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I
really drug my feet on this one because it was being called a strategy
game. I was unsure of how SNK could make their flagship run &
gun classic into a strategy game. It was in my "to play"
games for a long, long time. Too long, actually. I admit it was largely
in part to the game being classified as a strategy game. When I played
it and realized it wasn't just a typical strategy game with no soul,
I felt bad. I finally dug it up, played it, and learned a valuable
lesson. That lesson was that I should never doubt SNK again. Why?
Because they took all of the frantic mayhem of their flagship classic
and turned it into a brilliant, calculating strategy game that actually
takes reflexes. I should have know that no matter the venture, SNK
will make it work well. After all, SNK had ventured into unfamiliar
territory with the Neo-Geo when they made classics like Bust-A-Move
and Crossed Swords.
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Metal Slug Defense,
although categorized as a strategy game, is hard to simply classify as
such. The reason for this is because although the game is largely about
choosing and sending units out to battle to destroy the enemy base, SNK
put a timing element into the gameplay that requires reflexes and rhythm.
That timing element is a sort of charge move that allows your units to
do different actions than what they do on their own in battle. Some are
alternate attacks, while others involve adjusting the length or speed
at which actions come out. A good example is the sandbag unit; normally,
this unit runs all the way across the screen and sets up sandbags right
up in the enemy's grill, but you can use its alternate action to have
it instead set those sandbags up closer to your base. |
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That unique rhythm
is arguably essental in winning online battles. Yes, this is one of
the few online Metal Slug games, and it is glorious! There is little
to no lag, and unlike Xbox Live (where dealing with selfish, hard-up
idiots is the norm), you don't have to hear bullshit banter! Not only
that, but winning isn't impossible. Even if you battle an opponent with
superior units, you can still defeat them if you plan and time everything
right during the battle. Though expensive units can give you a huge
advantage, timing is absolutely essential in this game. I've fought
against players who had better, more expensive units than I did, but
I still won because I was in a good timing rhythm (and they weren't).
Of course, you don't have to use charge attacks; just don't expect to
win very much. With units that attack, using charge attacks and knowing
how they replenish create a unique rhythm. The balance is good, and
matches go to the wire.
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SNK states on their site
that only light units are available at first, with more joining as you
progress. This is no exaggeration; from the snow soldiers and skinhead
gunner O Neil, to the giant Mars Mecha walker and even the colossal Jupiter
King from Metal Slug 4! And they didn't even stop there; bio weapons like
the eerie, towering Monoeye alien and disgusting Giant Caterpillar are
also playable! In controlling both abominations and monstrosities alike,
I couldn't stop thinking about how well SNKs IPs were utilized. New units
unlock with progress, and just keeps getting better and better consistent
DLC additions, featuring Ikari veterans Ralph, Clark, and Leona,
along with Heidern, Whip, Iori, Kyo, Mature, Vice, Goro, and Benimaru
from The King of Fighters! |
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Playable or unplayable,
the game has a huge roster, and every unit in that huge roster is brought
to life with high-caliber animation. SNK's been doing great animation
for years, and it shows; Metal Slug Defense has all the animation
from previous (2-D) Metal Slug games. It's chock full of the
animation you love, and more. SNK went the extra mile and dug up tons
of unused animation from those old games, so even long-time fans can
experience something new. It's a real treat seeing these previously
unused sprites, since at one point it was thought they would never see
the light of day. You can see the tons of animation in every character,
explosion, and stage on the screen. Like its predecessors, the amount
of animation and detail in Metal Slug Defense is truly astonishing.
Metal Slug has always had a distinct, somewhat humorous method
of depicting the casualties of war, and it's this distinct style that
has always set it part from the pack.
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As with most SNK games,
the artistry in Metal Slug Defense is something to be admired and
appreciated, if not praised and made tribute to. It's style continues
to inspire, years and years later. Part of what makes Metal Slug Defense
such a huge game is that you're always in a distinctly memorable place,
fighting uniquely memorable enemies. The game's number of enemies are
paired with over one-hundred different locales. Like the characters and
animation, the backgrounds are from past (2-D) Metal Slug games,
and are just as charming and profound as they were back then. From beatifully-textured
serenity and nature, to emotionless metal and war-time industry, they
all qualify as war grounds for Morden's indiscriminate forces. |
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And
they are as indiscriminate as ever in their bloodspill. For its cartoony
graphics and playful nature, the game gets pretty brutal. Metal Slug Defense's
cast is full of personality, and the myriad of ends they meet is guilt-inducing.
Everyone loses; some in a peaceful hail of bullets, and others in the
in a grisly explosion, meat shower, or flaming bloodbath. Still, SNK somehow
finds ways to make the casualties of war humorous. POW roundhouse kicks
connect with explosions of blood, incindiary weapons make recipients into
human flares, and speeding Metal Slug tanks blaze trails of fire and blood
in their wake. There are definitely moments where you sit and stare in
disbelief, and moments where you instinctively voice that disbelief. "Shit!
Did that guy just get smashed between two colliding tanks?!" Or,
"did that guy just get blown into pieces?!" These are the types
of things you will be saying as you play this game. |
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The audio in Metal Slug
Defense is thick with nostalgia. It's just as charming and memorable
as it was in the previous games. All of the epic tracks, sound effects
and voices from the previous 2-D entries are back in full force. From
the butt-rock guitar solos and symphonic suspense, to the infamous "THANK
YOU" and "Rawkit Lauwnchuh" voice clips, it's all here.
Every epic track is crystal clear, and largely more memorable than pretty
much anything recent. The background music and sound effects all work
in tandem to bring back memories of when new Metal Slug games weren't
introduced through digigtal download, but through arcades. Of course,
back then it you'd pump quarters into a Neo-Geo cabinet to play every
new Metal Slug; it wasn't "free to play." |
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| Metal
Slug Defense gets chaotic to the point where explosions and debris
blanket the screen, and the HTC One V runs the game just fine. There are
slim to no hiccups and the game runs nicely, which is amazing, because
this game gets absolutely crazy. As stated before, even in online battles
the HTC One V runs Metal Slug Defense without a hitch. Achievements
and all! It's truly a spectacle to see all the screen-filling bosses and
explosive carnage of Metal Slug unfold on a screen the size of
a credit card! Though
quietly, SNK has embraced the future and their old slogan ("The Future
Is Now") has stood the test of time. I would have never thought I'd
be playing any SNK games on such a small machine. The HTC One V is even
smaller than the Neo Geo Pocket Color! Props to SNK for making even their
new games compatible across a wide variety of machines. Throughout history,
the SNK's versatility is really something to appreciate - even today with
a market leaning more and more toward mobile devices... |
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