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METAL SLUG X APK for Android

  • Paid

  • In English
  • V 1.4
  • 4.4

    (88)
  • APK Status

Softonic review

Metal Slug X: An absolute shoot'em up classic

Metal Slug X is a remastered and extended version of Metal Slug 2, a classic arcade game from 1999. If you reject this title with the excuse that it's too old, you'll miss and explosive, exciting, fun, action-packed and above all very, very, very difficult adventure. Do we have your attention now? Great, that means you are up for the challenge that awaits you. 

Die, explode, survive!

Metal Slug 2 (and, therefore, Metal Slug X) set the bar so high for shoot' em up games that it was only surpassed by its own sequels. You are looking at a title where you (normally) need to advance from left to right while you smash a whole that is after you.

In spite of its simple premise, Metal Slug X will keep on surprising you. To begin with, get ready for literally rampant action: one minute you'll be aboard a jet plane destroying a moving train and the next you'll be climbing a tower while escaping from a monster-shaped robot.

But the action is not the only thing that will vary in the game: eat too much fruit and you'll turn into an obese but mortal hero; once in a while you'll run into vehicles that radically change playability; and don't forget the enormous final bosses, which are also true visual spectacles. You'll die many times because you'll be paying more attention to the details happening on the screen than to what's happening to your character!

It's impossible for you to finish Metal Slug X at the first attempt. You'll die many times, since the enemies will not stop attacking you. Fortunately, the game is conscious of its difficulty and allows you to choose infinite continuations. But everything has a price: Metal Slug X will laugh at the number of times you've died until you can finish the adventure.

Once you have mastered Metal Slug X, it's possible that you will pass it right away. However, the game surprises you even when you thought you had already passed it: you have many additional modes, such as the Combat School Mode that invites you to replay previous levels with new goals. 

Gameplay details

Metal Slug X is an exceptional gaming experience, whether you intend to add it to your collection or simply rent it. It offers outstanding value for money due to its brilliance, despite being relatively short in terms of gameplay. With just five or six levels that can be completed in a single extended evening, it might seem brief at first glance. However, every moment spent in the game is filled to the brim with exhilarating action. If you aspire to enhance your skills and conquer the game using just one credit, without resorting to excessive continues, you'll find yourself replaying it numerous times.

This is precisely the kind of spirit that classic 2D shooters like Metal Slug X should be played with. Within the realm of 2D shooters, Metal Slug X stands out as a premier example

While it may not possess the intricate patterns and original enemy designs of some of its counterparts like Contra or Gunstar Heroes, it compensates with an endless onslaught of enemies, an array of weapons, and a variety of special vehicles to annihilate and wreak havoc with. If you manage to go more than 20 seconds without obliterating something significant in this game, you're likely doing something amiss.

Even if you find yourself growing weary of the weapon selection – which includes heavy machineguns, shotguns, flamethrowers, lasers, rocket launchers, and even a peculiar remote-controlled toy – there's always a Slug vehicle at your disposal. Whether it's the Slugnoid, Slug Flyer, Camel Slug, or the iconic Metal Slug tank, these vehicles not only serve as a charming diversion from constant on-foot action but also pack a punch. 

The Vulcan cannons on these mechanical beasts tear through adversaries effortlessly, and the sight of a hopping, prehensile-treaded tank remains undeniably amusing. Metal Slug X keeps the adrenaline pumping and the explosions continuous, ensuring that every moment spent in its pixelated world is a memorable one.

Graphics

The animation in Metal Slug X is better than the original version for sure. The system's RAM limitations necessarily mean a loss of animation frames in comparison to the ridiculous Neo Geo version of the game, but it's still an opulent work of 2D art, with motion and personality packed into every corner possible. 

Your little SD commando is agile and fluid, and the four different characters have all their own animations. Even the hordes of faceless minions have several different expressions -- they charge forward purposefully, flee in terror screaming, belly-laugh over fallen enemies and then jump with surprise when you pop in another credit and reappear.

The backgrounds don't employ quite so much parallax scroll as some recent side-scrollers, but they're spiked with plenty of little bits of animation, and there's more than enough going on in the foreground to grab your attention. Even the smallest bosses fill half the screen, clanking and steaming as they spew fire at you. If this is not the best-looking hand-drawn game ever (which it probably isn't anyway, since there's a Metal Slug 3 on the Neo), it's very possibly the best one to hit the States, given how many of the Saturn's best 2D games remained in Japan.

Best alternatives

If you're looking for alternatives to the Metal Slug series, especially if you enjoy action-packed 2D side-scrolling shooters, here are some great options:

  1. Contra Series: The Contra series is a classic in the side-scrolling shooter genre. Games like "Contra," "Super Contra," and "Contra III: The Alien Wars" offer fast-paced action, challenging enemies, and a variety of weapons.
  2. Gunstar Heroes: This Sega Genesis classic is known for its fast-paced gameplay, unique weapon combinations, and impressive boss battles. It's a must-play for fans of action-packed side-scrolling shooters.
  3. Cuphead: While not a traditional side-scrolling shooter, Cuphead combines run-and-gun gameplay with unique visual aesthetics inspired by 1930s cartoons. It offers challenging boss fights and platforming sections.

Hell can be a lot of fun

Although it's a game from 1999, Metal Slug X is still visually amazing. Every second, thousands of details happen on the screen. The movements of characters (main, secondary and even tertiary characters) are very carefully done, especially in the case of the final bosses. The cartoon style is delicious. For instance, the enemies will make fun of you when you die but they'll be screaming with terror when they see that you have just revived. Hilarious!

Metal Slug X's controls are simple and precise. You'll learn to shoot in all directions, climb on vehicles or jump in a matter or minutes. Once the game has revealed all its secrets, it will be up to you to make good use of them. In MSX, all the mistakes you make will be your responsibility and no one else's. 

An essential game in its genre

Metal Slug X was, is and we bet will also be a referent in its genre. It is a 100% essential game for shoot'em up fans. It has everything you're looking for: action, variety, madness and tremendous final bosses. And if you're a genre newbie, don't let its difficulty scare you: face the challenge and you'll enter the scene in style. 

PROS

  • Excellent execution
  • Gameplay
  • Multiplayer mode with split screen

CONS

  • No options to refine graphics

Also available in other platforms

Program available in other languages



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