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Metal Slug 7 Review
Written by Robert Falcon on Monday, November 24, 2008
Run-and-gun gameplay is just as fun as previous Metal Slug games, looks and sounds great, "gutsy" players will appreciate Challenge Mode and higher difficulty settings.
Not significantly different from previous Metal Slug games, no online or local two-player, very little to come back to once you beat the core game and Challenge Mode.
Once a mainstay in arcades, the Metal Slug series found a place on various handhelds, including the now-defunct Neo Geo Pocket Color and the Game Boy Advance. Now the franchise hits its stride on the Nintendo DS with a new chapter, Metal Slug 7. You know the drill. Pick from one of six characters and shoot your way through a number of stages. It doesn't get any simpler than that.
Like previous Metal Slug games, you'll come across a number of prisoners of war who provide you with weapons and power-ups. The variety of said weapons in Metal Slug 7 is staggering, between a shotgun that does significant up-close damage and a rocket launcher that hunts down your prey. As you go through each stage, new challenges arise, including large bosses that fill the screen and interesting stage designs. One even forces you to run down ramps and activate switches as a huge indestructible boulder rolls your way.
The game plays as expected. You jump and shoot with ease, and use the occasional side vehicle, like a double-turret robot suit, to gain additional firepower. You'll need every ounce of it, as the enemies flood the screen. Push the difficulty to hard and the game becomes even more aggressive. Fortunately, you have credits that keep you in the action, rather than forcing you to start over from the beginning. Once you complete the main game (which won't take long), a Challenge Mode is available. Here, you'll have to complete several run-and-gun scenarios the best way you can.
Presentation-wise, Metal Slug 7 does the series justice. The touch screen is used to survey what lays ahead of you in the level, rather than showing the action. That's OK, because the top screen still has enough going for it. The enemies are massive, the 2-D animation is impressive, the backdrops are nice-looking and the action never slows down. The music and sound effects don't go the extra mile, but they get the job done where needed, with lots of explosions and heroic themes.
Still, the fact that Metal Slug 7 is an arcade game becomes evident in a matter of hours. Once you beat the main game and Challenge Mode, there's little to come back to. Sure, there are six characters to use, but they mostly play the same and don't offer individual rewards. There's also no two-player option, nor is there the ability to hook up with others online through a leaderboard system.
If you're an arcade enthusiast or want a suitable action game for your DS this holiday season, Metal Slug 7 is definitely worth locking and loading into your system. Just make sure you're aware of what you're getting into. This is a game you play sporadically for a few hours, shelve and then play again when you're in the mood for it. Long term isn't an option. But hey, that's what makes arcade games great.
