Metal Slug (SAT), 1997
Graphics-9 Sound-8 Control-7.5 Challenge-8*
Level Design-7.5 Frustration-8.5* Fun-7.5* Originality-6
Overall Score-7.5
*1-player
+ 2-player coop, combat school mode (level select up until the last stage you died on), difficulty and control options, great art direction and animation, huge destructible set pieces, good bosses overall, ride tanks, some fun weapons (grenades, flamer, shotgun, semi-homing rockets), sometimes intense action, decent variation (vertical snow level with the gate mechanism, the boat/aa gun segment)
+/- No dodge or slide move, can't switch targeting modes (moving/standing - see Contra HC), ammo based weapons, 5-sec loading times between missions
- Trial & error (some attacks unavoidable without the right weapon, boss patterns), can't go backwards (for example to walk up some steps and use a tank), some control issues (some delay when trying to turn around in mid-air, no jump height control, can't jump down through platforms which you can jump up through, can't move while shooting and crouching), so-so targeting controls (can't lock diagonal fire), no auto-fire?, somewhat awkward main gun control when in tanks, minor slowdown, no sense of build-up towards the final boss (the boss itself is also not that interesting)
Level Design-7.5 Frustration-8.5* Fun-7.5* Originality-6
Overall Score-7.5
*1-player
+ 2-player coop, combat school mode (level select up until the last stage you died on), difficulty and control options, great art direction and animation, huge destructible set pieces, good bosses overall, ride tanks, some fun weapons (grenades, flamer, shotgun, semi-homing rockets), sometimes intense action, decent variation (vertical snow level with the gate mechanism, the boat/aa gun segment)
+/- No dodge or slide move, can't switch targeting modes (moving/standing - see Contra HC), ammo based weapons, 5-sec loading times between missions
- Trial & error (some attacks unavoidable without the right weapon, boss patterns), can't go backwards (for example to walk up some steps and use a tank), some control issues (some delay when trying to turn around in mid-air, no jump height control, can't jump down through platforms which you can jump up through, can't move while shooting and crouching), so-so targeting controls (can't lock diagonal fire), no auto-fire?, somewhat awkward main gun control when in tanks, minor slowdown, no sense of build-up towards the final boss (the boss itself is also not that interesting)