But to its defense, Metal Slug 4 is a tasteful thief the redesigned pyramid and zombie levels (which were the second levels of parts two and three, respectively) show themselves towards the end of Metal Slug 4, making them more creative and challenging than in their original iterations.
FREE METAL SLUG 4 SERIES
When you’re a 2D run-and-gun series (and one whose game mechanics were already perfected two games into the series), originality through level and boss design is really all you have going. It must be because Metal Slug 4 is faithful to the point of flattery whole sprites and scenes are lifted from earlier Slugs and littered throughout the stages. So how did a game faithful to its roots fall so far from grace in so many eyes? In this age, Metal Slug‘s frantic pace and instant accessibility remain fresh and unparalleled. It laughs manically as we’re dropped into model landscapes packed with bullets, mines, grenades, and general mayhem.
The games are infinitely replayable with a brilliant, yet simple approach of treating us like mice. No other Contra-clones can match the unmistakable Metal Slug freneticism (not even the Contra games themselves).
Just how it became the black sheep is initially confusing since it retains the exact structure as all of the other Metal Slug titles: blast through the hundreds of grunts that stand in the way of each end-level boss, pick up POWs and power-ups, all the while hopping in and out of the occasional vehicle that both protects the avatar and lays waste to the scenery. On the other hand, Metal Slug 4, widely considered the worst of the series, is actually a decent effort and ought to have a new reputation established as an underrated cult curio. So, okay, Metal Slug 5 is really as crappy as people say, and more. But at last the console versions arrive before us like an Alexander/ Brown Bunny DVD double-pack, the two with their backs to each other as the critics continue to circle in. Outside reasons for the relentless defaming include Metal Slug 3 setting the bar too high and unpleasant legal wrangling (too messy to go into detail here, though essentially MS4 was outsourced to Korea’s Mega Enterprise, while the fifth was made by a reconstructed team of some of the original developers), which altered fan outlook and fostered the cruel, unsympathetic atmosphere. The duo have endured indignities, put-downs, and insults these past few years, extra shameful considering developers of games like these (2D arcade, sprite-based side-scrollers) are virtually fueled by positive word-of-mouth alone. Of all the people who’ve been following Metal Slug 4 and Metal Slug 5 since their arcade inception, only the curious and indefatigable remain for the home console christening.