Metal Slug 4 - Hands on impressions from GameSpot

**Nash** · 17 Jun 2002, 06:27 PM

well, i posted a small impression in my other thread but here's a little more indepth one.

first off, i haven't had much time to play it, so i didn't get that far into the game. my neo geo sits at home and i only get to play it on the weekends when i go back, cuz i don't want to bring my system to school (college kids i know don't really respect other people's stuff). anyway, i think i got as far as the third level.

ok, first the characters are pretty cool. the only new character i recognized was trevor. i think the girls are the same ones from metal slug 3 (but i could be wrong). marco makes a come-back, but tarma doesn't. he makes an appearance in the game on the first level to help you out, but that's it (and he was my favorite character, too).

i haven't played metal slug 3 too much, so i don't know which weapons are new, but ones i haven't seen before are the dual machine guns, the enemy chaser, and the one where you shoot the little ground planes.

from a gameplay standpoint, it's pure metal slug with a little more thrown in. translation: it's awesome. there are more vehicles to jump in such as the bike driven by a pow in the first level, the missle lauching tank that you take from the enemy, and a mechanical ant. the new weapons are a nice touch (i totally love the dual machine guns). the game is a bit harder than the other ones (i lost all my continues by the third level boss), but then again, i've been out of practice.

the graphics are as detailed as ever, the animation is great, and slowdown is kept to a minimal. however, yes, there are a lot of re-used sprites from the previous games (alan o'neal looks exactly the same). and lastly, a lot of the backgrounds look very familiar (but they looked redrawn cuz there's more polish to them. either that, or they were just touched up).

well, that's my impression so far. i'll play some more this weekend. however, from what i've played, i'd have to say that it's the best metal slug yet --- better than 1, 2, and x (i need to play 3 more to compare).

**Freeter** · 17 Jun 2002, 06:28 PM

The only Hollywood reference I've ever seen in the MS series is an homage to a certain movie with the initials ID4...

**Nash** · 17 Jun 2002, 06:35 PM

oh, and unlike what gamespot wrote, you don't just fight soldiers. the enemies are primarily soldiers, but there are mummies and weird area 51 guys in radioactive suits in the second level.

**Frogacuda** · 17 Jun 2002, 07:23 PM

Originally posted by sleeveboy

GigaWing and its sequel are neither cheap nor stupid.

I suggest you pay a visit to the Records board and read the GW2 score thread.

I said Gigawing, not "Gigawing series". GW2 was fine, and I can kick its ass. And that doesn't change my thoughs on MS3. MS3 is just tons of cheap kills, even for those who have mastered the first two.

**supermario** · 17 Jun 2002, 10:00 PM

Originally posted by Frogacuda
And that doesn't change my thoughs on MS3. MS3 is just tons of cheap kills, even for those who have mastered the first two.

Funny how I can beat the game on MVS difficulty with only 7 credits.

Cheap my ass, you just suck. How about you play the game more than 5 times before saying it sucks.

**gameoverDude** · 17 Jun 2002, 10:09 PM

It looks decent. However, one of the backgrounds looks a little too much like it came from MS1.

The pictures on the first page do look really nice, especially the ones where you're going underneath a large zeppelin type thingy.

**Frogacuda** · 18 Jun 2002, 03:02 AM

Originally posted by supermario

Funny how I can beat the game on MVS difficulty with only 7 credits.

Cheap my ass, you just suck. How about you play the game more than 5 times before saying it sucks.

If it takes more than 3 credits for a high level player that's beat. An unmodified AES limits you to 4 credits. I've seen people who can beat MSX in 2 credits take 9 or 10. That's way off.

**hayato42** · 18 Jun 2002, 03:25 AM

Originally posted by Frogacuda

If it takes more than 3 credits for a high level player that's beat. An unmodified AES limits you to 4 credits. I've seen people who can beat MSX in 2 credits take 9 or 10. That's way off.

Let me see if i get your point...

making a sequel harder than the predecessor is a bad thing?

**fiend_of_rejections** · 18 Jun 2002, 04:24 AM

Originally posted by supermario

Funny how I can beat the game on MVS difficulty with only 7 credits.

Either the version I play is set on a high ass difficulty, or I suck, too. I still love the game.

I own the first 3 stages.... after that, it's all over for me.

**supermario** · 18 Jun 2002, 11:50 AM

Originally posted by Frogacuda

If it takes more than 3 credits for a high level player that's beat. An unmodified AES limits you to 4 credits. I've seen people who can beat MSX in 2 credits take 9 or 10. That's way off.

Ok buddy, I just beat Metal Slug 3 last night again on MVS difficulty on 4 credits....yes my personal best, just in spite of you. You and your friends simply suck.

Also MS3 is really a lot different from MSX, in X the gameplay was simply run and gun, and jook and jive. In 3 its a little more strategy invovled seeing that most of the enimies take more than one hit to kill. You really need to position yourself in a safe area and have the right weapons to not die in 3. Also there defenetly are easier side areas to play through in order to not die.

Oh, and the AES deal limiting you to 4 credits....ever think of pressing start on the player two controller when you run out of credits on the player one side?