Review: Metal Slug Attack Reloaded (Nintendo Switch)

Metal Slug Attack Reloaded is a different take on the popular Metal Slug franchise. It takes the classic run-and-gun formula we’ve known since the ‘90s and adds tower-defense mechanics. It sounds great on paper, but the team should have stuck to their guns when it comes to how we interact with these pixelated heroes. 

If you’ve ever seen a trailer for a game—or a movie, for that matter—only to be bitterly disappointed when the time comes to experience the real deal for yourself, you’ll understand my feelings when it comes to this outing. Nintendo announced Metal Slug Attack Reloaded during the recent June Direct, dropping the game right after the showcase. As both a Metal Slug fan and tower-defense enthusiast, I was anticipating something special. I was sorely mistaken.

On the plus side, the side-scrolling pixelated look of Metal Slug is intact. Thrusting this existing style into a tower-defense setting works well. It works because it still looks like Metal Slug. The only difference is the gameplay. Instead of controlling one hero who shoots his or her way through hordes of enemies, you now have the ability to spawn as many heroes as you can afford. These characters then automatically walk across the playing field, attacking anything in their path. 

Your goal is to protect your base on the left-hand side of the screen from the opposing forces on the right. Meanwhile, you also have to push those same forces back and destroy their base. First one to destroy the other’s base wins. Simple, right?

Yes and no. While it’s easy enough to pick up and play, there’s something very wrong with the difficulty settings. For starters, there aren’t any; you can’t choose how difficult things are. And it doesn’t take long (literally the first level) to realize this is a punishingly hard game by default. 

Metal Slug has never been a walk in the park, but this borders on ridiculous. The opposing team is severely overpowered, making it impossible to push them back. These huge spikes in difficulty continue, randomly appearing out of nowhere. A challenging game is one thing. Unfortunately, this one quickly becomes nothing short of throw-your-controller frustrating.

It didn’t have to be this way. It turns out the original Metal Slug Attack had paid elements. Every time you came upon a super-tricky level, you could pay your way to victory by unlocking the right hero. In Metal Slug Attack Reloaded, you can unlock new heroes. However, these cost you points that are hard to earn without winning. Plus, the unlockable heroes are completely random, meaning you have no control over which ones you earn. And there are a lot of them. There’s no guarantee that you’ll find one powerful enough to get you through. I certainly didn’t.

It’s the same with leveling up. On the plus side, many options encourage more playtime, giving you plenty to come back for. Metal Slug Attack Reloaded has a robust system that allows you to tweak each and every member of its large roster, increasing stats and improving weapons. This is a fun aspect that I enjoyed at first. Unfortunately, even after reaching maximum levels, I was still unable to pass those crazy-hard sections. Again, the term frustrating springs to mind. I honestly haven’t felt this let down by a promising game in a very long time.

A potential saving grace of Metal Slug Attack Reloaded could have been its unique gameplay formula. However, this is completely unoriginal. We see clones of existing titles all the time, and the tower-defense genre is nothing new. But Metal Slug Attack Reloaded comes across as a complete rip off to the popular Battle Cats. The towers, the way you earn cash during levels, the look and feel of the rostering; it’s exactly the same. Swap out cute kitties for army people, and they’re almost identical. Except that Battle Cats is playable and fun.

Overall, Metal Slug Attack Reloaded is a massive disappointment. Although there’s nothing original on offer, the bones of a fun game are right here. Unfortunately, it’s dragged down by randomly brutal spikes in difficulty, creating a game that verges on unplayable. It’s certainly unenjoyable.