Metal Slug 7 - Preorder

Most games released this year won't see a sequel. The same thing happened last year and the year before that. The marketplace is fickle and it won't suffer fools more than once. With the hit rate so low year after year, it's always heartwarming when a game reaches its seventh stride with no signs of letting up.

Meet Metal Slug 7 which is the latest release in a series that originally debuted in 1996. Six army grunts are featured in the game including Slug stalwarts such as Marco, Fio, and Eri. Similar to the previous MS releases, the soldiers run from left to right across seven horizontally scrolling battlefield stages and shoot, jump, and lob bombs at enemy forces. The end of each level is blocked by a boss which is generally challenging. In the NDS game, the top screen shows the platform action while the touch screen features a map of the stage.

The Metal Slug formula has worked for over a decade and MS7 follows the template to a tee. A combat instructor named Cynthia works in the Combat School where various missions teach the basics of the game. A Ranking Mode allows the best players to upload their scores and pit their records against a global pool of Metal Slug players. Preorders are welcome to ship on July 17, 2008.