Welcome to VC Weekly, N-Europe’s guide to the wonderful world of Nintendo’s download service. Written by Sam C Gittins

If you're hungering for some fast paced run 'n gun action then look no further as this classic will most definitely satisfy your appetite for destruction. Anyway enough from me and on with the game!

Available for download this week we have...

Metal Slug 3



Points: 900
Publisher: SNK Playmore
Developer: SNK
Released: 1995
System: Neo Geo

Anyone who's a fan of the 'Run 'n Gun' genre will most likely have heard of the Metal Slug games as they are truly some of the best that money can buy standing proudly aside the likes of Contra while more than holding their own as great experiences. In this third entry in the series you must take control of Eri, Fio, Marco and Tarma as you blast your way across many marvellously manic battlefields as you go up against the evil General Morden in a bid to thwart his twisted plan to establish a new world order.

Fight your way through five fantastic but drastically different stages including beach, industrial and even mountainous regions all of which offers both a decent challenge plus a rather stunning locale to shoot against. You start off with your standard firearm but you can pick up heavier artillery which includes machine guns along with the rocket launcher plus your usual bombs which are good for clearing the screen of enemies.

Short though the stages may be – aside from the last – the experience is incredibly sweet and is one that you'll be wanting to play through multiple times, thankfully the controls are amazingly accurate whether you're on-foot or even using one of the many modes of transport/artillery which ranges from a heavily armoured tank to an impressively equipped , gun-totting ostrich. Naturally at the end of each stage you'll face off against a traditionally behemoth-sized boss of which there are many bizarre creations including a giant enemy crab that's half meat, half machine and a huge raging robot on treads with a rocket launcher; the bosses themselves typically take up most of the screen making for some pretty intense battles for when your not facing off against Fish, Mutants, Soldiers, Yetis or even Zombies... – which you can get turned into momentarily – yes it would seem this game has it all.

Of course the sprite-work is spectacularly well animated featuring lavish amounts of detail alongside some of the most beautiful backdrops possibly ever featured in a Metal Slug game which is certainly saying something given their generally high standard. Audio is another high-point as when you have sound effects this satisfying accompanied by a genuinely stunning soundtrack featuring some of those killer guitar riffs that really make the series, it's hard not to become completely immersed in the game for the entirety of your traditionally outlandish mission.

Well worth downloading if you're a fan of the series, definitely worth considering even if you're not – though why anyone wouldn't be is a complete mystery to me – as this is without a doubt one of the greatest Metal Slug games ever to grace consoles and while it has been ported many times this is definitely one of the better conversions perhaps even having the edge over the anthology collection – which has been around on the Wii for years – as this version supports the classic controller which is an important consideration. So if you're looking for non-stop action then you'll most definitely find it here in this true gun-totting classic which doesn't let up the action until the very end at which point you'll most likely be ready for 'just one more go' which is the mark of a truly great experience.

Verdict : Another masterful entry in the Metal Slug series.

That's it for another installment of VC Weekly which will return again soon. So until then, enjoy the rest of the week and Game On!