Metal Slug – Review
Sega Saturn (Japan Import)
1997 – SNK
The Story:
In the year 2028, the devious General Morden and his rebel army launch a coup to take down the world’s governments, and the armies of the world are helpless to stop the maniacal general. General Morden also has access to an all terrain vehicle and weapon known as “Metal Slug”. Who can turn the tide against this kind of evil? The Peregrine Falcon Strike Force assign Cpt. Marco Rossi and Lt. Tarma Roving to battle their way to General Morden’s powerbase to take the base down.
The Gameplay:
You go into this game gun ablazing! ! Not only must you try to destroy all enemies in sight, you also make it your mission to save POWs throughout each level. When freed, they leave things such as additional bombs as well as weapons such as heavy machine guns, shotguns, and even flame throwers. If you survive until the end of a level without dying, you get bonus points for each POW you save, however, if you die before the end of the level, you get no bonus points. In a lot of ways, Metal Slug is no different from a lot of other games of this genre where you also have to avoid being hit because that one hit can kill you! The gameplay is fun, but even more fun with another player kicking ass along with you! The only drawback is the load time that comes with CD based games.
The Characters:
Captain Marcos Ross
An Italian American, who after graduating from the Military Academy, made it his mission to take out General Morden for causing the death of so many of his friends. He has a strong love for computer science and computer programming.
Lieutenant Tarma Roving
Roving is what some would call a prodigy. He is the son of a distinguished soldier, and began his education at the Special Forces Training School after junior high school. He would meet Rossi after being assigned to the P.F. Squad. The 2 would fast become best friends. His main hobby is making customized motorcycles
General Donald Morden
Morden is the nefarious leader of the evil terrorist organization The Rebel Army. He is a Regular Army Officer turned bad after his son was killed in a bombing in Central park due to a miscommunication from the Regular Army. He gathered defectors to join him in his plot for revenge against the Regular Army. His succession of victories against the Regular Army gives him more power, and he then sets his eyes on the Regular Army’s creation of The Metal Slugs which he seizes for himself.
The Controls:
Metal Slug for the Sega Saturn has very basic controls. A to Shoot! B to Jump! And C to Toss Bombs! You also use the directional pad to move and to shoot in all directions. Trust me, you will find yourself shooting all directions often.
The Graphics:
The game looks very similar to its Neo Geo counterpart! The big issue with the Saturn port would definitely be the fact that there is often slowdown with so much taking place on the screen at one time. This is a very beautiful game with colorful backgrounds and character sprites.
The Sound:
As you would expect with any CD based game, the sound quality is excellent. The game has an excellent soundtrack and wonderful character voices and sounds. Everything you would expect from a Run & Gun created by SNK.
The Difficulty:
I will say this! It is great that you can change the difficulty settings as there is nothing easy about this game. With the margin of error being so slim, you will find yourself grateful for the fact that you have Continues available to you as well as the fact that the system lets you start from the last round you made it to each time you turn on the console.
The Verdict:
Since Metal Slug was a Japanese exclusive for the Sega Saturn, you would need the Mega Action Replay with the 4M to make your Sega Saturn region free. You can pick one up on eBay or through Ali Express. The game is pretty pricey, however, I would advise trying to find a repro copy if you can! This is an excellent game to have in your collection, you won’t be disappointed. I give it 4 out of 5 Trogs!
4 out of 5 TROGS!
SEGA Saturn – Action Replay 4 Meg Plus Memory Card
This is the ultimate enhancement for your beloved Saturn console. It features all in one: a cheat cartridge function (compatible with Action Replay codes), an auto switch 1M and 4M Expansion RAM card (to play games such as the Capcom fighting games, Metal Slug, King of Fighters and more), a 4M memory card as well as an import adapter to play foreign games on any Saturn console.
Simply plug this cart into the cartridge slot on the top of your SEGA Saturn and pop in any game. The action replay menu will come up first allowing you to select any of the hundreds of built in cheats for most games. In addition you can now play any import games, including special games that require more memory (like Dungeons & Dragons!). Plus, it also serves as back-up memory for saving games. This is a MUST HAVE for any Sega Saturn owner.
In stock
GameTrog Review By
Ultragoldenant
Ultragoldenant is a nerdy father of 3 from outside of Pittsburgh, PA. He also collects wrestling memorabilia, enjoys cosplay, and has a deep love for the decade known as the 90s!
I think I found the problem here! The thoughts on the graphics are from my assessment of Mug Smashers and not this game! Looks like we need an edit!
Yeah, I agree that the graphics are phenominal hand-drawn pieces of art in all Metal Slug games. I guess Ultra just isn’t as amazed by them as us (to each his own)! I’d give them 5 Trogs!