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[Wario64]

no love for the metal slug series


http://ps2.ign.com/articles/619/619535p1.html


Closing Comments
Not having many games of a certain type is no excuse to applaud the few underdeveloped games of that type that do happen to occasionally release.

This series could stand to be reworked and improved. This particular package could stand to be filled with some actual content worth paying $40 for.

Still, the games beneath the box are what they should be. That is, when you purchase the Metal Slug 4 & 5 combination pack, you are purchasing Metal Slug 4 & 5, wrinkles and all. That's not a horrible thing, but it's also not a great thing.




5.0 Presentation
Omitting earlier Metal Slug titles and meatier extras is inexcusable.
6.5 Graphics
Accurately recreated but woefully inadequate visuals is what Metal Slug 4 & 5 is all about. We're not waiting for 3D, but at least try and add something, anything, to spruce the place up some.
6.5 Sound
Copy and paste the graphics text into this field and insert "gunshots and music" wherever applicable.
6.5 Gameplay
The basic concept of Metal Slug is still enjoyable, but the simplistic combination of side scrolling shooting and platforming without any sort of variation now feels primitive.
4.0 Lasting Appeal
This one is a little more than an hour of gameplay followed by the cool calm of oblivion.
6.0 OVERALL
(out of 10 / not an average)

 

[Musashi Wins!]

This reviewer needs to go fuck themself. Immediately.

 

[EviLore]

by Ivan Sulic

...

 

[Hitler Stole My Potato]

6.0 for Metal Slug 4 & 5 seems about right to me.

 

[Kyouji]

Metal Slug 4 & 5 really weren't that good.

 

[Mac the KNife]

I love Metal Slug but 40 bucks for two old arcade shooters doesn't seem like a great bargan.


I'll wait for a complete 1 disc collection

 

[Pedigree Chum]

Metal Slug 4 & 5 really weren't that good.

.

 

[Lord Error]

It's Ivan Sulic, and he's 100% correct on this. MS 4 and 5 pretty much sucked.

It's another thing that he'd probably score MS 3 the same, but in this instance he's correct.

 

[Fatghost]

I dunno, MS5 is pretty good. 3 is still the best but 5 is up there with X and 2. 4 is pretty weak but it is still fun.

 

[Mr_Furious]

I'll wait for a complete 1 disc collection

So then, you're never buying any of the metal slug compilations.

 

[VariableTerry]

A shame he doesn't understand that metal slug is the type of game you play over and over again perfecting your abilities and memorizing patterns.

 

[Sho Nuff]

What did you fucking expect, these games are oooold!

 

[hanzo]

Great series. Not gonna pay $40 for it though. Too little, too late.

 

[sammy]

6.0 is about right ---- I chunked in my $40 to support 'em, and let SNK know we still like this stuff...

but 4 & 5 are just more boring and re-use everything that was new in 3 ----- 3 still had more content.

 

[cs060mk2]

5-6 is right. 80's style games need to be very special to be fun nowdays.

 

[midnightguy]

one word. MAME.


fuck this release.

 

[Keio]

6.5 Graphics
Accurately recreated but woefully inadequate visuals is what Metal Slug 4 & 5 is all about. We're not waiting for 3D, but at least try and add something, anything, to spruce the place up some.
6.5 Sound
Copy and paste the graphics text into this field and insert "gunshots and music" wherever applicable.

THIS is what is really grating about this review. Few 2d titles have as vibrant and well animated characters and environments as Metal Slug games.

I mean, are those graphics really too abstract for some people to get their imagination going? I'm worried about the photorealistic trend, where everything not 100% "realistic" or something gets lambasted by reviewers.

 

[Zaptruder]

Yeah.. that's the thing about MS... the visuals are old school, but they're still really pretty good, even adequate. The only problem of significance is their piss poor resolution.... so if he'd said something along the lines of, the graphics and animations are still good, but after 5 iterations, reusing the same assets, since 1990, that lack of effort and update just doesn't cut it, would be better... as it is, those comments just show him to be the ass that he is.

 

[dark10x]

What's funny is, most people agree with his score...but his reasons for awarding that score are entirely different from everyone else.

 

[Spazbiohaz]

A shame he doesn't understand that metal slug is the type of game you play over and over again perfecting your abilities and memorizing patterns.

But I have to say compared to MS3 they killed it. They should have not put in infinite continues. Force players to get better is funnier. Also MG3 Xbox had a lot of unlockables these do not. I'm more of a 7 on this game. But they are still my little gems, and the Audio should have gotten a 9.0 the remixes own.

 

[123rl]

I haven't played MS5 but apparently it's as good as the earlier games (I played MS4 and didn't like it) so I won't comment on the score but ffs this:

Accurately recreated but woefully inadequate visuals is what Metal Slug 4 & 5 is all about. We're not waiting for 3D, but at least try and add something, anything, to spruce the place up some.

is ridiculously ignorant. It's things like this that are the reason I hate IGN and the majority of the games industry...not just implying, but flat-out saying, that games need to be 3D to be visually impressive a fucking joke. The fact it comes from a games journalist is even worse...but it's IGN so I'm not surprised tbh

edit - lmao I've just read the whole thing

Last time we checked, the PlayStation 2 offered up the phenomenal storage capacity of today's modern digital versatile disc, otherwise known as DVD. This wondrous format is capable of compressing and storing upwards of four gigabytes of information onto a single piece of plastic. Now we're no mathematicians, but we're fairly confident Metal Slug 4 & 5 do not take up two gigabytes apiece.

In fact, this assertion must be true considering that for all intents and purposes the two games are exact recreations of the Neo-Geo originals that bore the same names. They seem to feature identical animations, pixel perfect characters, no slowdown, and even the carefully laid out old school beats and sound effects that made the originals so popular. Given that there has been no identifiable change made to these games, there should be no reason for so many fabulous DVD megabytes and gigabytes to go totally unused when they could have been lovingly filled with other Metal Slug goodness.

This is the worst review I've ever read! :lol

 

[Fatghost]

Metal Slug 5 also has some of the best music in the series too.

 

[123rl]

But it's got 2D graphics!!!! That makes it crap by default, surely?

(sarcasm)

 

[TheDiave]

This reviewer needs to go fuck themself. Immediately.

IAWTP.

 

[Tain]

But it's got 2D graphics!!!! That makes it crap by default, surely?

(sarcasm)

You could invert that statement and say it about a another crowd just as easily, though.

 

[123rl]

People who think everything 2D is perfect and that everything 3D is bad? Yeah, I agree. I know a few forumites on another board who are like that and tbh I hate people like that even more :lol

 

[CO_Andy]

SNK iz the WORST when it comes to game collections.

 

[radios shipping overview]

SNK iz the WORST when it comes to game collections.

Yeah, because they put games that are 1-2 years old into two-packs instead of putting their entire catalog from the past five years into a single Midway Arcade Treasures-size pack! Pitchforks! Torches! Nooses! Garrotte wire!

 

[mosaic]

Don't see why people whine/bitch/moan about how SNK packs their games together. Wait 3 god damn months and it'll be $20 or less. Patience is a virtue, cheapskates... especially in this era of quickie pricedrops. If $40 total is too much to pay for MS3, 4, 5 on two discs, then you're "enjoying" the wrong hobby.

What we really ought to be bitching about is the lack of a Samurai Shodown 1/2 pack... best games evar.

 

[belgurdo]

Don't see why people whine/bitch/moan about how SNK packs their games together.

Especially considering most of these same people probably Mamed the games anyway last year or earlier...

 

[Rorschach]

Whether you agree with the scores or not, that review was garbage.

5-6 is right. 80's style games need to be very special to be fun nowdays.

Oh shut the fuck up...

 

[Azure Dream]

He's complaining about unused space, but some PS2 games were released to CD because it's cheaper (and they didn't need more than what that provided), might this be such a game?

Still though, for $40, I kind of have to agree. $20 MSRP and it'd be perfectly fine, but $40 for two arcade games not optimized for home play is pretty rough.

 

[radios shipping overview]

Still though, for $40, I kind of have to agree. $20 MSRP and it'd be perfectly fine, but $40 for two arcade games not optimized for home play is pretty rough.

Being able to practice arcade games at home (legally) without having to hoof it to the arcade and pump quarters in is a pretty good optimization, if you ask me.

Credit-feeders deserve to lose every bit of value from the games they weasel their way through.

Oh, and the set is reportedly two DVDs. Gamespot's review is more favorable: http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/metalslug45/review.html

 

[NotMSRP]

This reviewer needs to go fuck himself. Immediately.

Fixed.

 

[C- Warrior]

....hahaha Ivan Sulic...the same Ivan Sulic that gave God of Button Mash a 9.8... :lol :lol :lol :lol

 

[Fatghost]

The game is two DVDs.

 

[Daigoro]

This one is a little more than an hour of gameplay followed by the cool calm of oblivion.

*when played on EASY with unlimited contines.

The End.