Metal Slug Defense released for Android and iOS.
Metal Slug is a Neo Geo (Arcade based on SNK) game first released in April 1996, when 16-bit was not in style, it was all we had. At the time of its release, Metal Slug’s graphics were just as revered as today’s 4k resolution demos. Gameplay options were limited to side-scrolling or top-down, Metal Slug fell into the latter category being a run and gun game. Metal Slug brought an element of superior animation, violence, gore, a myriad of characters all layered with an element of serious goofiness that became an instant classic. To this day, new games are being released and old games are being republished (and equally appreciated) on virtually every platform. To limit itself to the realm of mobile gaming, SNK has released Metal Slug Defense available on iOS and Android for free. Let’s take a look at how it fares in the new era.
Metal Slug Defense is a castle defense game with the added benefit of being set in the Metal Slug universe. You face your opponent sitting at the other end of the screen. You are given an energy bar that dictates the level and frequency of units you can unleash. There are two currencies, the easily obtained gold tickets and the in-app purchase of medals. Medals tend to unlock just about everything from units to basic upgrades, while golden tickets are used for minor purchases.
how to play
The game lacks the classic shoot everything that moves aspect of Metal Slug, instead giving you limited control over the units you unleash, each with a unique role, all of which have the unified goal of taking down the world. enemy of course. and plain. The single player missions are very easy; they should be so that new players get an idea of how to best navigate the game. You are given an AP bar (upgradable) which dictates how much energy you have to field units. Your goal is to prevent your base from being destroyed while annihilating the opponent’s base completely and utterly. As the single player missions progress, you are presented with a host of evolving enemies and bases to overcome. There are daily login rewards as well as achievements to unlock. Also, there is a WiFi mode to play with your friends and family, which is where all the fun will be.
History
There isn’t much of a story to begin with, though as a nod to classic Arcade storytelling style, you are presented with text that scrolls over an image of your characters. You can speed it up by tapping the screen as it literally has no impact on the game itself (also very much like classic arcade games).
graphics and sound
Staying true to the nature of Metal Slug, nothing has been tweaked or changed to alienate the core fanbase, luckily with the rise of 16-bit graphics now overused in the mobile gaming market, Metal Slug feels like in home with nothing to lose and a lot to offer, because they’ve been doing it long enough to know how to get the most out of this medium. While it can be finicky, the menus were also designed to focus on the game’s 16-bit origins, but seem to have focused less on the menus than the actual gameplay, leaving users with an uninspired experience. The sound was steady, crisp, with classical music, if you played Metal Slug in the arcade era, you might be transported back in time.
conclusion
This is a fun and possibly addictive game, it has tremendous replay value, especially in multiplayer over WiFi (if you have willing participants), the game is free to play and definitely worth trying at least once, just struggle with the tutorials neat and you’ll be ready to blow up NPCs in no time. I will continue to play this game even after the review is over.
