METAL SLUG 5

METAL SLUG 5 METAL SLUG 5 is a classic side-scrolling action shooter for Android. Pick from four characters, ride weaponized vehicles, complete missions, and team up in 2-player mode against the Ptolemaic Army.

METAL SLUG 5

METAL SLUG 5 is a fast, side-scrolling action shooter where you pick one of four distinct characters and fight through missions against the minions of the Ptolemaic Army. Throughout the game, you’ll encounter a wide range of vehicles—each with its own weapon setup—so you can maneuver, fire, and glide your way through enemy fire to deal more damage.

The game also includes a two-player mode, letting you team up with a friend to take on tougher foes and push back the demons the Ptolemaic Army summons. For comfort and flexibility, gamepad controls are supported, with button layouts that can be adjusted to suit your play style.

Game Modes in METAL SLUG 5

Original Mode

Start in Original Mode, set the difficulty to 1, and choose the number of players up to the level you feel you need. Clear each stage by fighting everything you encounter and rescuing as many POWs as possible. To rescue them, you must shoot them free and then touch them with your character.

As you play, collect the achievements tied to your score. Once you’ve earned those, deliberately let yourself run out of lives to unlock the two high-score achievements.

Goal: 5 achievements for 420.

Hi-Score Mode

Hi-Score Mode is more demanding: play on difficulty level 4 with only two lives. If you manage to complete the stage without dying and rescue all POWs, you can earn all POW-related achievements right from the first level.

Be sure to grab the four hidden POWs near the end of the stage (see “HI-SCORE 150,000 points”). After earning the score achievements, you can intentionally lose to submit/upload your score for the corresponding achievement.

Goal: 4 achievements for 340.

Caravan Mode

Repeat the same general approach from the previous step, but this time in Caravan Mode. You can’t change the difficulty, and you only have 5 minutes to chase the high scores. That said, the time limit is usually manageable for this kind of game.

Once you’ve collected the score-related achievements, you can simply exit.

Goal: 3 achievements for 24.

Key Features

• Powerful mech introduction: New mechanical combat vehicles have been added to help you battle enemies more effectively.
• Distinct gameplay twist: The game adjusts your combat power during battles, helping you push your odds of victory.
• Fresh tactical approach: A new way to fight is introduced for handling large waves of extremely dangerous enemies.
• Improved player mobility: Sliding lets you move more dynamically and dodge with more options.
• New dodging strategies: Learn how to evade enemy attacks and position yourself while sliding to stay effective in fights.
• Faster, more dynamic battle flow: Because sliding boosts your movement speed, you can dodge more fluidly and escape danger when things get hectic.

Player Comments

• Control feel: “Tight control as usual.”
• Early pacing note: The first stage pacing can feel a bit uneven—especially during the canoe segment where you may not get enough enemies (like airboats) thrown at you.
• Overall intensity: Aside from that one stretch, the action stays intense, and the energy matches the music.
• Bullet-dodging challenge: At times the action ramps up to feel comparable to the bridge stage from MS1—you’ll need to shoot left and right while using the new slide move to avoid bullets.
• What the slide really does: The slide is described as excellent, but it’s not an invincibility move—more like a tool that helps when used in the right moment.
• Stage design: Boss fights aside, the reviewer didn’t feel cheated or ambushed by “cheap” attacks. Stages are laid out with room to maneuver using sliding, jumping, and positioning.
• One cramped spot: The canoe sequence in the first stage feels the most tight, though it’s also early and part of the lower difficulty.
• Power-up spacing: There are many “Slugs” placed throughout the game, but some areas can be noticeably light on power-ups. One example mentioned is Stage 2: after using a Heavy MG on hovercrafts launching missiles, you may go a long time without receiving upgrades—while enemies keep coming in large numbers.
• Need for polish: The reviewer suggests the audio could use more refinement and that certain sections could benefit from having even more enemies show up.
• Overall comparison: Even though the game is praised, the comment concludes it still falls short compared to MS1 and MS3, and it’s not considered among the very best overall.