Metal Slug X

The player runs, jumps, and shoots through waves of enemy soldiers, tanks, and increasingly absurd boss vehicles, picking up heavy weapons like flamethrowers and grenade launchers that run out of ammunition and force a return to the starting pistol.

Captured prisoners hidden through each level can be freed for bonus points, extra ammunition, or a free vehicle, rewarding players who explore corners of a level instead of only sprinting toward the exit.

Two players can team up locally to clear the campaign together, doubling the firepower on screen at the cost of doubling the chaos. A rotating cast of playable soldiers all carry the same core moveset, so the choice between them is mostly about which portrait a player prefers.

• Drivable war machines The titular Metal Slug tank and other vehicles can be commandeered mid-level for extra firepower.
• Hand-drawn pixel art Every enemy, explosion, and background detail is animated in dense, exaggerated sprite art.
• Prisoner rescue bonuses Freeing captured soldiers scattered through levels grants points, ammo, or vehicles.
• Escalating boss vehicles Each stage ends in a larger, stranger war machine than the last.