Metal Slug 4 Longplay (Neo Geo) [QHD]

Game Info
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Developer: SNK Playmore
Publisher: SNK Playmore
Year of Release: 2002

Game Review & Impressions
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Continuing my run of Metal Slug-related games, I played through the fourth game in the series. Having undergone bankruptcy proceedings and re-emerging as SNK Playmore, Metal Slug 4 was released for the Neo Geo (and other platforms) in 2002. It sticks to the tried-and-tested formula of its predecessors, introducing a smattering of new features, just to keep things fresh.

Following the extra-terrestrial shenanigans in Metal Slug 3, General Morden is is still up to his old tricks, this time allying himself and his army with the shadowy forces of a wealthy criminal syndicate. The aliens from the previous game have been jettisoned, resulting a game that feels more grounded, although there's still the occasional silliness with zombies, Egyptian curses and yetis thrown in for good measure.

Aside from new levels, the main addition to this release is the "Metallish" system which, in relatively simple terms, requires players to inflict as much damage and blow as much stuff up in as short a time as possible. Certain enemies will drop an emblem that will trigger the event when collected, and you're rewarded with up to four medals of differing colour, depending on how well you do. Achieving four white/silver medals is the ultimate achievement, although it's really difficult to achieve this, and you're more likely to get green or red medals. This isn't a bad thing, though, with more medals earning you massive bonus points at the end of the stage.

In addition to the Metallish system, Metal Slug 4 introduces a new weapon in the form of dual machine guns, plus a new vehicle, if you can call a scrambling ride-on ape with a red light on its head a vehicle. There are also a couple of new characters to play, but these are really just window dressing - they're all pretty similar.

Overall, Metal Slug 4 is really just more of the same, although, if I'm honest, lacking some of the polish from previous entries. The end-of-level bosses, normally guaranteed to turn heads with their gargantuan size and beautifully rendered pixel art, don't feel as impressive this time around. The zeppelin boss from the opening level is a good example - there's not an awful lot of detail, and the minigun strapped to the under-carriage is clearly taken from General Morden's gunship in Metal Slug 1, yet pasted crudely onto the sprite. I wonder whether, with a shrinking market, the developers could afford to spend as much time on the overall presentation as they had done previously; it still looks fantastic, but not up to the lofty standards of the 1996 original.

Chapters
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00:00 Attract mode
02:54 Mission 1
07:25 Mission 2
14:42 Mission 3
18:22 Mission 4
23:54 Mission 5
29:46 Final Mission
37:17 Final boss
42:02 Ending

#metalslug4 #retrogaming #longplay