Metal Slug (NEO4ALL) Review

Original release:

May 24, 1996

Game details:

1-2 Players

Standard controller

VGA box

The following game was not officially released for the Sega Dreamcast. It is emulated using NEO4ALL RC-3 developed by chui. This is an evaluation of the emulation of the game, as well as the game itself.

Using Team RDC's release, you can play this game on your Dreamcast as though it is a commercial game with only a brief loading screen.

Emulation

chui's NEO4ALL emulator absolutely shines with this game. There is slowdown present, but if you've spent any time with Metal Slug in the arcades, you'll know that it's actually accurate to the original hardware. That's right, Metal Slug is so well emulated that it shows the limitations of the Neo Geo. The game plays as if it's made for Dreamcast, so there should be no hesitation in giving this game a shot.

Gameplay

Metal Slug is practically the definition of arcade games. It's fast paced, violent, addictive and difficult. In fact, that's about all there is to say about Metal Slug. It's such simple fun that it practically demands to be played. Usually I don't leave games in my consoles, but whenever I finish playing a Dreamcast game, even if I'm done playing for the day, I put Metal Slug back in. It's a great game to pick up and play at any time. The haters may say that I just keep it there because I haven't labeled the disc and don't want to lose it (and they are partially right), but it doesn't stop me from wandering over to the TV and playing a few levels every so often.

The game presents a steep challenge at first, but the game is short being an arcade game. You'll make your way through the levels quickly and learn to memorize them. After a while you'll be challenging yourself to see how much of the game you can get through without dying. There's some sections of levels that are simply a headache, but they're rare.

Storyline

Nothing is presented directly in the game, and I know nothing of a story. I don't think anyone goes into an arcade expecting a deep story or to have one at all, though.

Graphics

SNK games all have excellent graphics and Metal Slug is no exception. The reactions of the soldiers are priceless, and there's a lot of subtle humor in the game that's portrayed through the art. Those who have a VGA box will be especially pleased with the game's visuals.

Sound

While the graphics are memorable, the sound is not. It's not bad, but it's not good either. It's appropriate for the environment with the tunes having sort of a military feel to them. You won't be humming the tunes afterwards, but you won't be muting the sound either.

Conclusion

If this game had been released for Dreamcast, it would be a must-have, no doubt about it. It's short and has an arcade feel, which makes it perfect for a downloadable game (of course we couldn't condone that). You have no excuse not to put this to a CD-R.

9.5/10