Metal Slug X

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Metal Slug X: Super Vehicle 001

Developer(s)	Nazca Corporation/SNK
Publisher(s)	SNK
Release date(s)	May 27, 1999
Genre(s)	Run and gun
Mode(s)	Single player, 2 player Co-op
Platform(s)	Arcade, PlayStation
Input	8-way Joystick, 3 Buttons
Arcade cabinet	Upright
Arcade system(s)	Neo-Geo (506 Mbit cartridge)
Arcade display	Raster, 304 x 224 pixels (Horizontal), 4096 colors

Metal Slug X (メタルスラッグ X, Metal Slug X^?) is a run and gun video game in the Metal Slug series. The game is available for the Neo-Geo console/arcade platform created by SNK. It was released in 1999 for the MVS arcade platform and is a remixed/upgraded/spin-off version of Metal Slug 2 that utilizes the game engine from Metal Slug 3. It is the pseudo-third title in the series. It was also ported to the Sony PlayStation.

It is believed that the main reason for SNK developing Metal Slug X was that Metal Slug 2 had issues with severe slowdown during several stages of gameplay. This issue is non-existent in Metal Slug X.

1 Differences from Metal Slug 2
- 1.1 New features
- 1.2 Stage differences
2 Trivia
3 External links

[edit] Differences from Metal Slug 2

Much of the music has been slightly remixed/altered. It is made to sound more clean, sweeping and/or epic.
Many stages had the time of day changed. Instead of being simply at day or at night, the stages take place at dusk, twilight, and sunset.
It is now possible for your character to become fat in every stage after Mission 2, while it was only possible in Mission 4 previously.
There is less slowdown than in Metal Slug 2.
All levels contain increased and different enemies, as well a different boss in the first mission.
Vehicle types and locations are usually changed.
There are generally more power ups, prisoners, and items, particularly food, which are often hidden and must be shot to obtain.
The action is more nonsensical than any other Metal Slug game in the series, with many environmental elements doing things such as exploding with unexpected results or randomly spewing out items or enemies.

[edit] New features

Big/Super Weapons: Heavier damage versions are available for the heavy machine gun, flameshot, shotgun, laser rifle, and rocket launcher. When compared with their normal counterparts, each big/super weapon deals more damage, has a more "fierce" appearance, and has a wider (or longer) area of impact. If the player happens to be fat while using these heavier weapons, a new appearance takes on and the player does even more damage.

Stones: These primordial weapons deal five to ten pistol shots of damage a piece. When fat, the player will throw boulders. This is more of a focused damage bomb and can kill off single targets with ease, but sacrifices the area of impact of the typical bomb.

One of the new weapons in Metal Slug X, the "iron lizard"

Iron Lizard [I]: The Iron Lizard is arguably the most surrealistic weapon or vehicle in any of the Metal Slug games. This weapon drops out a Warner Brothers-style anthropomorphic missile that rapidly races along the ground to hit an enemy. Like rockets and grenades, this weapon inflicts area effect damage. The Iron Lizard carries 30 rounds when the player first picks it up.

Enemy Chaser [C]: The Enemy Chaser fires out small missiles that seeks the closest enemy on the screen. This weapon is similar to the rocket launcher, but it does less damage. However, it does have much better tracking abilities than the rocket launcher. Contains 40 rounds.

Super Grenade [G]: The Super Grenade is functions similar to the armour piercing cannon shells employed by the Metal Slug. This weapon is able to penetrate through groups of soldiers and aliens. Starts off with 20 rounds. Despite the "Super" in its name, it is no more powerful then normal grenades.

Drop Shot [D]: The drop shot is one of the most unique, and unusable weapons in the entire series. This gun shoots out bouncy cannon balls that move horizontally at about the same speed as the protagonists. This gun cannot be shot in different directions. Because of their bouncy nature, accuracy is most often at a minimum.starts with 30 rounds.

Metal Slug Type-R: Also known as the "Golden Metal Slug", it is only available in Mission 3. It looks the same as the normal Metal Slug and has the same weaponry as the normal Metal Slug, but has a gold "tint" to it and can move faster and jump higher than the normal Metal Slug. You will earn 300,000 bonus points if you defeat the boss with this vehicle.

[edit] Stage differences

Stage 1 More weapon powerups are added and both Camel Slug and Metal Slug are available. The Stage 1 boss (the harrier jet aka The Keesi) has been replaced with a slightly improved version of the armored carrier boss from the fifth mission of Metal Slug 1.

Stage 2 In addition to the purple ball mummies and standard mummies, there are moth mummies and mummified dogs. Instead of purple gas, these mummies spit out moths and when the player touches the moth, the player will automatically die. Mummified dogs will bark out purple smoke rings which will cause the player to transform. There are also additional weapon powerups.

Stage 3 The original Stage 1 boss, The Keesi, has been turned into a sub-boss halfway through this stage, it is more powerful than the original Metal Slug 2 version. Both the Slug Flyer and new Metal Slug Type-R is available.

Stage 4 Many more enemies have been added to this stage. There are much more motorcycle troops in the first half of the stage. Near the end, the houses will hide food. A section where the player must avoid/destroy incoming missiles from wells(apparently housing missile silos) has been added, and a frenzied section involving a number of Mini UFOs.

Stage 5 More weapon powerups have been added across the level, and more enemies as well. Instead of Metal Slug, Slugnoid has been added and shoots out fire cannon shots instead of normal explosive shots. This isn't an improvement in most cases however because the Slugnoid is best at shooting downward targets; the boss being a perfect example, and it cannot mow down enemies.

Stage 6 Additional weapon powerups are scattered in the level and a new enemy has been added: the white Martians will shoot azure-tinted homing shots that are very difficult to destroy.

[edit] Trivia

The Battleship Boss in both Metal Slug 2 and Metal Slug X is a caricature of the famous Space Cruiser Yamato.

If one looks closely at the background of Mission 1, a small alien spacecraft may appear in the sky.

In the PlayStation version, there is a sort of "time trial" mode, labelled Mission mode, and mini-games. Depending on how you do, you could unlock more, or press Square when entering the Barracks to get a conversation with your commanding officer, Margaret.

The game features all the Missions from Metal Slug and many areas from Metal Slug 3 as unused test stages, as well as the Slug Copter and Slug Mariner, which makes Metal Slug X the slug's true first appearance.