When it comes to shoot ´em up and run and gun games, with a funny and cartoonish look that means hours and hours of fun and enjoyment for many players in the past in many systems, there is definitely a game that really stand out among many titles of this type: Metal Slug 3 attacks and the whole series that counts with millions of fans around the globe.
In details, Metal Slug is a series of videogames released, developed and distributed by SNK in 1991 and having this first version focused on Neo-Geo arcade machines, which later on would be ported to other home consoles and available computers in the latest years of 1990s decade. To date 10 original Metal Slug games have been released since 1991, without including compilations.
Metal Slug have had great success since its released in the arcades, being considered a shot ´em up and run and gun game with platform elements, also including a cartoonish designed respecting graphics and a history accompanied with great sense of humor and great fun, which made the game a great success from the beginning and leading to releases of other titles in other systems.
Metal Slug Anthology and other versions and features
In Metal Slug the players happen to be one or two soldier that belongs to the Peregrine Falcons, which at the same time is a squad that is part of the Regular Forces that is working on avoiding and overthrow, as an event that is being carried out by the antagonist of the series General Donald Morden.
However, in the different Metal Slug game soldiers and mercenaries are not the only enemy, since there are other threats that are always present like zombies, aliens, monsters and other creatures that got released under different circumstances. In the first Metal Slug Marco Rossi and Tarma Roving are the protagonist and main characters we must control to clear all the stages in the game.
Metal Slug games are known for many different key elements, being one of them the use of great and diverse weapons, tanks and specialized vehicles, such as Heavy Machine, Rocket Launcher, Thunder Shot and many others.
All of these weapons are included in the first seven games of the franchise, which at the same time were gathered in one game called Metal slug Anthology that was released for the Nintendo Wii, Playstation 2 and PSP systems. Demo versions have been also released in many systems.
Purposes of Metal Slug Advance, characters and more
In Metal Slug we must kill everything come across with us in every level of the game, by using the different guns and tanks available until the final boss appears at the end of every stage. Depending on the version of the game the available bosses and number of levels may vary, but physics and experience provided by the game are the same, even in portable versions like Metal Slug Advance for the Game Boy Advance.
Every mission or level in the game is crossed using side-scrolling like any other platform title, although shot ´em up and run and gun elements are present and describe the very nature of the game. Being like this, Metal Slug is a 2-D game with 3-D elements like field of view and perspective, but it is not possible for players to explore every level using all directions.
In online game platforms on the internet, as well as console versions of Metal Slug 3 Attack and others can be played cooperatively by two players at the same time, killing every enemy and the boss at the end, giving the title a more fun approach in comparison to play it alone.
On another part, characters in Metal Slug may vary depending on the version of the game. For example, in the first Metal Slug characters like Marco Rossi and Tarma Roving remain in every title after the first one, while others like Eri Kasamoto, Fio Germi, General Morden, Trevor Spacey and others may or may not appear on several games.
How to play Metal Slug fio, sprites, defense
Now, when it comes to Metal Slug´s game mode and how to play the title is very simple. We must clear every level by killing the enemies that will appear in a side-scrolling approach, controlling our character from left to right with the D-pad if we are using a control, as well as with the arrow keys in our keyboard is that is the control we are using.
On the other hand, action buttons can be customized in keyboards and on D-pads they are the traditionally A-B or X-Y, in order to shoot, drop bombs, jump and control other actions to defeat enemies on every mission.
Since the full version of Metal Slug can be played using online game platforms that are compatible with tactile devices, in this case a virtual D-pad and action buttons will appear to control the game, although for many users the experience of not having physical controls may result unsatisfactory.