ACA NEOGEO Metal Slug 3

Genre: Action-Platformer

Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local), Online Leaderboards

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Review:

Metal Slug 3 is an Action-Platformer released in 2000 in arcades and the NEOGEO AES home console. This is the fourth in a series that would come to be one of the pinnacles of the “run and gun”-style Action-Platformers, well-known for its unique art style with beautiful fluid animation and massive, complex war machines, with this release of the game on Nintendo Switch coming out in 2017.

Metal Slug series fans often point to Metal Slug 3 as the best in the series, and it does have some important contributions to the series, introduce branching pathways to the gameplay, as well as adding amusing new gameplay elements like the “zombie” status. That said, I personally think the enemies this time around seem more bullet sponge-y than usual, and because of this I still slightly prefer Metal Slug X.

This release of the game includes a new “Hi-Score Mode” that challenges players to score as much as they can in one run before seeing a game over screen. There is also a new “Caravan Mode” that does much the same, but with the limit being five minutes. In addition, this release of the game includes both English and Japanese versions, and gives players a decent array of options, including various display options, sound options, challenge modifiers, button mapping, and online leaderboards.

Overall, Metal Slug 3 is another solid entry in the series, and while it may be a fan favorite, I think I prefer Metal Slug X over this one. Still, for fans of Action-Platformers this is absolutely a must-have.

tl;dr – Metal Slug 3 is an Action-Platformer that many franchise fans see as the best in the series. Personally, I disagree, though I still think this is an excellent Action-Platformer well worth playing.

Grade: B+

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