Metal Slug 7 Comments by Simon Parkin

This is out already? Nice, I will so get this. I really enjoy all the Metal Slug games.

This is a terrible review. MS7 has a radically different metastructure to all the previous Slug games, specifically designed to both make it more suitable for handheld formats and to massively extend its replay value. But almost every review just goes "Oh, another Metal Slug, it's the same as all the others". Is it bollocks. The designers who radically overhauled a tired formula and have created by far the best Metal Slug ever as a result deserve better respect for their efforts than this lazy played-it-for-20-minutes cobblers.

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How does the metastructure of the game differ from the ones that came before?

I have such a love/hate thing for MS games. They look nice and give the impression that they will be fun to play, but I hate playing them. Thay are so frustrating :(

"I have such a love/hate thing for MS games. They look nice and give the impression that they will be fun to play, but I hate playing them. Thay are so frustrating :("

MS7 is much less so than the others, because of the way it's been designed and structured. A good review would have told you that.

"How does the metastructure of the game differ from the ones that came before?"

In too many ways to list here - it took me over 2,100 words, talking mostly about the metastructure, to do it justice when I reviewed it.

http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.co...

But next month's RG offers a detailed look at just how the series has changed over its history in order to arrive at MS7.

What exactly is this "metastructure"?

I didn't play the game for twenty minutes.

What do you mean by the metastructure being different? You get a level select and you have to clear rooms before being allowed to move on (which happened in previous games but less so). The Combat School has been present in console versions since the very first game so this certainly isn't new. It's less featured that the one SNK laid down in the very first game.

In mechanical, visual and thematic terms the game has changed very little over its history. I argue that the team has improved the systems that underpin the game here, but that it falls short on the visuals and the level design - which I'm sure would be the common conlcusion.

What exactly are you saying?

"by far the best Metal Slug ever"

No. Just...no.

If you want a radical overhaul of the MS series that's perfectly suited to handhelds, you need look no further than Metal Slug 2nd Mission on the NGPC. By comparison this is a rehash of an increasingly average arcade-led series bizzarely shoehorned in to hardware that's not only inadequate for the job, but also offers features that are criminally underused.

The shrink from arcade to DS screen in no way cramps the experience

What? But it said earlier that this ISN'T an arcade game?

"I didn't play the game for twenty minutes. "

Less?

It takes about 40 minutes to play through all seven levels on Beginner difficulty. (Beginner is for girls and homosexuals, but forgiveable for a reviewer with limited time who needs to see as much of the game as possible.) The review says:

"Finally, should you find any vacant vehicles or willing animals along the way, you can ride them into the glorious cannon fire."

On which level(s) of MS7 will you find animals to ride? You'll find plenty in other Metal Slug games, but where are they in 7?

"If you want a radical overhaul of the MS series that's perfectly suited to handhelds, you need look no further than Metal Slug 2nd Mission on the NGPC."

Indeed the two NGP Slugs are radical overhauls, but they don't resemble the main series bloodline any more than Metal Slug 3D does, and are therefore not "Metal Slug games" in the traditionally-understood sense of the term. And in any case they're nowhere near as good as MS7. Having just spent a solid week doing nothing but play Metal Slugs, I'm quite confident in that statement.

Blast-from-the-past-me-do! It's Stuart Campbell!

I finished the game on Beginner and got most of the way through on Normal. I completed a number of the Combat School challenges and went back to collect as many POWs in the log as I could because, as I said in the review, I found that pretty compelling.

The line about animals was a mistake - fair cop. I actually rewrote that overview of the mechanics para from my Metal Slug Anthology review for EG, which is why it slipped in there.

Lol....Rev Stuart Campbell.

I thought all you did these days was to pontificate about Scottish Nationalism on the BBC Scotland blogs...


A true old timer of the scene....

Fantastic game, the second best 2D platform shooter on DS (after Contra 4). It looks and plays absolutely wonderfully, and has a levl select option. The level design is a little bland, but there is a nice green level with waterfalls. I'd give it an 8/10 easily

Ah balls, saw review, wanted to buy, but its not even out for another 3 months here!

"The line about animals was a mistake - fair cop. I actually rewrote that overview of the mechanics para from my Metal Slug Anthology review for EG, which is why it slipped in there."

Fine, but if you reviewed Anthology then you've got even less excuse for saying that the twin-weapon system and the coin-collecting combo thing are new to MS7, because both of those appeared in Metal Slug 6.

(Oh, and just for the sake of accuracy, Combat School first appeared in the Neo Geo CD conversions of MS1, not the later Saturn and Playstation ports.)

"Indeed the two NGP Slugs are radical overhauls, but they don't resemble the main series bloodline any more than Metal Slug 3D does, and are therefore not "Metal Slug games" in the traditionally-understood sense of the term."

Yes, but that's my point. Trying to shoehorn the Metal Slug experience in to the DS hardware was pretty much a non-starter. Metal Slug 1st/2nd Mission worked so well because SNK understood the NGPC hardware wasn't up to the job and built the game from the ground-up to suit.

They've done a good job with MS7 considering the circumstances, but even disregarding any technology issues it's still a poor relation to the first three games in the series and suffers from the dull, unimaginative level design that begun with MS4.

so ms7 sticks to the same formula evident for the last 13 years.....but is also completely different?

brain hurts....

actually all i want to know is, if i liked MS 1 to X, but didn't like the more recent ones includidng the GBA version, should i buy MS7?

"Trying to shoehorn the Metal Slug experience in to the DS hardware was pretty much a non-starter."

Except it wasn't, as it's been done brilliantly. All of the tedium (zombie sections, fat mode) has been stripped out, and the game has been redesigned and restructured to be suitable for five-minute bursts with meaningful goals, ie perfect for a handheld. Prisoner-collecting offers considerable replay value for the main mode. Combat School is several times bigger than it's ever been. All difficulty settings now offer all stages and have separate high-score tables. All of these are empirical improvements on any previous home Metal Slug, yet the core gameplay hasn't been changed.

The one thing to suffer as a result of porting to the DS is that the backgrounds aren't as pretty. Boo hoo.

"The nadir actually arrived fairly early, with the abysmal Metal Slug 3"
World of Stuart

Stuart, do you really hate Metal Slug 3? I always thought of it as the best of the bunch: branching paths, zombie Marco, ridiculous final boss... the list goes on!

"actually all i want to know is, if i liked MS 1 to X, but didn't like the more recent ones includidng the GBA version, should i buy MS7?"

Yes. 3 and 6 are total shit, 4 and 5 only slightly less bad. Metal Slug Advance was a different kind of thing altogether. MS7 is much more in line with 1, 2 and X.

"do you really hate Metal Slug 3?"

Yes. It's absolutely fucking awful.

"The one thing to suffer as a result of porting to the DS is that the backgrounds aren't as pretty. Boo hoo."

You seem to misunderstand. My complaint is that little to no thought has been put in to designing MS7 with the DS in mind. That not only includes the scaled sprites and backgrounds which lose much of the series' charm, but also the almost insulting underuse of DS specific dual screen and touch features. This is a complaint you can level at a lot of DS games, but even you must admit that MS7's map is a joke.

Why not release this game on PSP? I know the answer, and it's a sad state of affairs.

"Yes. 3 and 6 are total shit"

In what world is 3 total shit? Even if you prefer the first two games, 3 is not awful by a long stretch. And as someone who owns an MVS, I find your insinuation that the game is mostly adored by emulator whores amusing.

Oh Goz, always putting your head in the lion's mouth. :(

Ah, the Eurocunts forum in full swing again! How I adore thee...

metal slug 3 looks absolutely gorgeous, but i have to agree it does get a bit tedious (zombies in particular) - the levels drag on far too long and you don't get enough extra weapons.

i always liked getting fat though, because not only do the sprites then closer represent my actual proportions, but your weapons are also powered up.

"but also the almost insulting underuse of DS specific dual screen and touch features. This is a complaint "

No it isn't. If I'd had to lurch away from the buttons to poke the touchscreen at vital moments, or shout into the mic to throw a grenade, I'd personally have gone round and burnt SNK Playmore's offices to the fucking ground.

"In what world is 3 total shit?"

The world where people aren't completely clueless, tasteless morons. MS3 is a miserable, gruelling, unfair, slow, joyless chore from the very first level to the godawful, nine-hours-long last one.

Have you ever written a review of Metal Slug 3? I'd pay for that.

"No it isn't. If I'd had to lurch away from the buttons to poke the touchscreen at vital moments, or shout into the mic to throw a grenade, I'd personally have gone round and burnt SNK Playmore's offices to the fucking ground."

That's the best use of the DS features you can imagine? Think harder.

"The world where people aren't completely clueless, tasteless morons."

Well, this conversation has hit rock-bottom. Clearly in the World of Stuart only Stuart and people who agree with Stuart are allowed.

"That's the best use of the DS features you can imagine? Think harder."

Metal Slug didn't have or need a touchscreen and microphone before, and it doesn't need them now. Gratuitous use of the DS' hardware features is the single most irritating thing about the console - it almost destroyed the otherwise superb Magnetica/Actionloop, for example, and pretty much entirely ruined Nanostray. Complaining that Metal Slug 7 doesn't use the hardware features is in essence complaining that it's a Metal Slug game. And if you didn't want to play a Metal Slug game, you've made a terrible error in reading about Metal Slug 7.

"Well, this conversation has hit rock-bottom. Clearly in the World of Stuart only Stuart and people who agree with Stuart are allowed."

Oh, grow the fuck up. I have no respect for anyone who thinks Metal Slug 3 is a good game, and even less interest in pretending otherwise. If you don't want anyone to ever call you names, you might want to think about avoiding the internet entirely.

I'd like to know what sort of DS-exclusive controls would've made MS7 better? Personally, I found it refreshing not to find touch screen stuff and other DS functionality shoe-horned into a side-scrolling shooter which has always used d-pad/arcade stick and a couple of buttons.

Chipping in here out of nowhere I'd say Contra 4 is a good example of an old-school shooter making use of the DS. No touchscreen or mic nonsense, just a grappling hook to zip up to the top. I really liked that element.

Oh and I think you fellas should calm down a little. ;)

Who would have thought Metal Slug criticism would be so contentious.

As for using the DS's unique features, I have to say that doing it for the sake of it is pointless. Just cause it has conventional controls, a mic and a touch screen doesn't mean that every game should try and use all of them. Plenty room for traditional games on the system with the amount they have sold.

Yeah, Contra 4 did a good job, but I have no problem using a single screen for Metal Slug.

7 for MS7! Arf!

"Complaining that Metal Slug 7 doesn't use the hardware features is in essence complaining that it's a Metal Slug game."

Umm...I didn't ask for terrible touch controls. You assumed that's what I meant. I just want something better than the god-awful map they have currently that's a waste of my battery power. I mean, it doesn't even take up the whole screen. Why? Laziness.

"Chipping in here out of nowhere I'd say Contra 4 is a good example of an old-school shooter making use of the DS. No touchscreen or mic nonsense, just a grappling hook to zip up to the top. I really liked that element."

Yes, something like this. Just because you can't think of a good use for the DS features, doesn't mean there isn't one.

"Oh, grow the fuck up. I have no respect for anyone who thinks Metal Slug 3 is a good game, and even less interest in pretending otherwise."

Wow...you are an angry little man. Does it really matter that much to you that I like MS3? It's only a game.

ROCKETTE LAWNCHAIR

Just throwing it out there, but I dont like any of the Metal Slug games.

So there.

"Does it really matter that much to you that I like MS3? It's only a game. "

You act as if posting on a comments thread cost money or something. But no, I'm just bored of idiots complaining about MS7 being just another Metal Slug without bothering to credit the extremely clever and effective way it's been adopted for the DS, or notice that it's actually a dramatic improvement on the last four which has taken careful notice of which bits of those games work and which don't. Especially if they then cite the abysmally shit MS3 as being some kind of standard to uphold.

So are we to assume that when you berate the game for not utilising the DS's hardware features, all you're actually saying is that you wanted a better map? Because (a) that's nothing to do with the DS hardware features, that's a game design decision - the second screen IS used for a map, you just don't think it's a good enough map, and (b) what on Earth do you need a map for anyway? It's a linear-path game.

@Goz, interesting that you find SF4 a so good new version of an old series, while MS7 changes the game in the same way?

and as others have said, how would DS specific things improve an MS game? (although an excursion to the other screen could be interesting)

i agree a psp version of this can be drop dead gorges, and as the psp would need games "perfectly suited for the handheld" instead of ps2 style full games. it would be a good idea, even though i don't have psp

"and (b) what on Earth do you need a map for anyway? It's a linear-path game."

My point exactly. And if you insist on using the second screen for a map, at least make it look half-decent.

"Especially if they then cite the abysmally shit MS3 as being some kind of standard to uphold."

Again, I never said MS3 was the pinnacle of the series. Personally I'd hold MS1-3 in equal regard for different reasons. I just can't believe anyone would think that 3 was 'abysmally shit' and try to claim that the majority of people who like it are emulation whores.

"My point exactly."

I don't think any of us know what your point is. Several people have now asked what it is you want with regard to using the DS's features in a Metal Slug game, and we're still waiting to hear the answer. It seems that all you want is for the totally pointless map screen to be prettier, but that can't be it.

And why is it so hard to grasp that some people recognise that MS3 is totally shit? It is. It doesn't belong on the same planet as MS1, 2, X or 7, far less to be regarded as their equal. It's hardly the first time that a long-running series has had stinkers in it.

Stuart, stop shoving your opinions down other peoples throats, it's all subjective.

Not to mention you haven't really justified why MS7 is so radically different, except to point to your supposed 2000+ word review which you actually want people to pay for.

"I don't think any of us know what your point is."

Of course I wouldn't want them to use the touchscreen or the mic just for the sake of it, and I never actually said anything of the sort. As I mentioned before, SNK designed 2nd Mission from the ground-up with the NGPC in mind. Here they seem to have tried to shoehorn the arcade experience in to the DS, and IMO met with varying levels of success. It's technically impressive, but it would have made more sense on the PSP. If there was some obvious reason for using the DS (such as amazingly intuitive touchscreen controls or whatever) then I wouldn't have a problem. That is all.

And if you must drag up the feature debate, as several people have suggested Contra 4 makes good use of the second screen.

"And why is it so hard to grasp that some people recognise that MS3 is totally shit"

I have to say that you're the first person I've come across that thinks MS3 is totally shit. Some people don't like it, sure, and it's not unusual to think that MS1/X is the better game...but totally shit? Personally I'd say MS4 is the realy stinker of the series. Horrible, cut & paste level design.

The difference with contra though is that the arcade original had quite a vertaically tall screen, whereas no precident exists in the Metal Slug series

+

as good as Contra 4 was, there was a gap between the screens acting as a blind spot, which occasionally made things difficult...

"Stuart, stop shoving your opinions down other peoples throats, it's all subjective."

Good point. Quick, close down the internet!

"It's technically impressive, but it would have made more sense on the PSP."

Made more sense to whom? Not the publishers or developers, who'd be targetting an audience half the size that buys a fraction as many games. Not gamers in general, because DS owners outnumber PSP owners by 2:1. Not buyers of the game, who'd be getting fewer features - the map's pretty pointless, but it's still a feature - in return for what? Possibly better backdrops? Big whoop. And if Metal Slug Anthology is anything to go by, the price of that would be massive loading delays, making the PSP version again worse that the DS one.

"And if you must drag up the feature debate, as several people have suggested Contra 4 makes good use of the second screen."

Indeed it does, and Contra 4 is a splendid game, but arcade Contra has always been a vertical-screen game and designed as such. Metal Slug has always been a horizontal-orientation game, and has therefore never had any need for a taller display. If you redesigned it to be more like Contra, it wouldn't be Metal Slug any more.

"I have to say that you're the first person I've come across that thinks MS3 is totally shit."

So? Everyone used to think the world was flat.

Stuart needs a little herbal tea and a jazz ciggie methinks. Or maybe a thunderdome match up against Farticus.