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METAL SLUG X
review | NEO GEO
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Publisher: SNK.
Developer: SNK. Released: 1999. Genre: Run 'n' Gun. Other versions: PS. Posted 25th September 2026. By Tom Clare © 2026 |
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Metal Slug 2 pushed the Neo Geo hardware beyond its limits, delivering a beautiful run ‘n’ gun that was torpedoed by frequent, at times crushing, bouts of lag. If ever there was a game that deserved a second chance, however, this was it. Evidently, SNK knew they had something special because rather than ploughing on with a third title, the developer spent much of 1998 optimising and redesigning their flawed masterpiece. The result was a triumph, and likely the series’ high point: Metal Slug X.
As Marco, Eri, Tarma or Fio, players tackle six stages of madcap side-scrolling blasting, with the aim being to beat faux-Nazi General Morden, his army of soldiers, and a daunting ensemble of oversized mech bosses. Look to the background during the opening moments of the game, and you’ll see a clue to another impending threat: an inconveniently timed alien invasion. Every time I replay MSX, there’s a familiar, enduring buzz of knowing I’m about to tackle a shooter with energy levels cranked up to eleven from the very moment you begin. The series established a truly distinctive visual style, with X maintaining the original’s mix of elegant, pastel-shaded war-torn landscapes and accentuating its magnificently expressive, super-chunky sprites. For all the theatrics, its level design, balancing, and range of ideas is absolutely stunning.
Every scene is a work of art. You can play MSX a dozen times and still notice new touches
Every level is a veritable festival of action, tongue-in-cheek cultural references, and psychedelic boss fights. Beginning amid the Arabian desert, most games would take a few sections to bed in. Not Metal Slug X. Within three minutes, you’ll have despatched dozens of soldiers, numerous armoured vehicles, a fleet of choppers and a missile defence unit. You’ll have rescued a dozen gift-bestowing prisoners of war, discovered a small armoury’s worth of weapons, ridden a camel armed with a mounted gun, and fought a gigantic mech with a flamethrower and missiles at its disposal. It only becomes more elaborate, more mad, and more unpredictable from here.
There are loads of surprises in store, even for those familiar with the 1996 original. Whilst MSX may look similar on the surface (no bad thing), the level design sees big improvements. The second mission shows off the game’s creative chops. The Egyptian Pyramids see platforming play a big role, with players having to judge leaps and dodge boulders. The level culminates in a boss fight around a tower, which demands the player keep ascending to higher ledges, to avoid falling into the mechanised monster’s maw. The pyramid interior harbours many dangers, not least the mummies and mummified dogs. The developer was liberal in their provision of shotgun and flamethrower weapons, correctly sensing they would be tremendous fun with which to blast groups. No surprise, considering how brilliant the animations are; the fallout is different for almost every enemy. Come into contact with the undead or inhale their purple dust-breath, and the protagonist will transform into a shambling mummy. Weapon options and movement speed are heavily limited in this state, but all is not lost, as locating a panacea restores human status.
There are loads of surprises in store, even for those familiar with the 1996 original. Whilst MSX may look similar on the surface (no bad thing), the level design sees big improvements. The second mission shows off the game’s creative chops. The Egyptian Pyramids see platforming play a big role, with players having to judge leaps and dodge boulders. The level culminates in a boss fight around a tower, which demands the player keep ascending to higher ledges, to avoid falling into the mechanised monster’s maw. The pyramid interior harbours many dangers, not least the mummies and mummified dogs. The developer was liberal in their provision of shotgun and flamethrower weapons, correctly sensing they would be tremendous fun with which to blast groups. No surprise, considering how brilliant the animations are; the fallout is different for almost every enemy. Come into contact with the undead or inhale their purple dust-breath, and the protagonist will transform into a shambling mummy. Weapon options and movement speed are heavily limited in this state, but all is not lost, as locating a panacea restores human status.
FOCAL POINT: THE PLAYSTATION PORT
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Metal Slug X (2003, PlayStation)
Following an agonising 14-month delay precipitated by the closure of Virgin Interactive and the search for a new publisher, European players would finally got their hands on a PlayStation port of Metal Slug X in 2003. Next to the weighty £150+ cost of Neo Geo cartridges, the PSone version retailed at a considerably more budget-conscious £19.99, with players treated to extras including an image gallery, 20 additional quick-fire missions, and the Combat School. Here, players could speedrun the levels, or tackle the extremely moreish Survival mode, with the aim to progress as far as possible on a single life. For the most part, the PSone version runs well. There are a few loading screens, plus one or two very minor AI aberrations and graphical glitches, but it’s otherwise very similar. On pure performance, the Neo Geo version shades it with sharper visuals and a fractionally better frame rate, though the PlayStation port represents significantly better value for money.
Status effects provide humorous fun, with one of the tweaks from MS2 being the increased uses of the fat/big transformation, which occurs when the player consumes several food pick-ups in quick succession. Whilst becoming a bigger, more lumbering target doesn’t sound especially advantageous, every one of the game’s myriad weapons becomes super-sized: pistol bullets are bigger, grenades and flame shots now encompass a huge range, lasers and rockets are chunkier. Melee animations also switch from a knife to a giant fork, which has always tickled me.
The third level sees shades of Indiana Jones, taking place atop a moving train. Upping the ante, it gifts players a fighter plane with which to tackle the boss. Mission 5 is tremendous, and a personal favourite, despite its steep difficulty. This mega-ambitious sequence throws just about everything your way, including a street shootout with destructible cars; a jaunt through a doomed laboratory, replete with creepy monsters; and a subway where you’ll need to mash the fire button to prevent being overrun by out of control train carriages. Beautiful animations, zany music, the bonkers voiceover, explosive sound effects, and bosses showcasing some of the most elaborate sprite artistry ever seen in gaming: Metal Slug had really found itself.
The third level sees shades of Indiana Jones, taking place atop a moving train. Upping the ante, it gifts players a fighter plane with which to tackle the boss. Mission 5 is tremendous, and a personal favourite, despite its steep difficulty. This mega-ambitious sequence throws just about everything your way, including a street shootout with destructible cars; a jaunt through a doomed laboratory, replete with creepy monsters; and a subway where you’ll need to mash the fire button to prevent being overrun by out of control train carriages. Beautiful animations, zany music, the bonkers voiceover, explosive sound effects, and bosses showcasing some of the most elaborate sprite artistry ever seen in gaming: Metal Slug had really found itself.
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Despite a few lingering frame rate hitches, X represents a vast improvement over the quagmire Metal Slug 2 found itself in. Additionally, there’s a selection of new and reassuringly wacky weapons to try, including the Iron Lizard (launches bombs-on-wheels); the Enemy Chaser (homing missiles); and Dropshot, a weapon peculiar even by Metal Slug standards, which fires explosive bouncing balls. It’s useless from range, but rather handy for bypassing environmental obstructions and lumpy terrain. Far from moderation, levels feature more action, more polish, a greater variety and supply of enemies, and more scenic variety than the game it was modelled on. By 1999, the industry was luring players away from run ‘n’ guns in favour of more complex, immersive shooters, but there’s no shot in the arm quite like the carnage of an SNK arcade game. Two-player cooperative is absolutely magic, and with four difficulty settings, there’s all the challenge you could want. Players can save their progress and begin from any unlocked mission, meaning that with each player possessing five credits, even genre greenhorns should be able to see the game through to its fittingly flamboyant conclusion.
It isn’t without a few blemishes. Slow-down is greatly reduced but not non-existent, and there are a few sections that are teeth-grindingly frustrating. Notably, the beginning of the final mission where the player must jump through the gaps between launching rockets, whilst dodging gunfire from above and homing missiles from in front, whilst also trying to avoid stray shots and overcoming enemy cover. Some boss fights last a little too long, meaning there’s a fair chance the player will run out of ammo for their collected weapon and be forced to revert to the pistol, which is a frankly dispiriting way to tackle these giant contraptions.
It isn’t without a few blemishes. Slow-down is greatly reduced but not non-existent, and there are a few sections that are teeth-grindingly frustrating. Notably, the beginning of the final mission where the player must jump through the gaps between launching rockets, whilst dodging gunfire from above and homing missiles from in front, whilst also trying to avoid stray shots and overcoming enemy cover. Some boss fights last a little too long, meaning there’s a fair chance the player will run out of ammo for their collected weapon and be forced to revert to the pistol, which is a frankly dispiriting way to tackle these giant contraptions.
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Barely a moment passes without something explosive happening
On its release, Metal Slug X was labelled dated by some, due to its adherence to sprites and charmingly old-school, vintage visual style. 25 years on, SNK’s shooter now feels timeless. The tenets of strong game design, unrivalled attention-to-detail, and forensic care in ensuring every gameplay sequence lands with a bang, make it a joy to play. It will be remembered as one of the greatest run ‘n’ guns, and dare I say it, perhaps the best game available for the Neo Geo.
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VERDICT
"A gorgeous, action-packed rollercoaster of a run 'n' gun. Six tremendous missions packed with countless memorable moments, and a challenge finally tuned to draw players back. There's nothing quite like Metal Slug, and very few as good as Metal Slug X." OVERALL: 9/10 |
OTHER TOP-DRAWER RUN 'N' GUN GAMES REVIEWED
Metal Slug (1996, Neo Geo)
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Huntdown (2019, PC)
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