u/Yoshimallow-02

https://twitter.com/PopcornKartell/status/2036605001855017191

https://twitter.com/Abdodraws/status/2054968019831476631

I will start off with a simple quote. In the words of Bing, from a RussianBadger video:
"Someone in your chat said this game has no bang to it. How does it feel to be wrong?"

Obviously this game does have some flaws, but to just say this franchise should have stayed 2D is honestly extremely reductive.
If anything, this series deserved a second chance in 3D (and not the weird 2.5D Awakening did)

I'll split this into two parts. Starting with
The Good:
- Honestly this game controls pretty well on foot. Nice and responsive. Not much else I can really add tbh. Nice short point to start it off.
- Getting this one out of the way nice and quick, the visuals translated over to 3D as well as it realistically could have, particularly with the models of the characters and vehicles. From the basic Rebel Footsoldiers, to the Sparrows and Falcons, to Morden and Allen, to the various machines you need to destroy. Everything still looks detailed, stylized, and even still somewhat expressive.
Now is there room to improve with this style? Yes. Mainly with allowing for more of that expressiveness to flourish, as I imagine it had to be dialed back a bit so everything could still run well during gameplay (where less detailed models are used for everything, as opposed to the more detailed cutscene models). But as it stands right now, this is probably the best this series has ever looked in 3D
- All things considered, the fact that all of the Special Weapons from the 2D games up until that point were kept should genuinely be commendable. And they carry over as well as they could... oh I'm sorry with one exception. We lost Drop Shot... rip the 2 people at SNK that cared about Drop Shot by 2006.
- Another thing that helps the weapons stand out is the overhauling of the Weapon Storage System. You keep EVERYTHING and can switch between them whenever you choose. From Power Guns to Grenades, which even include the return of Stone (absent since X and 4), and the new toys Smoke Bomb and Monolith.
- Probably the coolest thing done with this game is how it handles the Alternate Route idea started with 3, in how for most of the stages in the game, the 4 different playables go through the stage in a different way, even if by the end they'll likely reach the same spot. Giving you a reason to play through the game with every character, gathering more metals and Slug Parts in the process.
- One absolute important thing is that even with all of the changes and additions, it still feels like Metal Slug. Going from area to area dispatching enemies and machinery with powerful or strange weapons, rescuing POWs, utilizing powerful vehicles of your own, and getting a high score by not dying a single time.

The Bad:
- To start with something light, while I don't find the dub as bad as others might (I'm more forgiving of campy dubs compared to a lot of other folks apparently), I do think there's a notable drop-off from the guys performances, to the ladies performances.
Eri and Rumi are fine all things considered, though honestly the worst performance goes to Fio. I can get what they're going for, making her performance seem softer and calmer, but considering how all of the female cast gives their lines it honestly just feels rough.
Go Figure. It's always my favorite that gets fucked over in the dub (Sophitia Alexandra and SoulEdge / SoulBlade, SoulCalibur IV, and SoulCalibur VI)
- The evasive options are a bit lacking... for the most part. There IS a combat roll, which is essential for a 3D game, but actually using it is finicky. The most I've been able to use it is when locked on and using the Knife / Tonfa. Which, while better than nothing, is not really ideal when it's best to stay away and shoot, unless you're nuking something with the Shotgun or Flame Shot.
- For as cool as having every weapon is, one nitpick I have with this system is not really being able to tell what weapon in the list I currently have.
The order is: Handgun, Heavy Machine Gun, Laser Gun, Shotgun, Flame Shot, Rocket Launcher, Super Grenade, Enemy Chaser, Iron Lizard, Twin Machine Gun, Sniper Rifle, Handgun.
Having a visible list, with each icon being highlighted as you switch weapons would help the player keep track of what where each weapon is on the list, and allow the player to be more familiar with how to navigate it. Instead of looping it 1 to 2 times until they find the one they need while also avoiding enemy fire.
- In contrast to how it controls on foot, honestly the Slug just sucks. I get it, it's the big tank of the series. But even since the first game it's been shown to be very different from normal tanks with the unique movement capabilities of the cockpit, and the fact it can even jump.
Now I don't know if this was an issue for everyone else, but on my end the Slug was just incapable of turning right without also moving forward or backward (or to put it into numpad terms, 6 acted like 4, and I had to use 9 and 3 instead). This alone makes it needlessly difficult to deal with armored vehicles with the Slug without trying to parallel park move away from the enemies to be at a safe distance to shoot with the Vulcan guns, and ONLY the Vulcan guns, because the cockpit simply just can't turn at all. Those cannon shells will only ever travel in the single direction. So honestly just ignore the Slug or use it to soak up damage while using the Vulcan to do as much damage as you can. You're more dangerous without the Slug in this game.
Which is also odd, because the Slug Flier and Slug Mariner controlled just fine. Though you need to use the Lock On to shoot things more reliably.
- One final point, is in regards to the Language pnach code when playing on PCSX2.
Now, kudos to everyone that managed to discover that such a feature exists, and let everyone be able to use this feature to their own benefit. But if you ask me, this is a lousy alternative for an actual Translation Patch.
The subtitles occasionally don't match what the characters actually say, a mess of test fills the screen during the Mission Results Screen, and options in the main menu (notably Extras and even the Tutorial) are just absent and visually bug out when interacted with.

With all of that said, honestly the game was still pretty good.
I'd probably give it a 7 overall. Has some problems, but it's an enjoyable ride while it lasts, while also giving a reason to come back for more.

1: (these don't fully convey how I feel about each game in a ranking sense, this is just a thought I had that I wanted to consult this community about)
👍 There's a lot of small details that only really this game attempted. With a lot of background elements getting damaged by your gunfire, the different credits song (Hold You Still) if you have a second player, the Rebel Soldiers trying to climb onto and sabotage your Slug
👋 (this is the closest I have to having your hand pointed forward and shaking a bit like "ehhhh...") This only really counts as a negative based on perspective. But the game being short isn't really that big of a downside? It makes it easier to pick up and beat in a single sitting, and especially easier to stomach learning to 1cc it.

2 / X:
👍 It genuinely can't be undersold how valuable the CSS (character select screen for those not in the know) was for this series. Not even with just being able to play as Marco or Tarma regardless of what side of the cabinet you used, but also allowing for the addition of Fio and Eri
👋 This is more of a moot point thanks to there being ways to play 2 that don't have this problem, but the double render problem is a genuine issue that exists within Metal Slug 2. (this is why the game usually lags like ass btw. here's a TCRF link for more info: https://tcrf.net/Bugs:Metal_Slug_2:_Super_Vehicle-001/II_(Neo_Geo) )
But thankfully, as mentioned up above, there are ways to ignore the problem. Either play the game on Metal Slug Anthology (which ironed out the problem), or play Metal Slug 2 Turbo (a hack of 2 which also removes the lag, which you can find on Fightcade and play on FBNeo)
👋 X is honestly just alright as an alternative to 2. The Aesthetic changes are subjective (though i really think the change for Dragon Nosuke's boss area is significantly less cool in X), the Weapon changes are neat (not to mention it gives us the one single time they found a good use for Drop Shot), and while the Enemy changes are just alright, I do feel like it hampers the reveal of the Mars People as the secret enemy by having them appear in Stage 4 (and then just take a sick day in Stage 5 I guess)
Metal Slug X is not a replacement for Metal Slug 2. It's just an alternate (and kinda harder) take on Metal Slug 2. And both should be respected.

3:
👍 The execution might differ on a stage to stage basis, but I do like the idea of Branching Paths in the stages. Offering different themes that fit within the local of the stage you're in (sometimes), and giving you reasons to play the game more and more (ideally).
👎 At times the game honestly goes all over the place, and there's not a whole lot tying it all together in every route. The areas prior to launching the attack against the Rugname are all supposed to be hidden Rebel Bases, yet most of the stages prior to that either don't have the Rebels at all depending on your routing, or downplay them to make the mutants of the area you're in the larger threat.
👎 Sol Dae Rokker... just Sol Dae Rokker (too high up to hit with grenades, harder to predict due to its random nature, your space to move around is basically that of a shoebox.)
👎 3 is the longest game in the series by far... and most of the problem is Stage 5. It's an okay level on its own but it just keeps going and going. It essentially takes up half of the games total runtime with its 11 different segments, that are all mostly just hallways with beefy enemies
Metal Slug 6 is guilty of this a bit too, though the segment count is dropped to 5, and the rest of the game is also shorter, on par almost every other game (obviously barring 1 and 3)

4 & 5: (I don't have enough experience with them so they're bunched together)
👍 Even if it (initially) meant the absence of Eri and Tarma, I do honestly like Nadia and Trevor. And I feel like they should've stayed when Metal Slug 6 expanded the character lineup from 4 to 6 (and I doubt that either of them couldn't get unique abilities to set them apart from the others)
👍 The fact it took until 4 to finally make Frontal Attack be set to the D button is just absurd. It was way too easy to accidentally sacrifice your Slug because I hit A and B together just trying to shoot while jumping around enemy attacks.
👍 Honestly some of the best music we've gotten in this series comes from these two. Let's Run Through, Secret Place, Final Madness, Heavy African, Fierce Battle, Final Attack, and more that I likely didn't mention. Tracks like these prove that the other Neo Geo entries not getting Arranged Soundtracks on something like the Neo Geo CD is beyond criminal.
Imagine Livin' on the Deck from Metal Slug 2, but performed with real instruments similar to all of the Arranged Soundtracks for Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, and King of Fighters games around that time
👎 This one is understandable given SNK's financial troubles around this time, but you can honestly feel those troubles through 4 and 5. With 4 mostly being stuff cobbled together from 1 in terms of stage assets, and 5 infamously being rushed for a deadline... because that console generation didn't have enough of that already.
I will at least say, I'm glad fan projects have been put together to try and reassemble Metal Slug 5 to what it ideally would've been.

6:
👍 The Weapon Stock System, though certainly with its flaws, was another fantastic addition to the series. Allowing players to make better use of the weapons they get, while conserving others for later use. Losing all of your stored weapons on death is honestly dumb (don't worry, I'll get to her later), something Contra avoided when it attempted this system starting with Contra III,
👋 The added Character Abilities was also a great addition to the series, giving a reason to pick each character and fleshing them out more amongst the group... but man are they not created equally. Marco, Fio, Eri, and even Tarma all have some strong abilities as you're starting out or even when you get better at the game and can better utilize them; but Ralf's second hit and Explosive Power are offset by the table scraps of ammo he gets, and Clark straight up doesn't have an ability for most of the game. And though Clark's SABB is more useful in 7/XX... again, we'll get to her in a bit.
👎 Hard Mode honestly just stinks. Yes, it's the normal Metal Slug experience, but every other Metal Slug doesn't cut your Special Weapon Ammo in half... or if you're Fio or Ralf, 25% and 75% less ammo respectively.
👎 The Brain Robot. Almost as if someone at SNK was unimpressed by Sol Dae Rokker, they decided to try and make a boss just as bad, if not worse than it.
For starters, a Protowalker given to you right before the fight, so you think "Oh wow, new Vehicle. Time to see what this can do!" and then it's actively designed to make the fight as annoying as possible.
Unlike most Slugs, this thing can turn. Which is not good when your enemy is chasing you from the left. And while yes, it has Vulcan Fix, you'd be forgiven for not knowing what that meant without looking it up. Vulcan Fix is *hold down the fire button, and you get auto-fire + the guns aim is locked in place until you release the button*, and this technique is required to make the fight... less annoying.
The Protowalker also offers zero protection from enemy attacks. Which means you get hit more. And because you probably want to grab the slug when you respawn, as the only way it can be destroyed is a Frontal Attack, you get close to it as the Protowalker is most likely being pushed by the Brain Robot, which then makes it do the Melee attack provided it's not doing an attack already. And if that happens enough times: great job! it's now swinging its arms back and forth constantly covered in energy, meaning getting close will now get you killed.
If you decide to either ignore the Protowalker or throw it at the Brain Robot with a Frontal Attack, it's a bit more tolerable since you have a smaller hurtbox and have more available access to Grenades and Power Guns, but no matter how you damage it, it will always send energy balls at you once you damage it a bit, and will even persist as it does other attacks like throwing a car or zapping the floor.
And just like Sol Dae Rokker, its attacks are random. If it tries to Zap the Floor, get on top of the box. but if you anticipated the Plasma Stream and destroyed the box to give yourself more cover, you just die. But even if you get close during the Plasma Stream, you need to worry about the Energy Balls in a cramped space that you can't destroy. Your only source of easy damage is when it picks up a bus to toss at you, but even then, the animation is similar to when it tries to zap the floor, meaning you get close just to take an unavoidable death.

You want to work this fight to a science? Wait to open the boxes for Zantetsu Sword and Rocket Launcher until after the Flying Telekinetic Core is destroyed. When you're in the fight with the Brain Robot, use all of the cannon shells and then sacrifice it. It's a liability without those. Then focus on shooting the Rockets at the Robot until it does something that allows you to get close without fear of death. Then tear it apart as best you can with the Zantetsu Sword and Grenades. If this doesn't kill it outright, use either a Vulcan Punch or Twin Machine Gun depending on the character and stay alive as best you can. This fight is genuine dogshit.

7 / XX:
👍 Having Metal Slug on the go just ruled, and aside from the Anthology (which honestly gave a much larger bang for buck), this was the first time a lot of people realistically had this chance.
👎 They did try with some of the later stages, but the entire game being set on Garbage Island really limits the variety of stage themes you get to see across the game.
👎 I genuinely do not understand the design concept for Leona.
She gets 20% more Ammo and Grenades, her Special Attack does more damage than Grenades while also erasing projectiles, her Vehicles can take an extra hit, and she doesn't lose stored weapons until needing to use a continue.
Like, you don't need anyone else unless you either can't buy her DLC, are playing a version that doesn't have her, or you're challenging yourself.

tldr... I yap way too much

So hidden in Mystery of the Emblem (needing either messing with the code, or a hack on romhacking.net), is a Debug Mode that essentially lets you simulate a fight in whatever way you wish. Changing Classes, Weapons, and even the Characters in action (which even changes the palettes used on the sprites if one exists for them), similar to the hidden Battle Test in FE1.
(there's a page for both of them on TCRF if you want to learn more)

This can be cool to mess with, and also see the various different animations for landing a hit or crit in various situations.

And I honestly wonder if anything like this has been made or discovered for other games in the series.
I'd love to see a Battle Simulator for the Jugdral or Tellius duos