Metal Slug 3
The heroes of Metal Slug and
Metal Slug 2 return once more to do
battle with the ever-present General Morden and his vast army. The
third game of the series places a greater emphasis on defeating hulking
boss characters than the 2 previous outings. Metal Slug 3 also introduced
multiple routes through most levels, vastly increasing the replay value
of the game. For example; on the first level the player reaches a point
where they can either continue over land, or enter a small submarine and
head down into the ocean depths, where they will be faced with a variety
of huge, deadly sea-dwelling creatures.
Metal Slug 3 introduced a number of new elements that have a direct
effect on the player's character—similar to the "mummification" of
the second game. The first of these is the "fatty" effect : should the
player pick up too much food (fish, for example) their character will
morph in an obese version of itself. This doesn't have any detrimental
effect on performance and is included purely for reasons of humor.
Another effect is the now infamous "Zombiefication"; should the player's
character be attacked by a Zombie, he or she will become Zombie until
they are either killed, or pick up a first-aid, which will restore the
player's character back to human form. Movement while in the zombie
state is slow and restricted but the player is armed with what can
perhaps be best described as the "Zombie Vomit"; a huge arc of blood
that can be used to destroy oncoming enemies. A second Zombie attack
while the player's character is in a Zombie state will result in the
player losing a life.
Metal Slug 3 features a number of sci-fi movie homages: Mission 2 features a guest appearance by the Men in Black. The carnivorous plant aliens in Mission 4 are a parody of the sci-fi musical comedy The Little Shop of Horrors. The squid-like aliens in the gigantic Mission 5 (known as "Mars People") are a homage to the movie Independence Day. Also, the alien clones you face in this stage seem to parody the sci-fi movie clasic Invasion of the body snatchers. Finally, the last boss battle seems to be slightly inspired by the ending sequence in the sci-fi horror movie Alien Resurrection. One of the hostages (who also appeared in Metal Slug 2 and Metal Slug X, by the way) known as Hyakkutaro will join the fight by shooting fireballs. The underwater stages are a graphical nod to Irem's 1993 classic In the Hunt. This is understandable as many of SNK's Metal Slug developers originally worked for Irem. (arcade-history)
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