Metal Slug

Metal Slug(Japanese:メタルスラッグ,Hepburn:Metaru Suraggu)is a Japanesemultimedia franchiseandrun and gunvideo gameseries originally created byNazca Corporationbefore merging withSNKin 1996 after the completion of thefirst gamein the series. Spin-off games include athird-person shooterto commemorate the 10th anniversary of the series, multipletower defensegames, and aturn-based tacticsgame. While originally created forNeo-Geoarcade machines hardware (MVS) and theNeo-Geohome game consoles (AES) hardware, the original games have also beenportedto otherconsolesand mobile platforms throughout the years, with several later games created for various other platforms. The games focus on the Peregrine Falcon Squad, a small group of soldiers who fight against a rebel army, aliens, zombies, mummies and various other forces intent on world domination. Over the years since its debut, the franchise developed a small, but passionate cult following due to its unique visuals and slapstick humor.
The gameplay consists of run and gun elements as well as, in later releases, shoot 'em-up mechanics. The run and gun elements pit a player against many enemies with the aid of extremely powerful weapon pick-ups. In most run and gun games, contact with an enemy leads to damage.In this series, however, contact results in the opportunity to perform a melee attack and the opportunity for the enemy to perform a melee attack of his own, if he has one. The player's melee attack is also much stronger than most shots. This leads to the player's ability to run in and use melee attacks to take down a number of enemies at once, as well as the ability to quickly defeat enemies that can take plenty of damage, such as the mummies inMetal Slug 2.
The player starts with only a simple semi-automatic handgun (Metal Slug 6and7used a fully automatic handgun in place of the stock semi-auto first used in every game including a spin-off); as the game progresses, the player may pick up new weapons. The player can only use one weapon at a time. When a new weapon is found, it replaces the previous one. Similarly, when ammunition runs out, the player reverts to using the handgun, which has unlimited ammunition. A new system was implemented withMetal Slug 6allowing players to carry and switch between the handgun and two other weapons. The player is also equipped with grenades which can be thrown at enemies to cause more damage, however, the number of grenades is limited and must be replenished periodically with ammunition found along the way.
The SV-001 (SV being an abbreviation for "Super Vehicle") or 'Metal Slug' is the main vehicle of theMetal Slugfranchise. It is a small,cartoonishsilver-graytankpropelled bycaterpillar treads. The tank is armed with onecannonwhich shoots powerful bombs in limited numbers, and twinvulcan cannonswhich shoot unlimited tracer bullets. The vehicle can jump and crouch. Crouching opens a hatch on the top of the tank through which grenades already in the player's possession can be thrown. The grenades remain independent of the cannon's ammunition system. The vehicle's bombs can also be replenished with ammunition boxes found along the way. The vehicle can run over infantry and perform a suicide attack, with the driver jumping clear and the tank ramming into and exploding upon the target. The vehicle can take three direct hits before it is destroyed, at which point a warning will be given to eject before the vehicle explodes. The enemy chaser variant has a shield that must be destroyed before the vehicle can be destroyed.
Over time, these specifications changed into any vehicle armed with a Vulcan cannon and a cannon variant suited to the role of the vehicle, and propelled suitably for that vehicle's environment. Some vehicles will only provide Vulcan cannons (which are more powerful than the handgun's bullets and are also unlimited), but neither special bombs (grenades must be used) nor armored protection to the player. InMetal Slug 6(and the home version ofMetal Slug Xonwards), the playable character Tarma can lock the Vulcan cannons into one position and fire continuously.
Metal Sluggames typically have 6 levels. The exceptions areMetal Slug 3,Metal Slug 5andMetal Slug 6, which have 5, andMetal Slug 7, which has 7. In the Western arcade and console versions, the game had the blood censored, showing sweat in its place. However, there is a code to disable this censor within the BIOS of the Neo-Geo hardware both on the arcade and home ports respectively.
The first game's story involved the Peregrine Falcon (PF) Squad, a small but skilled team of soldiers serving under the Regular Army's special operations division, who fight against the army of General Donald Morden in order to prevent a massive coup d'état and the creation of a New World Order. Later games featured characters from the Sparrows Unit, which is under the control of the Regular Army's intelligence division. Beginning withMetal Slug 2, the PF Squad also battles an alien threat to Earth (the Mars People), as well as several other supernatural threats includingyetis,zombies, ambulatory Venus flytraps, giant crabs, andmummies. These outlandish elements were removed from the fifth game to return to the feel of the original title. The fifth moved to the motif of modern guerrilla warfare, leaving only traces of the series' signature quirky humor and paranormal enemies, with the exception of the final boss.Metal Slug 6returned to the plot of the first three installments, bringing back Morden's Rebel Army and the Mars People.Metal Slug 7has less outlandish elements with the Mars People replaced by an alternative universe of Morden's Army with futuristic equipment and weapons.
MajorMarco Rossi (voiced by Takenosuke Nishikawa inNeoGeo Battle Coliseumand byKenta MiyakeinNeo Geo Heroes: Ultimate Shooting) andCaptainTarma Roving were the only playable characters in the first game, and each was reserved solely to the first and second player, respectively. From the second installment, characters can be chosen independently, andSergeant2nd Class members Eri Kasamoto andMaster SergeantFiolina "Fio" Germi were added to the cast. These four are typically considered to be the quintessentialMetal Slugteam. In the fourth game, Nadia Cassel and Trevor Spacey made their debut, replacing Eri and Tarma. They have not returned in later games, as they were created by the Korean-based Mega Enterprise and due to Playmore retaining intellectual rights to all SNK titles. Eri and Tarma returned in the fifth game. The Game Boy Advance edition of the game features two new characters specific to that title: PF squad traineesCadetsWalter Ryan and Tyra Elson.The King of Fighters/Ikari WarriorscharactersColonelRalf Jonesand SecondLieutenantClark Still have appeared sinceMetal Slug 6, and theirKing of FightersteammateLeona Heidernis available as an extra downloadable character forMetal Slug XX, a revised edition ofMetal Slug 7.
General Donald Morden is the mainantagonistof theMetal Slugfranchise. He is depicted as a rambling madman wearing a beret, eyepatch, and wearing his army's uniform. In some games, he bears a passing resemblance toSaddam Hussein. He appears in every game exceptMetal Slug 5. He apparently mends his ways by the end ofMetal Slug 6, as he (or Rootmars depending on the player(s)' chosen route) rescues the player(s) after they are knocked off a wall by an explosion caused by the alien end boss. His army is the main force of opposition in theMetal Sluggames, with the exception ofMetal Slug 5and6. He commands the Rebel Army, and inMetal Slug 4he was thought to be behind the Amadeus Terror Syndicate. He once again returns to his roots of attempted world domination inMetal Slug 7, this time with the help of the Rebel Army from the future, also being the final boss for the first time since the originalMetal Slug. Like the main characters, General Morden appears in various SNK games as a cameo, especially in theSNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clashseries.
Allen O'Neil, a sub-boss, appears in all of the games exceptMetal Slug 5and6. He returns inMetal Slug 7. He uses anM60 machine gun, a knife, and grenades. Despite the fact that Allen is clearly killed at the conclusion of every encounter, the game makers have humorously brought him back in each new iteration of the series. Allen's son, Allen Jr., appears inMetal Slug Advanceas the recruits' drill sergeant but later reveals himself as a double agent for the Rebel Army. He can be fought in the final mission as an optional boss.
The Mars People are aliens that are in a plot to take over Earth in theMetal Sluguniverse. They resemble squids, using their tentacles as a form of movement, and a strange fighting style that involves gas and a laser pistol. InMetal Slug 2, they appeared as enemies near the climax of the game, with their mother ship appearing as the final boss. They appear again inMetal Slug 3, abducting Morden and one of the members of the Regular Army in the final level (whichever one the player uses will be abducted), only for the Regular Army and Morden's army to take the fight to their mother ship and defeat them, and their leader Rootmars.  InMetal Slug 6, the Mars People, Morden, as well as his rebel army, and the Ikari Warriors, join forces with the Regular Army to fight a new alien invader who feeds on the Mars People. InMetal Slug Xthey appear as enemies early in the game. Mars People also are the first characters from theMetal Slugseries who appear in a fighting game: first inSNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaosas a hidden (but playable) character, and later inNeo Geo Battle Coliseumas an unlockable playable character.
The aspect of theMetal Slugseries was to create a simple, but exciting side-scrolling shoot-em-up game with an easy control scheme (one joystick and three buttons). The same team that createdMetal Slugfor the Neo-Geo previously created several games forIremwhich have very similar graphics and gameplays, such asGunForce(1991),In the Hunt(1993) andGunforce 2(1994).
Some of the stock sound effects and sprites from Irem andThe King of Fighterstitles were used in theMetal Sluggames. The music was composed by Takushi Hiyamuta (who is credited asHiya!), a key member of theNazca Corporation, which was acquired by SNK in 1996. The first 3 titles were developed by theNazcateam before SNK declared bankruptcy in October 2001, leading to the disbandment of the original team. Anticipating the collapse of SNK, the company Playmore was launched in August 2001, which became known asSNK Playmorein 2003, the year afterMetal Slug 4was released. Development on the series has since continued without the original staff, with Noise Factory handling 4, 5, 6, and 7.