Metal Slug 2

Metal Slug 2 (メタルスラッグ 2) is a run and gun video game for the Neo-Geo console/arcade platform created by SNK. It was released in 1998 for the MVS arcade platform and is the sequel to the popular Metal Slug. It is the second title in the Metal Slug series. The game was later re-released in a slightly modified/remixed form as Metal Slug X. It was re-released for the Wii's Virtual Console in North America on December 1, 2008 at a cost of 900 Wii Points.

Story
General Morden, the antagonist from the first game is back once more with his army, bent on taking over the world. It is up to the Peregrine Falcon squad, who are now joined by two new characters: Eri Kasamoto and Fiolina Germi of the Sparrows Intelligence Unit, to save the day.

As the levels unfold, it turns out that Morden has allied with Martians to help facilitate his plans. In the final level of the game, the tables are turned when Morden comes under attack and is betrayed by his Martian allies and taken prisoner by them. An ad-hoc alliance is formed between the Peregrine Falcon squad and General Morden's army to combat the greater alien threat. After a long battle, they succeed in defeating the Martians' Mothership, driving them off the Earth. Morden seems to have fallen from the ship, strapped to a solid iron plate. While his soldiers celebrate, the plate loses its balance and crushes him.

Vehicles and weapons
Metal Slug 2 added new weapons to the player's arsenal. A single shot from the Laser is capable of killing a column of infantry, and sustained fire quickly destroys vehicles. Fire Bombs found in the second level help to clear away mummies. Armor Piercing Shells give the Metal Slug cannon shot that only fire straight when engaging enemy vehicles.

The game also included more fighting vehicles. Though just as susceptible to enemy fire as the Metal Slug, these vehicles provided alternate modes of transportation, and advantages associated with each.
 * The Camel Slug is simply a Vulcan cannon mounted onto a camel. The rider is elevated and still vulnerable to enemy fire, but has improved movement. (Using the Suicide Attack does not cause the Camel Slug to explode, unlike its sister vehicles.)
 * To help fight a boss that crawls up a tower, the Slugnoid armored frame is capable of leaping to great heights. Its cannon is pointed downward, to assail the enemy below. Twin Vulcan cannons provide plenty of fire, but are stripped with each hit the Slugnoid takes.
 * The Slug Flyer is a VTOL jet fighter. It fires powerful air-to-air missiles at its targets, and its Vulcan Cannon is designed to fire upon forward targets. Another player can "wing-walk", or ride on top of the plane.

Character transformation
Metal Slug 2 introduced the ability into the franchise for characters to transform into different variants during the course of the game. The first transformation is one into a mummy during the second mission of the game. Any hit from the purple tinged attacks of the mummy-variants or potions dropped by bats will trigger the transformation. This causes a drastic reduction in player movement speed and loss of any special weapon. Mummified characters hold only a pistol, which they fire at a rate of half as fast as normal, and they take time to toss a grenade. Players can not use the knife when transformed, making this transformation the only one in the series that has no redeeming features. Another hit by purple mist will cause the player, transformed as the mummy, to burn in a purple flame and die. There are antidotes hidden throughout the level and dropped by enemies and prisoners that can restore the player to human form.

Also introduced in this game was the ability to become obese. This transformation is gained, logically, by the acquirement of many food items during a single game-life. Once enough food is obtained the announcer yells "Uh-oh, big!," and the character is radically transformed. Movement speed is slowed, but every weapon's attack is altered: melee attacks are changed from a knife to a fork (belt whip if sitting), grenades are changed to larger cherry-style bombs, and the current weapon is replaced with a version that has larger bullets and may have its properties altered. The Rocker Launcher used in obese mode has an immensely improved tracking ability, for example. If a diet-powder canister is found, enough time passes without picking up any food items, or the player is killed, the player(s) will revert to their former regular selves.

Supporting characters
Metal Slug 2 is the first game in the series to provide characters to help the players in battle. The first is Hyakutaro Ichimonji, a prisoner who, when rescued, will fight alongside the player who saved him, throwing Hadouken balls at enemies, or roundhouse kicking them if they manage to get within melee range. Also appearing is Sergeant Rumi Aikawa, a Regular Army supplier who lacks a sense of direction, earning her the title "The Wandering Ghost"; she carries a huge, overstuffed backpack and drops items (more are dropped if the backpack is shot).

Home versions
Home versions of Metal Slug 2 were released for the Neo Geo AES console (released on April 1998) and the Neo Geo CD (released on June 1998). The Neo Geo CD version features an exclusive "Combat School" mode (similar to the CD-ROM based versions of the previous game) where the player can play new versions of previously-played stages with new objectives.

Metal Slug X
A revised version of Metal Slug 2, titled Metal Slug X, was released on March for the Neo Geo MVS. It fixed problems with slowdown present in Metal Slug 2, and increased the difficulty. Metal Slug X also introduced a few new elements to the Metal Slug 2 game system. New weapons and items were added, such as the "Iron Lizard" and the "Drop Shot". The enemy placement and bosses were re-arranged as well.

Differences from Metal Slug 2
 * Much of the music has been slightly remixed or altered.
 * Many stages had the time of day changed. Instead of being simply at day or at night, the stages can take place at dusk, twilight, or sunset.
 * It is now possible for the player character to become fat by collecting food items in every stage after Mission 2, while it was previously only possible in Mission 4.
 * There is less slowdown than in Metal Slug 2.
 * All levels contain an increased enemy count and changed enemy placement as well as enemy characters themselves being changed, including altered boss placement.
 * Vehicle types and locations are usually changed.
 * There are generally more power ups, prisoners, and items (particularly food), which are often hidden and must be shot to obtain.
 * Many environmental elements have altered reactions to being shot, such as exploding with unexpected results or randomly spewing out items or enemies.
 * Heavier damage versions are available for the heavy machine gun, flameshot, shotgun, laser rifle, and rocket launcher. When compared with their normal counterparts, each big/super weapon deals more damage, has a more "fierce" appearance, and has a wider (or longer) area of impact. If the player happens to be fat while using these heavier weapons, a new appearance takes on and the player does even more damage.
 * Several new weapons were added to the game: Stones, Iron Lizard, Enemy Chaser, Super Grenade, and Drop Shot. A new Metal Slug, the Golden Metal Slug, was added to Mission 3.
 * The original art for Metal Slug is shown at the end of the game while the credits are rolling, instead of a black screen used in Metal Slug 2.

Metal Slug X was ported to the Neo Geo AES (May 1999) and the PlayStation (January 2001). The PlayStation version was released in North America and the PAL region by Agetec. The PlayStation version features the same Combat School mode previously featured in the Neo Geo CD versions of the first two games.

Later releases
Both Metal Slug 2 and Metal Slug X, are featured in the Metal Slug Anthology released for the PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2 and Wii. The games featured in this compilation are all emulations of the original MVS/AES versions and lack the "Combat School" mode featured in the Neo Geo CD and PlayStation versions of the games. The AES version of Metal Slug 2 was released on October 2008 for the Wii Virtual Console.

Reception

 * IGN: 7.5/10
 * Gamespot: 7.5/10