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PSA : Metal Slug 3 on Xbox Live Arcade is NOT actually in HD
Today I purchased the Xbox Live Arcade version of SNK's Metal Slug 3. It's a pretty good version of one of my favorite Metal Slug games and a great price at $10 but I have an issue with how it's marketed on Xbox Live.
It's a port of a "24-bit " SNK Neo Geo game from 2000 with a resolution of 320x224 pixels. The Xbox version has an upscaling filter with edge smoothing to display it at whatever resolution your TV is running. Up-sampling lower resolution graphics and putting a filter on them is not really "High definition". Taking an 320x224 and scaling it to 1080p is not HD in any explanation of the term.
However there are several Xbox Live Arcade games that feature redone and redrawn versions of classic game graphics such as Rush'N Attack, Time Pilot, Double Dragon, Root Beer Tapper, Gauntlet and Puzzle Fighter HD. There are also several 3d remakes of classic arcade games in HD on Xbox Live Arcade.
I love the Metal Slug games and think that they are an excellent addition to XBLA with online co-op gameplay and I think that Metal Slug 3 features some of the best 2d hand drawn artwork and animation. Unless they are actually going to redraw the existing graphics to modern HD resolutions than they should not call it HD. Microsoft should knock it off because it is can be a bit deceiving to gamers expecting new HD artwork. I love co-op classic games on XBLA and I hope they brink a big heaping mound of Classic NeoGeo games to XBLA but just by scaling the old graphic and adding an edge blur filter does in no way give them HD graphics.
Actually Metal Slug 3 on Xbox Live Arcade is NOT in HD

Nor is Sonic the Hedgehog on XBLA in HD

Metal Slug 3 does have giant enemy crabs! Attack it's weak points for massive damage!

Did you know that my local roller rink has Metal Slug 3 in its NeoGeo machine? Awesome!

Jake at January 3, 2008
Games
Comments
perhaps they mean HD compatible. Unlike your N64 stuff on your Wii that doesn't run on your TV.
Posted by: xxhennersxx
at January 3, 2008 2:54 PM
I noticed this in one of the press releases for the game and got a little confused because I thought that a true HD Metal Slug would have been absolutely insane. So thanks for clearing this one up. ^_^
Posted by: Daniel Primed at January 4, 2008 5:42 AM

