Metal Slug 4 - PS2

Metal Slug – does it really need an introduction? Like all SNK games, it boasts an anachronistic devotion to the joys of sprite based, 2D play, fluid and pleasurable controls, and ferocious difficulty. The sweaty handed excitement of the classic side scrolling, platform shoot ‘em up genre still appeals to many, with the likes of Alien Hominid and Super Gunstar Heroes still garnering praise in a market obsessed with the third dimension.

More blasting now comes to the PS2 in the delightful form of Metal Slug 4. Though Metal Slug 5 already exists, that shouldn’t diminish the release of what is a marvellous title. The storyline, if it matters, concerns itself once more with the schemes of the nefarious Morden. This time cyber terrorism is the route taken to world domination, with the release of a virus that takes control of world powers’ defence systems and turns them against us. Still, it’s not a problem that one or two people armed with lots and lots of ammunition can’t solve, and Metal Slug Team is quickly put on the case. Old favourites Marco and Fio step forward, with new team members fighting by their sides, going by the equally unlikely names of Trevor and Nadia. But they’re not contestants from the Big Brother house, they’re highly trained elite commandos.

Once again there are multiple power-ups and over the top weapons that are sure to put a smile on your face, as well as 6 stages of pulse racing mayhem. Fight your way through each level and defeat the boss at the end, then move on to the next. Also popular amongst fans of the series are the unmanned vehicles left carelessly strewn about the war torn landscape. There are plenty of these here, with opportunities to take to the sky and sea as well as bring mechanised action to the land. A veritable feast of blast ‘em up action.
more