The story of Metal Slug 7 actually takes place after the events of Metal Slug 4. So yes, the timeline of events in the Metal Slug series is kind of all over the place, but that is part of what I love about it. It seems a pretty standard affair at first until the time portal opens up and all hell breaks loose!
To say that this is a series I love is a massive understatement and let me tell you Metal Slug 2 is awesome! This had some big metal boots to fill as the original was amazing. Thankfully the good folks at SNK did not tinker too much and gave us a sequel that more than lived up to the amazing original game.
Metal Slug 2 does not try and change things up too drastically from the first game. The core gameplay still sees you moving through a level, gunning down a ton of enemy soldier’s that have the nerve to get in your way. The story continues on from the first game with that evil SOB, General Morden once again back trying to take over the world.
As the threat is a bit more severe this time, we have two new characters joining the mix to help take all of the bad guys down. I really do think that the story works quite well and it has a rather 80s action movie vibe going on and that is something I really like.
So, while I have said that Metal Slug 2 does not change the core gameplay. It does add a few things that make it stand out from the first game. There are new weapons that you can use such as the laser gun, firebomb and also the heavy-duty armor-piercing rounds! There are also some new vehicles that you can use too with my personal favorite being the Camel Slug which is a cannon on a camel!
The Slug Flyer and the Slugnoid are also new and both a lot of fun to use. Actually, there is a really awesome boss fight where the Slugnoid really shines and it is one of the most memorable parts of the game for me. I feel that SNK added just enough new firepower to the game to make it feel different enough from the first game.
One of the funniest things that Metal Slug 2 introduced was the character transformations. One will see you pick up food, but if you keep picking it up your character becomes fat and slow! He does do more damage, but moving slower makes it much more challenging. This is hilarious and thanks to SNK’s awesome sprite work and animations this looks amazing. You can lose weight by finding the diet powder or by running and getting enough exercise.
You can also turn into a mummy. This happens during the second mission and the first time you experience it; you will be laughing very loud! You move around slower, can only use your pistol and you need to find the antidote as one more hit will kill you!
Metal Slug is a great entry to the series and I do feel that it is better than the first game. However, for me, Metal Slug X which is the updated version of Metal Slug 2 is the way to go as it kicks things up several notches. Still, I do feel that this is well worth a playthrough before you try out Metal Slug X so you can see all of the stuff SNK improved.
9/10
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