ActionFit check
Is Metal Black™ S-Tribute worth it for you?
We tell you who should skip it, too.
Play it if you…
Good fit- Arcade shooter fans who want beam-management mechanics
- Two-player groups seeking a side-scrolling shooter
- Score-focused players who want online leaderboards
Skip it if you…
Saves you a refund- Players seeking a broad campaign may find the stage-based arcade structure narrow
- Players who dislike managing a gauge during boss encounters may hit a wall when beam attacks depend on stored energy
- Players seeking exploration, character progression, or a large roster of playable characters
Our take on Metal Black™ S-Tribute
The bounce point arrives during beam management: energy attacks consume the gauge, and boss-beam collisions turn that resource into part of the encounter. Players who prefer uninterrupted shooting without resource timing may hit the wall there.
What is Metal Black™ S-Tribute?
Metal Black S-Tribute reproduces the 1996 home-console version of Taito’s 1991 2D side-scrolling shooter.
Players collect red, blue, and yellow NEWALONE molecules to raise the beam through five levels, ending at MAX. A full beam gauge enables either a held focused attack or a release attack that damages every enemy, while beam clashes with stage bosses create moving energy spheres influenced by each gauge level. The game supports two-player play, online rankings, rewind, quick save and load, unlimited credits, stage selection, and scan-line display options. It is part of the S-Tribute series of Saturn-era classic reprints developed with the Zebra Engine.
How Metal Black™ S-Tribute plays
- 01Five Beam Levels
- Collecting NEWALONE molecules raises the shot strength through five stages, with MAX as the highest level.
- 02Two Energy Attacks
- A full gauge supports a held forward beam or a release attack that damages all enemies.
- 03Boss Beam Clashes
- Colliding the ship’s beam with a boss beam produces an energy ball that moves toward the side with the lower gauge.
- 04Two-Player Play
- Two players can play together.
- 05Online Rankings
- An online ranking mode lets players submit scores to leaderboards and compare them with others.
- 06Rewind And Saves
- Gameplay can be rewound, and the current state can be saved or loaded at any point.
- 07Flexible Stage Access
- Stage Select allows a game to begin from any stage, while Unlimited Credits removes the continue limit.
Games like Metal Black™ S-Tribute
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ActionMegatronic Void
Conglomerate 5For:Action players who want exploration combined with alien combatSkip if:Players seeking a non-combat exploration game, since defeating aliens is part of the stated objective
ActionDRAINUS
WSS playgroundFor:Side-scrolling shooter fans who want to absorb incoming fire and turn it into attacksSkip if:Players seeking a slow-paced experience may find the focus on shooting enemy ships a poor match.
ActionKatana Rama
Ghost Machine GamesFor:Action-game players who want combat built around constant movementSkip if:Players who want combat built around standing still or slowly trading attacks may hit a wall against enemies’ melee and projectile barrages.Picked by overlapping fit notes and genres, not an editorial comparison.
Metal Black™ S-Tribute: platforms & release
Is Metal Black™ S-Tribute worth it?
It is worth it if: arcade shooter fans who want beam-management mechanics. Skip it if: players seeking a broad campaign may find the stage-based arcade structure narrow.
Where can I download Metal Black™ S-Tribute?
Use the Download Now button on this page: it opens Metal Black™ S-Tribute's store page, where you can choose how to get it.
What platforms is Metal Black™ S-Tribute on?
Windows only.
