Metal Storm

aka: Jūryoku Sōkō Metal Storm
Moby ID: 18639
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Description

Metal Storm is an action game in which the player takes control of the giant mecha M-308 Gunner in order to put a stop to a malfunctioning computer menace.

To save it from becoming another generic action game, innovation is shown through fast paced gameplay and the "gravity flip" ability, which enables the character to freely switch between moving along the floor or ceiling. While the game is only seven levels long, the difficulty ramps up quickly, so mastery of the gravity technique and memorization of the levels become absolute necessities for survival.

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Credits (NES version)

11 People

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Reviews

Critics

Average score: 77% (based on 12 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.9 out of 5 (based on 21 ratings with 2 reviews)

Excellent action game where its outstanding feature is required to progress

The Good
The year is 2501. On the “Cyberg” battle station on Pluto lies the LaserGun, whose purpose is to protect Earth from hostile alien forces. One day, a computer malfunction causes the system to start wiping out the Solar System, starting with Neptune. The machine’s self-destruct device, the only way to save the galaxy, is mysteriously jammed and the LaserGun has pointed toward the Blue Planet. Your mission, as the M-308 Gunner, is to infiltrate Cyberg and unlock the device to prevent the destruction of Earth.

The game consists of six stages, consisting of two zones each. In each stage, the M-308 has to deal with the many mechs guarding Cyberg. The protagonist starts with the Fusion Weapon, but can get additional weapons along the way including the Power Beam, Shield Force, and Gravity Fireball. Each stage is challenging, but the M-308 can get through them with the help of the Gravity Flip. Using this is, in fact, essential for completing certain stages, such as the maze in stage two. At the end of each stage is a boss that you need to fight. These bosses have their own attack patterns that you must memorize, and defeating most of them requires the Gravity Flip. In between each stage is a statistics screen where bonus points are given. A ten-character password is also provided and used to begin a stage at a later date.

As with any platform game or shoot-’em-up, there are power-ups scattered throughout the stages that will help you achieve your mission. Normally, the M-308 explodes when it is hit by an enemy, but collecting the Armor power-up (“A”) will allow you to take an extra hit. The bonus power-up (“B”) will award you with 5,000 bonus points. The rare “C” power-up crushes every enemy on screen. “T” awards you with extra time, while power-ups marked “1up” award an extra life.

Once all six stages have been completed, you have to participate in a Boss Rush - defeating each boss in succession – before dealing with the LaserGun itself. Then you move onto Expert Mode, a much harder version of the game featuring new enemies. Metal Storm is not the only game where you have to play all the stages again. I think Irem did this so that you can memorize each stage before tackling them again.

Each stage has their own backgrounds, and all of them scroll smoothly. The walking animations of both the M-308 and the mechs are impressive. The background music is excellent, and one instrument provides a nice beat. My favorite is the BGM that serves for the final battle; not only has it got a superb beat, but it gets faster as time ticks down to zero.

The Japanese version of the game (十力装光メタルストーム/Jūryoku Sōkō Metal Storm) was released after the US version and has a few differences, namely the change in the graphics and an added introduction. In addition to this, WARNING in big, red letters replaces RED ALERT just before the showdown with one of the bosses. It’s also more challenging than the US version, especially near the end.

The Bad
I could not find any flaws to this excellent game.

The Bottom Line
Metal Storm is overlooked, despite featuring in Issue 22 of Nintendo Power. I think it is also the result of the game being released only for the NES. It plays like any platform game out there, but the outstanding feature is the Gravity Flip which is needed for some of the stages. The plotline, graphics, and sound are excellent. The game will also keep you on your toes, judging by the way it is quite challenging. If you are into challenging, action games, this is definitely one for your NES collection.

NES · by Katakis | カタキス (43092) · 2022

Bridging the gap between 8 and 16 bit with great animation and gameplay.

The Good
Metal Storm’s premise was simple - a rogue machine planet was set to destroy its creators, so a lone M-308 Gunner mech was sent to deal with the problem. The game, however, was anything but simple.

The main thing that sets the gameplay of Metal Storm apart from the average run-and-gun platformer is the Gravity Flip. The Gravity Flip allows the M-308 to switch between walking on the floor and the ceiling. This also affects certain enemies, mechanical gates, and your ability to navigate certain areas. You will have to master the Gravity Flip to complete every level. While the Gravity Flip could have been a lame gimmick that rarely had to be exploited to finish the game, the great level design keeps it from being a simple gimmick. Once you get the hang of it, it really adds to the fun.

The other items in your arsenal include armor, which lets you take an extra hit from enemies, a positional shield, a fireball that engulfs you, turning the Gravity Flip into an attack, and a souped-up rifle.

The animation is where the game shines. While a lot of the enemies are simple, the M-308 is animated beyond what the average NES character gets. Even with the limited colors, the M-308 would be right at home on the NES’ 16-bit brother. The backgrounds also get a major nod, as you get multiple scrolling backgrounds that are also in a league of their own.

Level designs are excellent, forcing you to rely upon your Gravity Flip and pay attention to where hazards are placed. Until you’ve learned the levels and enemy behaviors, it requires a bit more thought than most games.

Bosses are generally huge, though as this is the NES, their actual amount of animation is limited. Still, they are well-drawn and varied enough to be interesting.

The music is good, but I wouldn’t say that it’s memorable. It fits the game and does the job, but you won’t find yourself humming it. Sound effects are also good.

As you get the hang of the game and defeat it, there is an Expert Mode that becomes available. That’s a plus, because once you’ve learned the game from start to finish, it’s as easy to run through as Contra.

The Bad
About the only thing that hampers the game is the replay factor. It’s an excellent game that stands apart, but it can be too easy in the standard mode.

The Bottom Line
Easy or not, Metal Storm’s unique gameplay and excellent graphics should make it an automatic purchase for any NES fan. It’s unfortunate that it didn’t receive a sequel on later systems.

NES · by DarkBubble (342) · 2007

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Game added by zombie rot.

Additional contributors: Sciere.

Game added August 7, 2005. Last modified September 2, 2023.