Metal Slug 4

Last updated

Metal Slug 4
Metal Slug 4 arcade flyer.jpg
Developer(s) Mega Enterprise
Noise Factory
Playmore [lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)
Playmore
  • Arcade
    • KOR: MEGA
    • NA: BrezzaSoft
    Neo Geo AES
    • JP: Sun Amusement
    • NA: BrezzaSoft
    MEGA (Windows)
    PlayStation 2
    Xbox
    • JP/NA: SNK Playmore
    • EU: Ignition Entertainment
    D4 Enterprise
    (Virtual Console)
    SNK Playmore
    (PlayStation Network)
    HAMSTER Corporation
    (PS4/Switch/Xbox One)
Producer(s) Hong Ick Cho
Keiko Iju
Designer(s) Kazuki Ito
Masafumi Fujii
Programmer(s) Hiroshi Hishikawa
Kazuaki Ezato
Artist(s) Joo Hwan Sohn
Yong Hee Lee
Composer(s) Toshikazu Tanaka
Series Metal Slug
Platform(s)
Release
  • Arcade
    • WW: 27 March 2002
    Neo Geo AES
    • WW: 13 June 2002
    Windows
    • KOR: 5 December 2002
    PlayStation 2
    Xbox
    • JP: 24 February 2005
    • NA: 19 August 2005
    • EU: 4 November 2005
    Virtual Console
    PlayStation Network
    Nintendo Switch
    PlayStation 4
    • AS: 9 August 2018
    • NA: 19 December 2018
    • PAL: 18 February 2020
    Xbox One
    • WW: 9 August 2018
Genre(s) Run and gun
Mode(s)
Arcade system Neo Geo MVS

Metal Slug 4 [lower-alpha 2] is a run and gun video game for the Neo-Geo console/arcade platform created by Mega Enterprise along with Noise Factory and Playmore. It was released in 2002 for the Neo-Geo MVS arcade platform, and is the fourth game in the Metal Slug series. Two years later, Playmore published Metal Slug 4 for consoles.

Contents

Metal Slug 4 retains the same gameplay as previous titles, with the addition of some enemies, bosses, weapons, several vehicles and a bonus combo system. It was ported to Xbox and PlayStation 2 as a stand-alone game in Japan and Europe, and along with Metal Slug 5 as a compilation in North America and South Korea. The Nintendo Switch version was released in 2018. [1] [2]

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot, showing Nadia and Trevor battling multiple enemies. NEOGEO Metal Slug 4.png
Gameplay screenshot, showing Nadia and Trevor battling multiple enemies.

A bonus scoring system was added that allows the player to be rewarded depending on how many enemies are killed in the time allotted. The time allotted is determined from the type of emblem that is picked up. A time meter will appear on the top of the screen, and if the player lives through the end of the level, they will be awarded bonus points for badges that represent feats accomplished. Eri and Tarma were replaced with Nadia and Trevor.[ citation needed ]

Plot

One year after the events of Metal Slug 3 and 6 , the world is under the threat of a mysterious and deadly cyber virus that threatens to attack and destroy any nation's military computer system. With Tarma Roving and Eri Kasamoto unable to help out due to their own assignments in the matter, Marco Rossi and Fiolina Germi are called in to investigate the situation and are joined by two newcomers, Nadia Cassel and Trevor Spacey. In their investigation, the group discovers that a rich terrorist organization known as the Amadeus Syndicate is behind the plot and has allied with General Morden's Rebel Army. They head into battle against Amadeus' forces, hoping to destroy the cyber virus before it gets the chance to wipe out the entire world's military computer system.

Halfway through the game's story mode, the player is confronted by who they presume to be General Morden. In the final stage, they find an underground facility where android doubles of Morden are being manufactured. Allen O' Neil fights the player and is also revealed to be a machine replica. The player confronts the leader of the syndicate, a man tentatively called "Doctor", who attacks with a series of powerful robots, but he is defeated and is trapped in his own devices as the base self-destructs, killing him. If the player safely escapes the base's bonus explosion stage, the credits will show the main cast eating a feast of food, but if the player gets caught in the explosion, the player character will appear in the hospital, bandaged and bed-ridden, being brought get-well gifts of food from both Tarma and Eri. After the credits, a single computer monitor is seen transmitting data to an unknown location before shutting down.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Metal Slug 4 on their May 1, 2002 issue as being the second most-successful arcade game of the month. [3]

Metal Slug 4 was mixed to positive received by players with users scores of 7.8 for PS2, 7.3 for Xbox, 8.1 for Neo Geo and 8.3 for the arcade versions, while Metacritic and Gamrankings are given with 70.47% and 70 along with Metal Slug 5 as compilation for both PS2 and Xbox score. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

Legacy and re-releases

An emulated port by Code Mystics was released for Microsoft Windows on the Prime Gaming service on April 20, 2023. [13] [14] [15] This port was released on GOG.com on April 8, 2024. [16] [17] [18]

Notes

  1. ↑ Ported to Xbox by SNK Playmore.
  2. ↑ Japanese: メタルスラッグ 4, Hepburn: Metaru Suraggu 4

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neo Geo (system)</span> Cartridge-based arcade system board and home video game console

The Neo Geo, stylized as NEO•GEO and also written as NEOGEO, is a ROM cartridge-based video gaming system released on April 26, 1990, by Japanese game company SNK Corporation. Designed as both an arcade system board and home video game console, the Neo Geo was marketed as the first 24-bit system; its CPU is actually a 16/32-bit 68000 with an 8-bit Z80 coprocessor, while its GPU chipset has a 24-bit graphics data bus. It was a very powerful system when released, more powerful than any video game console at the time, and many arcade systems such as rival Capcom's CPS, which did not surpass it until the CP System II in 1993. Neo Geo hardware production lasted seven years; it was succeeded by Hyper Neo Geo 64.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SNK</span> Japanese video game company

SNK Corporation is a Japanese video gaming and interactive entertainment company. It was founded in 1978 as Shin Nihon Kikaku by Eikichi Kawasaki and began by developing coin-op games. SNK is known for its Neo Geo arcade system on which the company produced many in-house games and now-classic franchises during the 1990s, including Aggressors of Dark Kombat, Art of Fighting, Fatal Fury, King of the Monsters, Metal Slug, Samurai Shodown, The King of Fighters, The Last Blade, Twinkle Star Sprites, and World Heroes; they continue to develop and publish new titles in some of these franchises on contemporary arcade and home platforms. Since the 2000s, SNK have diversified from their traditional arcade focus into pachislot machines, mobile game development and more recently character licensing.

SNK vs. Capcom, or alternately Capcom vs. SNK, is a series of crossover video games by either Capcom or SNK featuring characters that appear in games created by either company. Most of these are fighting games, and take on a similar format to Capcom's own Marvel vs. Capcom series, in which the players create teams of fighters and have them fight each other. Games in this series either contain SNK vs. Capcom or Capcom vs. SNK in their titles, with the first company named denoting the company behind the game's development.

<i>Metal Slug</i> (1996 video game) 1996 video game

Metal Slug is a 1996 run and gun arcade video game originally developed by Nazca Corporation and released by SNK for the Neo Geo MVS. It is the first installment in the eponymous series. Set in 2028, players assume the role of Peregrine Falcon Strike Force soldiers Marco Rossi and Tarma Roving on a fight against the Rebel Army led by Donald Morden and overthrow his coup d'état to prevent a New World Order.

<i>SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos</i> 2003 video game

SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos is a 2003 fighting game produced by Playmore for the Neo Geo arcade and home platform. It was then later ported to the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, although only the Xbox port was released in North America and both platforms were released in Japan and PAL regions.

<i>Metal Slug</i> Video game series

Metal Slug is a Japanese multimedia franchise and run and gun video game series originally created by Nazca Corporation before merging with SNK in 1996 after the completion of the first game in the series. Spin-off games include a third-person shooter to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the series and a tower defense game for the mobile platform. While originally created for Neo-Geo arcade machines hardware (MVS) and the Neo-Geo home game consoles (AES) hardware, the original games have also been ported to other consoles and 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.

<i>Samurai Shodown II</i> 1994 video game

Samurai Shodown II, known in Japan as Shin Samurai Spirits: Haōmaru Jigokuhen, is a 1994 fighting game released as the second entry in SNK's Samurai Shodown series. Like the original Samurai Shodown, the sequel was initially released for the Neo Geo arcade and home system.

<i>Metal Slug 2</i> 1998 video game

Metal Slug 2 is a run and gun video game developed by SNK. It was originally released in 1998 for the Neo-Geo MVS arcade platform as the sequel to the 1996 game Metal Slug. The original version of the game had extensive slowdown and performance issues, eventually leading SNK to release a modified version in 1999 titled Metal Slug X: Super Vehicle-001 (メタルスラッグX). It has been ported to the Neo Geo CD, PlayStation, Virtual Console, iOS and Android, and to the Wii, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2. The game added several new features to the gameplay of the original Metal Slug, such as new weapons, vehicles and the ability to transform the character. It received generally positive reviews. It was followed by Metal Slug 3 released in 2000.

<i>Metal Slug 3</i> 2000 video game

Metal Slug 3 is a run and gun video game developed by SNK. It was originally released in 2000 for the Neo-Geo MVS arcade platform as the sequel to Metal Slug 2/Metal Slug X. The music of the game was developed by Noise Factory.

<i>Metal Slug</i> (2006 video game) 2006 video game

Metal Slug, also called Metal Slug 3D (メタルスラッグ3D) to distinguish it from the original Metal Slug, is a third-person shooter run and gun video game for the PlayStation 2. It was developed and published by SNK Playmore.

<i>Metal Slug 6</i> 2006 video game

Metal Slug 6 is a run and gun video game for the Sammy Atomiswave arcade platform in the Metal Slug series. It was released in 2006.

<i>Metal Slug 5</i> 2003 video game

Metal Slug 5 is a run and gun video game for the Neo-Geo created by SNK Playmore. It was released in 2003 for the MVS arcade platform and is the fifth game in the Metal Slug series. The game was developed by Noise Factory/SNK Playmore, after Korean company Mega Enterprise had directed Metal Slug 4. It was the last Metal Slug released on the Neo Geo.

<i>The King of Fighters Neowave</i> 2004 video game

The King of Fighters Neowave(KOF Neowave, or KOF NW) is a 2004 2D fighting game produced by SNK Playmore as their first coin-operated arcade game for Sammy's Atomiswave hardware. Home ports of the game were released for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. It is a remake of The King of Fighters 2002 with some changes in the roster and stages. The character artwork was done by Tomokazu Nakano. Compared to usual The King of Fighters games, Neowave received a lukewarm critical reception.

<i>Neo Geo Battle Coliseum</i> 2005 video game

Neo Geo Battle Coliseum is a fighting game designed for the Atomiswave arcade board developed and released by SNK in 2005. The game features characters from several SNK and ADK titles. Subsequently, a PlayStation 2 version of the game was released in Japan, North America, and Europe. The Xbox Live Arcade version was released worldwide on June 9, 2010. In 2020, a homebrew conversion was released for the Dreamcast.

<i>Metal Slug Anthology</i> 2006 video game

Metal Slug Anthology is a video game compilation for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, PC and the Wii. The Wii version boasts different controller configurations, most taking advantage of the Wii Remote, with the Japanese version supporting the Classic Controller and all regional variants supporting the GameCube controller. The game also marks the return of SNK Playmore as a third-party developer for a Nintendo console since the SNES era.

<i>Baseball Stars 2</i> 1992 video game

Baseball Stars 2 is a 2-player baseball sports arcade game released by SNK in 1992 for the Neo-Geo console. A less detailed console version was released for the NES by Romstar the same year.

<i>Metal Slug 7</i> 2008 video game

Metal Slug 7 is a run and gun video game developed by SNK Playmore for the Nintendo DS. It is the seventh and final title in the main Metal Slug series. It marks the first game in the main series that would be released without an arcade version. The game was released in 2008 for Japan on July 22 and North America on November 28 by Ignition Entertainment.

<i>The King of Fighters XIII</i> 2010 Video game

The King of Fighters XIII(KOF XIII) is a 2010 fighting game in The King of Fighters series, developed by SNK Playmore, coming a year after The King of Fighters XII (2009). Released on Japanese arcades, it was ported to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 globally in 2011, and an updated version for arcades followed in 2012 subtitled Climax. The game is set after the events of The King of Fighters XI (2005) and is also the conclusion of Ash Crimson's story arc, which started in The King of Fighters 2003. It follows another King of Fighters tournament secretly hosted by Those From the Distance Land, the organization behind the events from the two prior games that are trying to break the seal of the demon Orochi and take its power.

<i>Stakes Winner</i> 1995 video game

Stakes Winner is a horse racing arcade video game developed by Saurus, with additional support from AM Factory, and originally published by SNK on September 27, 1995. In the game, players compete with either AI-controlled opponents or against other human players across multiple races. Though it was initially launched for the Neo Geo MVS (arcade), the title was later released for both Neo Geo AES (home) and Neo Geo CD respectively, in addition of being ported and re-released through download services for various consoles. It was received with mixed reception from critics and reviewers since its initial release. In 1996, a sequel titled Stakes Winner 2 was released for the arcades.

References

  1. ↑ "Metal Slug 4 returns today, so grab your Hevveee Machine-gun". Destructoid.com. 9 August 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  2. ↑ "Hamster's Neo Geo Hot Streak On The Switch eShop Continues With Six New Confirmed Games". NintendoLife.com. 20 July 2018. Archived from the original on 14 August 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  3. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - TVゲーム機ーソフトウェア (Video Game Software)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 657. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 May 2002. p. 17.
  4. ↑ "Metal Slug 4 & 5 Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  5. ↑ "Metal Slug 4 & 5 - IGN". Uk.ign.com. 25 August 2005. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  6. ↑ "Review: Metal Slug 4". ComputerAndVideoGames.com. 21 November 2005. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  7. ↑ "Metal Slug 4 & 5 for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  8. ↑ Price, James (7 December 2005). "Metal Slug 4 Review • Reviews • PlayStation 2 •". Eurogamer.net. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  9. ↑ "Metal Slug 4 & 5 for Xbox Reviews - Metacritic". Metacritic . Archived from the original on 14 December 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  10. ↑ "Metal Slug 4 & 5 for PlayStation 2 Reviews - Metacritic". Metacritic . Archived from the original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  11. ↑ "Metal Slug 4 & 5 for Xbox - GameRankings". Archived from the original on 25 November 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  12. ↑ "Metal Slug 4 & 5 for PlayStation 2 - GameRankings". Archived from the original on 25 November 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  13. ↑ Leggett, Chris (30 March 2023). "Prime Gaming April Content Update: Wolfenstein: The New Order Headlines with 15 Free Games". Medium . Prime Gaming. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  14. ↑ Petite, Steven (7 April 2023). "Amazon Prime Members Can Claim 3 Free Games, Including Wolfenstein: The New Order". GameSpot . Fandom. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  15. ↑ Bonelli, John (30 March 2023). "Amazon Prime Adding 15 Free Games for April 2023". Game Rant . Valnet Inc. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  16. ↑ "GOG yet again joins forces with SNK, to release over 20 classic titles and a Publisher Sale!". GOG.com . CD Projekt. 8 April 2024. Archived from the original on 9 April 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  17. ↑ Middler, Jordan (10 April 2024). "20 classic SNK titles have been released on GOG". Video Games Chronicle . Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 10 April 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  18. ↑ McCarter, Reid (9 April 2024). "Dozens of forgotten PC classics have suddenly just been relaunched". PCGamesN . Network N Media. Archived from the original on 10 April 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.