The Xbox debut of the classic shoot-em-up series, with all of its old-school gameplay and 2d visual charm in tact.
You see, before the game came to Microsoft’s big black box, there were only two options for people who wanted to get in on some Metal Slug 3 mayhem. The first involved searching high and low for an arcade that carried the game--not an easy task these days. The other option was to scour Ebay for a Neo Geo AES console, along with a copy of the game, which together cost upward of $1,000. Either way, these hurdles made it so only the most dedicated fans were getting a shot at the game. But now that it’s been released on a major platform for just $29.99, MS3 is now accessible to a legion of new gamers who would have otherwise missed out.
As is series tradition, gameplay in Metal Slug 3 is top notch. The controls are as tight as ever, and it boasts some of the biggest and most deviously hard boss battles in gaming. There are no two ways about it—MS3 feels impossibly hard at times, and takes saint-like patience and persistence to win. Enemies swarm the screen on foot, from the air, and in all kinds of weird vehicles. Projectiles are constantly flying around the screen, yet getting hit by a single bullet is the death of your character. And with just two lives in reserve, only people with extreme dodging finesse will be able to get further than the first mission.
Luckily, dodging is a skill that can be acquired. Metal Slug 3 has one of the steepest learning curves I’ve ever experienced, as some of the levels take dozens of attempts to master. The first time I fought the Level 3 boss, I swore it was impossible to defeat him without losing a life. But a few days and a lot of practice later, I was deftly evading any attack he threw at me. The game supports a simultaneous two-player mode, where a friend can jump in the mix and add some extra firepower during the game’s more intense sections. I’ve found that succeeding in MS3 is a lot more rewarding than other games, because victory isn’t something that’s promised—it needs to be earned.
MS3 only includes five missions, placing a strong emphasis on replay. What separates it from similar games in the genre is the abundance of branching paths in each level. There are three different ways to get to the end of the first mission alone, each route offering a completely different experience. Some paths are obvious, but others are well hidden and require you to crawl, blast, or jump your way to them. In order to see everything, it’s necessary to go over each level with a fine toothcomb, which is going to take a significant amount of time.
At the beginning of the game, you have two main attacks—standard pistol and hand grenades. Grenades are powerful and can take down enemies quickly, but you only have ten of them, so moderation is key. Enemies occasionally drop power-ups that can upgrade your normal gun to something stronger. These weapons range from shotguns and rocket launchers to the bizarre “Iron Lizard” cannon, which sends mechanical reptiles crawling toward enemies and exploding on impact. Power-ups deal a lot of damage but have a limited ammo supply, so when bullets run out it’s back to your trusty pistol.
You can up your firepower even more by hopping into one of the game's many vehicles, called Slugs. They come in many forms, such as the bipedal tank, the torpedo-firing submarine, or the gun turret-equipped wooly mammoth. There’s obviously a lot of variety, and there are many other Slugs to be found along the game’s veering paths. Firepower isn’t the only advantage of climbing in a Slug, considering most of them can take three direct hits before exploding. In a game where one hit from an enemy kills your normal character, this can make all the difference in completing a mission.
As for the graphics, there’s no way around it—they’re dated. This is not to say that they’re bad, just that when compared to some of its flashy X-Box brethren, MS3 looks like it came to the party underdressed. But if you have a soft spot for 2D visuals, there is a lot to love here. The game world that you fight your way through feels alive, as characters, enemies, and pickups are all constantly in motion (even when they’re standing still). Animation is brilliantly done, and has significantly more frames than the average 2D game. Characters can clearly express surprise, fear, fatigue, and even anger depending on the situation. In a nutshell the graphics ooze charm, and there isn’t even a hint of slowdown, so the game’s white-knuckle intensity remains intact.
MS3 comes with a few bonus modes that are unlocked as soon as the main quest is cleared. The first is called “Fat Island,” where you control a morbidly obese character who needs to fight off enemies while gobbling as much food as possible. It’s an okay distraction, but didn’t hold my attention for very long. “Storming The UFO Mothership” is the other new mode, which is definitely worth playing. You control a nameless enemy soldier whose job is to assault the alien spaceship from the arcade mode’s finale. If you die somewhere along the way, there are no extra lives or continues—it’s game over. To level the playing field, you can rescue captured comrades who fight by your side as soon as they’re released. If you live long enough you’ll amass a swarm of ten to twenty allies who all have your back. These modes are nothing revolutionary, but they are enjoyable distractions while they last. It’s nice to see that the developers took time to add content above and beyond the original game.
The music in MS3 is an interesting beast; when I sat down to write the review, I couldn’t recall a single song from the game’s soundtrack. So I sat back and replayed the arcade mode, focusing entirely on the tunes. As I shot my way through the game, I instantly remembered each track as it began playing, which jogged my memory as to how much I enjoyed the game’s music. For example, one of my favorite songs sounds like a heavy metal band is having an jam session in a hunted house basement—needless to say it’s unique. So what it comes down to is that MS3 has a very enjoyable but ultimately forgettable soundtrack, that sets the mood nicely for killing an army of “bad guys.”
Chances are that by now, you know whither or not you enjoy side-scrolling 2D shooters. If they do happen to be your thing, you can’t do any better than Metal Slug 3. It is easily one of the greatest games of its kind, with perfect gameplay and endearing graphics. The aging visuals are going to turn off more modern gamers, but if you don’t have any graphical hang ups, this is a very worthy addition to your library.