Metal Slug 2
Encyclopedia
is a run and gun video game for the Neo-Geo
console/arcade platform created by SNK
. It was released in 1998
for the MVS arcade platform and is the sequel to the popular Metal Slug
. It is the second title in the Metal Slug series. The game was later re-released in a slightly modified/remixed form as Metal Slug X. It was re-released for the Wii
's Virtual Console
in North
America on December 1, 2008 at a cost of 900 Wii Points
.
As the levels unfold, it turns out that Morden has allied with Martians to help facilitate his plans. In the final level of the game, the tables are turned when Morden comes under attack and is betrayed by his Martian allies and taken prisoner by them. An ad-hoc alliance is formed between the Peregrine Falcon squad and General Morden's army to combat the greater alien threat. After a long battle, they succeed in defeating the Martians' Mothership, driving them off the Earth. Morden seems to have fallen from the ship, strapped to a solid iron plate, only wearing his eyepatch, beret, and pink boxer shorts. While his soldiers celebrate, the plate loses its balance and crushes him.
The game also included more fighting vehicles. Though just as susceptible to enemy fire as the Metal Slug, these vehicles provided alternate modes of transportation, and advantages associated with each.
during the second mission of the game. Any hit from the purple tinged attacks of the mummy-variants or potions dropped by bat
s will trigger the transformation. This causes a drastic reduction in player movement speed and loss of any special weapon. Mummified characters hold only a pistol
, which they fire at a rate of half as fast as normal, and they take time to toss a grenade. Players can not use the knife when transformed, making this transformation the only one in the series that has no redeeming features. Another hit by purple mist will cause the player, transformed as the mummy, to burn in a purple flame and die. There are antidotes hidden throughout the level and dropped by enemies and prisoners that can restore the player to human form.
Also introduced in this game was the ability to become obese. This transformation is gained, logically, by the acquirement of many food items during a single game-life. Once enough food is obtained the announcer yells "Uh-oh, big!," and the character is radically transformed. Movement speed is slowed, but every weapon's attack is altered: melee attacks are changed from a knife to a fork (belt whip if sitting), grenades are changed to larger cherry-style bombs, and the current weapon is replaced with a version that has larger bullets and may have its properties altered. The Rocket Launcher used in obese mode has an immensely improved tracking ability, for example. If a diet-powder canister is found, enough time passes without picking up any food items, or the player is killed, the player(s) will revert to their former regular selves.
(released on June 1998). The Neo Geo CD version features an exclusive "Combat School" mode (similar to the CD-ROM based versions of the previous game) where the player can play new versions of previously-played stages with new objectives.
Differences from Metal Slug 2
Metal Slug X was ported to the Neo Geo AES (May 1999) and the PlayStation
(January 2001). The PlayStation version was released in North America and the PAL region by Agetec
. The PlayStation version features the same Combat School mode previously featured in the Neo Geo CD versions of the first two games.
released for the PlayStation Portable
, PlayStation 2
and Wii
. The games featured in this compilation are all emulations of the original MVS/AES versions and lack the "Combat School" mode featured in the Neo Geo CD and PlayStation versions of the games. The AES version of Metal Slug 2 was released on October 2008 for the Wii
Virtual Console
. Both versions were also included in Metal Slug Collection PC, which was released in Europe in 2009.
Neo Geo (console)
The is a cartridge-based arcade and home video game system released on July 1, 1991 by Japanese game company SNK. Being in the Fourth generation of Gaming, it was the first console in the former Neo Geo family, which only lived through the 1990s...
console/arcade platform created by SNK
SNK Playmore
SNK Playmore Corporation is a Japanese video game hardware and software company. SNK is an acronym of , which was SNK's original name. The company's legal and trading name became SNK in 1986....
. It was released in 1998
1998 in video gaming
-Events:*Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts 1st Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo to the AIAS Hall of Fame*British Academy of Film and Television Arts hosts the 1st annual BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards...
for the MVS arcade platform and is the sequel to the popular Metal Slug
Metal Slug
is a run and gun video game for the Neo-Geo console/arcade platform developed by Nazca Corporation and published by SNK. It was originally released in 1996 for the MVS arcade platform. The game is widely known for its sense of humor, fluid hand-drawn animation, and fast paced two-player action...
. It is the second title in the Metal Slug series. The game was later re-released in a slightly modified/remixed form as Metal Slug X. It was re-released for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
's Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
in North
America on December 1, 2008 at a cost of 900 Wii Points
Wii Points
Nintendo Points are a currency that Nintendo uses for its Wii and Nintendo DSi systems through the Wii Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop respectively...
.
Story
General Morden, the antagonist from the first game is back once more with his army, bent on taking over the world. It is up to the Peregrine Falcon squad, who are now joined by two new characters: Eri Kasamoto and Fiolina Germi of the Sparrows Intelligence Unit, to save the day.As the levels unfold, it turns out that Morden has allied with Martians to help facilitate his plans. In the final level of the game, the tables are turned when Morden comes under attack and is betrayed by his Martian allies and taken prisoner by them. An ad-hoc alliance is formed between the Peregrine Falcon squad and General Morden's army to combat the greater alien threat. After a long battle, they succeed in defeating the Martians' Mothership, driving them off the Earth. Morden seems to have fallen from the ship, strapped to a solid iron plate, only wearing his eyepatch, beret, and pink boxer shorts. While his soldiers celebrate, the plate loses its balance and crushes him.
Vehicles and weapons
Metal Slug 2 added new weapons to the player's arsenal. A single shot from the Laser is capable of killing a column of infantry, and sustained fire quickly destroys vehicles. Fire Bombs found in the second level help to clear away mummies. Armor Piercing Shells give the Metal Slug cannon shells that only fire straight when engaging enemy vehicles.The game also included more fighting vehicles. Though just as susceptible to enemy fire as the Metal Slug, these vehicles provided alternate modes of transportation, and advantages associated with each.
- The Camel Slug is simply a Vulcan cannon mounted onto a camelCamelA camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
. The rider is elevated and still vulnerable to enemy fire, but has improved movement. (Using the Suicide Attack does not cause the Camel Slug to explode, unlike its sister vehicles.) - To help fight a boss that crawls up a tower, the Slugnoid armored frame is capable of leaping to great heights. Its cannon is pointed downward, to assail the enemy below. Twin Vulcan cannons provide plenty of fire, but are stripped with each hit the Slugnoid takes.
- The Slug Flyer is a VTOLVTOLA vertical take-off and landing aircraft is one that can hover, take off and land vertically. This classification includes fixed-wing aircraft as well as helicopters and other aircraft with powered rotors, such as cyclogyros/cyclocopters and tiltrotors...
jet fighter. It fires powerful air-to-air missiles at its targets, and its Vulcan Cannon is designed to fire upon forward targets. Another player can "wing-walk", or ride on top of the plane. It's suicide attack allows it to eject the player and dive to the ground, allowing it to explode and cause damage to enemies.
Character transformation
Metal Slug 2 introduced the ability into the franchise for characters to transform into different variants during the course of the game. The first transformation is one into a mummyMummy
A mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness , very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry...
during the second mission of the game. Any hit from the purple tinged attacks of the mummy-variants or potions dropped by bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s will trigger the transformation. This causes a drastic reduction in player movement speed and loss of any special weapon. Mummified characters hold only a pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
, which they fire at a rate of half as fast as normal, and they take time to toss a grenade. Players can not use the knife when transformed, making this transformation the only one in the series that has no redeeming features. Another hit by purple mist will cause the player, transformed as the mummy, to burn in a purple flame and die. There are antidotes hidden throughout the level and dropped by enemies and prisoners that can restore the player to human form.
Also introduced in this game was the ability to become obese. This transformation is gained, logically, by the acquirement of many food items during a single game-life. Once enough food is obtained the announcer yells "Uh-oh, big!," and the character is radically transformed. Movement speed is slowed, but every weapon's attack is altered: melee attacks are changed from a knife to a fork (belt whip if sitting), grenades are changed to larger cherry-style bombs, and the current weapon is replaced with a version that has larger bullets and may have its properties altered. The Rocket Launcher used in obese mode has an immensely improved tracking ability, for example. If a diet-powder canister is found, enough time passes without picking up any food items, or the player is killed, the player(s) will revert to their former regular selves.
Supporting characters
Metal Slug 2 is the first game in the series to provide characters to help the players in battle. The first is Hyakutaro Ichimonji, a prisoner who, when rescued, will fight alongside the player who saved him, throwing Hadouken balls at enemies, or roundhouse kicking them if they manage to get within melee range. Also appearing is Sergeant Rumi Aikawa, a Regular Army supplier who lacks a sense of direction, earning her the title "The Wandering Ghost"; she carries a huge, overstuffed backpack and drops items (more are dropped if the backpack is shot or cut).Home versions
Home versions of Metal Slug 2 were released for the Neo Geo AES console (released on April 1998) and the Neo Geo CDNeo Geo CD
is a game console from SNK that was released in 1994, four years after its cartridge-based equivalent, in an effort to reduce manufacturing costs. It is the second console of the Neo Geo family. The system was originally priced at US$300 new. The unit's 1X CD-ROM drive was slow, making loading...
(released on June 1998). The Neo Geo CD version features an exclusive "Combat School" mode (similar to the CD-ROM based versions of the previous game) where the player can play new versions of previously-played stages with new objectives.
Metal Slug X
A revised version of Metal Slug 2, titled Metal Slug X, was released on March for the Neo Geo MVS. It fixed problems with slowdown present in Metal Slug 2, and increased the difficulty. Metal Slug X also introduced a few new elements to the Metal Slug 2 game system. New weapons and items were added, such as the "Iron Lizard" and the "Drop Shot". The enemy placement and bosses were re-arranged as well.Differences from Metal Slug 2
- Much of the music has been slightly remixed or altered.
- Many stages had the time of day changed. Instead of being simply at day or at night, the stages can take place at duskDuskDusk is the beginning of darkness in the evening, and occurs after twilight, when the sky generally remains bright and blue. Civil dusk is when the earth has rotated enough that the center of the sun is at 6° below the local horizon...
, twilightTwilightTwilight is the time between dawn and sunrise or between sunset and dusk, during which sunlight scattering in the upper atmosphere illuminates the lower atmosphere, and the surface of the earth is neither completely lit nor completely dark. The sun itself is not directly visible because it is below...
, or sunsetSunsetSunset or sundown is the daily disappearance of the Sun below the horizon in the west as a result of Earth's rotation.The time of sunset is defined in astronomy as the moment the trailing edge of the Sun's disk disappears below the horizon in the west...
. - It is now possible for the player character to become fat by collecting food items in every stage after Mission 2, while it was previously only possible in Mission 4.
- There is less slowdown than in Metal Slug 2.
- All levels contain an increased enemy count and changed enemy placement as well as enemy characters themselves being changed, including altered boss placement.
- 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.
- Many environmental elements have altered reactions to being shot, such as exploding with unexpected results or randomly spewing out items or enemies.
- 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.
- Several new weapons were added to the game: Stones, Iron Lizard, Enemy Chaser, Super Grenade, and Drop Shot. A new Metal Slug, the Golden Metal Slug, was added to Mission 3.
- The original art for Metal SlugMetal Slugis a run and gun video game for the Neo-Geo console/arcade platform developed by Nazca Corporation and published by SNK. It was originally released in 1996 for the MVS arcade platform. The game is widely known for its sense of humor, fluid hand-drawn animation, and fast paced two-player action...
is shown at the end of the game while the credits are rolling, instead of a black screen used in Metal Slug 2.
Metal Slug X was ported to the Neo Geo AES (May 1999) and the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
(January 2001). The PlayStation version was released in North America and the PAL region by Agetec
Agetec
Agetec is a US based video game publishing company that is best known for bringing Japanese titles to the US, including their flagship series Armored Core, and the King's Field RPG series, as well as their "designer series" of RPG Maker and Fighter Maker...
. The PlayStation version features the same Combat School mode previously featured in the Neo Geo CD versions of the first two games.
Later releases
Both Metal Slug 2 and Metal Slug X, are featured in the Metal Slug AnthologyMetal Slug Anthology
The Metal Slug Anthology was criticized for its lack of Classic Controller support on the Wii, and sluggish, "laggy" controls on the PAL PlayStation 2 version, which had a noticeable delay when entering button presses.-External links:* * *...
released for the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
. The games featured in this compilation are all emulations of the original MVS/AES versions and lack the "Combat School" mode featured in the Neo Geo CD and PlayStation versions of the games. The AES version of Metal Slug 2 was released on October 2008 for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
. Both versions were also included in Metal Slug Collection PC, which was released in Europe in 2009.
Reception
Metal Slug 2 received positive reviews.External links
- Metal Slug 2 at Neo-Geo.com (reviews) 1 2