Metal Storm is one of those unsung classic NES games. It’s a remarkable run-and-gun shooter with a unique gravity flipping mechanic (that Capcom ripped off a year later for Gravity Man’s stage in Mega Man V), clever level design, and Konami-like Nintendo Hard difficulty. It’s a legitimately great NES game that didn’t get much attention because of its brutal difficulty and lack of a franchise. NES fans recognize Metal Storm’s value, though. So does Retro-bit, which re-released the game for the NES this year. Now you can get a brand new copy of Metal Storm, in standard edition for $45 or collector’s edition for $70. Retro-bit sent us a collector’s edition of Metal Storm to check out.
First, we need to talk about the game re-release itself, because that’s the heart of both editions. Retro-bit’s version of Metal Storm takes the original game and puts it on a fresh NES cartridge. The standard edition is a black cart, though the Collector’s Editions can be metallic silver (if bought from Limited Run Games), opaque blue (if bought from independent resellers in North America), or transparent blue (if bought from resellers in Europe). We got the opaque “galactic blue” cart, and it’s a nice piece of freshly manufactured NES software, complete with a black slipcover to keep dust out of it. The cartridge comes packaged in a proper cardboard game box with full-color art, outright reproducing the original NES box art on the front. There’s also a full-color glossy instruction booklet, printed in both English and Japanese.
That’s what you get with the standard version of the game, all for a slightly below-standard game price of $45. Some sticker shock, but you’re getting heaps of authenticity. The Collector’s Edition comes with all of that, plus a figure, a metallic enamel pin, a thick, double-sided, fold-out poster, two small art prints, and a certificate of authenticity. So, you’re paying $25 more for a figure, a pin, a poster, and two postcards.
That’s totally worth it, because look at the figure. This is the M-308 Gunner, the mech suit you play in Metal Storm. It’s five inches tall, full-color, with a built-in base and loads of detail. It’s a gorgeous little mini-statue for any fan of 80s and 90s mech design. It doesn’t pose, but it looks good.
The other extras are nice, but not as amazing at the figure. The pin is a large picture of the M-308 Gunner with the Metal Storm logo below it in English and Japanese. The poster is a thick, full-color, double-sided print of both the North American and Japanese box arts (though it comes folded down in the box, so get ready to press it thoroughly if you want to actually hang it on the wall). The art cards and certificate of authenticity are just those.
Metal Slug was a great NES game, and it’s great to see it get some modern-day love from Retro-bit. The re-released game looks fantastic (as box art and cartridge art, since the game itself isn’t changed), the figure is an amazing collectible, and it’s simply a very appealing package for any retro game fan.
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