SNK's portable version of the popular arcade (and later Sega Saturn) hit casts players in the role of a Rambo-esque member of the Elite Special Forces Squad, the Pregrine Falcons. As the young recruit, you have to fight yourself through more than 16 combat missions, infiltrate a hostile materials storage facility, destroy it and capture guerilla leader Colonel Bildegaarn. Gameplay is very similar to Konami's Contra series. During most of the missions, players run their armed soldier from the left to the right, shooting both human and mechanical enemies, dodge bullets and jump over obstacles. At key moments, you will also be able to hop into the "Metal Slug", a multi-function tank with a machine gun and missile launcher and even the ability to jump and crouch. A VTOL (Vertical Take-off and Landing) called the "Slug Flyer" is the transport of choice for the game's occiasional air battles, during which gameplay switches to Scramble-style shooting and bombing runs.

Metal Slug: First Mission - July 19, 1999
The arcade action hit arrives on SNK's color handheld with a bang. The full review.

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NeoGeo Nibblets - September 7, 1999
SNK has announced a whole slew of news ¿ including a newer, smaller system and Ogre Battle.