Since 1996, the Metal Slug franchise has been synonymous with a certain kind of arcade excess. While probably not as well known as some other run ‘n’ gun titles, like Contra (known in the PAL regions as Probotector; although nobody really refers to it here as that because it hasn’t been that way for some time now; it’s just fun to mention), the overloaded sprites, oversized guns, and heavy dose of character injected into every frame of action felt like a cut above in its day. That is if the, at times, egregious slow-down could be forgiven, but still, the Neo Geo, the home console that it was ported on, was host to some of the best 16-bit sprite work ever; even if technically it was a 32-bit system.
Certainly, Metal Slug was one of SNK’s flagships for a reason, but it has mostly stood still for the thirty years since. How does one keep such a storied franchise relevant without succumbing to the feeling like it’s a retreading of the same ground over, again and again? Leikir Studio’s answer? Metal Slug Tactics.
In recent years, strategy and tactics titles have been having a bit of resurgence, indeed. Leikir Studio’s decision to translate the series’ signature moment-to-moment offensive action into a turn-based, slow-right-down and think about the next move for a minute framework doesn’t immediately make a lot of sense. In practice, though, it’s a genre swap that fits the IP extremely well, taking some well advised inspiration from the recent Mario + Rabbids or XCOM titles whereby campaign skirmishes are kept short, fast-paced and certainly could still be described as action-packed.
Each turn, of which there’s rarely more than a handful per match, characters can move large gaps across the play field, and the Sync mechanic, a key differentiator in Metal Slug Tactics strategic gameplay, can be utilised, lining up flanking positions, perpendicular to an enemy, to set up a free follow-up attack, and this keeps bouts lively.
Sadly, it is to be reported that multiple crashes did occur during the review time and, as far as this reviewer’s aware, remain unpatched on Nintendo Switch at the time of writing. The generous autosave does mitigate some of the feeling of frustration and, with the short play length for matches overall, it does ensure that not too much progress is lost if this does happen.
Progression in Metal Slug Tactics follows a roguelike structure under the hood. Upgrades are drip-fed, and levelling up and starting a run over are key components to its gameplay loop. Mileage on the genre can vary as it captures a broad swath too. However, it is a structure that feels overplayed now and can be wearisome for those who are frustrated by having to start over again for making a minor mistake earlier in a battle. It should be said that even though it does cram a lot of helpful information into it, the HUD can present as a bit messy or noisy. This feels in direct contrast with the roguelite nature and invites mis-inputs, not helped by a control scheme that’s easy to forget between sessions, when everything else is designed to be immediate.
