Metal Slug 4

Metal Slug 4 was released in 2002 on Neo Geo arcade hardware at a time when, following financial troubles and the collapse of the original SNK studio, the series found itself in development outside its parent company for the first time - the game was instead made by external studios Mega Enterprise and Noise Factory under the newly formed SNK Playmore banner. This change of development team is crucial for the fourth installment: it was the first attempt to keep the beloved run-and-gun series alive without its founders, and at the time both fans and critics judged the game largely on how closely it stuck to - or departed from - the established style of the previous three entries.

In terms of gameplay, Metal Slug 4 stays true to the classic formula - running, shooting, and unlocking vehicles across linear levels full of enemies - but adds new machines, among them the drilling vehicle Testu Pen and the Cool Armor robotic suit, which temporarily grants the player significantly greater firepower and durability. New soldiers Trevor Spacey and Nadia Cassel also joined the playable roster alongside the established quartet of characters, expanding the character-select screen at the start of the game. Many fans at the time criticized the game for recycling graphical elements and music from previous entries, which was linked precisely to the change of development team and the shorter development time.

Like other arcade entries in the series, Metal Slug 4 is built on short but intense missions full of enemy soldiers, zombies, and mummies that must be defeated before ammo or time runs out. Despite the criticism over recycled content, the core gameplay remained fast and clear-cut, which sets the game apart from slower action titles of the same era.

Why play it: Metal Slug 4 will appeal mainly to series fans interested in the transitional period after the original team's departure and new vehicles like the Cool Armor. It's a solid, if somewhat more cautious, continuation of the classic run-and-gun style, not a groundbreaking entry that redirected the series elsewhere.