This FAQ (c) Nahum Reduta 1999 Metal Slug, Neo-Geo, and all other applicable trademarks are still (c) SNK 1999
V 1.0
Metal Slug X 2 Players - Side-Scrolling Action
Metal Slug X (MSX) is sort of an enhanced version of Metal Slug 2 (MS2), featuring more of everything (enemies, midbosses, weapons, secrets). The most impressive change is the addition of vehicles in the missions. Each player can get his/her own vehicle to control. So, much of what is in MS2 still stands in MSX. Some stuff has been moved around though to make things interesting. Since the actual mission backgrounds are intact (all of the buildings are where they used to be), I won't go into that as much. Rather, this FAQ focuses on the new and improved. By all means, read the MS2 FAQ on GameFAQs.com to start off (or refresh the memory). Yes it's long, but knowing all the stuff I wrote down will definitely help.
Send all questions, comments, and corrections to red_ninja@hotmail.com (include "Metal Slug X" in the subject, please!)
>TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Disclaimer / Introduction Table of Contents Enemies soldiers vehicles Weapons firearms vehicles Walkthrough by mission High Scoring Tips Parting Thoughts
>ENEMIES
Note: A "shot," if otherwise unidentified, is meant to be one from your pistol. Tougher enemies, as well as heavy firearms and ordnance, are gauged in power by the approximate number of pistol shots they absorb or whose strength they equal.
-Mummies (Mission 2) <> Pop out of sandy places, "mummy vaults," or drop from above, hanging by a wrapping. Breath attack will turn you or bystanders into mummies. [] While ducking, crouching close attacks or firearms work well. Bomb the vaults if you need the items behind them. Try to keep downhill of mummies as breath attack hits high. Take 10-15 pistol hits, but easy kills.
-Bowling mummies (Mission 2) <> Whiter in appearance. Spit rolling bombs that have the same effect as a breath attack. [] Take more pistol shots to kill (20-25). DON'T forget about their bombs.
-Scarab mummies (Mission 2) <> Greener in appearance. Spit flying scarabs that kill on contact. [] Take even more shots to kill (30-35). Scarabs each take a shot to kill.
-Mummy dogs (Mission 2) <> Move more quickly than mummies (they also jump). Breath attack (from barking) flies close to ground, ranged about 2/3 screen. Breath travels up slopes (continuing at that angle) and can be destroyed only by shotgun blasts. Usually attack in packs. [] Take about 15 shots / 3 knife hits to kill. Attack them from behind or from above.
-Shield Grunts <> Their shields absorb bullets and sometimes knife attacks and bomb blasts. They can block up or down. Fires pistol shots from afar or swing a sword up close. They usually protect other units. [] Use care when knifing; they may get the first hit. They cannot block rockets, flame shots, or shotgun blasts. Bombs have to hit them from above or on contact to kill them.
-Frogmen (Mission 4) <> Making a return from MS1, they jump out of the water (or in this case, a well) and throw a large rocket at you. [] They are completely vulnerable when jumping. The rocket, however, is invincible. Avoid it.
-Alien pod <> Flies to a strategic position on screen, then fires a green energy bolt. [] Bombs work well against these, if you can get them to connect. In Mission 4, they only take about 5-10 shots to kill; they take up to 30 in the Final Mission.
Alien infantry can jump to any ledge. They usually float or teleport into the scene.
-Brown Alien (Mission 6) <> Fires yellow particles from gun or forehead, which float around and disappear after a while. [] The easiest to kill (5 shots). The particles take a shot each but also set off bombs if you throw them.
-Gray Alien (Mission 6) <> Fires yellow particles and blue ones if you are in range (they fly forward). [] A little harder to kill but still little problem.
-Blue Alien (Mission 6) <> Fires blue particles which track you after a while. [] They take up to 15 shots to kill. Do so quickly, because their particle shots take 5 shots to destroy, and track you very quickly.
Most vehicles appear from Mission 3 on. The wheeled vehicles have a nasty little habit of running you over if you get too close. You can hop on top of vehicles if necessary. Obviously, vehicles take more than one hit to destroy (approximations given in pistol rounds, increasing by mission):
-Minicopter (appearance in Mission 1): 25 shots <> Appears either separately or in chains, firing three bullet salvos or one at a time. The red leader in a chain fires alone, shooting downward. [] If low enough, two or three bombs will make short work of them. Otherwise, shoot high. Destroying the red leader of a chain first not only takes out the rest of the chain (reaction), but also coughs up major bonus points (150,000 for the entire group)!
-Missile Launcher (appearance in Mission 1): 30-45 shots <> It fires about four missiles. It can aim high (in an arc reaching 1/2 screen) or low (max range 1/3 screen) [] Shoot from a distance or while ducking up close. The missiles can be destroyed with five shots.
-Motorcycle (Mission 3 and 5): 5 shots <> May carry a Grunt in the sidecar in Mission 3, leaving attacks to them. In Mission 5, they rush at you kamikaze style. Some will drop their bikes from above (like MS1, Final Mission). [] Just shoot them quickly, and their partner if there is one.
-Hydrofoil (Mission 3 only): 35 shots <> Fires two missiles at a time. [] The driver takes only one shot to kill. However, the hydrofoil will still fire at you. Don't stop firing until the vehicle is destroyed. The missiles take 4-5 pistol shots each. Fire bombs do not make contact with the missiles, making them an effective weapon against the hydrofoil. Otherwise, make sure your shots connect.
-Armored Rocket Launcher: 50-60 shots (front grill), 10-15 shots (main body) <> Fires slow but nimble rockets (2 at a time, 3 if the front armor is destroyed). [] STAY AWAY FROM THE POINTY END! The best way to kill these is still a single bomb onto the main body (jump and throw it). The operator may jump out to knife you when the launcher is destroyed.
-Airplane (Mission 3 only): 30 shots <> Fires a missile. [] Bombs make short work of them, but careful fire should destroy them without worry about missiles.
-Blackhawk Helicopter: 50-60 shots <> Drops a volley of bombs or fires fast missiles. [] Keep up a fire on the chopper, dodging the bombs. Throw bombs when it drops down to fire missiles. Red choppers drop 8 bombs at a time (the bombs absorb up to 5 pistol shots).
>WEAPONS
The guys use knives for close attacks; the ladies use either a baton or a hatchet. Other close attacks include kicks, Fio's palm thrust, and that boxing glove device the guys store in their packs.
The new weapons include "Big" versions of the weapons seen in MS2. The "Big" weapons are marked by pulsating letters, and disappear after a short time. Fat characters use even more powerful versions of all weapons.
[H] Big Heavy Machine Gun: Larger bullets cause maybe twice the damage of the regular [H]. Bullets become like those of the Four-legger boss in Mission 3 (large and spinning) when fat.
[R] Big Rocket Launcher: "Hot and tasty!" Fires larger, red checkered rockets. The damage is increased (direct and splash) twofold. Rockets become ball-shaped and have increased enemy tracking when fat.
[F] Big Flame Shot: Shoots a flame burst with more heat, longer range, and greater spread when shot downward. Bursts turn into fireballs when fat.
[L] Big Laser Rifle: Still fires in primary directions, though the wide beam looks neat. Beam becomes distorted when fat (how is this possible?).
[S] Big Shotgun: Fires a narrower burst with 2/3 screen range. Burst grows wider when fat.
[I] Iron Lizard: A ground travelling explosive (it looks like a little car). You can fire up to two at a time. They are useless against air targets, unless you can jump high enough to hit them with the Iron Lizards just as they exit the weapon. The car inflicts about 10 shots of damage and causes splash damage.
[C] Enemy Chaser: Less powerful than the rocket launcher, but the rockets always find a target if one is present. This can be helpful (helped me find a secret location in the ruins of Mission 1's turrets), or harmful (rockets tracked untouched buildings instead of the aliens in Mission 4). They also turn ball-shaped when fat.
[D] Drop Charge: A bouncing bomb. At first glance, they are as hard to use as Iron Lizards, but carefully placed shots can bounce over obstacles such as sandbags, giving you a degree of safety. You can fire four at a time. They become larger when fat.
[G] Super Grenade: Fires in primary directions. It causes direct and splash damage near that of a bomb, if not greater.
=Ordinance
]=[) Bomb, SI: You come equipped with 10. Bombs are thrown at a slight arc. Upon impact with a target or after bouncing once, it explodes into a powerful plume of flame (hint: it hits high enemies with the blast). You can only throw two at a time onscreen while on foot, but can unleash your entire load quickly while inside a vehicle (other than the Slugnoid hopper). They become black and are thrown at a lower arc when fat.
]=[) Firebomb: Found in Mission 2, impact with the ground creates a wall of flame about 1/2 screen. When fat, you throw jars of napalm which create a taller wall 2/3 screen wide. __ (__) Stone: (new) Large chunks of stone which cause about 5-10 shots of damage. They are thrown at a lower arc. When fat, you throw boulder-sized stones.
=Supplies
[#] Ammo Crate: Adds ammunition to your special arm, if you're carrying one. They're worth either 150 [H] bullets, 150 [L] laser charges, 20 of the other heavy arms, or 1000 pt. if you can't use them.
[%] Ordinance Crate: Adds 10 ordinance devices to your current stock. On foot, you'll get regular bombs. In vehicles, you'll get shells or missiles.
[X] Gas Tank: Adds a unit of fuel to your vehicle. These three units represent the damage your vehicle can take (it won't take damage immediately after being hit, while it's flashing white). It's worth 1000 pt. if you can't use it.
=Vehicles
The other half of your weaponry. All vehicles, except the Camel Slug (which never gets hit) can take only three hits before going up to scrap heaven. Gas tanks increase the damage your vehicle can take.
(A)+(B): Suicide Assault Don't use this unless you are simple, or are about to take one last hit. You escape your vehicle, sending it on a crash course towards the enemy. If you lose both cannon arms on the Slugnoid and don't have any more shells, by all means use the assault unless your partner can fend for himself/herself.
>WALKTHROUGH
=Mission 1
-Deserts of Arabia
The very first sign here contains a 500 or 1000 pt. bonus. You have to jump and shoot at the sign from above to reveal it.
Near the second building, a truck will pull up with three grunts in the back. When the grunts are killed, a Blackhawk will show up. The truck won't hurt you once it's parked (it can run you over), but you can still destroy it. It usually appears on the side opposite that of your characters.
A few buildings later, a tall tank will pull up. After defeating it, use the wreckage to jump onto the ledge with the POW. Watch out for the grenades thrown from the grunts below.
Later, three missile turrets will pop out of the kiosks of a building. Shoot the turrets to destroy the building. When the building is destroyed, shoot at the top of what used to be the door for a bunch of fruit or coin bonuses. Jumping and shooting down at the remains of the left window will reveal a gem.
The camel nearby holds a basket of pears (shoot at it to get some). The two windows above the Camel Slug (the camel with the cannon--you can jump onto it) hold more food bonuses. The Arab riding the camel will fire pistol shots at you and can block your shots with his sword. Throw a bomb at him immediately to kill him.
Shoot down the wall behind the camel rider to expose a wagon full of Imperial Guards. When the wagon is destroyed, you'll find a Metal Slug, Rumi Aikawa, and a Big [H] inside. If you shoot Rumi's backpack before you tag her, she'll drop two more items.
One of the swordsmen on the ledge carries a bonus (an apple or a gem). Shoot him before he runs away.
A minicopter chain will attack you in the open area nearby.
-BOSS: Armored Transport <> This boss makes a return from MS1 (Mission 5). It attacks you with a volley of teardrop shells from its top launcher. [] Keep firing at the transport. Dodge the shells by running and jumping. The spiky front grill will kill footbound soldiers if touched.
<> After about 100 shots, the transport will roll back and stand on its risers. The flamethrower underneath will attack you occasionally. [] The flamethrower can be destroyed after about 50 shots. Three POW's will drop from the tractor. Carefully throw bombs at the flamethrower (about eight) to get all the hostages. The first one runs off to the right if you're not careful.
<> When the flamethrower is destroyed, a missile launcher adds to the attack. It fires two missiles on each side of itself. If you run to the back, the tank that it carries will fire at you (you can't destroy it). The launcher firing teardrop shells still fires during the battle, and may hit anyone near the front of the transport. [] You should be able to get underneath the tractor and give it all you've got. Just be careful of the missiles coming on either side.
When defeated, the Armored Transport blows up. At a loss, the Arabian commander surrenders. Mission 1 complete!
You should have 12 POW's and Rumi Aikawa to your credit.
=Mission 2
-Valley of the Pharaohs Use your pistol/shotgun to knock out an eye (the one on the right, this time) from the Sphinx (30,000 pts).
There is a POW hidden above the opening to the cave. The only way I know of to get him is to die when fighting the Imperial Guards (make sure you set off the explosive as well). When you return with another life, you should tag the POW on your way into the vault.
-Excavation site You can shoot the bats near the top of the screen.
If you stand next to the first and third miners, they'll dig up some bonus items for you.
Shoot at the top right of the first support tower for a POW.
After clearing the mummies from around the first cave, walk inside and release the POW hidden inside.
-Pyramid slope A bat is hanging out at the top left of the screen, right next to the first statue in the background. A gem is hidden in the face of said statue.
Remember, the mummies can't hit you when you are crouching. Also, try jumping above and behind them.
If you are turned into a mummy, you lose any heavy firearm you may have, your pistol and bomb attacks come out much slower, and you lose your close attacks. To return yourself to normal, find one of the glowing potions.
The first new weapon should be located inside the first vault that pops out of the ground, namely the Iron Lizard.
A Big Flame Shot appears behind the second vault. The second POW hanging from above later on has another one. The first has a potion; the third has fire bombs.
The third vault has a Big Shotgun inside and a potion behind it.
Near the stairs, two groups of mummies will assault you, as well as a pack of mummy dogs.
-Cavern Maze You'll catch up with Rumi Aikawa here.
The bats above will drop their undead potion when in range or when you shoot them. To clear them in one shot, get all five of them to fly as far left as possible, then run right. They should all be in range of a single shotgun or flame blast.
The eye hieroglyph on the wall hides a single gem.
Shoot the deceased explorer to make her give up a gem (50,000 pts). Disgruntled, she'll give you the matching stick of dynamite, so haul ass!
A hanging mummy will drop from above when you jump onto the tall tower after the mummy dogs attack you. The platform after it (the one with the single point bonus and bat) has a boulder trap right above it. Quickly run to the point bonus, then jump out of the way of the falling boulder (it will destroy part of the platform). Boulders will continue to fall.
Another hanging mummy will attack you just above the hole. The rest of the mummies will spit scarabs. Shoot straight up to hit the scarabs, then jump once to shoot or bomb it. If you have fire bombs, throw them just before it spits a scarab, so you can hit the mummy and the scarab just as it pops out. If you have a partner, have him/her shoot straight up to hit the scarabs while you take care of the mummies.
More hanging mummies will attack you when you try to release the POW on the small platform. You can hit them will close attacks while crouching. The POW will give you a shotgun.
The purple gas jets on the sixth platform have the same effect as breath attacks. Jump in just as the jet dissipates to grab the point bonus, then jump away.
Jogging to the left, you'll see a few platforms to jump on. From the second to the top, you can long jump over to the platforms on the right. The jagged platform holds three treasure chests. The first holds a potion if you need it (if you don't save it for the next task). Make another long jump (jump at the edge and keep holding right) to the top of the statues on the right. Shoot the chest open, which holds a magic lamp (previously rubbed). If you opened the chest with one shot, you'll reveal twelve coins and two hanging mummies. To expose the lamp and safely get all the coins, jump on top of the chest, then jump and shoot at it from above, bearing left to collect the coins and leave the lamp alone. Kill the mummies as soon as possible.
Wait for the fifth plume of smoke to release a genie. If you time the jump just right, you'll get a lot of coins when the genie transforms. Two more secret spots are located above each statue. One holds another lamp, the other is a trap, dropping mummy "juice" on you. Simply shoot at the secrets (10 pistol shots) while jumping to the other statue. Obviously, if you get the lamp first, immediately return to the platforms at the left.
Shooting down at the next sign (above the ledges to the left) will expose an arch of coins.
The hanging mummy on the right will give up some bombs. The standing mummy will spit scarabs. The second mummy on the right platform will give you a potion.
On the next level path (eighth platform), the head of the hieroglyph (wall painting) holds a number of gems (10 x 100 pts, and sometimes, one for 30,000 pts). Shoot 'em out (It's easier with a pistol).
If you let the mummy dogs attack the explorer, you can destroy the new mummy for a gem (100 or 30,000 pts).
-Tower of Doom You'll come across a series of ledges on the side of a large tower. Treasure and healing potions can be found here. The twin-armed Slugnoid vehicle is located on one of the higher ledges. One player should get in, while the other collects the Heavy Machine Guns in the treasure chests above.
} The Slugnoid crabwalks along the platforms. Jumpjets give it a very high jump (B). The twin Vulcan fire converges at a point downscreen but can be aimed in any direction. The main cannon (C) fires downwards. (A)+(B) Suicide Dive.
-BOSS: Iron Claw [86] <> Players caught in the arcing insides will die a shocking death. Iron Claw attacks with ball lightning, rockets, a charge attack, and an Extreme Plasma Cannon. The ball lightning and rocket attacks are either direct, or shot in a series to the outsides, returning on the other side, making something like a diamond formation. [] Shoot downward and fire your cannon/throw bombs at the same time. If you stay at the same altitude for a while, Iron Claw rears back and charges towards you (up to 2/3 screen). Get to a higher ledge, jumping just as it's about to hit you. If it shoots ball lightning or rockets in a series to the outsides, stay where you are and attack if you can. Rockets can be shot. When Iron Claw primes up (it glows brightly on the inside), jump to the side ledges to stay out of reach of the Extreme Plasma Cannon.
A power-up will fall every now and then to even out the battle.
When defeated, Iron Claw starts to sag, then tries for one more charge, but is unsuccessful, and falls. Mission 2 Complete!
You should have about 10 POW's, including Rumi.
=Mission 3
-Supply Train If the bonus near the soldier is bread or a can of rations, get it before it spoils, then get the rest of the bonuses. The boxes along the ground are empty, but still offer 100 pt. when shot. Shoot the soldiers before shooting the fire so they won't run away. The POW gives you some fire bombs, which you can also use to get the soldiers and box below.
A POW is hidden near the routing sign near the top of the screen. After you kill the lazy seargeant, slash him a few more times to get a bonus.
On the flatcars, all gunfire aimed downwards will strike the ground instead of the flatcar. This means that you can shoot the motorcyclers and grunts running on the ground below you. All ordinance devices behave in the same way. Once the train starts moving, bombs will bounce towards the rear of the train along the ground.
-Cargo cars The POW's just before the cargo cars have bonuses and a shotgun for you. Each of the cargo piles can be shot to reveal food bonuses, making you fat. A grunt usually holds his position between cars, throwing grenades. Motorcycles cruise along the ground and more grunts assault you from the right.
} When you become fat, your weapons cause slightly more damage. From your pistol to your Drop Charge, your weapons have a new look about them. Grunt standing in your way? Waste him with your dinner fork! Too tired to stand? Whip out your belt. The bombs drop a little faster but travel farther. The only drawbacks to being so hefty are having a slower walking speed, and only being able to take the same one hit before you blow up. If you work out long enough (by running and gunning), you'll regain your former weight.
When you have time, check out the sitting and standstill animations (Mmmm, donut).
A stout tank attacks you on the flatcars. Move right a screen and some trucks will pull up (they can run you over). Each truck holds three grunts who throw grenades. More will show up. When one of the trucks is destroyed, paratroopers will fall from above, firing bazookas right at you. Destroy the other truck to move on.
-Boxcars You'll meet up with shield, grenade, mortar, and sniper grunts here. Hit the levers to lower a platform and jump to the roof. Grunts on the walls of and inside the boxcars cannot be hit, except those very close to the sides (you can knife them, but they can also knife you).
Use some ingenuity when fighting the snipers. They don't pop up when bullets are flying above them (gotta give them credit, they're not that stupid). Wait them out, bomb them or keep firing while you close in and knife them. [H] bullets will be absorbed by the vent shafts, but pistol shots won't.
It's a little difficult to bomb the mortar grunts without putting yourself in reach of their mortars. Throw your bomb, then back off.
-Livestock Cars A rocket thrower is on top of the first car. Use close attacks to knock open the locks. Collect the pigs inside (1000 pt. each) the first one. Be aware of the shield grunt inside the second car, who's holding the POW captive. The mortar grunt can be shot through the roof, or taken out from the blast of a bomb thrown at the shield grunt.
-Over the Bridge The POW's give you a bonus, bombs, and a heavy firearm.
The action pans below, where hydrofoils pursue the train. The operator takes only a shot to kill, but the hydrofoil will continue to launch missiles (the missiles move just as fast as the train, gaining altitude but losing velocity) and follow the train. Keep firing until the hydrofoil smokes and finally blows up. Two more will follow.
-Engine At the engine a group of grunts are hanging around. The coal stack holds some Stones for you to throw. Shoot inside the operator car to reveal a hostage (you'll get a coin if you destroy the armored rocket launcher first). An armored rocket launcher drops on top of the operator car. Jump to shoot at it, but shoot straight up to catch any rockets headed your way.
A grenade thrower and two POW's wait at the head of the engine. One gives you a Big Heavy Machine Gun; the other gives you bombs. From the head of the engine, you have to long jump to the flatcar of the next train. If you manage to clear a long jump, you'll be rewarded with 50,000 pt. Those who take the easy jump don't get anything.
A red chopper will attack you here, as well as grunts who appear from the right. You have to jump between the engine and the flatcar in order to stay away from the chopper's bombs. You can't dodge the bombs if you're caught at the very sides.
On the flatcars, a Harrier will drop within attack range. <> It will fire its engines into overdrive and move from side to side, trying to burn you up. On the second firing, tanks will show up and fire shells at you. Sometimes a tank will fall and crash onto the flatcar. [] If you stand in the middle of the screen (on top of or just to the right of the connector), you are safe from the engine blasts. Use whatever bombs you have to quickly get the 10000 and 50000 bonus for ruining the engines (throw them at the very side of the plane's body.
The tanks complicate things a bit. Stay in the middle, looking at the top of the screen to see if you have to dodge shells or falling tanks (they can hit you at any time). If nothing is going to hit you, then stay still.
When the plane is destroyed, it will blow up and release a whole mess of coins. Get whatever you can.
A Drop Charge is located just before the boxcars. Carefully use it to take out the snipers and mortar grunts. If you can't get the hang of it, the POW in the space between the cars holds a Heavy Machine Gun.
Use the Slug Flyer or bronze Metal Slug to take on the upcoming tanks, missile batteries, and airplanes. (The bronze Metal Slug jumps higher and moves faster than the plain grey one.) Motorcycles carrying bazooka grunts or explosive drive along the ground below. A mortar grunt is usually located behind each vehicle.
} The Slug Flyer is equipped with a Vulcan that is limited in angular range. Otherwise, it behaves just like the Vulcan's of the other vehicles. (C) launches missiles. (A)+(B) Kamikaze. Gotta give props for the ejector seat and parachute. 2P can stand on top for protection or a vantage point. Throwing bombs and escaping must be done landed. You can also ram grunts running around on the flatcars.
-Air Battle Groups of three airplanes will attack you with missiles. The Metal Slug has the best chance against them, since it can easily shell them or concentrate Vulcan fire.
Having trouble nailing the planes with missiles? Try flying just above the plane and launching your missile for a sure hit.
-BOSS: Four Legger. <> The Four Legger hugs the sides of a flatcar and begins its assault. Its main weapon is a cannon that shoots flaming shells. They have a strange trajectory, climbing in an arc, then falling straight down. It also releases a group of hovering bombs (usually while someone is dodging cannon fire from above). They take 10 shots each. Four Legger uses an anti-aircraft cannon, which fires either groups of three large shots or an interrupted spray of smaller shots. A flamethrower is tucked away in a lower compartment.
[] While the Four Legger is standing, shots pass through its legs (this means you have to jump to shoot at it). Everything except the flamethrower can be avoided by hiding underneath its legs, firing up into its crotch. The flamethrower has a range of 1/2 screen (it's safe to stand in the black smoky portion of the flame).
If you see steam vented from its legs, move over to the left to avoid being crushed. The steam vents from the legs indicate that Four-Legger is about to sit on the car, crushing anyone underneath. While sitting, those on foot can jump onto Four Legger's lower compartment, and fire from a crouch, evading everything except the hovering bombs. The Slug Flyer can evade fire by flying directly above Four Legger. When it puts away its anti-aircraft cannon, fly back to the left, because it's about to stand up again.
Rumi and a wandering POW will appear every now and then (there is a correspondence to the timer numbers that I can't remember).
Defeated, Four Legger loses its grip on the car, and begins to slide away from the train. Mission 3 complete!
=Mission 4
-Chinese City, Downtown Blast the first truck to release a POW from the refrigerator. Be sure to collect as much of the food as you can.
Occasionally a motorcycle will race your way. Shot at them to set off the explosives they're carrying.
Most of the buildings can be demolished, revealing hidden POW's and more food. Some of the hard to reach POW's can be reached by knocking down the building they're on or the one next to it.
The parked double decker bus converts into a barricade. A POW is hanging above it. In the wreckage of the bus, you'll pick up bullets and bombs. The POW inside will give you a Drop Charge.
-Dry creek A POW is hanging near the wreckage to the right when you jump into the creek. Missiles will fly out of the wells (the first fires one, the second two, and the third three at a time). Various grunts are hiding beyond the wells. Shield grunts patrol the platforms above.
A tall tank will approach, with grunts climbing over to bomb you. Hyakutaro Ichimonji (the fireball tossing POW) is tied up on top of it. When you defeat it, you'll get a Laser rifle and some Stones. Try throwing them at the frogmen jumping out of the last well.
-Not-so-dry creek When you reach the oil rig type platform, you'll find a squad of grunts guarding it. A sniper attacks from behind sandbags. A shield and mortar grunts are also present in the group; the rest throw grenades.
You can shoot into the water to get some fish (there are at least three locations around the platform). Three more POW's are hidden above the platform, giving you bonuses.
-Residential Area The aliens have made some progress since MS2. You'll fight drones around here. There are still POW's and grunts around here. Some of the houses release food when destroyed.
At the bottom, you'll find a Metal Slug. Nearby, you'll find Jeeps and Missile Batteries. One of the POW's has Armor Piercing shells for the Metal Slug. You can destroy the stone blocks and the roofs of houses for points.
Take out the pillar of grunts ahead. You can stand on the platforms of similar pillars to get a better angle when fighting:
-BOSS: Big Big Ass Tank <> The twin-barreled cannons (about 8 on the side you're fighting, 40 pistol shots each) fire teardrop shells in a variety of directions. When five of the cannons are destroyed, the front end opens up to reveal a 3-foot cannon (the second time it does so, any remaining cannons are destroyed). It will fire 3-foot shells at you, making a big explosion on the ground, or destroying any pillars, roofs, or stones.
[] Only the cannons take damage during this battle. Shoot whatever guns you can aim at during the battle. If using the Metal Slug, try for the lower cannons first. They are either on level with the Metal Slug on higher ground, or within jumping distance on lower ground. Use the houses and boulders to aim for the higher guns.
When fighting the 3-foot cannon, concentrate fire on the cannon portion itself. All you really have to avoid are the shells. Impressive as the explosions are, they don't do any damage. You can jump onto the explosions for a little "ride". They also propel the Metal Slug into the air; opening up A.P. shots to the cannon.
If you're on foot, stand below the cannon, firing at the yellow/black warning decal just to the side of the barrel. In the Metal Slug, try to stay a bit behind the cannon, so it has to fire at a slight angle. Jump above the shell, firing some of your own, and ride the blast for some Vulcan hits and another shell opportunity.
The 3-foot cannon only has a range of 90 degrees (45 degrees from vertical on each side). It has 5 or 7 firing positions.
When defeated, the tank ceases to function and smolders in the background. Mission 4 complete!
=Mission 5
-New York City Whenever you are safe from harm, jump on top of any of the cars, firing downwards (20 shots, three rockets, or one bomb). Eventually, the car will burst in flames, sending you into the sky. A lot of the bonus items here are within jumping reach of an airborne car. Sometimes, a weapon (or point bonus) will be left in the remains of the vehicle.
You'll encounter a lot of grunts and two swarms of minicopters along the street. Jump on top of parked cars/trucks to get yourself within bombing range of the minicopters.
Some of the street signs hold secret POW's. At the end of the street, shoot at the fire escape of the last building for a bird's nest. Fire into the tree for some fruit.
-Underground Railroad The street ends in a steep embankment. Don't run into the entrance right away, as a tall tank rushes out on the rails. While fighting this, watch for the grunts that try to stab you. Shoot at the top of the arch for a POW (It's probably easier to try this before you kill the talking grunts).
-Subway Inside the subway system, you'll face a number of grunts and minicopters. All of the warning lights holds a hidden POW (you may have to wait until a train passes by).
When the bells ring (and bats fly ou) stretch out your hands. A train will approach from the right, so fire immediately. If you don't, the train pushes you to the end of the screen, crushing you. Each shot pushes the train back a little bit (demonstrating the pistol's firepower!). The trains take about 100 shots before upending, so keep up a constant fire. Bombs and other firearms have the same effect. The first train leaves behind a pig.
A Super Tank (remember Mission 5 of MS1?) will attack you. It has two sets of cannons, both of which flash before firing. The lower of the two has to be ducked or jumped over. A driver will pop up occasionally and fire his rocket launcher. You'll have to jump over the tank occasionally, so watch out for the missile bay in the back.
Three more trains will arrive. After destroying each one, run to the right to regain any lost ground. When the second of these arrives, some grunts will attack. The ones falling from above may be killed with a well-timed bomb blast. Should a grunt come up from behind, turn around, fire, and turn back, or have a second player watch your back. The last train pushes much harder than the others, making it almost impossible for one player to destroy by himself/ herself.
-Sewers The funny looking box with the arrow on it is a crank. After you find the lever, press (A) to wind it. After three turns, an item will drop down. The first is a Big Laser Rifle.
Shoot down the gate to open up the rest of the level. (The sign roughly says "Caution, mutants!") Throughout this level, mutants will attack you. They try to self-destruct by your side. Crouch to fire at the ones on the floor. One or two close attacks should also work. Quick shots can kill the ones on the ceiling before they drop to the floor. If a red one is in the group you're fighting, be prepared to jump away from a self-destruction blast.
Inside the next area, you'll see a crank for a Flame Shot and a Slugnoid. The next crank gives you another Flame Shot and Slugnoid. When you fire the cannon, the shell makes a fiery impact with the ground, burning any mutants nearby. Both flame weapons make fighting the mutants very easy. Try to shoot groups at a time to conserve ammo.
The mutants behind the last gate may also crawl on the walls. These tend to stay on the walls, crawling along it until they can self-destruct.
A squad of tanks confronts you by the staircase. Don't let any tanks at the top of the stairs catch you by surprise as they roll down. You'll find a third Slugnoid at the end of the sewers.
-BOSS: Nuclear Submarine <> Surfacing from the sewer slime, the sub attacks with a lot of lightning balls. They come in three kinds of waves: -Single: About four to five single LB's. They fly directly at you. -Spray: Two, four or five LB's form an arch. It will attack with two or three of these. -Homing: These red LB's rise quickly to the level of the walkway, then head in some kind of high/low pattern.
The sub also has a lighning cannon. This shares the same compartment with the LB generator. When you see double barrels pop up, prepare for some serious thunder.
It tends to use single balls first, then alternates between the other three lightning attacks.
[] The strategy of bombing the boss to death doesn't seem so cheesy here, since it can easily destroy your Slugnoid or yourself. Fire the Vulcan and shell it at the same time. Carefully watch the lightning attacks to judge how you should avoid them (there's no more slowdown to help you here).
Remember, if you lose both cannon arms and use all of your shells when riding a Slugnoid, use the Suicide Drop to hit the submarine.
When defeated, the sub sinks into the waste below. Mission 5 complete!
=Final Mission The first sign holds a bunch of food (enough to make one person fat).
Missiles fly out of the freezing water. Jump between them, which is safest when your head just touches the end of the last missile. A late jump sends you on top of the next missile. Grunts will attack you from behind sandbags. Rocket throwers and a bazooka grunt will attack you from the platform with the searchlight.
You'll come to a mountainside. Here, watch for parachuters, snipers, and mortars. The sign with the arrow hides a single POW. Pretty sneaky, huh?
-Mountain Bridge A wooden bridge and heavy winds makes for a spectacular effect. As you deal with parachuters, bowlers, grenade and rocket throwers, the bridge waves tremendously. Large rockets travel with the waving of the bridge (you can jump on top of them). Rolling bombs roll along the entire length of the bridge; their view can be obscured by the high segments of the bridge. Don't be surprised if you jump onto the bridge peaks and die a sudden death.
The best place to throw your bombs is to the left of peaks, so they fly over and hit grunts on the other side. Grunts stationed at the end of the bridge fire mortars and roll bombs.
A yellow shield grunt holds a weapon for you before you battle the Super Soldier.
<> Super Soldier challenges you to a showdown. But this time, he's brought reinforcements. Throughout the fight, grunts will try to bomb you. Super Soldier attacks with a chaingun, firing a burst of bullets in six basic directions (forward, diagonally up, diagonally down). He throws bombs straight at you (they're similar to yours, without the bounce). If you approach him, he'll pull out his knife to swipe at you.
[] All of his horizontal shots can be ducked. Sometimes, you can knife him once, jump away while he pulls out his own knife, knocking a few shots into him as he does so, then running away from him. Try to work your way onto the small ledges, with him on the other side.
When he dies, you can recover his chaingun (as a Heavy Machine Gun). Shoot at the building at the top of the scene to release a POW.
-Dry-dock Head down the stairs and punish the slackers who thought that Super Soldier could defeat you. From here, you'll climb up a gentle ramp, confronting mortars and snipers ahead, and shield grunts below.
A few shield grunts will protect mortar grunts below. They'll also protect a missile battery. A few snipers will try to ambush you from behind.
-Submarine factory Knock the foreman out of his post at the top of the screen. A bomb crate will fall from the control post. The submarines take damage, passing it on to grunts standing on deck.
Most of the grunts here can throw their grenades anywhere on screen. Look carefully for any gaps you can run through, and use your own bombs if you need to.
-Corridor You'll face a lot of alien packs here. Small platforms give you access to some of the prisoners on the top level, but it's easier to fight aliens on the lower platform.
The first melee has you fighting groups of snipers as well as aliens. The second pits you against blue aliens towards the end.
-BOSS: Battle Drone <> Most of the time it will send out up to four Pods after you. They tend to target a single player, and fly away when that player dies. [] A few bombs or 25 shots should take care of each Pod. Try to follow the same one around. If you can destroy one, you'll get a bonus or a weapon.
<> The Battle Drone has only two major attacks of its own. It will hover to the top right of the screen, and bombard you with a blanket of plasma bombs, or hover above the building and expose its lightning rod to fire bolts at you. [] Keep a constant fire when free from the Pods. Use the platform to the left whenever possible. Move in between the bombs in the blanket, shooting the Drone as it passes above. Move underneath the bright area in the background so you can fire at it when it returns. When the rod is exposed, it will prime up for two seconds, then fire a bolt. It can strike the ground up to 45 degrees from vertical. Tease the rod (you have to be within 20 degrees when doing so), jump away and take some shots, then repeat.
When defeated the Battle Drone crashes into the building. After a moment of smoldering, the Mothership drops down and tractor beams pull the drone into the heart of the ship.
FINAL BOSS: Mothership <> The Mothership sends out more Battle Pods. Its main (and only) weapon is a Planet Buster, which primes for two seconds, then fires. Anything in its beam is instantly destroyed.
[] Throughout the fight, various grunts and tanks will join the battle. But fear not, for they are here to help you. Their attacks DO count, if you're wondering (the tanks do well against the pods). The grunts and tanks take damage from the laser beams from the Battle Pods. Try using the tanks and Shield grunts for cover. Their shields will absorb laser shots. You can also stand on top of their shields, but this isn't all that useful.
The Mothership itself is just one big target. Aiming upward from anywhere on the available screen will hit some section of the ship. The Planet Buster has a width of 1 1/2 small tanks, or 1/4 screen.
The soldiers are kind enough to bring in a fresh Metal Slug later in the Battle. You just have to unload it from the truck. The cannon is only effective against the Pods, and only when you're positioned on what's left of the platform to the left. Jump to shell the pods just as they appear, firing your Vulcan at the Mothership.
Final Mission complete!
As of this edition, I haven't yet been able to defeat the Final Boss with the money I care to spend on the game (usually 50 cents, up to $3 if I have a good, rich partner). I'm pretty sure that much of what's written here will stand.
>SCORING GUIDE Once again, the reason I play the Metal Slug series so much is to get as high a score as possible. Not many action gamers seem to care about scores much these days, but I assure you it's not a lost cause.
This section explains how points are earned. You should notice that some objects or actions give you more points than others (like shooting a grunt as opposed to using a close attack).
Each weapon shot that connects with a target: 100 pt. (Weapons such as the Rocket Launcher and the Iron Lizard cause "splash" damage, usually a cloud of heat that causes damage along with direct hits. Each frame of splash damage counts for 100 pt. as well.)
Each sucessful close attack: 500 pt.
-POW's When you complete a mission, you receive 10,000 pt. for every hostage you rescued. You receive 30,000 for finding Hyakutaro Ichimonji (the fireball guy) or Rumi Aikawa (the girl with the pack). In a one-player game, you are given another bonus (don't know exact amount) for rescuing more than ten hostages (GREAT!). In a two-player game, the player with more hostages gets the bonus (no bonus given for a tie or no rescues).
-Skill Bonuses Destroy the red leader of a minicopter chain first: (150,000) Get the point bonus under the boulder trap in Mission 2 (50,000) Destroy the engines of Mission 3's Harrier midboss: (10,000 and 50,000) Long jump from train to train in Mission 3: (50,000)
-Point Bonuses 10 pt.: Spoiled food, fresh eggs, single bananas, apples, magic lamps 100 pt.: Most gems, banana bunch, root vegetables, bread, cats, bok choy? 300 pt.: Steamed buns, meaty bones, love letter 500 pt.: Frogs, chickens, briefcases 1000 pt.: Pigs, roast chicken, canned rations, monkeys, fish, gold chests, bird nest 5000 pt.: Dolls 30,000 pt.: Rare gems, golden bats 50,000 pt.: Dead explorer's gem (Mission 2)
Coins: the first one you get in a series is worth 10 pt. If you get another coin before the point number finishes its first rise, you get 20 pt. This doubling of points continues until each coin is worth 6400 pt. (I think they skipped a few numbers)
-Collateral damage The backgrounds of Metal Slug X are very interactive in that a lot of the background elements can be shot and destroyed. Mission 4 is full of buildings and vehicles you can wreck. The wall along the dry creek is one long target. Houses in the suburban area can be demolished high and low. Even the boulders can be shaved (this makes the going easier).
>STAYING ALIVE In order to keep your character from dying, don't get hit. Pretty tactless. Trying to avoid all the things that can kill you is another issue.
-Conserve ammo I watch a lot of players let loose with the heavy firearms once they get them. Metal Slug X is not a shooter -- you only get a limited amount of ammo for special weapons. Trying to destroy a submarine with a pistol is no easy task.
If you can easily knife a grunt, do so. Don't waste Super Grenades or Iron Lizards on a single grunt.
Use your ammo only when you are sure it will cause some kind of damage. Also, try to damage as many targets as you can with each shot. This includes using splash damage to its fullest effect, and using proper placement of Flame Shot and Shotgun blasts.
Firing the Heavy Machine Gun in sprays (moving the joystick from one primary direction to another while firing) looks cool, but spends bullets until the gun is aimed in a primary direction. Each spray uses about 10 bullets, while a simple burst uses only four bullets (tap the fire button). So, if you can get over or under an enemy, do so, instead of using sprays to try to hit the target.
-Pay attention Don't concentrate on your character and your target, especially when other enemies are around. Anything that an enemy could possibly do is listed in this FAQ. So when you see a certain enemy appear, expect him to make a certain kind of attack and react accordingly.
Sometimes, you can stand still while fighting a boss. Take the time to look for any artillery headed your way and react. You may be able to tell in advance when an enemy is trying to trap you with its shots or hazardous zones.
-Don't panic It's kind of hard to do, but keeping a clear head when playing the game will do wonders. If you feel overwhelmed by the enemy, that's the time to breathe deeply and look around for an escape. You can always find one. It may involve some amazing feats of acrobatics, or using a bomb or ammo you didn't want to spend, but your life is more precious than pieces of metal.
With all this in mind, your Metal Slug experience should be very rewarding, and you'll find the money you spent worth the effort.
>SPECIAL THANKS Thanks are still in order for SNK, for improving on MS2 (we still need four-player MS3, though).
Thanks to the student union bowling alley at SJSU for getting a MSX cabinet. Smart choice.
Thanks to GameFAQs.com for hosting this FAQ and the previous one.
And finally, thanks in advance for anyone who can provide gameplay-related information I may have missed or mistaken.
-One More Note I've only played the arcade versions of the Metal Slug Series. Therefore, I know nothing about blood codes (except that there may be some kind of setting for red blood/white liquid, which makes no difference to me), ROM's, emulators for ROM's (I don't have a computer of my own), and the such.
