Classic arcade gaming in the palm of your hand.
Metal Slug 3 for the iPhone is a straight port of the arcade game. The gist of the game is you shoot and blast your way through five different levels jam packed with soldiers, zombies, crabs, mummies, and more. There's no denying the fact that Metal Slug was original, and it's nice to see all the variety in the stages. You don't feel like you're doing the same thing over and over, and there's even sections where you can choose your path in the level, and each section is interesting and difficult. You'll start off with a pistol and ten grenades, and as you rescue prisoners of war, they'll give you weapons, grenades, and other misc items that will give you points. If you rescue a prisoner, and complete the level without dying, you get bonuses, which can be a challenge to get, but worth it. The bosses in Metal Slug 3 are gigantic and challenging. They may be hard to fight at first, but after a while, you get into the groove of things, and soon, you'll be destroying enormous foes without batting an eyelash.
As far as ports go, this isn't the best. Although there is Bluetooth support, there is no online multi-player, which is a weird choice, especially considering Metal Slug 3 supports GameCenter. Also, you only have five continues. This may sound like a lot, but the later stages really challenge you, and it really puts the pressure on. The touch screen controls can take a little while to get used to, and can result in some cheap deaths when you're first starting out. The overall game play is intact, and as addictive as ever, and you'll be pleased to know the sound has not suffered a poor translation. The sound is crisp, and it's ultra satisfying to hear that voice yell the weapon you've picked up.
Overall, Metal Slug 3 is definitely worth picking up, and it's quite a blast. But, touch screen controls can feel a little bit weird, and the lack of online multi player, and unlimited continues is very questionable.