Reviewed by John Schmidt

In the fifteen or so year period that SNK has supported it's Neo Geo hardware, the company has managed to release many, many quality games. Some may beg to differ, but it's one of SNK's greatest releases, and, arguably, one of the greatest run and gun shooter style games of all time, is the cardinal Metal Slug series. Now one of the best games in that cult series has been revived on the Xbox.

Many say that the peak of the Metal Slug series was number three, with each subsequent release going downhill in quality after it. And let me tell you, MS3 is definitely an experience to behold. Each of the 5 eclectic worlds definitely give off a certain vibe; the characters are silly and the action can be lighthearted, while maintaining the level of playability that you've come to expect from an SNK game.

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The sprite-based 2D graphics, simply put, are incredible. The enemy design ( from Nazi-esque soldiers to zombies to jellyfish ) is ingenious, for one. To think that someone actually hand drew each one of them with very smooth animations is mind boggling. The four characters, although they play the same, look distinctly different from one another. And rescuing the neanderthal-style hostages is always a satisfying experience.

But graphics mean nothing without gameplay, and MS3 has that in sizable quantities. The game's unique run and gun feel makes for a fun experience, and the level designs are created well enough that you can play them through again and again and still find a fresh way to play - mostly due to branching level paths and many secrets / variables to explore and discover.

Probably one of the most satisfying aspects of the game is the ability to upload your score to Xbox Live and compete with other hardcore players from across the world. Some of the scores posted are truly ridiculous...

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In fact, the only real problem I found with this game was the flawed continue system. SNK Playmore were probably just trying to add some length to the game ( it would have been fine as it is, as it had plenty to keep ME busy ), but making the player start back at the beginning of the level after you die makes the game somewhat frustrating, especially if you run out of lives near an end of level boss.

However, this is only a minor flaw. Other than that, this game is pure genius. I recommend it to you if you have even the slightest bit of interest in the steadfast series.

Screenshot source ( from Xbox and Playstation 2 ): SNK Playmore (JP)

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