RTTP: Metal Slug Series (1-5) - A Slug Worth Fighting For [UP: Metal Slug 5] (2025)

After the successful release of 2, and subsequently X, the team's focus shifted completely to development of the next main installment; not much, if anything, is known about the actual development, but we can only guess how strong the desire to up the ante among the team was looking at the finished product, released in 2000.

Metal Slug 3

RTTP: Metal Slug Series (1-5) - A Slug Worth Fighting For [UP: Metal Slug 5] (1)

What many consider the end of an era, a capstone to the franchise and its developer alike (but we won't talk about this until next time).

Metal Slug 3 is, frankly, absolutely bonkers. We don't know if Nazca was aware of SNK's decline and eventual bankruptcy, but for all intents and purposes, Metal Slug 3 feels like a last hurrah: one last labor of love before the end, a finale to end all finales that won't ever be topped in terms of sheer craft and content.

All of that may be hyperbole considering the humourous ending stinger, but goddamn if it doesn't feel like it looking at the big picture. But I'll have enough time to gush about the game later, so...

NOTABLE ADDITIONS
A heck-ton of new slugs: the Slug Mariner, Elephant Slug, Ostrich Slug, LV Rebel Armor, Slug Copter, Drill Slug and Astro Slug.
The Zombie transformation (and if you want to be pedantic, the Snowman transformation) make their first appearance.
New gameplay styles are also introduced to shake up the formula: underwater, air and space combat, also alternate routes.

Wait a second, alternate routes?
Yes, Metal Slug 3 makes the huge addition of alternative ways to progress through the level, some are in plain view, some are hidden and require active effort to uncover,

MISSION 1: A Couple's Love Land

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To start your adventure off, you land on the shore of the Island of Dr. Moureau, once an idyllic place, now rife with mutated creatures thanks to the radiation leaked out of the crashed rockets in the background, also there's rebels here.

- Slug Mariners Route
After storming the beach full of Chowmein-Congas, you can choose to get aboard the Slug Mariner and head underwater.
You proceed deeper and deeper into the depths of the trench, avoiding jellyfish and enormous moray eels tamed by the rebel army and given names, how cute (and deadly).
After reaching the bottom you float up and engage with Rebel scuba suicide bombers and submarines, and then float to the surface to engage the boss.

If you ignore the Slug Mariner on the way ahead you get to fight horrifying giant locusts, and stumble upon a fork in the road:

- Teleport Route
If you go straight ahead you get teleported to a damp closed space, get to fight flying piranhas, crabs, and get briefly aided by the monkey Utan

- Boat Route
If you dare to jump on the boat below, you get to have a cruise on a river, with lots of rebels soldiers swinging on vines and weaponized trucks blocking your way. After that ordeal you get an SV-001 Type-R for your efforts instead of a Slugnoid.

No matter the route at the end of the stage you get to fight the

Huge Hermit

, a giant mutated crab that has made a Denturion tank its shell, courtesy of the rebels.
Huge Hermit will constantly charge at you while fireballs shoot out of the tank, if you have a slug, stay on the right and dodge the fireballs accordingly, you'll have no problem.
After some damage has been dealt the tank will open up and reveal its main cannon which will always fire to the middle of the screen, not a problem if you still have a slug.

RTTP: Metal Slug Series (1-5) - A Slug Worth Fighting For [UP: Metal Slug 5] (3)

RTTP: Metal Slug Series (1-5) - A Slug Worth Fighting For [UP: Metal Slug 5] (4)

(PERSONAL) TRIVIA #1:

I love the huge Hermit SO MUCH that I painted its whole sprite with pencils and coloured markers by hand on graph paper, and framed it with a printed background (and sandwave).

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RTTP: Metal Slug Series (1-5) - A Slug Worth Fighting For [UP: Metal Slug 5] (6)

Sorry if this comes off as self-congratulatory, but it's one of the things I'm most proud of, and I have almost nobody to show it off to.

THOUGHTS

I LOVE this stage, it used to give me a lot of trouble as a newcomer to the series, bu now I can 1cc it no problem, and it just feels so good.
And the setting itself? What a locale: blood-pumping music, outstanding enemy design and a gorgeous (if not easy) boss to cap it off.
As for the routes themselves, the boat one is my favourite, and the water one my least. The underwater route does net you more points, but if you lose the Slug Mariner (which is very easy to do), it becomes a slog.


MISSION 2: Wandering at Midnight

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What was supposed to be a run-of-the-mill anti-Rebel operation turns dire when an airliner emergency-lands on the scene and a zombie outbreak rears its ugly head, on top of that, a creepy alien monolith may be at play... What a monday huh?

As soon as you start the mission you are introduced to a new enemy type: zombies! They are slow but tanky, and if they hit you with one of their projectile vomit attacks...

ZOMBIE TRANSFORMATION

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RTTP: Metal Slug Series (1-5) - A Slug Worth Fighting For [UP: Metal Slug 5] (9)

RTTP: Metal Slug Series (1-5) - A Slug Worth Fighting For [UP: Metal Slug 5] (10)

This transformation is quite the double-edged sword.
When you are undead your speed, reflexes and jump height drop to pitiful levels, and have access to the pistol only.
But but but BUT! What about your grenades? Well, push that button and watch the fireworks go as you fill the screen in front of your character with an amazing blood laser of death and destruction.

Needless to say: this is bloody (heh) amazing. As a bonus you are invulnerable to all enemy attacks except for other zombies and the boss, have fun with your short-lived zombie-induced power fantasy.

- Rebel Army Route
You can go straight all the way to the boss, balancing both Rebel forces and the undead, but you can also take a detour and enter the ICE CAVE by blasting it open.

- Sasquatch Route
You have a long, icy cave ahead of you swarming with sasquatches, they'll turn you into an immobile snowman with their icy (homing!) breath, if you don't want to get clobbered to death, rock that stick and mash those buttons to free yourself.

After making it to the bottom of the cave you'll get acces to the elusive Elephant Slug! Make your way out with its turret and breath-altering items.

TRIVIA #2: This stage was supposed to have another route, it would have resembled the beginning of the 3rd stage from MS1 (a vertical climb through a snowy shaft), and its data still remains in the final game. It was obviously scrapped.

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No matter what you'll stumble upon a mysterious object surrounded by spotlights, and you'll have to fight both the

Monoeyes

and their UFO.
The fight will begin with 6 Monoeyes circling around their "ship" and throwing all kinds of energy attacks at you.
After disposing of them, the UFO will lit up and start trying to squash you with giant summoned monoliths, if you keep clearing them out and be aware of your surrounding you'll have no problem shooting its dome off.

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RTTP: Metal Slug Series (1-5) - A Slug Worth Fighting For [UP: Metal Slug 5] (13)

RTTP: Metal Slug Series (1-5) - A Slug Worth Fighting For [UP: Metal Slug 5] (14)

THOUGHTS

I have a love and hate relationship with this stage.
I LOVE the setting, the zombie transformation concept and especially the music; but on repeat plays the tankiness of the zombies begins to get old, and I despise the Ice Cave route, I consider it the Metal Slug equivalent of stubbing your toe on a table leg, and the coolness of the elephant is outweighted by the tediousness of getting out of there.
The boss is also a bit of a mixed bag IMO, I can't get a read on the Monoeye's attacks no matter what, and while I like the monolith part, it's a whole lot of going back and forth.

Still a good stage all things considered, but I'm never doing the cave part for the sake of completion ever again.


MISSION 3: Eyes Over the Waves

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As a nice change of pace, this stage begins with a mandatory underwater section, which is nice. This stage branches of pretty soon with:

- Slug Mariner Route
If you skip the first underwater wall by going down the tunnel you'll get to use the submarine and fight a whole lot of Rebel acquatic forces, after a bit this route leads back to the 3rd one.

- Ostrich Slug Route
If you instead choose to skip the second underwater wall via tunnel you get brought back to the surface and get to fight a slew of Rebel forces, and ride the Ostrich Slug! It comes with a turret and can jump very high. After a bit of that you can proceed straight to the boss.

- LV Armor Route
If you go straight no matter what you'll eventually reach a secret factory! Be mindful of the armed cameras and laser-wielding drones.
After a bunch of scuffles with the Rebels you can hijack one of their LV Armors! It has thruster and everything! Following the disposal of other LV Armors you get to the boss.

In a metallurgy sector you finally have a showdown against the mechanized robot

Jupiter King

!
You'll fight the majority of the time standing on its treadmills, avoid the rocket volley from its left arm and try not to get involved in the fireball explosions. When the boss' eyes lit up try to get away from its telegraphed laser attack.
Keep shooting its head and you'll eventually dwarf him.

RTTP: Metal Slug Series (1-5) - A Slug Worth Fighting For [UP: Metal Slug 5] (16)

RTTP: Metal Slug Series (1-5) - A Slug Worth Fighting For [UP: Metal Slug 5] (17)

THOUGHTS

I like this stage a lot, barring one specific section.
If I had to make a rank for the routes it would go Ostrich > Slug Mariner > LV Armor.
If you go the Mariner route you get to hear the amazing "Hard Water" music track, and the Ostrich route I find the easiest and most enjoyable personally.
But, I don't really like the section in the factory with all the rebels, unless you are super-aggressive and know where they'll spawn ahead of time (and are bad at videogames like me), you're screwed.


MISSION 4: Tombstone of Sand

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(this gif is too good not to use again)

As a semi-callback to 2/X you get to ride the Camel Slug in the desert through a horde of Rebel forces, but as you approach some ruins... What are those strange spores floating in the air? Then you get to choose between 2 routes, but this stage is so complicated with its alternate paths that I'll list them all right here and be done with it:

- Mutated Bug Route
If you enter the dilapated building and go down the first hatch, you seemingly reach the bowels of the earth, crawling with mutated bugs! Crawl through the tunnel crawling with maggots (I recommend using the knife to conserve the ammo), crabs and giant caterpillars. Thankfully the Drill Slug makes its appearance here, and it can dispose of the giant caterpillars in no time. After that there's a section with giant snails, followed by the mission boss.

- Japanese Route
If you continue through the wine cellar (and man-eating flytraps) you'll eventually discover the Division 6's underground base; apparently they've been down here for so long that they've gotten hairy, skinny and generally pathetic.
In spite of that they'll fiercly attack you with everything they've got, plus their ramshack weaponry (the walking tanks are my favourite).

TRIVIA #3: As the name suggests, the Division 6's origins are akin to the real life 6th Japanese Division of WWII, and they both share the fate of being separated from their main force and unknowing of the war's results.
But if the canon is to be believed (MS3 takes place in 2031), Division 6 has been down in that hole for at very least 80+ years, huh.

- Man Eater/Mummy Route
If you instead choose to go up the pyramid you'll encounter a lot of carnivorous mutated plants. After a while you have the option to go straight through the boss or give the mummies a visit; if you choose the latter you'll also have to collect power cells to proceed to the boss

Following that ordeal you finally make it to the top of the ruins, and the literal celestial entity known as

Sol Dae Rokker

has a bone to pick with anyone tresspassing its domain.
Its only weak point is the red jewel in the center, while you go at it Sol Dae Rokker will try to eliminate you with a myriad of energy attacks, cloud-like dragons and a beam that will turn you into pure gold and shatter you into a million coin pieces.
After turning from orange to red, Sol Dae Rokker wil shatter, and the victory is yours.

RTTP: Metal Slug Series (1-5) - A Slug Worth Fighting For [UP: Metal Slug 5] (19)

RTTP: Metal Slug Series (1-5) - A Slug Worth Fighting For [UP: Metal Slug 5] (20)

THOUGHTS

This stage is another winner in my book. The desert part is difficult but very satisfying to pull off, and while I'm a bit perplexed by how the alternate paths were organized, they're all very enjoyable (except for the cell part).
Also, how extra do you have to be to relegate a brand new faction, with their brand new sprites to an optional area? Very, if you ask me.


FINAL MISSION (PART 1): In the Void

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We're at the final (loooong) stretch! After choosing between a Slug Copter or Flyer the last open attack on Morden's forces begins from the air!
After flying through their aviation and assaulting a cargo trail you get to fight Allen O'Neil aboard the Airbuster Riberts, he won't give you an easy time, but eventually he'll collapse to the ground and break every cartoony bone in his body (as shown by the orca in MS2), leaving you a Heavy Machinegun.

With Allen defeated you finally reach Morden himself and... Seems familiar? Like MS1 he'll try to stop you aboard his Hi-Do, but this time you have a mounted turret so it's a cakewalk and Morden will collapse to the ground deafeated.

But uh oh! Morden was actually a Mars alien the whole time! And with the cover blown they kidnap YOU! And scurry away on a Dai-Manji to space.
Without enough time to say "rocket lawn chair" you are switched to another character, make a temporary truce with the rebels and blast off aboard one of their rockets to stop the alien menace and save your comrade (and maaaaybe Morden). This ain't over yet...

THOUGHTS

I quite like this first part of the finale, the air segment is a nice change of pace and the enemy placement is hard but fair.
I could 1cc this no problem if it weren't for Allen, he messes me up every time.


FINAL MISSION (PART 2): Into the Cosmos

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The finale has only just begun!
You are now in Astro Slug mode, akin to a vertical Shmup as you make your way to the Mars People mother ship.
I won't give all the gory details, but in any case you dodge asteroids, mini UFOs and blow a hole into the main alien ship, to then shoot some more aliens in a tunnel and finally make your way on the inside.

THOUGHTS

First of all, gameplay shift, rad as hell.
This section can be a bit too long on the tooth, but it's pretty enjoyable, and the track "Into the Cosmos" is awesome.
The key to having an easier time is to keep your Astro Slug intact at all costs, especially for the first half; it melts through everything it's thrown at if you are careful and play your cards right.


FINAL MISSION (PART 3): All About Love

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You are finally deep inside the Rugname motherhsip, a shitload of various aliens await you ahead, after clearing your way through and freeing a tortured Morden in his undies, you reach

Fake Rootmars

.
This imposing thing will attack you with giant telekinetic energy balls, and upon defeat you can move forward.

This is the organic hallway, and oh crap! green clones of your friend will attack you without mercy from every corner.
With the help of the timely Allen O'Neil (he got better!) and a SV-001 you reach the bio chamber holding your friend captive and free them, putting an end to the clonage... Maybe? Oh dear god no.

On your way to the escape route, the clones somehow get transformed into zombies, and this is VERY BAD NEWS! In a nice role reversal you now have to watch out for the attack that made you so strong all the way back in mission 2.
After a lifetime's worth of stress through a clone infested corridor, you FINALLY reach an exit hatch, and throw yourself off the ship aboard a Metal Slug.

But... It's not over yet! The leader of the Mars People,

Rootmars

, is quite pissed about you foiling its plans and catches you in midair, to begin the FINAL BATTLE!

I'm... too tired the give a thorough explanation. Use the Slug's I-frames I guess? I'm so bad at this fight personally.

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RTTP: Metal Slug Series (1-5) - A Slug Worth Fighting For [UP: Metal Slug 5] (25)

Finally... It's over... You blow Rootmars' brains off and safely land in the sea, and content that this battle is finally over, take a respite and throw your gun into the water, starting off the credits.

THOUGHTS

This last part... Is tiring. I can admire the sense of urgency and finality conveyed through gameplay, and the clone shenanigans are pretty cool, but hot damn does this last section go on forever, if you can 1cc this WHOLE stage you are a Metal Slug god, and I tip my hat off to you, but as for me... No chance in hell.

Speaking of hell... I can't for the life of me not make an ass of myself with the final boss by dying over and over, I hate those green/orange orbs with a passion.

Oh well, at least the final scene and credits are really well done and satisfying.


FINAL THOUGHTS

Metal Slug 3 is a behemoth of a game: legendary among fans for its gorgeous, I repeat, G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S spritework, balls-to-the-walls insane concepts and ludicrous final mission.

Where do I stand on it myself? For all its faults, like high difficulty, unfairly long finale and a couple of less than stellar sections, I can't shake the feeling that the existence of this game is an anomaly.

The Nazca team of almost 25 people DID NOT HAVE to go as hard as they did, the effort put into it defies all preconceived logic I had created by being a fan of Videogames, but they did anyway.
You could say that this had been their MO since MS1, or even earlier at Irem, but Metal Slug 3, historically and factually is their absolute Magnum Opus.

I may be getting a bit too sentimental because this was the title that made me fall in love in the series, but I'll be blunt: Metal Slug 3 may be an unfair game made to violently separate you from your hard-earned quarters, but it's a goddamn beautiful game; and I'm so, SO glad it exists and that I got to experience it at such an impressionable age in that brief time were arcades still existed in the wild, and I didn't have the motor skills of a literal infant.

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THE END (for now and for 2020)

RTTP: Metal Slug Series (1-5) - A Slug Worth Fighting For [UP: Metal Slug 5] (2025)

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