Vivendi and Swingin' Ape Studios third-person shooter with a robot hero. Sharp humour, varied level design, effective gunplay and above-average writing for the genre. Short but a real treat, a genuine catalogue surprise. Well worth digging out of storage.
Your verdict
Category
Action1 player16+
Description
Robot Glitch battles the Mil'jurons in this Vivendi GameCube action game. Published by Vivendi, released in the United States in March 2004. TPS action game with Glitch using a variety of weapons, SF parody humour, varied levels and mechanical bosses.
Metal Arms - Glitch in the System review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Engaging"
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Long"
Technical info
💾1 GB📅18/11/2003
Published by Vivendi Universal
Metal Arms - Glitch in the System (GameCube) price, value & rarity
The NTSC release of Metal Arms Glitch in the System is the US version of Swingin' Ape's game via Vivendi. Collector value comes from the studio being acquired by Activision shortly after to develop StarCraft Ghost (never released), making this the only commercial trace of the independent studio.
An underrated gem
Solid and funny, this third-person shooter puts you in control of a scrappy little robot in a parodic scrap-metal world, with snappy gunfights and inventive level design. Caught between genre blockbusters and carried by a studio that vanished fast, it never got the honours it deserved. A safe bet for fans of old-school shooters with bite.
Is Metal Arms - Glitch in the System still worth playing in 2026?
A TPS action title by Swingin' Ape Studios, Metal Arms puts the player in the shoes of a small robot named Glitch fighting a mechanical dictator. The acerbic humour, the generous arsenal and the enemy control system give the title real personality. Visually colourful and technically polished for the era, the game offers a solid campaign and a very successful local multiplayer. For anyone hunting an atypical and fun TPS in the GameCube catalogue, a warm recommendation absolutely worth discovering today.
