MSX is fantastic, don't get me wrong, but it definitely falters in some areas.

MS1 has very tightly-designed levels that never really have a dull moment, and there's a ton of thought put into everything. It's definitely bigger, but I don't necessarily think it's better. why do you think MS1 is better than MSX? isn't >MSX like bigger&better than MS1? MS4 - There's some pretty terrible level design full of padding (like that one room where a bazillion waves of mummies spawn), the bosses are incredibly ugly, and the artstyle is completely incoherent despite recycling everything from previous games. Literally nothing in Mission 2 can touch you if you're crouching, for example. MS2 Vanilla - There's tons of slowdown, of course, but the low enemy variety and lack of Enemy Chaser and Dropshot really show how poor the level design is. MS6 - I guess this one's technically superior to MS5, but I dunno. I'd really like to see SNK return to this one and actually finish it. It also had some cool ideas that unfortunately never really materialized in a meaningful capacity (like enemies trying to sabotage vehicles before you can get in them), and the slide, while kind of clunky, is a great idea. MS5 - Had cool enemies and fantastic music. It's also chock-full of bullet sponge enemies and turns into an insane quarter-muncher towards the end.

MS3 - I guess people think this one's the best, but I don't think the pacing's very good for an arcade game and some parts outstay their welcome pretty quickly. Honestly, I'd put it above MS1 if it weren't for the sub-par presentation (most enemies are just palette-swaps and the backgrounds don't look very good). MS7/XX - Probably not a popular opinion, but I think it's the closest the series got to the perfect length and difficulty. Flashy, but not at the expense of gameplay.

MS1 - Pretty close to perfection as far as arcade games go.

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