Cody Medellin: The last time the Metal Slug series tried something different, it was a 3D shooter on the PS2 that was only released in Japan. The fact that it never arrived anywhere else speaks volumes on how that turned out. It's comforting that Metal Slug Tactics is sticking with pixels instead of going for polygons, and recent gameplay videos show that the team has the tactical basics down, making this an interesting twist for the franchise and something to keep track of despite the relative glut of strategy games scheduled for the year.

Tony "OUberLord" Mitera: You couldn't have asked me to name two things that I wanted slammed together more than the nonsense that is Metal Slug and turn-based tactical gameplay. It is certainly odd to see the usually frenzied Metal Slug action distilled down to the slower pace that is a tactics game. At the same time, I have a remarkably thick book about the history of Metal Slug on my bookshelf, so you could say I'm a fan of the franchise in all its forms. If it keeps the humor intact and has some of the same awesome music, I suspect it's going to click all the same, and I am hoping for a nice tactical loop to tie it all together.

Adam Pavlacka: Tactical strategy games have always been a weak spot for me, so if you combine a fun franchise with solid gameplay, it's going to pique my interest. This combines pixel art from Metal Slug with stylized anime cut scenes and a story that expands on the Metal Slug universe. One advantage it has over Advance Wars is that Metal Slug Tactics is coming to the PC. No need to buy new hardware just to play this one.