Metal Slug 4
Encyclopedia
is a run and gun video game for the Neo-Geo
console/arcade platform created by SNK
. It was released in 2002
for the MVS arcade platform and is the fourth game in the Metal Slug series. 2 years later, Playmore published Metal Slug 4.
Metal Slug 4 retains the same gameplay as previous titles, with the addition of some new enemies, bosses, weapons, several new vehicles and a new bonus combo system. It was later ported to Microsoft
Xbox
and Sony
PlayStation 2
as a separate game in Japan and Europe, and along with Metal Slug 5
as a compilation in North America.
Halfway through the game's story mode, the player is confronted by one who they presume to be Morden, however in the final stage they find an underground facility where Terminator - like doubles of Morden are being manufactured. Allen O' Neil, (who has appeared numerous times throughout the series) fights the player in this stage for the very last time, and is also revealed to be a machine like the Morden doubles before he is destroyed and the player confronts the leader of Amadeus.
, a Korea
n game publishing and distribution company, and Noise Factory
, a Japan
ese company focusing on creating musical scores.
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 2002
2002 in video gaming
The year 2002 in video gaming saw the release of many games to sixth-generation video game consoles, predominately, the Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox.-Events:...
for the MVS arcade platform and is the fourth game in the Metal Slug series. 2 years later, Playmore published Metal Slug 4.
Metal Slug 4 retains the same gameplay as previous titles, with the addition of some new enemies, bosses, weapons, several new vehicles and a new bonus combo system. It was later ported to Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
and Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
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...
as a separate game in Japan and Europe, and along with Metal Slug 5
Metal Slug 5
-External links:* at SNK Playmore*Metal Slug 5 at *...
as a compilation in North America.
Gameplay
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.Story
One year after the events of Metal Slug 3, the world is trembling under the new threat of a mysterious but deadly cyber virus that threatens to attack and destroy any nation's military computer system. With Tarma and Eri unable to help due to their own assignments in the matter, Marco and Fio are called in to investigate the situation and are joined by two newcomers, Nadia and Trevor. In their investigation, the group discovers that a terrorist organization known as Amadeus is behind the nefarious plot and that 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 one who they presume to be Morden, however in the final stage they find an underground facility where Terminator - like doubles of Morden are being manufactured. Allen O' Neil, (who has appeared numerous times throughout the series) fights the player in this stage for the very last time, and is also revealed to be a machine like the Morden doubles before he is destroyed and the player confronts the leader of Amadeus.
New features
- Double Heavy Machine Guns [2H]: The stronger version of the Heavy Machine Gun [H] in the previous series. Allow players to carry two submachine guns which cause the damage of 1 per shot and with more rapid firing than Heavy Machine Guns. However, the 2Hs are very rare in the game and only have 200 shots like the Heavy Machine Gun and can only fire in four directions.
- Bradley: First appeared in MS2 as an enemy rocket shooting vehicle, it is equipped with powerful rocket shots and a vulcan cannon like the slugs, players can use it after killing the enemy soldier inside it. However, this vehicle has a very short jumping range and crouches much slower than the other vehicles, and will not become temporarily invincible after receiving an attack from the enemy.
- Metal Crow: First appeared in MS1 as the "Melty Honey" under the control of the Rebel soldiers. It will appear with Bradley in stage two if under two players mode. It is equipped with a blade-covered shield that shreds enemies, and also enables it to take five shots before it is destroyed. Also in stage 5.
- Crawler: Mechanical version of the sub-human mutants from Metal Slug 2/X which appears in stage four. Much like the Camel Slug in the previous two games, it provides no protection to the player, but has a slightly better jumping ability and also does not harm the player if it touches a rolling bomb.
- Forklift Truck: It will appear in stage 5 with the Metal Crow. Like the Drill Slug from MS3, it can "jack up" if the player presses the jump button during the onboard in the Forklift Truck. It will stab the enemy with the fork at the front in the player presses the bomb button. Its fork can shred the enemy also. The Forklift Truck does not have a vulcan cannon; rather, the player uses whatever weapon they have. The player is always exposed to enemy attacks.
- Monkey Transformation: In the underground path of stage 1 and the final stage, there are scientists with rifles. These aren't loaded with bullets but a special chemical shot, that transforms characters into gibbons which are rather like the monkey Utan in Metal Slug 3. Players gain a much stronger jumping ability and the ability to hang on the bars over their heads, which saves them from most of the attacks from the enemy, although they are unable to shoot upward while on the bars (they can still shoot in horizontal directions and directly downwards). But they can only fire a small gun which is similar to the Heavy Machine Gun, walk very slowly, and take longer to throw grenades. Players can be transformed back into human form by picking up an antidote dropped by scientists. This transformation is the only one in the series with an animation for returning to human form, in which the player falls asleep as a monkey then promptly wakes up as a human. Players who are hit by the chemical shot while in monkey form will die.
Development history
Metal Slug 4 is a product of a joint-venture between both Mega EnterpriseMega Enterprise
Mega Enterprise is a South Korean company that specialises in developing games. Mega Enterprise is best known for developing Metal Slug 4 for the NeoGeo after the original developer, SNK, went bankrupt....
, a Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n game publishing and distribution company, and Noise Factory
Noise Factory
' is a Japanese company that specialises in developing video games. It is one of the developer companies of SNK Playmore. Its more known games are Rage of the Dragons and the new Power Instinct games .- Games :* Gaia Crusaders* Metal Slug 3 * Sengoku 2001 / Sengoku 3* Metal Slug 4...
, a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese company focusing on creating musical scores.