Metal Black (video Game) - Gameplay

Gameplay

The gameplay to Metal Black was unique in that there were no alternate weapons or bombs: the player's only weapon power-up were the innumerous Newalone molecules scattered by Nemesis. Collecting Newalone increased the player's beam level which served as the player's only defense. The more Newalone the player picks up, the stronger their standard beam fire became.

When reaching a mid-level or maximum level on the ship's Beam Level gauge, players could then unleash a very large beam capable of destroying various enemies as well as causing a lightening effect that would briefly shock the screen and consequentially destroy enemies behind and around the Black Fly.

However, certain enemies also had beam gauges of their own, most notably the end-level bosses who would in turn collect as much Newalone as they could and unleash their own beam weapon. When the player and the boss' beam weapons fired simultaneously, one beam would overpower the other depending on how high each gauge was, initiating a 'Beam Duel.' Players would have to mash the beam button repeatedly in order to keep the large beam blast away from them which would accumulate into a large ball of destructive matter. The blast would change in color depending on which wielder had a stronger beam.

There were six levels in the game. After the first level of each three sets of levels, a Bonus Stage would occur to indicate the player's advancement into space (the first bonus stage occurs when the players leave Earth's atmosphere and the second occurred as players entered a worm hole as a shortcut to Jupiter). Each Bonus stage had the player encircle a group of crustacean shaped enemies. The player had to lock on to the moving targets in order to launch cluster missiles at them for extra points. Each bonus stage was timed so as to challenge the player in seeking and destroying before the timer ran out.