Metal Slug 3
Description:
Metal Slug 3 is a run and gun video game developed by SNK. It was originally released in 2000 for Neo-Geo MVS arcade platform as the sequel to Metal Slug 2 and Metal Slug X. It is the last of the series of Metal Slug to be produced under the name of SNK. Many new features such as new weapons and vehicles, introducing branching paths are added to this game. Many fans think this is the highest quality in the series. Its difficulty in the series is also regarded the highest.
video link: https://www.youtube.com/embed/dLz8DEds8N4?rel=0
Lens #7: The Lens of the Elemental Tetrad
Mechanics:
Metal Slug 3 is a 2D side-scrolling shooter game. Its main mechanics is very simple: just kill all the enemies by all means! (but sometimes enemies are friends to help you..) Other things about mechanics are as follow (rules and procedures)
- play single or only 2 people play together
- Goals: clear or escape everything that may kill you and then defeat the boss
- Actions: roles can shoot, jump, ran, crouch, get into a vehicle, and get weapons
- one role can only have one single life
- there are many weapons to intensify fire
- choose different path to enter the next scene
- kill the Boss with your weapon and enter the next level
Story:
At first player’s aim is to diminish the rebellion army orchestrated by General Morden but at last player will find the Morden is fake and actually it is an alien. So player will fight against the alien with the rebellion army in the last level. Cause the structure of the whole story is not linear (player can choose different paths), so the player will have different experience at each path. Enemies can be everything from everywhere, soldiers on the ground, crabs in the water, zombies marching on the land, flowers jumping from cliff, aliens flying in the sky etc. Player can also drive various vehicles (animals) to fight and run.
Aesthetics:
Music: Under different circumstances, players may hear different background music. The music of the Metal Slug 3 was developed by Noise Factory and it is also a selling point. Sometimes the music will give players a mood tension, but after the battle the role may sit on the ground and sigh and the background music will be more pleasant. There were many other sound effects that helped tell the story too.
Influence: The players will be surrounded by all kinds of enemies and bullets so it is full of elements of thriller and have a great visual impact on every one. This game will make you immersed in the war and feel just like a lonely hero. Even if a little careless control, you may lose your life and a coin so it has also made a great fortune for the arcade games’ owner.
Story: the story of the game is not very complicated but very interesting, first you fight against rebellion army but at last you fight with them against aliens. What the branching path bring to the players is also very impressive, that means, players will find everything may be evil.
Appearance: the appearance of the Metal Slug 3 is very sophisticated and advanced at that time. Maybe dark metal color and orrange are the theme color of the game. This will give players a deep impression and a feeling of combat. Even in today, the screen of this game is also a classic style of war games.
Technology:
- Some tracking bullets
- Intellegent marching enemies
Lens #15: The Lens of the Toy
As we all know, the Metal Slug series are very classic run and gun video games. Its goal is very obvious, even a very little child will use the gun to fire those ugly or evil guys coming from other sides. Besides, there are lots of weapons to pick up and use which will add more possibility. Users will certainly continue the game even if they have no advanced weapons because even a pistol will make a difference. From my own perspective, players will become very proud of using the pistol to eliminate those bad guys. As for those powerful weapons such as the laser gun and tracking guns, it will be pretty cool when you use it to shoot at the enemy. Imagine what is you can ride on the vehicles not only the tank and plane but also the elephant and ostrich to fight against your enemy?
Lens #16: The Lens of the Player
Almost every people in the game world wants to be a hero. They have the impetus to kill the evil guys and save the world. Metal Slug 3 is the game that satisfy people’s this kind of fundamental need. It’s a coolest thing that you single guy with nobody to help you and to eliminate those metal monster by yourself. You may die lots of times, but next time, the player will still have the desire to shoot at the enemies. Maybe more boys would like to play this kind of game than girls. It will definitely elevate every player’s blood pressure.
Lens #27: The Lens of Skill
The most important skill of Metal Slug 3 is to escape from the bullet rains. More practice will certainly make sense for players who should run or jump or crouch when there are bullets full of screen. Skills needed:
- nimble reaction and movement
- patience to try many times
- hardheaded mind when facing enemies from every side
During the practice, the players can also have so much fun with pity at the same time. Though it is very hard for most of people, there is still many ways (buy as many coins as possible) for players to go. Besides, after many trials, people will find various method to kill the boss as soon as possible and in these attempts people will experience differently.
Lens #1: The Lens of Essential Experience
Right from the very beginning of Metal Slug 3, it could tell the players “this was going to be a wild ride”. The opening mission drops the player off on a sunny beach, which at first seems almost peaceful and comforting, until the rotting fish carcasses and crash-landed rockets littering the dunes come into view. Suddenly, a bunch of huge, mutated crabs swarm the beach and start attacking in hordes. These all denote that it will give players an amazing experience. Players will experience this shoot-and-run game under too much tension. You may be impressed by the dazzling bullets and various kinds of enemies. There’s just something about the Martians in the Metal Slug series that I find particularly compelling. It probably has a lot to do with their appearance. They’ve got huge, bulbous heads and a tangle of crazy, spaghetti-like appendages wiggling about all over the place. It’s actually a pretty typical alien design, but somehow it really works. The animations for the tentacles are just gorgeous, and totally mesmerizing. With the comparison to games nowadays, it may not be very beautiful in design, but in that case, all the levels of Metal Slug 3 can still bring us infinite imagination and fun no matter in its design or its cunning concept.
Lens #71: The Lens of Freedom
As for the freedom of the Metal Slug 3, I think players will not get too much cause the whole games are separated into different levels and the levels then are separated into different scenes. In one scene, player can control their roles to jump and run everywhere they want, but cannot let the role enter next scene until they eliminate all the enemies appearing in the screen. What’s more, sometimes the players are supposed to find the right place to dodge enemies’ attack. That is a little similar to the statement of our The Lens of Skill. It is a kind of skill player should learn but also a kind of constraint.