Metal Slug X : Super Vehicle-001

Metal Slug X: Super Vehicle-001 is SNK's 1999 arcade run-and-gun shooter for the Neo Geo MVS. It is the revised and expanded version of 1998's Metal Slug 2, retaining that game's cartoon military world, rescue missions, and two-player arcade structure while reworking its combat encounters and presentation. Players choose from the returning Peregrine Falcons Marco Rossi and Tarma Roving or the S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S. operatives Eri Kasamoto and Fiolina Germi, then advance through a succession of hostile locations in pursuit of General Morden's forces.

The fundamentals are direct but demanding. A character runs, jumps, fires a standard pistol, throws grenades, and uses close-range attacks while trying to survive dense enemy formations and elaborate boss fights. Captive prisoners of war are scattered through every mission; freeing them can provide weapons, items, and score rewards, but their rescue value is lost when the player dies before reaching the end of the stage. Local co-operative play makes the action especially lively, as two players can cover separate approaches, revive momentum after a mistake, and compete for rescues and points.

Weapons are a central part of the game's rhythm. Heavy Machine Guns, Shotguns, Rocket Launchers, Flame Shots, Laser Rifles, and other temporary pickups turn a vulnerable soldier into a screen-clearing threat, while grenades give every character a limited explosive option. The series' signature SV-001 Metal Slug tank returns as both a powerful vehicle and a source of comic spectacle. Other rides and altered vehicle placements keep the missions changing, and losing a vehicle leaves the player exposed again rather than ending the run.

Metal Slug X follows the broad story introduced in Metal Slug 2. General Morden, believed defeated after the first game, has resumed his attempt to overthrow the world's governments. Marco and Tarma are joined by Eri and Fio as the operation grows beyond a conventional conflict and reveals Morden's alliance with an alien force. The campaign moves from deserts and cities to unusual hazards including undead enemies and an extraterrestrial finale, pairing a pulpy action premise with SNK's densely animated visual gags.

As an arcade revision, X is not simply a renamed port. SNK changed enemy numbers and placements, adjusted bosses and vehicle locations, added or concealed more prisoners and pickups, and introduced additional enemy types. The game's difficulty was retuned around those changes. It also adds weapons such as Iron Lizard, Enemy Chaser, Drop Shot, Super Grenade, and Stones, alongside stronger variants of familiar guns. Food can transform a character into the slow but heavily armed Fat form in more of the campaign, creating a distinctive risk-and-reward variation in both firepower and movement.

The revision also refreshes the audiovisual character of the original game. Stages use altered times of day, numerous tracks were remixed or changed, and a new announcer accompanies the action. Explosive scenery can conceal surprises, enemies react with exaggerated animation, and the hand-drawn sprite work gives tanks, aircraft, animals, soldiers, and gigantic bosses a playful physicality. That attention to small reactions makes repeat attempts entertaining even when the arcade challenge sends players back to the beginning of a mission.

Metal Slug X first reached Japanese Neo Geo MVS arcades on March 19, 1999, with SNK as both developer and publisher. It later appeared on Neo Geo AES and PlayStation, and the arcade version has been included in collections and re-releases, including Metal Slug Anthology and ACA Neo Geo. For players exploring the series, it offers the Metal Slug 2 campaign in a more heavily remixed form: a fast, cooperative shooter built around precise survival, changing weapon loadouts, vehicle mayhem, and some of SNK's most memorable pixel-art action.