Metal Slug X (Neo Geo)/Unused Stages



Like mentioned in the main page, there are 56 unused stages in Metal Slug X. Some of them were later used in Metal Slug 3 with some fixes. All of them are selectable from the stage select option in the debug menu. Some were simply warps to some sections in the stages. Here's a list of them plus the comparisons between them and Metal Slug 3.

Unused Areas and Differences
And now to find out what is actually interesting. The codes next to the MS3 titles are the stage codes in MS3's stage select screen.

1:2
This is an area from Metal Slug 3 if you take the bottom route at the first section of Stage 4. There’s no objects, nor an exit. It appears that when it was used in Metal Slug 3, they mirrored the room, added in the staircase and removed the background from the windows.

1:4
This is the desert area at the start of Metal Slug 3, Mission 4. Unlike Metal Slug 3, it goes on seemingly forever, and there’s no scenery or anything interactive. You don’t leave footprints in the sand, but there are some mighty fine effects on it, like sand being blown about and haziness and stuff. In Metal Slug 3, some cactus were added at the start, however the sand blowing at ground level is completely gone, possibly replaced by the footprints on the sand.

2:4
Another MS3 level, this one is apparently endless, and also has no objects. They changed the pillar slightly, and pretty much reworked the background from scratch.

2:6
This is the spiked ceiling part from Metal Slug 3, but the ceiling doesn’t lower at all and you can walk through the walls ahead. The area was merely given a new color to look more dark and nasty, but the ceiling was given a massive spit and polish.

2:8
The sand-shifting slope from Metal Slug 3 is here, but of course, there’s no obstacles. There’s some very minor edits: The whole room has been recoloured (obviously), but the MS3 version has alternate or less details:


 * The MSX version has a block nearest the bottom with an eye on it, but in MS3 it’s merely a circle.
 * The block next to that has a duck in it, but the version in the finished product is a fancy shape, possibly a flower.
 * The block in the bottom corner has three symbols on it, but when brought into MS3, it lost the third symbol.
 * The block above that one has what looks like the German comic character Werner in a Batman outfit, but it’s more like a scribble of lines in MS3.
 * The block to the left of that has a squiggly line and a dot in MSX, but it’s changed to a squiggly line with a dot on the end in MS3.
 * The stone head in the background looks content and happy in MSX, but looks more frightened in MS3.
 * A block above that head has another squiggly line + dot design in MSX, but was changed into a circle or eye in the sequel.
 * There’s a block further to the left of that one; it has what looks like a question mark, or a walking stick on it, but it was mostly erased in MS3.

They’re not major differences, but it’s interesting to see what they changed.

2:A
Another MS3 level, this is the area with tons of items, but the door opens to reveal more of that crazy exploding moths. The only differences appear to be the inclusion of a door to the right and obstacles, and the area made more dark.

2:C
An early version of the stone lift, seemingly endless. All they did give the whole place a new brand of paint and that's it.

3:2
This appears to be remnants of the flying part of Stage 5 in Metal Slug 3 ; once you reach the sky, your character dies for no apparent reason, and an explosion occurs at the top left corner. Strange.

4:2


It’s similar to the sewer areas from Mission 5, but there’s no obstacles, and you can only go so far before you run into an invisible wall.

4:4
The battery-collecting-for-the-exit stage from Metal Slug 3. There’s quite a few changes, such as a computer terminal in MSX is replaced with boxes, the platforms risen, and boxes added, removed and and rearranged. The grime in the background was also redrawn, and a few pipes were added in.

5:4
This is the mutated bug area from Metal Slug 3’s fourth mission. Pretty much the entire place was redone, with tons of more detail added in. In MS3, the area's flashes color slowly and gradually, but MSX is a lot more blatant about it, making the flashing fast and cycles between colors faster.



6:4
The underwater path from Mission 1, Metal Slug 3, complete with Slug Mariner! There doesn’t seem to be much changed in graphics, they just added in a few things and changed the colours of when you drive closer to the bottom. They added in a few cliffs for prisoners and boxes, and additional details were added to the jellyfish caves and eel cages. The level ends once you reach the bottom, where you’ll die if you drive to the bottom. As for the Slug Mariner, it seems rather complete, aside from a few things. Its gun doesn’t shoot the “floaty” bullets, and goes in a straight line just like the turrets of the Metal Slug and Slug Copter. Its bomb appears complete, but since there’s no solid ground here, you can’t see what it’s explosions look like; it's also has the wrong word in the HUD (“cannon” instead of “missile”). However, you cannot exit the vehicle, nor can you Slug Charge with it. When it explodes, instead of your character playing the drown animation, they fly out as if above water, even though the drowning animation is in the game.

7:1


Does this look familiar? It should, as it’s the first mission from Metal Slug 1! It’s complete, excluding all the obstacles and enemies and stuff. It even has the reflections in the water, the stones that crush you and the little fish you can shoot the flesh off! And it also has a Slug Flyer right at the beginning, which is awesome.

7:2
The upper path of Mission 1. The background was made gloomier, and some dead fish were added in MS3.

7:4
The upper path of Mission 4 from Metal Slug 3. Not much have changed apart from the typical design changes and the only change in MS3 appears to be the removal of the trees and the background was lowered slightly.

7:6
The samurai caves! These are from MS3, and there are no major differences aside from the slight color changes, minor additions, like that rock there under the timer in MS3's screenshot.

7:8


Starts you a little more into the samurai cave.

8:1


The second mission from Metal Slug 1! It’s also vacant of obstacles and enemies, but strangely, some enemies rolling snowballs appear before the bridge, and there are still rubber ring bazooka guys and boats there. The mini boss is still there! But sadly, the level stops a little after that, since the screen doesn’t scroll up, you’re trapped there. And you have access to both a Slug Flyer and a Slug Copter here! Not only is it surprising that a vehicle that isn’t supposed to appear until the sequel is here, but it’s incredibly useful against the boats! There's a few minor differences with it, though: Most of it's sounds aren't there, its vulcan cannon turns almost white in some directions, it's bombs go straight down instead of at an angle, and its vulcan cannon bullets are the straight ones, instead of the spinning oval ones.

8:2


This is a strange, totally original level which takes place on roof tops and balconies. There are several gaps which you can’t jump over without dying, and there’s one bit where you need to use two lives just to reach the other side!

8:3


8:1 has some bad scrolling and can't let you access the boss area, but this section warps you up there. There's no boss to fight though.

8:4


This is the sewer area, just before the staircase. Sounds normal? The catch is that the vertical scrolling isn’t working, and you’re trapped. There’s also some downright dodgy tile placement, such at the pipe with two middles and that bit at the edge there.

9: 1


It’s the fourth mission from Metal Slug 1, AND claims to be the third! As usual, you’re given access to a Slug Flyer and Slug Copter, but this level seems rather incomplete. For starters, there’s an endless stream of soldiers storming you from the right side of the screen; second, the destructible cliffs are missing, making the background have large chunks missing. And aside from the vehicles and soldiers, the level is pretty much empty.

9:2
That area from MS3, the second part of the bottom path in Mission 4. It appears that all they did was simply reverse the background, hilariously making in the barrels look as if the text were upside-down.

9:4


This is another level that isn’t used anywhere else; it’s a cliff, but with openings in the cliff to show more cliffs.

9: 6
Another part of the bottom path from MS3. The palette was darkened and additional details are added to the ceiling.

9:8
This is the cave from Metal Slug 3 where you get the Slug Mariner(s). They changed the palette, reversed the background, and added a few pools of water. And the music is absent in MS3, replaced by dropping water droplets instead.

A:1


Brings you to Mission 3 from Metal Slug 1, though the game claims it’s the fourth mission. This gives you access to a Slug Copter at the start and Slug Flyer a bit later, and appears fairly normal, other than the typical lack of obstacles, and inclusion of a limitless number of enemies from the right side of the screen, and a gap in the tiles before that destructible building. The destructible building explodes upon being looked at, and the sky isn’t correct in the area after it.

A:2


A small snowy area, it looks like it would be part of Mission 2 in Metal Slug 3.

A:4


The first part of Mission 6, bereft of obstacles and platforms you're supposed to jump on to advance.

A:6


The same as A:2. Boring.

A:8
A part of Mission 3 from MS3, if you take the submarine dive! There’s a prisoner right ahead, and off the edge of the screen are some unobtainable weapons (they drop off the bottom of the screen), and once you scroll back, a Girida-O and a parachuting platform appear. The prisoner gives you an Armour Piercer.

It was also given serious remodeling in MS3. The palette was darkened, the moving platforms are added, and those teeny tiny boxes were changed.

B:1


It’s Mission 5 from MS1! You start with a prisoner in front of you, who gives you an Armour Piercer, and after that, some weapons appear. In the order they appear: Another Armour Piercer, Shotgun, Rocket Launcher, Flame Shot, Laser Gun, and Enemy Chaser. Other than another tank on a parachuting platform, this level is fairly normal.

C:1


Final Mission of Metal Slug 1! There’s yet another Armour Piercer wielding prisoner right ahead, and a Girida-O that appears from out of nowhere, and other than falling through the ground to reach the boat that is missing its AA turret, this level appears to be fairly normal.

C:2
This is that part from Metal Slug 3 right after that underwater pipe and the ostrich ride just a bit ahead. Only the palette is changed here.