Once upon a time, the Neo Geo system, supported full-on by SNK, was all about fighting games. If it wasn't a latest chapter in the King of Fighters series, then something along the lines of Samurai Shodown or Fatal Fury came about to keep gamers entertained. But obviously something new was needed, a shot to the arm to keep the system appealing. Then came Metal Slug, a 2-D sprite-animated action game in the spirit of Konami's Contra games, and the way we looked at the Neo Geo changed forever. The game offered incredibly addictive fun and high challenges aplenty, and has since spawned many sequels, including this year's release of Metal Slug 5. Home releases for the Metal Slug series have been off and on over the years, including a port of the original game for the Sega Saturn and PlayStation and the release of Metal Slug X following a couple of years later through Agetec for the PlayStation (without loading time in the levels, which the first game had aplenty). Since then, the series hasn't really seen that many releases, but 2004 looks to be the year of the Slug. A Game Boy Advance port is on the way for later this year, and the PS2 will see Metal Slug 3, if the game can get past Sony's strenuous approval processes. Now comes the Xbox edition, due this May.

The Xbox version of Metal Slug 3 looks to be the strongest home release of Metal Slug yet, packing a thunderous amount of action in 2-D fashion with little problems in terms of loading or keeping the action going. The Xbox hasn't really seen that much 2-D action at all, but what appears to be coming together here is a smooth port. The graphics will be presented in the 2-D tradition, and you'll have a number of weapons that you can pick up or rides you can grab for more power, from a small but incredibly effective helicopter to an elephant that can actually spray gunfire with the help of its trunk. It sounds weird, but this firepower can come into play well, and it'll need to, as the armada you're facing with your soldiers is massive. If the soldiers and vehicles don't try to take you down, the game's many tough bosses will.

The game will also provide rewards for those who work through its large difficulties, in terms of bonus features and unlockable goodies that will certainly please those Metal Slug fans out there. Art gallery, anyone? What about some good scenarios to really test your Slugging skills? On top of this, the game will fully support Xbox Live's leaderboard. You won't have online play at your disposal (SNK's saving that for SNK Vs. Capcom Chaos, due this summer), but you can compare high scores with your fellow soldiers and see who ranks as the top in the Metal Slug league.

Old-school gaming is coming back to the Xbox, what with the release of Intellivision Lives just recently arriving and now Metal Slug 3 coming to shelves in a matter of months. However, there's no "controller difficulties" or cheesy extras here, just good old-fashioned run and gun gameplay that will satisfy the hardcore and newcomers alike. Throw in the presentation that the series is known for and other extras and it'll be something to come back to again and again. And Microsoft seems to be welcoming the series with open arms, and not shoving it away due to "technical limitations". That's a matter of respect for both the company making the game and the fans who want it so badly. Look for a review of Metal Slug 3 soon, as well as more talk about the firepower that elephants carry. They're dangerous, yo!