Metal Slug 4 & 5 is a reminder of the good old arcade gaming days. Blowing stuff up is a ton of fun, even in 2D.
After playing Metal Slug 3 and ending up diasppointed with it, picking up Metal Slug 4 & 5 took me a while. I was afraid the game would suffer from the same problem as the previous installment: every time we died, we went back to the beginning of the stage. Pretty frustrating, if you ask me. Fortunately, Metal Slug 4 & 5 didn't have this problem. Continuing resumes your position exactly where you died.
The Xbox double pack is exactly the same that was released early this year for the PS2, but it is Xbox Live enabled so you can share your high scores online, but only for MS5. Wouldn't it be nice to have had the game enabled for co-op online play though? Now there's a thought for the next Metal Slug title.
While Metal Slug 4 is basically recycling the elements from the previous Metal Slug titles, Metal Slug 5 offers original new levels, new enemies, new weapons and gigantic bosses armed to their teeth.
With infinite continues, you are bound to race through the game until you reach the end. Ok, you're probably thinking "Infinite continues? What's the fun in that?" but the thing is, you will use them. You will die, die some more, die again. These aren't exactly easy games, and the infinite continues just take away the "Game Over" frustration. And it's not like you're using quarters to play it, right?
In this non-stop fast paced action title, you will be facing hordes of soldiers, pirates, zombies and yetis. At your disposal will be a wide arsenal of weapons (grenades, rocket launchers, machine guns and more) and several vehicles including motorcycles, tanks, a submarine (for the underwater mission), a jet (for the air mission) and even a mobile suit. A few secret weapons like becoming fat or turning into a zombie are hilarious and although slow in movement, they are quite powerful. The zombie's grenades are actually a huge blood spray and nothing can kill you except for another zombie. Becoming fat happens when you eat too much and your weapons will be much more powerful then.
The best thing about Metal Slug is that gameplay is even more enjoyable in co-op mode. Unfortunately, the games are quite short.
The graphics are what you would expect from a 2d side-scroller, but with amazing attention to detail. The animations are well worth looking at as well, since they are nicely done and very funny. The sound effects are just right, from the gunshots to the big explosions, even the little screams of pain. The sound track is really good, rock and metal fitting the game's action-packed environment just right.
If you are looking for a bit of old-school entertainment, this is a title you should add to your collection, especially because you are getting two games for less than the price of one. If you're not too sure, give it the benefit of the rental.
The Metal Slug 4 & 5 bundle comes to us as a reminder of the good old arcade gaming days, as well reminding us that blowing stuff up is a ton of fun even in 2D.
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