Ryan's Review of Metal Slug XX for the Xbox 360

Hey guys, today I am going to be posting my review on the Xbox Live game, Metal Slug XX (also known as Metal Slug 7).

Overall Score (based on my experience): A-

By the way, here is a short video from Youtube showing off the first 2 levels in the game.


Overview and story (warning, this section contains spoilers, as I have played the game already and don't know if you have or not) -

Side by side comparison: doesn't General Morden from the Metal Slug Series look eerily similar to the former dictator, Saddam Hussein (long before he was executed several years back)?

Picture of Saddam Hussein (found on Flickr) Stock Photo of General Morden from the Metal Slug Series (picture found at http://www.gamekult.com/blog/bigbossff/)

Metal Slug XX (aka Metal Slug 7 for the Gameboy DS system) is the latest addition to the hit Metal Slug series and presumably takes place after the events of Metal Slug 6 (which was featured in Metal Slug Anthology for the Playstation 2 as well as the Nintndo Wii).  In Metal Slug XX, the evil General Mordin (the Saddam Hussein look alike that is the main antagonist of the series) is back and is up to his old tricks again, and even recruits soliders from the distant future to his cause and it is up tp Marco, Fio, and all of the other Metal Slug crew to foil Mordin's schemes once again.  Unlike many of the previous installments of the series, were Mordin is merely a pawn of a more sinister plot (such as the alien invasions that took place in Metal Slugs 2, X and 3, a corrupt business man in Metal Slug 4, a shadowy terroist organization in Metal Slug 5, and now mutant man eating insects in Metal Slug 6), Mordin is officially the main villian once again and will also fuction as the final boss character you fight (a first in the series since the first Metal Slug game).  It is also worth mentioning that the super solider, Allen (the Mr T look alike from Metal Slugs 1-4 that you fight) is back and will once again challenge the heros in a fight to the death, this time in a mech warrior style duel in one of the levels of the game.  Also, like in Metal Slug 6, there are several players available (along with a downloadable character if you are willing to pay a little extra) and each of them have their own unique moves and abilities.  Marco can shoot 2 handguns machine gun style when you hit the y button (based on default controls).  Fio (the lady with the orange hair and hat) is automatically equipped with a machine gun instead of the regular hand gun and can't lose the machine gun whenever she dies like the other characters do whenever they die in the game.  Eri has an extra arsenal of grenades and can throw them in almost any direction (up, down, diagonal, straight, etc) and can be extra useful against tough enemies (like boss fights, especially the one at the end of level 4 as you will find out as you play the game) as well as crowd conrol (and there are plenty of times where you will be outnumbered).  Also, the game is 7 missions long (which is actually longer than the average Metal Slug game, which is usually 5 or 6 missions long, which varies by game throughout the series) and it does come with a built in level select feature, which can be useful if you don't want to (or can't) play through the entire game in one setting (which is roughly about 2 hours along if played on the medium difficulty).  Like previous reviews, I will rate this game in a letter grade format (where an F is the worst and an A is the best) and you are free to agree or disagree with me.

Gameplay - B

Metal Slug XX plays out much like any other title in the series.  The game is a classic 2D style shooter that plays out much like a typical Contra game, where it is a side scroller shooter where you you go through the levels, shooting bad guys, avoiding bullets, as well as using special vehicles (scattered in various stages) as you play through each level (mission).  Most of the missions are big and fairly long and have a huge boss or boss machine that you have to fight at the end.  Like all Metal Slug and Contra games, one hit kills you (unless if you are driving one of the many vehicles in the game, in which case it usually takes several hits to kill you) and you do get 3 lives before you get a game over (though the game does come with a continue system).  You can also do 2 players and the Xbox 360 version does come with an Xbox live mode as well (though I haven't played it yet).  The game also comes with a "combat school" where you replay through the different missions of the game and try to meet certain goals (such as getting 100% accuracy when shooting enemies, not gettign killed, etc) for extra achievements and bragging rights.  By the way, I have read other reviews for this game, and I am actually surprised that some people find this game to be too short, even though it is actually 7 missions long (most Metal Slug games are only 5 or 6 missions long) and does take a little while to beat.  Of course, if you are looking for a much longer game, you might try other shooters like the Mass Effect Series, the Call of Duty series, etc). 

Difficulty - C

If you are a typical player when it come to games like Metal Slug and Contra, you will probably die ALOT in this game, even on easy mode.  Like other games in the series, one hit usually kills your character (btw, if you play as Ralph, you can usually take 2 hits before dying) and the levels do get progressively harder as you play through the game, especially levels 4 - 7 where death is nearly impossible to avoid unless if you have extremely good reflexes and can predict the enemies' movies (though I have seen Youtube videos of people playing through games like Metal Slug XX where they never die, let along get a game over, which is definitely an impressive feat to accomplish).  And there are places, where you are bound to die alot, especially in a section in level 4 where you battle man eating plants, soldiers and overhead man eating plants at the same time.  Also, I found the final level to be extra challenging, especially towards the end. By the way, if you have special weapons, you usually lose them when you die (with the exception of Fio's machine guns).  Luckily, when you almost inevitably run out of lives, the game does come with a continue system where you can continue in the mission and you do get infinite continues in the game as far as I can tell (which can be a good thing or bad thing depending on how you look at it).  Obviously, if you are looking for a much more challenging Metal Slug game, I recommend you get yourself a copy of Metal Slug 3 for the original Xbox (now that one is extra brutal as far as lives and continues are concerned, especially on the final mission) or even Metal Slug Anthology and turn off the unlimited continues mode (which is on by default, at least in the Playstation 2 version).  Anyways, the game is challenging, but it is definitely beatable (though you will probably go through lots of lives and continues by the end of hte game).

Sound-  A

Personally, I loved the sound and background music in the game.  Also, like in many of the newer installments, the boss music has changed again (at least for the regular bosses), though they did bring back the classic final boss theme at the final boss (the one from Metal Slug 2 when you fight the mothership).  Also, the voice acting and narrating is pretty nice too.

General - A

Personally, this game was pretty fun for me and where there are some things I didn't like, I definitely recommend this game to any of you who are into arcade style shooters and are a fan of the Metal Slug series.  Also, old time fans of the Metal Slug series will be pleased to see some of the recurring themes this game has to offer, including:

1) General Morden returns and is the main villian this time around.  Also, for the first time since Metal Slug 1, you will fight him as the final boss, and this time it is a much more epic boss fight and comes in 3 stages (unlike the anti-climatic battle against him in the first Metal Slug game).

2) Allen is back for the first time since Metal Slug 4.  If you missed him from Metal Slugs 4-6 you will be delighted to hear that he is definitely back and once again he will challenge you to a fight to the death once again (this time in a classic mech warrior style boss battle).

3) The final boss music from most of the Metal Slug games is back as well. 

Anyways, that is all for now.  You can find Metal Slug XX on Xbox live if you are looking for it and it is relatively cheap to download.  By the way, I have not played Metal Slug 7 on the Gameboy DS yet, so I don't really know how the two versions compare, though if you have played the other versions, feel free to share your experiences with them.

Things I like to see in the sequel (assuming they make another Metal Slug game):
1) Some next gen elements (such as 2.5D graphics and comic book style feel similar to that from Mega Man X8 and Castlevania Dracula X Chronicles).
2) Cut scenes and voice acting (that would be cool, especially if they have good voice actors for the characters).
3) 10 levels would be ideal
4) Some roleplaying elements might be cool as well (kind of like how it is in the Mass Effect series).
5) They should also have more stages with alternate routes and exits (like how it was in Metal Slug 3 where most of the levels had alterate routes that yu can take for some extra variety and replay value).
6) Aliens would be nice to have again, like the ones from Metal Slugs 2 and 3.
7) Cater to both casual gamers and hard core gamers (such as making so people can choose to have limited continues or unlimited continues as was the case in metal slug anthology).




Comments? 
Have you played Metal Slug XX yet?  Feel free to share your experiences in the game.  Did you like the game, did you not like the game?  What would you like to see in Metal Slug 8 (whenever they release it) and no I don't work for SNK, so I wouldn't know anything about the sequel, though I am assuming another sequel is in the works.

Other games you might like:
Metal Slug 7 for the DS - this is the gameboy ds version of this game
Metal Slug Anthology (Playstation 2) and Metal Slug Anthology (Nintendo Wii) (there is also a version for the PSP as well).  Metal Slug Anthology is definitely a must have fore Metal Slug series fans (though sadly they did not make a version for the Xbox 360, so you will have to get a Wii or Playstation 2 if you want to play that game) and features Metal Slugs 1-6 along with Metal Slug X (which is basically an alternate version of Metal Slug 2), and also has special artwork and interviews that you can unlock as you play the game.  The game collection also caters both to casual players and hardcore gamers with variable difficulty modes, variable starting lives, as well as the option to either have unlimited continues (which is on by default) or limited continues (up to 20 continues) if you think you are up to the the challenge.

Mass Effect 2, a must have sci fi adventure on the Xbox 360

You know, I think it is time for another game review.  Yesterday, I talked about Castlevania Harmony of Despair, and today I will talk about Mass Effect 2.  By the way, I did play through Mass Effect 3 twice, though I will talk about that game on another post (by the way, feel free to submit game reviews if you want as realistically I will probably not get to every single game for the Xbox 360 due to time and budget restraints).  Mass Efect 2 has been out for a while and I do have to admit that I am a fan of the game and series.  This game is definitely a must have if you are into science fiction games and films (like Star Trek).  Like in the last game review, I will rate this game under a letter grade ranking system (with an A meaning that the game and features are perfect, while an F means it is lousy).

Above is the official launch trailer for Mass Effect 2 posted by EA on Youtube

Overview / Story - A

If you like science fiction fantasy games and films (i.e., Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Knights of the Old Republic, etc), you will probably love Mass Effect 2.  This game was the official sequel to Mass Effect 1 and is the second of a 3 game series created by Bioware/EA Games.  In this action packed sequel, the game continues the story of Commander Shepard in his quest to ultimately stop the reapers from destroying the galaxy as we know it.  In Mass Effect 1, you played as Shepard (along with his crew) as he/she stopped the rogue specter Saren (who was posessed by a reaper called Soverign) from taking over the galaxy (for more information about the first game in the series, you can either buy the game here or read the article on the game on Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_Effect_(video_game)). Of course, little did Shepard know is that the story is far from over.  In the prologue of the game, the Normandy (Shepard's ship) gets attacked by a mysterious race called the collectors and was apparently killed during the encounter.  2 years later, Shepard gets resurrected by Cerberus, which is a shadowy organization headed by the Illusive Man which wants to establish human dominance across the galaxy (a spinter group from the Alliance).  Although initially branded as a "terrorist organization" by the Alliance (some of the side missions in Mass Effect 1 even had you fighting Cerberus operatives), Ceberus sets aside their hostilities when entire human colonies begin to "disappear" as a dangerous alien race known as the collectors basicallhy begin launching a genocidal war against the human race by abducting and killing human colonists across the galaxy.  Shepard is forced to forge an uneasy alliance with Cerberus (even against the wishes of the Alliance), recruit a whole new set of squadmates and launch an epic and very survivable suicide mission against the Collector base (which is located literally at the center of the galaxy near the edge of the massive black hole at the galaxy's core).  Some squadmates from Mass Effect 1 (like Tali and Garrus) make their returns as squadmates (though you will have to "recruit" them once again), while others (like Liara, Ashley/Kaiden, and Wrex assuming he survives Mass Effect 1) return as NPC characters and so you will have a whole new set of squadmates this time around, including:

1) 2 Cerberus operatives: Miranda and Jacob (who join your party towards the beginning of the game)
2) A mercenary called Zaeed who was a former Blue Suns gang member and is an expert at combat
3) A salarian doctor/scientist named Mordin
4) A biotic convict female called Jack who was imprisoned on a huge prison ship headed by the Blue Suns who seems to have a grudge against Cerberus.
5) A justicar named Samara who is initially stationed at Illium (a huge Asari colony).  By the way, if you are going evil in Mass Effect 2, you can also replace her with her "evil" daughter named, Morinth , who is like a succubus (she has a reputation for killing people she mates with including Shepard if you decide to romance her).
6) A drell assassin called Thane
7) A prototype Krogan named Grunt
8) A "friendly" geth named Legion
9) A sophisticated female thief named, Kasumi (comes with the "Stolen Memory" DLC that you can buy and download on Xbox live).
10) Tali (who was initially on a pilgrimage) and Garrus (who was going by the alias of the archangel and is initially being hunted down by thugs on Omega (a huge space staion on an asteroid that doesn't have an official government and an Asari crimelord named Ari acting as the leader of Omega).

The game is divided into 3 phases, with several intermissions in between. In phase 1, you recruit your squad mates.  Phase 2 has you doing their loyalty missions (while the loyalty missions are optional, it is recommended that you get your squadmates' loyalty for best results on the suicide mission and plus it extends the game significantly as the game will seem extra short otherwise) along with optional side missions known as N7 assignments (these are pretty much random side missions you can do and have you do various miscellaneous tasks like doing "treasure hunting" on various worlds, fighting pirates, salvaging ships that have crashed, etc).  Phase 3 has you doing the climatic suicide mission against the Collector base.  There are also several extra storyline missions, including 2 where you have to investigate human colonies on Freedom's Progress and later on Horizon, as well as 2 where you have to do some covert ops on collector/reaper vessels.  Personally I liked the storyline, videos, and voice acting.  By the way, if you haven't played through Mass Effect 1, I do recommend playing through that game before doing Mass Effect 2, and there are several benefits of doing so:

1) You get the full backstory for Mass Effect 2, including the story with Saren, Soveriegn, planets you visited in Mass Effect 1 (such as Zhu's hope, Virmire, etc).
2) Choices you make in Mass Effect 1 do effect how Mass Effect 2 (and Mass Effect 3 for that matter) plays out.  Several key choices from Mass Effect 1 includes: did you save Ashley or Kaiden on Virmire (there is a situation where both of them were in dire situations on Virmire and you are forced to save one or the other, but not both) and by the way, while the choice doesn't have much effect on Mass Effect 2 (besides who returns), both become romance options in Mass Effect 3 (for example, if you are male shepard and want to romance Ashley, she will need to have survived Mass Effect 1 for you to play as her).  Other key choices will be Wrex's fate on Virmire (it appears he can be killed off on Virmire too) and if he dies, he will be replaced by his brother Wrev in Mass Effect 2, whether or not you save the council at the end of Mass Effect 1 when the citdel gets attacked by Sovereign, (the council will be more suspicious of Shepard if you didn't save them in the first game), whether Captain Anderson or Udina are the human councilors.  Also, it appears some NPCs do make appearences on Mass Effect 2 if you played Mass Effect 1 (such as Conrad Verner).  By the way, if you haven't played Mass Effect 1, those choices will be made for you (whether you like them or not) though there does seem to be a DLC add on (Genesis) that lets you make the key choices from Mass Effect 1. 
3) Imported Shepards do have their benefits, including extra experience points and power ups, free credits, free resources for upgrades, etc.

Finally, like Mass Effect 1, ME 2 does have a "choose your own adventure" style format where you have control over the conversations, Shepard's actions, etc.  You can either make your guy an "angel" or you can make him a total jerk too.  In mass effect 2, you also have new interupt options that appear on certain conversions, with paragon interupts being where Shepard trys to help or comfort the person he is interacting with, while renegade interupts has Shepard pulling more aggressive responses (such as shooting/threatening someone during arguments).  Also, some of your choices will have an impact on Mass Effect 3 (for example, squad mate who die on the suicide mission will not return in Mass Effect 3 and will usually be replaced by someone else).  By the way, Shepard can enter into relationships with certain squad mates.  As male Shepard, for example, you can enter into relationships with Miranda, Jack, Morinth (though she literally kills your character if you decide to go that route, though it is somewhat funny too), Tali and your first mate, Kelly Chambers.  As female shepard, it appears you can have relationships with Thane, Garrus and Jacob.  Finally, the game does have several possible endings, and it is possible for Shepard and his/her entire crew to die on the suicide missions (it is not supposed to end that way, but it is possible for Shepard to die at the end if you made poor choices both before and during the suicide mission, though personally, I found it much easier to survive the game's final mission than to get everyone killed off).  The only thing I didn't really like about the story is 1) the repuation bars do fill up slowly, and 2) some conversation options pretty much require you to max out your reputation bars (either renegade or paragon).  For example, I remember one part in the game where Miranda and Jack get into an argument about Cerberuse and Shepard is called to break up the arguement.  If you want to keep the loyalty of both crew members, you have to choose the paragon/renegade options, otherwise you will have to side with one of them at the cost of the loyalty of the other crew member, and yet sometimes the paragon/renegade options are unavailable even if you have a high paragon or renegade score, so you would have to commit to either going fully paragon or fully renegade early on in the game if you want to be able to use the extra conversation options (I remember on the Shadow Broker mission too, where in one of the conversations, the paragon/renegade options were greyed out even when I "maxed out" my paragon gauge).. 

Replay value - B

Chances are, you will probably find yourself playing through the game more than once.  There are several possible endings to the game: 1) everyone survives the suicide mission, 2) everyone (including Shepard) dies on the suicide mission, 3) some people survive/die during the final mission, and plus you can get either a parogon/renegade ending too (mostly depends on what you do to the collector base at the end, whether you decide to destroy the base or give the base to Cerberus, though that decision doesn't really seem to affect Mass Effect 3, so it doesn't really matter either way).  Also, there are lots of variables at play (especially if you played through ME 1) and they do affect Mass Effect 3 (for example, if you want to enter in a relationship with Tali or Miranda, you have to romance her in Mass Effect 2, otherwise you will miss out).  It can also be easy to miss things the first time or so around too (such as items you missed the first time).  Also, if you decide to romance squad mates, I found it easy to mess up and miss the opportunities (as the opportunities to get into relationships are limited and usually only come in short windows, where you have to pick certain conversation options for it to work, and you don't always get a second chance at it if you mess up the first time).  Also, unlike Mass Effects 1 and 3, Mass Effect 2 seems to have the most DLC content of all of the Mass Effect games, with extra missions you can download and play (such as the full version of Liara's quest to stop the evil shadow broker who wants Liara dead, as well as a mission that aims to fill the gap between Mass Effects 2 and 3 where Shepard has to do a covert mission on the batarian homeworld and later must make a tough decision to stop the pending reaper invasion, which also serves as a precursor to the events of ME3).

Sound - A
I didn't really notice anything I didn't like about the sound, music and voice acting.  Also, the cut scenes play quite nicely too (by the way, you can usually skip conversations and clip scenes if you want too, usually by pressing the b button, though sometimes that can cause you to automatically choose dialogue options during conversations too, whether you meant to choose them or not).

(to be continued later)