Metal Slug X improved Metal Slug in ways I didn't even know I wanted, and I'm so happy for it! After playing it, I can confidently say that this is probably my favorite arcade game... for now... ヽ(´ー` )┌

This is another game that me and my retro buddy @handsomezack played together, and had an insanely awesome time doing co-op! Metal Slug X was able to play with and have fun with different aspects that are missed in the original Metal Slug, even small things like having the choice between two female characters and now having different environmental themes for the levels really added to the enjoyment for me. I was already impressed with the enemy and boss designs from the original game, but Metal Slug X even improved upon that! Now there's bosses that attack you from underneath, above, chase you, force you to climb, have multiple forms... the list goes on! The designs are even more gorgeous than its 1996 predecessor, and the story on top of it all is really fun to unravel. I loved how the final boss involved you and your enemies working together and seeing there's more serious issues than needing to fight each other! I just wish it didn't involve having to work side-by-side with a group that's clearly based off the Nazis, but at the end of the day, they're just a fictional "bad guy" group probably inspired by all the American films that have the Nazis as the big bad guy group, so I won't it too seriously.

My only real complaint again is the 4-way gun control over the 8-way diagonal directions, but still, that's just me nitpicking, as the controls felt significantly better overall from the original Metal Slug! All in all, I had a great time playing this game with my friend, and I'm so happy he decided to show me it! I can't wait to play Metal Slug 3!

4.5/5