Mobile Game Review of "3D Metal Slug 3 Mobile" from iPlay

This game comes in 2 versions... the normal version, and the "3D" version. The difference is minimal... some of the flying enemies are rendered in 3D instead of normal 2D. Other than that, there really is no difference between the two versions. In fact, iPlay only lists the regular version. Strange, heh? But there's really a 3D version, and I've played it on Verizon LG VX8300.

Any way, Metal Slug is your normal "run and gun" type of game, similar to Contra. Except you can perform melee attacks. Other than those, the game is pretty much your typical 2D shooter, except the jumps are very difficult to pull off, and you need to jump up in order to rescue some of the prisoners higher up.

The story is hokey enough... you're the commando who must rescue fellow soldiers from an zombie invasion. Quirky enemies indeed. Controls are worse. You really need a twin analog stick to simultaneous point and shoot in different directions... impossible to do so on a cell phone. So the game changes instead of shoot at only 4 directions, but you can't move AND shoot (i.e. no strafing). Instead, you hold down AND fire, and the character will shoot directly below. Up and fire, and he shoots above. Else, he shoots side to side. Makes shooting flying enemies almost impossible unless directly overhead.

And you will DIE A LOT. You have limited grenades, but the enemy doesn't seem to be so limited. So you end up dodging here, there, fighting twitchy controls and dodging shots, while trying to maneuver into a place where you CAN shoot the enemy. This distracts from the fun. Did I mention some of the flying enemies are 3D? They fly "in and out" of the game plain (small and bigger based on perspective), and one of them is end level boss (for one of the later levels).

All in all, quirky controls, hokey enemies, and not that big of an improvement from what's available... Unless you're a Metal Slug series diehard, I'd say give this one a pass.

Rating is 6 out of 10 : nothing special here