Fun retro side scroller that delivers plenty of hectic action that can sometimes be overly frantic.

User Rating: 7.5 | Metal Slug 3 XBOX
By macabre190788 | Review Date:
This Metal Slug game I've owned for years, and it's been a while since I played it, years in fact. I used to be such a Metal Slug fan, a series that's similar to Contra, only more cartoonish, and funny. While not my favorite 2D franchise, must be Mega Man, I think, it's still entertaining and challenging. Oh yeah, it's the old one hit and you die thing, like in Contra, except you get hit by a zombie, then you become a zombie yourself, and then the next hit after that will kill you. The action is fast and frantic, sometimes it gets very hectic, overly hectic, it can be hard to keep your cool as the game stacks the odds against you, and the screen filled with bullets and enemies. The bosses are massive, though a bit lacklustre when compared to the best Metal Slug bosses, though some are pretty cool. Story has never been a huge part of any Metal Slug game, this is certainly no exception, I do appreciate the bizarre shift into B-movie territory towards the end, but some actions carried out by the characters doesn't seem to make much sense? Why resque the Saddam-looking dude? I thought he was the one you, initially were going after, but who cares, it's all run n' gun, and that's the way we want it.

The game is sometimes dangerously close to approaching overkill, I don't mean in terms of explosions, that's all good stuff, but the amount of enemies and danger equals death, a LOT of death, remember, the Metal Slug series, or at least many of them stem from the Arcades, they were designed to garner as many coins from you as possible, so it's THAT kind of game as far as the difficulty is concerned, but it's a console release, so no coins, you get a reasonable amount of continues from the get go. I know pro's can blaze through the whole thing with only dying a couple of times or not at all. There's no "unlimited continues" in this game, but there is a stage select option, so if you should happen to use all 9 continues before or in the final, very lengthy and strange level, you can start from there again with 9 continues, which means everybody, or at least most gamers with anything resembling...not skill necessarily but familiarity with these kinds of games, believe me, if someone as bad as me can do it, you can too. For repay value there's the always appeciated co-op mode, and many of the levels have different paths that lead to new areas, you're gonna have to play it more than once to see them all. It's a fun retro 2D side scroller, not my absolute favorite in the series, but enjoyable.

Other Helpful Reviews for Metal Slug 3

  • Rating:8.5

    Fun co-op action!

    By Superbustacap | Review Date: Nov 30, 2005 | XBOX

    This is a game I rented after playing a few versions of it in an arcade, and it's just as good except you don't have to put a quarter in every second. I play it with my friend and it is amazingly fun. You just go around ... Read Full Review

    3 of 4 users found the following review helpful
  • Rating:8.3

    By Eagles_Eye_01 | Review Date: Jun 20, 2004 | XBOX

    BEAUTIFUL side scroller. I never really was a fan of metal slug games. The first time i saw one was at a fair in my church!!!! there was a huge line to play it though since u needed NO QUARTERS!!!! I dont remember which ... Read Full Review

    1 of 1 users found the following review helpful
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