GunForce II / Geo Storm - The Game that Inspired Metal Slug on Neo Geo! - Irem Arcade
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- It's Metal Slug Mania Time! A Ten Part Series dedicated to looking at the history and evolution of the mainline Metal Slug franchise from SNK! So the idea for Metal Slug had to come from somewhere...and it came from GunForce II! It's basically the spiritual precursor to what would become Metal Slug on the Neo Geo AES / MVS. It's a retro gaming lesson on where ideas come from!
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I really wanted to take a look at the Metal Slug franchise as it's one of my favorite arcade series of all time and the history behind the games and their evolution is quite interesting. When it comes to retro gaming you can't skip Metal Slug!
Up next: GunForce II / Geo Storm! This is the last game Irem made before many of the developers left to form Nazca Corporation and make Metal Slug. It's basically Metal Slug .5; it has all the same amazing art work and run and gun gameplay as Metal Slug and a LOT of the sound effects in GunForce II were borrowed and popped into Metal Slug with zero changes. If you ever wondered where Metal Slug came from this is the arcade run and gun game it evolved from! Retrogaming history in motion :)
Questions? Comments? Just leave them below and I will do my best to answer each and every one of them!
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VGE
Fun Fact: Some of the sound and voice effects (screaming dying and grunts) from Metal Slug also originally appeared in the Konami game Vendetta.
I wonder if they just came from a sound library?
@@VideoGameEsoterica Yeah, Im guessing it's that. Didnt they use the X68000 or something to develop games for these?
I believe so? X68000 was used to develop a ton of arcade games back in the day but I can't remember ever hearing Irem mentioned in the list...but then again I can't 100% remember
This and the 'In the Hunt!' videos have been my favorite of the series. I love seeing the weird semi related stuff that I never knew about!
We have one more related weird one coming soon :) three weeks!
That team was making crazy stuff! These and "In the Hunt" are mind blowing especially for the time! The details and animation on the sprites is crazy! Where did the team members go after they disbanded! I really like to see what they are making!
I wish there was more game that still use this quality of sprites not just trying to mimic cheap 8bit or 16 bit styles, also don't enjoy the sharp and clean sprites that some studios try to use!
There is one more related bonus episode in three weeks that is my favorite of the bonus episodes I made :)
You can certainly see the evolution to Metal Slug! Never played this one but it looks fun!
Def have to give it a shot!
This is an amazing game.
Another one, i should say.
Many thanks to let us know such gems like this game
thats what I am here for!
Thank you VGE. Glad to be part of the action again and seeing you doing what you do best. Now time for Lasagna and kicking Odie off tables. 8^)
Anthony..
LOL since you took a break my wife and I got a new puppy. She loved jumping on tables. Especially the coffee table 😂
Wow and we thought others ripped metal slug! It's a good thing though. Can't believe gunforce is connected to this. Gunforce 1 is so far off from this and also a pretty bland SNES port. Never knew they were connected. So glad to see this!
Yes Gun Force vs II is night and day
That's really cool, I've never heard of or seen this game before. Definitely can see the early stages of what Metal Slug would become
Seems like most people this morning haven’t heard of it. Hope it gets some new fans!
What an excellent video /info!
I just love these kind of graphics for some reason...
the graphics are def fun to watch in motion and still hold up well
Wow absolutely never knew about this one, was familiar with in the hunt but not this one. Thanks for highlighting this one, gotta add it to my list.
Also, resuming my marathon now!
It’s a super fun game. Enjoy it!
Hi VGE,
Good to see you again bro. This really is an amazing video and had no idea that it was Geo Storm that inspired Metal Slug. I did like this game when it was introduced, and now it makes scene to me. 8^)
I posted this up on the Neo-Geo thread to help with additional exposure. Thank you as always VGE. Keep up the great work for sure.
I apologize for not being as active compared to 2021. Just had health issues with Covid infecting me and the family. But slowly recuperating from the illness for sure bro.
Anthony..
Zero need to apologize. Less than zero! I’m just glad to see your name pop back up :)
Looks really fun, thanks for the deep dive.
Happy to do it!
Wow, no idea this existed! What a shame these were never ported to the Neo Geo or Saturn.
Yeah its way deeper of a cut than people think
Saturn or Playstation would've fit this game perfectly, especially Saturn due to the Saturn being a 2D powerhouse
Oh wow! That's great to know VGE. Congrats on the puppy as the new edition to your house. Hope she will give you many years of love and enjoyments for sure bro. Now i need some coffee. 8^)
Interestingly, a game that I was playing to get back into grove is Stunt Car Racer for the Amiga and the Commodore 64. One of my favorite games growing up on these computers. I use to have the Atari ST version. But it doesn't work anymore .
Anthony..
Haha she’s great. Unless she’s not being great. Classic puppy!
The color palette was what it needed to be in this.
It’s a vibe
Was looking forward to this episode, this looks like a load of fun! Definately going to try this one out :-)
Yeah def give it a play. It’s a good time
One of the things unique about MS series is its adamant refusal to allow the players to aim diagonally while standing still. It looks like a strange limitation when Contra already perfected diagonal shooting mechanics but this is one of the examples of why control limitations can make the game better.
Just like how Castlevania 4's diagonal whipping fundamentally broke the castlevania's subweapon system based tricky combat. Diagonal aiming fundamentally changes the level design of a run'n'gun. If you could aim diagonally while standing still, there would be less incentive to move forward into the line of fire. Even when you're in the tank, you still have to rock back&forth if you want to aim diagonally.. Metal Slug's level design encourages you to close the distance between your enemies operate within the X&Y axis instead of planting your feet and shooting diagonally.
Yes the restriction in movement is actually a good thing. It makes the game way more enjoyable in my opinion
How sweet would a MiSTer core for this one be!!
That would be awesome. MiSTer needs more Irem stuff for sure
This Metal Slug video series is great, so many games i love to play :)
Thanks. More coming too. We still have 6 and 7 plus two bonus videos :)
Thank you! Looks good! subscribed!
Appreciate it!
This definitely felt like a precursor to Metal Slug.
100%. Its like the early work of an artist that blows up later in life and carries forward some of the style of the early work
@@VideoGameEsoterica There’s just one thing that peeves me with the game, however. There’s literally no ending unlike the first one. Beat the final stage, rinse and repeat.
nothing is worse than the no ending ending
@@VideoGameEsoterica Yeah…
6:56 The boss from the 4th mission on Metal Slug 6 was very similar to this
Yes it has some similar vibes
I actually had heard of this in the past, and I usually have never heard of the more obscure things you talk about. Just because I'd seen this discussed as a precursor to Metal Slug. I didn't really know anything about it. Looks fun to play, but doesn't have a fraction of Metal Slug's charm. Artistically, though, some of the vehicle and boss designs here, with the rounded, bulbous shapes, are pretty appealing and that approach is only amped up in Metal Slug. I especially like the floating boss on the train, the two-legged mech guys, and the tower on treads. Also dig the Gundam suit!
Yes it’s basically a way less charming Metal Slug. The charm is what makes Slug such an epic franchise. Remove that and it’s just “really good”
I played every Metal Slugs game, I never knew this game existed. I'll have to give this a try. 👍
yeah def give it a try. I think you'll really enjoy it!
I have this on PC with the Irem compilation game.
Nice. Kinda forgot they did that compilation
Never heard about this game, thanks!👍
my rule is any time someone says that I insist they go and play it and report back!
Amazing.
Really is!
You can also see a lot of similarities in In The Hunt
100% some similarities for sure
gasp! its my fav arcade... why isnt this on arcade archives...
Good question!
It will be on Irem Collection Volume 2 this year along with Air Duel, Gunforce I (both Arcade and SNES versions), and Gunforce II
@@jasonmartinez5116 oh really. on switch?
@@joshuaworman4022 Switch, Xbox One/Series and PS4/PS5
Nice
Game looks awesome! Never heard of it either which shocks me because metal slug is my all time favorite franchise. Mame I’m guessing? Wish it was on the mister. There is a snes game by the same name but it isn’t this game. Geostorm 2 was on pc and came out in japan for windows.
Yes you can emulate it in MAME easily. Funny how few people seem to know about this one this morning!
You can CLEARLY see the Metal Slug parentage here
Absolutely. Its just Metal Slug .5
@@VideoGameEsoterica Or Metal Slug Zero
That too lol
I used to own the pcb.. wish I would of kept it :(
damn yeah I could see regretting selling that!
Metal Slug is basically Gun Force
Made by a lot of the same devs
@@VideoGameEsoterica So, Metal Slug belongs to Irem Software Engineering
No. Irem devs went on to form Nazca and they made Metal Slug
@@VideoGameEsoterica Nazca was a successor of Irem.
Correct
😍
:)
Its an amazing game...id love to know the budgets on these games as i suspect they spent even more money on this than metal slug
That’s a good question. Most of that info is lost to time from back in the day
is there a pc port of this game????
There is not
Yea conceptually it's really the same game. Not a big fan of the style though, it's very Contra like and not a huge personality and a distinct art style to me. In that sense Metal Slug was really all things coming together
Metal Slug brought the “charm” that this game lacks in spots. The charm and sense of humor in the Metal Slug games is really what takes them from being great games to iconic ones
Isn’t there a crappy port of this on SNES?
I dont think so?
Original Gunforce was ported. But not the sequel GunForce II here
which is odd...would have been great on Neo Geo
"inspired", more like SNK ripped this off instead 😂!
the devs from Irem went and formed Nasca and they made slug...cant rip yourself off!