- Release Date: September 17, 2001
- Genre: Shooter
- Style: Platform Shooter
- Similar Games: Contra (Arcade), Metal Slug (Arcade)
Game Description
After the success of the original Metal Slug, SNK followed up with the sequel Metal Slug 2 featuring more animation and more vehicles. The third game to be released under the series name is Metal Slug X. It's not a sequel to Metal Slug 2, rather it's more of a reworked version with some improvements.Metal Slug X takes the term remix literally. If you can imagine taking the various elements in Metal Slug 2, dumping them into a box and shaking them up, then pouring them back out and rearranging them, that's what Metal Slug X is. The level progression is identical, but the enemy population has changed within each. A few new items and power-ups have been added as well.
Players have a choice of the four Metal Slug 2 characters to play with, two male and two female. Starting with a pistol and a stock of grenades, players must guide their characters through the game's levels plowing through the enemy population in each. At the end of levels monstrous bosses await the players, ready to inflict multiple forms of painful deaths to their characters. While moving through the stages players can rescue tied up friendly prisoners of war for power-ups, as well as board vehicles for more firepower.
Rescued prisoners of war drop items that the players can pick up. Some items give point bonuses, but most are weapon upgrades. Players can pick up all the Metal Slug 2 weapons such as the rifle, flame gun, and shotgun as well as a weapon new to the series, an odd thing that shoots a lizard on wheels that hugs the ground and explodes on contact. One prisoner of war, instead of dropping power-ups, follows the player around for the rest of the round shooting homing fireballs at enemies.
The various player usable vehicles, or slugs, in the game give the boarding player more firepower as well as added protection. With the exception of the Camel Slug, all the slug vehicles can take a number of hits before exploding. Optionally players can send their weapons headlong in a suicide attack that causes massive damage but destroys the vehicle.
~ Kyle Knight, All Game Guide
Roots & Influences
Metal Slug 2 was SNK's follow up sequel to the successful shooter Metal Slug. Metal Slug X, released a year after Metal Slug 2, is more of a side-story type game than a true sequel.~ Kyle Knight, All Game Guide
Review: Overall
Metal Slug X is a very difficult game to review. On one hand it is an excellent game with awesome graphics and refined gameplay. But then again it's basically the same game as its predecessor, with very little in the way of new elements. It's very evident that very little effort was put into the development of the game. Ultimately Metal Slug X's worth depends on whether you've played Metal Slug 2.The game has the same amazing graphics as its predecessor Metal Slug 2. Everywhere you look there's an incredible amount of detail. Start shooting at something and pieces break off until it finally explodes in a cloud of flying debris. Everything is animated extremely well; even little things like the close in attacks and crouching. In fact most of the animations are basically lifted off its predecessor. A few entirely new enemy characters as well as new attack animations for old characters have been added though. And in keeping with the spirit of the Metal Slug series, everything has been drawn and animated in an exaggerated way for comedic purposes. The unique style makes the game look like a war comedy straight out of comic book pages, and it works very well.
The Achilles' heel that's plagued the series' graphics is still present. Metal Slug X is an incredibly taxing game graphically, running on hardware that's almost ten years old. Occasionally the game does slow down when the screen is absolutely choked with enemies and debris from explosions. The problem isn't bad at all, and doesn't affect gameplay. In fact it's much less noticeable than in Metal Slug 2. But it still detracts from the game's otherwise great graphics.
Game sound is basically lifted straight from Metal Slug 2 as well. There are one or two new and interesting music compositions, and sound clips for the few new enemy characters. But if you've heard Metal Slug 2's sounds you've basically heard Metal Slug X's sounds. If you can get over that though, the game's music is fairly catchy and keeps pace with the game well. The sound effects for dying enemies are particularly well-done, and when things explode on screen you get a realistic explosion effect.
Metal Slug X's basic gameplay is exactly the same as Metal Slug 2. This time around there are more vehicles to use throughout the stages, and the better gun power-ups tend to appear more often. With the more abundant power-ups and vehicles the game becomes even more of a blow-up blastfest than before. The mummy and fat variants of characters are back as well, and this time you'll be seeing them more often. During the second stage you'll come across mummies and mummy dogs that breathe purple mist at you. If the mist tags you your character turns into a zombie with a pistol, with very slow and stiff movements. Crouching and jumping with mummified characters is particularly hilarious. On other stages, you'll find stacks of food bonuses in the game. Eat too many of them and your character will turn fat. Fat characters were limited to only one area of Metal Slug 2; this time around it's more common.
If you've already have Metal Slug 2, this game probably isn't worth the hefty Neo Geo price tag you'll have to pay to get it. But if you haven't played that game and you even remotely enjoy platform shooting games, Metal Slug X is the perfect game for you.
~ Kyle Knight, All Game Guide
Review: Enjoyment
Very polished shooter gameplay with a hilarious style~ Kyle Knight, All Game Guide
Review: Graphics
The great graphics from Metal Slug 2 are back, this time with less slowdown~ Kyle Knight, All Game Guide
Review: Sound
Same tunes as Metal Slug 2, with one or two new songs added~ Kyle Knight, All Game Guide
Review: Replay Value
Four characters and a host of weapons and vehicles~ Kyle Knight, All Game Guide
Review: Documentation
Average documentation that does the job~ Kyle Knight, All Game Guide
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