Metal Slug 7 for the DS was only announced a few days ago, but already there is a huge amount of buzz for this game. All previous games in the series have been released for the arcades as the first and primary platform. The fact that the game would be on the DS shocked a lot of people who were expecting that the next game in the series would appear on one of the high definition home consoles. I had to try this one for myself.

First of all, let me say that this is a true metal slug game. It has the look and feel of all the other games in the series. If you have ever played any of the Metal Slug titles in the past, you will instantly feel at home with the controls. It is the same control scheme as all previous games, which is A-OK with me. It also has very similar graphics and gameplay. This is the greatest strength of the game but could also be a weakness.

The series really hasn’t evolved much since the first installment (well there was a 3D Metal Slug, but the less said about it the better). The sprites have been made smaller for the DS but the designs and animation remain virtually unchanged. For die-hard fans, this will be a sigh or relief. For those wanting something new, this is not the game for you.

The game currently uses only one screen, as the bottom screen of the demo was black. The SNK staff told me it would eventually contain a map of the level. Not a revolutionary use of the screen, but I am very glad they didn’t add a “spin the stylus around to throw grenade feature”. I had asked if they would use wi-fi for a multiplayer mode and was told, “We haven’t announced anything about multiplayer… Yet”. Take that anyway you want.

The game had almost no slowdown, even with multiple explosions and enemies on screen. The animations were as fluid as the Neo-Geo games before it. One problem I had was that so many of the backgrounds were quite dark. I died frequently by falling into pits thinking they were solid ground. However, this may be less of a problem when played on a DS lite. I can’t tell because for some strange reason the MS7 kiosk had only silver DS Phats. Still, the game should not be gimped for those who still use the old system.

I guess the big question is this: Are people still willing to buy Metal Slug as a full priced game? Metal Slug Anthology for the Wii had 7 games for less than the cost of a standard Wii game, and has possibly set a precedent that will be hard to reverse. Only one level was playable so it is hard to make a final judgment at this point. Die hard Slug fans will buy it no matter how it turns out, but as for everyone else, SNK will have to keep the solid control and exciting gameplay seen in the demo and make it long and varied enough to justify that price.

I know I will be watching this title closely. Members of SNK staff have told me that they will send me updates as development progresses, and I will pass those updates on to you. Stay tuned.