The Xbox version is a port of the original arcade game. There aren’t any extra levels added or huge extras. But the game adds two new mini games – Storming the UFO Mothership and Fat Island - that are unlocked after you beat the game. Shooters can also easily upload their top scores onto the Xbox Live leaderboard to show off their skills.

There’s a story in Metal Slug 3, but all you need to know is that Marco, Tarma, Eri, and Fio want to take down the evil Morden. All four are playable characters that can be chosen at the start, but there’s nothing unique about each besides their sprite animations. But the sprite animation complexity is the star of the show. There’s no other 2D game on the planet that goes into the absurd detail that Metal Slug does for every single character on screen. This chapter is no exception. Your team will come across giant crabs, flying insects, abominable snowmen, snapping Venus fly traps, zombies, snails, UFOs, aliens, and huge bosses that take out a lease on your TV screen space. Everything is animated and drawn to absolute perfection and all the intricacies can’t be spotted in one sitting.

It helps that Metal Slug 3 looks good. But it plays even better. There’s a lot of variety in the weaponry, including machine guns, shotguns, rocket launchers, iron lizards (ground missiles), and lasers. But the game takes on another gameplay twist when players use the slug vehicles, including the standard tank, camel, submarine, drill slug, robot slugs, and more. The combination of standard run-n-gun play, plus vehicles keeps players in all kinds of shooting situations that keep the game fresh.

All the levels compliment the shooting and vehicle action. Players have multiple paths to choose from in each level that’ll take them through very different locations. One path could be a cramped crawl though tunnels with maggots lurching around, while another could be an above ground shoot-fest through mutated plants and insects.

The arcade version of Metal Slug 3 has unlimited continues that start you off right where you died. The Xbox version doesn’t. This is sure to irk some people that paid to have the arcade experience. But the same players would also be pissed if they flew through the game in 45 minutes. SNK did allow 5 continues for each level, but at the start of the mission. It makes the game tough, especially the last mission (it’s about two missions long). But it is possible to beat and falls in line with classic 2D games that were tough to begin with. In a day when players can save every 5 seconds, its nice to have a game that plays by old difficulty standards.

Metal Slug 3 is a classic action game that will stand the test of time. Its placement on a next gen console is a complete contrast to what game libraries are made up of today. Its instant pick-up-and-play nature and non-stop action make it a worthy addition to anyone’s Xbox library. Just be prepared for a fight.