy, granting a welcome respite from the one-hit-kill danger of the on-foot action, and granting the player a satisfyingly destructive repertoire of firepower.
Depending on which of the four characters you opt to play as, the game unexpectedly switches control to one of the other protagonists in the closing stages. It’s a clever touch, as you’re suddenly tasked with saving the lead after they’re captured by the alien menace. There are more vehicles than ever, including helicopters, machine-gun mounted camels and mechs. These are always a joy, granting a welcome respite from the one-hit-kill danger of the on-foot action, and granting the player a satisfyingly destructive repertoire of firepower.
|
|
[MVS] Metal Slug's team included developers from R-Type creators Irem, so it's little surprise the shmup sections work a treat
It’s the level design that, when combined with beautifully crafted gameplay, really sells Metal Slug 3. From the moment you step onto the beach and start blasting away at a cluster of ‘giant enemy crabs’ (not you, Genji), it’s unabating chaos and carnage. The second mission, ‘Wandering at Midnight’, is set in Siberia amid the fallout from an aeroplane crash and subsequent viral outbreak, and is a standout amongst a sequence of awesome levels. Whereas Metal Slug 2 saw characters mummified, here they’re susceptible to zombification. One does not simply die uneventfully from a Metal Slug zombie attack, however. Instead, the player must shamble along in zombie form, until they locate a first-aid kit to restore them to human form. There is an upside, however, in the form of an absolutely devastating area attack.
It’s an outstanding level. So much of what makes Metal Slug uniquely brilliant is captured here. You’ll rescue a shady guy in a suit who gifts you an accompanying thundercloud to help ward off the undead, before seemingly teleporting away. There’s a secret cave filled with ice blocks, yetis and fridges. You’ll encounter a monkey in a nappy, countless animations of civilians fleeing or being zombified, and a typically unorthodox boss fight. Here, the player must destroy a gathering of giant levitating aliens before tackling a dome-like device that drops monoliths on the player. Complete lunacy, yet somehow for Metal Slug, par for the course.
It’s an outstanding level. So much of what makes Metal Slug uniquely brilliant is captured here. You’ll rescue a shady guy in a suit who gifts you an accompanying thundercloud to help ward off the undead, before seemingly teleporting away. There’s a secret cave filled with ice blocks, yetis and fridges. You’ll encounter a monkey in a nappy, countless animations of civilians fleeing or being zombified, and a typically unorthodox boss fight. Here, the player must destroy a gathering of giant levitating aliens before tackling a dome-like device that drops monoliths on the player. Complete lunacy, yet somehow for Metal Slug, par for the course.
|
|
[MVS] Sometimes the screenshots just have to speak for themselves
Perhaps a fraction behind than the second game but at least on a par with the original, Metal Slug 3 ups the action ante to near-preposterous levels, without descending into farce. It finds a degree of cohesion within its caffeinated chaos and pushes the Neo Geo hardware through the intensity of its on-screen action. The result is a little bit of slow-down during the craziest moments, though for a significant majority of the time, it’s an arcade-quality experience. Fantastic fun with a friend but genuinely great on your own too. It’s true that, like its predecessors, the last couple of levels will see you haemorrhaging lives, but there’s a great satisfaction to be found in chasing high scores and beating the game using as few continues as possible. This is a testament to its design: gaming at its least subtle, but perhaps most joyous.
|
VERDICT
"Metal Slug 3 finds a degree of cohesion within its caffeinated chaos, pushing the Neo Geo hardware through the intensity of its on-screen action. Gaming at its least subtle, but perhaps most joyous." OVERALL: 8/10 |
OTHER RUN 'N' GUN GAMES REVIEWED
Rolling Thunder 2 (1990, Mega Drive)
|
Metal Slug (1996, Neo Geo)
|