Metal Slug: Story and Levels
As the Cold War came to an end and a new millennium dawned upon mankind, the old rivalry between two superpower states was no longer the prevalent headline that always made the evening news; it was the rise of terrorism from rogue states, separatist groups, and extremists that would flood the newspaper headlines at least once a month. One of these notable events was the Central Park bombing in the year 2020 that claimed the life of General Donald Morden's son.
The bombing could have easily been prevented if it was not for the corruption that poisoned the general command structure of the Regular Army. Angered with the incompetence of his former superiors and distraught with the death of his only child, Morden disappeared from public view, and the world remained quiet for the next eight or so years.
Everything changed with the year of 2028 A.D. of the human calendar. An unknown military power with immeasurable amounts of manpower, materiel, and equipment surfaces from across the world and launches an all-out attack on the Regular Army, a military force that descended from the now defunct peacekeeper forces of the United Nations. Within a timespan of 48 hours, the Regulars had suffered at least 30% casualties on all fronts. The gestures of defense from the Regular Army has been all but met with utter failure, as the rampant corruption that plagued the UN military branch had discredited the possibility of such an attack occurring. Using advanced hardware that easily dwarfed the meager troop numbers of the Regular Army, the invaders were able to push through the latter's defense lines and into their cities and strongholds with unprecedented brutality and might.
Ragtag resistance groups formed from surviving members of the Regular Army were quickly formulated after their higher-ups were killed off, defected, or captured. However, these proved to be of little use against the advancing might of the mysterious attackers, later identified to be the Rebellion Army led by none other than General Donald Morden, the one Regular Army General that had deserted from his position several years after the Central Park bombing.
Feeling prideful of his imminent victory over his hated foes that were involved in the death of his son, the tyrannical General launched an all-out attack on the pride of the strongest country in the world of that time: Washington DC, the capital of the United States. By severing the head of the eagle, he had hoped to force the rest of the world to capitulate via deteriorating their morale. The US Army assigned to defend one of the last free bastions on Earth was quickly crushed and the President would have met a swift end to Morden's army of fanatics...but the timely intervention of Tarma Roving, a Regular Army soldier, saved the head of state before driving out the remaining Rebellion soldiers that had encroached upon the capital.
Morden was not disturbed at the least by this setback. He had already seized points of strategic importance and value across the world, and the Regular Army had devolved from a credible threat to a decrepit enemy of trivial matters. Hoping to put a swift and decisive end to the war, he announced that the entire planet would belong to him in a timespan of 170 hours. However, surrender was the last thing that was on the mind of the Regular soldiers that had managed to survive the onslaught.
Elsewhere in the world in an undisclosed location, a technical expertise team composing of surviving soldiers, scientists, technicians, engineers, and civilians alike crafted a clandestine plan to bring the battle to the Rebellion armies themselves: the development of the SV-001 tank, codenamed the "Metal Slug", would be used to turn the tide of the war. Equipped with a powerful 12.7mm Vulcan cannon and a modifiable 125mm armor-piercing cannon, these cheaply-produced tanks, despite their fragility in contrast to other contemporary main battle tanks of their time, would be able to counter Morden's superiority of numbers via sheer, overwhelming firepower.
Unfortunately, Morden's troops were able to discover the stronghold from which the tanks were being developed and constructed in. Realizing the threat of these Metal Slug combat vehicles, he directed his troops to launch an attack on the poorly-defended facility that were assembling these next-generation machines. The resistance was crushed, and all the SV-001s were either destroyed or captured. Content with the last bastions of the Regular Army eliminated, he prepared for the final maneuvers of his campaign: eliminating the last resistance cells that continued to oppose him.
As the Regular Army is brought to its knees, Marco Rossi, a commando from the Peregrine Falcon special forces unit, decides to muster what remained of the military he fought for and launched his own one-squad war against the Rebellion. In spite of his initial successes, all of his squadmates were eventually killed off one by one, save for Tarma who eventually joined up with him. Scattered and woefully under-equipped, both men had no choice but execute one last desperate assault in their mission to put an end to General Morden's madness, all the while liberating any surviving prisoners of war along the way.
In spite of the odds stacked against them, Marco and Tarma proceed with their plan of saving the future. It was time to make the impossible possible, or die trying.
Mission 1: Cambodian Jungles, Southeast Asia: Knowing that their best way of initiating their first successful counterattacks was to strike at the lesser defended areas, Marco and Tarma will execute their first operation deep into the Cambodian jungles where a small Rebellion outpost is situated. We believe that they plan to use this front as a staging point for the eventual invasion of Oceania, as Australia and New Zealand are among the last few countries that have yet to fall into Rebellion control. This must be prevented at all costs. Intelligence from the Regular Army's intelligence division, the SPARROWS, has confirmed the presence of a crashed heavy bomber/aerial fortress codenamed the 'Tetsuyuki' that had gone down a few months ago from anti-aircraft fire. Wasting nothing on hand, the Rebellion troops have transformed it into a makeshift blockade and compound, using the still-functioning prototype laser howitzer cannon as a weapon against any approaching Regular Forces. Several Metal Slugs have been confirmed to have been brought into the area by the rebels, and it is imperative that the two commandos retrieve and/or destroy them at any cost.
Mission 2: Hamburg, Germany: Destruction of the grounded Tetsuyuki has not only eradicated their ability to invade Oceania, but it has also granted us a valuable piece of intelligence: the still-intact navigation computer that survived the initial crash. SPARROWS has decoded the hardware and learned that General Donald Morden is currently in the the city of Hamburg for a routine ceremony as a result of the recent (and flawless) capture of the city. Rebellion presence is strong, although the train station is only lightly guarded with modest numbers mainly composing of rebel grenadiers and riflemen. This is a perfect opportunity for Marco and Tarma to infiltrate the city and capture the madman; doing so would mean that all Rebellion forces across the world would have to surrender. The inner sanctums of the city are heavily guarded; there is a presence of a rail-mounted artillery cannon and a nearby airfield that contains an unknown model of aircraft. Both commandos should take extreme precaution as they enter the city, for the Rebellion forces will be put on high alert once they realize they are under attack. Stealth is a key factor; should the alarm be raised, it is likely that they will escort Donald Morden out of the city on a moment's notice.
Mission 3: Kathehirt Valley, Germany: Just as the surviving Regular Army officials had suspected, General Donald Morden was airlifted out of the city and while his personal transport was shot down by a combined force of Metal Slugs and Interceptors, a timely rescue by the Rebellion Air Force has allowed him to escape cleanly from capture. Intelligence has noted that his rescuers had flown to the snowy mountains just north of Hamburg; the Regular Army happened to have a small contingent of troops and armor in the area, and have already begun the assault. Upon arrival, a large hangar of Rebellion tanks have been discovered to be stored in this region. It is imperative for this motor pool to be destroyed and buried under the mountains forever, for doing so will severely diminish their access to armored reinforcements. The path into the mountains will be a treacherous one, as the Rebellion Army has prepared several ambushes in the form of snipers, bazooka infantry, grenadiers, attack helicopters, and tanks. Even the Rebellion's own ace in the hole, the bloodthirsty and battle-hardened commando known as Allen O'Neil has been rumored to be in the area and waiting for the two Regular commandos himself. Marco and Tarma must not falter in spite of these impossible odds.
Mission 4: Ridge 256, Germany: Destruction of the Rebellion tank cache has severely dampened the enemy's ability to launch further armored counteroffensives in the European Theater. The survivors from the Regular commandos' rampage have fled to this region composed of fortified mountains, mainly composing of immobile turrets, tanks, artillery, and supporting infantry. The area is highly hazardous, and both Marco and Tarma will have to make use of the trenches and high ground that Morden's men have so conveniently provided them with. The presence of captured Metal Slugs will also greatly assist our heroes in their endeavor to eliminate the rebels that have dug themselves in. Two prototype heavy tanks are hypothesized to have been stationed somewhere in the deeper ends of the ridge; it would be ideal if both commandos would find some way to destroy the working models before the Rebellion Army are able to use the prototypes as a blueprint for mass production. The taking of Ridge 256 will also ensure the liberation of Germany.
Mission 5: Gerhardt City, Italy: Germany has been freed from the brutal grasp of Rebellion occupation thanks to the combined efforts of Marco and Tarma. Their next objective is to move in to one of the more occupied cities in neighboring countries where Rebellion troops have established a heavy presence. The occupies must be expunged if one of the larger cities of Italy is to be liberated from the iron grip of General Morden and his fanatical men. Fierce urban fighting is to be expected; bazooka infantry and snipers are strategically placed on various balconies across the city, armored vehicles frequently patrol the streets, while aircraft make constant passes over the city. The presence of fanatic infantry has also been confirmed; these men will fearlessly leap onto any unsuspecting forces with a bomb-laden vest and a combat knife, spelling doom for most conventional infantry and vehicles. Should the Iron Nokana combat vehicle located close to the harbor of the city be defeated, the city will be liberated and it will open a path to our final destination: Morden's European Headquarters.
Mission 6: Straits of Traven, the Mediterranean Coastline: As the majority of the European front crumbles around him, General Morden has retreated to his last stronghold in the Mediterranean coastline at the southern tip of Italy: a titanic naval complex where the majority of the Rebellion Navy's vessels are built, stored, resupplied, and repaired at. The importance of this mission's success is all but apparent; the Regular Army is transferring all of their recovered Metal Slug SV-001s for this battle, along with a ballistic missile submarine that will cast decisive strikes against vital Rebellion defensive positions. The nature of the attack has also left the Rebellion Army complacent; they had not expected the ambush, but their troop numbers are not to be underestimated with, so be prepared for a bloody battle. The mastermind behind the attack on the Regular Army and the subjugation of the entire world is finally within our reach; should we be able to best his elite guard and reach the hangar complexes that he has currently sheltered himself in, we will be able to bring a swift end to this war that has cost far too many innocent lives. We are certain that Morden will not surrender without a fight, as satellite surveillance has shown him arming up for the eventual confrontation. But should Marco and Tarma fail, all of their struggles up until now will be for naught. Victory must be achieved at any cost. Good luck, soldiers.