Metal Storm is one of the many games I didn’t know about when I was a kid. It isn’t something I came across in the 1990s or even in the 2000s when I started collecting games. The first time I heard of this game was in 2008 or 2009 when I saw it in a store. As a side note, I really hope that store is closed because they sucked!
When I was collecting retro games, I usually left the price tags, rental store tags, and any other markings on them. It adds to the story of that specific cartridge, at least that is what I tell myself. That is how I know that I bought my copy of Metal Storm for $2.99. For a game that I knew nothing about, this seemed like a good price at the time.
It wasn’t until the mid 2010s that I learned more about the game. I didn’t pay attention to the internet as a whole, so I had no idea this game had a good reputation. Even today, I don’t really care what other people, or fan groups, think about a game.
When I first played this game, I thought it was fun. Then I found out how desirable it was, so I played it again. My opinion on it really didn’t change. Let’s see if my opinion has changed as I give this game another look.
TLDR: Great graphics and solid gameplay make this one of the best side scrollers on the NES.
Narrative
This game was published by IREM in 1991. The game’s story is pretty standard for a science fiction side scroller like this. You learn who your character is supposed to be, and who you’re fighting.
In the year 2501, humanity has colonized the solar system. To defend against “aliens,” a big laser cannon is built at a base on or near Pluto. It goes crazy and starts attacking humanity, because of course it does. The cannon destroys Neptune, and the “government” can’t shut it down.
Like just about every other side scroller with a grand plot, the hope of humanity falls on the player. Instead of sending a bunch of people to stop the laser, they send one mech. It is exactly what you might expect from something like this.
The story is fine for what it is. The enemy and the player’s character are clearly defined. When it comes to a game like this, you don’t need some elaborate plot. Metal Storm’s story gets the job done, which is exactly what it is supposed to do. You don’t need to know it to play the game, but it is nice to have it.
Gameplay
When you first look at Metal Storm, it appears to be a fairly simple side scroller. It has just about everything you should expect from a late 1980s or early 1990s action platformer like this. The controls are good, the anti-gravity mechanic is good, and it is challenging enough to keep you playing.
The controls are good, but take a little time to get used to. I’m not a huge fan of the jump mechanics, but with time, they get better. The longer you press the jump button, the higher you jump. Aside from that, everything else is good.
There are a few power ups in this game. They increase your attack power, give you an extra hit point, and other things like that. These are pretty standard for a game like this.
By pressing up and jump, you’ll reverse gravity. To change things back to normal, press down and jump. You’ll need to get the hang of this mechanic to get far in the game, because many of the jumps require the player to do this. It doesn’t just affect the player, as enemies that walk around will also have their gravity reversed.
You do have a large hit box, and there are one hit deaths. This means there is a bit of a learning curve to the game, but it isn’t all that different from other platformers on the system from this time. You can also get an extra hit point by picking up a power up.
Overall, the gameplay is solid. There are a few things that I don’t like, but most of the gameplay is very good. It does have some things that help it stand out, which is nice.
Visuals
The graphics are pretty good. For a game released in 1990/1991, Metal Storm is a very good looking game. It is bright and colorful, and the sprites are well detailed. The boss characters are big, and the enemies look nice.
The levels look nice. It is pretty easy to see where you have to go, and the developers added a few arrows to help you. They kind of remind me of a Mega Man game, which has a lot to do with both games being science fiction.
Enemies look quite good. They get a little more complex as the game goes on. They’re pretty big, which goes along with the larger size of the player’s character.
Boss characters are quite big and have patterns for the player to exploit. It is pretty easy to see these patterns and tell where you need to shoot it. Enemy projectiles also stand out in a good way.
As the game goes on, many of the clues go away. This adds to the game’s challenge and helps you to explore the game. Levels also get bigger and more complex, which is something you should expect.
Overall, the game has very good graphics. The explosions are wonderful! They really stood out to me as being much better than other games from 1991. The graphics also don’t get in the way of the gameplay, which is always something that I like.
Reviews at the Time
I’m a little confused by the reviews for this game. They were positive, but there are several irregularities when it comes to looking them up. Mostly, the Wikipedia article is full of lies when it comes to the scores this game received.
Metal Storm was on the cover of the 22nd issue of Nintendo Power. It received above average scores, and the game has a full guide in this issue. After this, things get stupid.
EGM had four people review the game. Their scores were three 8s and a 7/10. The reviewers all mentioned the graphics being “spectacular” or “amazing,” and they liked the anti-gravity system.
Wikipedia lists a bunch of scores that simply don’t exist, or are cited incorrectly. It is a little baffling to me, but it really shouldn’t be. The reviews that I could find were positive. This is one of the games that had its scores go up over time, which is a cool thing to see.
9/10. This is one of the best NES games. It was a hidden gem before being picked up by the internet. It has great graphics, fun gameplay, and an interesting game mechanic that helps it stand out from a crowded field.
Pros
- Great Graphics
- Fun and Challenging Gameplay
- Cool game mechanics
Cons
- Repetitive Music
- Odd Level Design
Conclusion
The reviews were very surprising to me. While the scores were what I was expecting, the way things were archived was a little frustrating. Metal Storm got quite a bit of coverage and publicity when it was released, which is cool to see. I had no idea it was on the cover of Nintendo Power. If I had been subscribed to the magazine back then, I might’ve remembered it.
I never remember hearing about this game or seeing it when I was little. In 1991, I was 7 years old, and if I didn’t see a game on TV, hear someone talking about it, or see it in one of the few rental stores we went to, then I had no way of learning about it.
I’m really glad that I got the chance to pick this game up before the price became stupidly high. It still isn’t one that I hear much about, but I also don’t go out of my way to find videos, blog posts, or forums about this game. I’m sure that might sound weird to some people, but not everyone watches the same videos, plays the same games, or consumes the same media.
If you liked this post, check out my other posts about NES games. Such as BurgerTime or PaperBoy.