10 More Shameless Video Game Rip-Offs (That Were Actually Great)

Metal Slug is a run-and-gun side-scroller where players must blast through a wave of enemies and colossal bosses, using a myriad of creative weapons, explosives, and tank-like vehicles.

Although the developers incorporated elements from their previous work, GunForce and In The Hunt, it's clear Metal Slug stole most of its ideas from Contra. (The sequels threw in aliens just to make the comparison more apparent.)

However, there are enough differences in this bullet-hell shooter to justify its existence. The beautiful hand-drawn animations are stellar, especially the creative death sequences. The three-button control system makes the gameplay accessible to anyone. Although Contra has baddies coming from all angles, it feels tame compared to Metal Slug, with enemies pouring onto the screen every second.

Rather than receiving heavy weapons at random intervals, the heroes are rewarded for rescuing prisoners, putting more focus on strategy. Since powerhouse weapons have limited ammo, this further incentivises players to rescue prisoners, so they can maximise their arsenal.

On top of that, Metal Slug is hilarious. While shooting at mummies, robots, and giant enemy crabs, players are sure to be giggling to themselves due to the tongue-in-cheer humour.