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As you may or may not know, there are developers out there making games for older systems. Kai Magazine Software is one and until recently, I had never heard of them. They are apparently known for their MSX releases but branched out to the Genesis with the release of Metal Dragon in 2021. I’m a little upset that I’m late to the party because I love run and gun shooters, especially when they’re supported by blast processing and I would have jumped on this sooner had I known about it. The first time I saw gameplay of Metal Dragon, its style immediately reminded me of Mercs for the Genesis. It’s actually a port of the arcade game which is a sequel to Commando, another arcade game. Bottom line, I like run and gun shooters, vertical or side-scrolling, so I nabbed a copy of Metal Dragon for Genesis. The website describes it as a parody of games from the 80’s and 90’s and “This game is filled with 80’s references from arcade games and movies, so it is mainly focused to 40 year old people and above.”
The story goes that the cold war has put warring nations in check and they carry out covert missions to gain an advantage. When the president’s daughter is kidnapped, the U.S. sends their best operative, Flaccid Snake, to get her back but contact with him is lost so Metal Dragon is sent in to finish the job. If I read the manual correctly, there are multiple endings but you have to beat the game on one of the harder difficulties to see the better ending and I’m still trying to do that. But I did beat it on the Easy and Normal difficulty levels. The story is conveyed through text and radio transmissions, Metal Gear style and Metal Gear isn’t the only franchise referenced. I recognized nods to numerous others throughout my time with the game including Duke Nukem, Terminator, Lethal Weapon, and Die Hard. It’s all very tongue in cheek and not subtle in the slightest.
Metal Dragon is a run and gun shooter through and through. It’s pretty standard fare and a lot of fun if you’re a fan of the genre. You run through stages blowing away bad guys and bosses for points with the action only stopping to convey story beats. If you’ve played Mercs on Genesis, the gameplay here will feel similar. Not exactly the same but similar. You’ve got your main weapon but can acquire deadlier firepower that come with limited ammo. Trucks will drive through areas and blowing them up reveals these weapons; a shotgun, machine gun, and sniper rifle. You can also launch grenades and additional grenades can be found in the stages along with medkits that replenish health.
The gameplay is pretty straightforward and the challenge comes from avoiding the numerous projectiles that fill the screen. You’re given only one life but have a health bar that depletes when you take damage. The early stages are easy enough but later ones will put your skills to the test. But I think one of Metal Dragon’s greatest assets is its accessibility. There are multiple difficulty levels that dictate the amount of enemy damage and the rate which enemies spawn. And I can tell you the hardest difficulty, Nuts, lives up to its name. Not only does the game come with numerous difficulty levels that should appeal to players of different skill levels, but it comes with what I’m calling a checkpoint code system. Every area or stage has its own code which you can view by pausing the game and you can enter a code at the menu to start at the beginning of that area or stage. Some stages are pretty tough. I found the what I’m calling escape sequence at the end to be the toughest part of the game with numerous enemies and projectiles coming from behind you. I died more in these areas than anywhere else. And the code system ensured I didn’t have to restart the entire game over.
Most of the foes you’ll encounter are your typical troops, some carry what I think are bazookas and others utilize gun emplacements. You’ll also encounter flying drones, turrets, tanks, and mechs called “Mecha Gears”. All of them gun for you and seeing a group of troops get blown up by one of your grenades or any explosion is always satisfying. All the weapon pickups are superior to Metal Dragon’s main weapon and I think the sniper rifle is my favorite just because of how powerful it feels. Some stages let you utilize the environment to your advantage like by blowing up explosive barrels near enemies. Otherwise, it’s all up to you and you’re always outnumbered.
From the 16-bit action on display to the music, Metal Dragon looks and sounds like a blast from the past. The presentation is colorful, I like the explosions, and there is a decent amount of environmental variety. You’ll blow foes away in jungle-like areas, streets, and enemy bases. The action is backed by some catchy tunes, enemies grunt and groan as they die, and I love the sounds of the weapons and not just the gunfire but even what sounds like the cocking of the shotgun. It all sounds pretty good. On the technical side, I did not encounter any major issues.
I enjoyed my time with Metal Dragon. It was clearly designed as a parody of the titles and media that influenced the genre, and even if the humor is a little on-the-nose here, it doesn’t hinder the gameplay which is a lot of fun. Straightforward but fun. Every level has you going from A to B with plenty of bad guys to shoot in between. There’s no set pieces or anything to really mix things up. It is a pure run and gun shooter and a very accessible one. That’s one of the best things about it. The amount of difficulty levels basically guarantees anyone can jump into this and get through it and the checkpoint code system ensures that a game over doesn’t mean you have to restart from the beginning. Although, you can do that if you want. Veterans of the genre might get more out of Metal Dragon but anyone can have a good time with it.
I absolutely recommend Metal Dragon. If you like run and gun style shooters, Metal Dragon is one you shouldn’t miss out on. It’s not trying to break new ground or anything and what’s here has been done before but it is designed as a love letter to the genre. It plays like a classic, parodies the classics, is available on a classic system, and is designed to be accessible. Definitely check it out.