[1] Set in the dystopian future of 2052, players assume the role of rogue pilot John Ford taking command of the CF-345 Black Fly space fighter craft to defeat the Nemesis alien race and save humanity.

Metal Black was met with mixed reception from critics since its initial arcade release and later on the Saturn as an import title.

Metal Black is a scrolling shooter game where players assume the role of rogue pilot John Ford taking control of the CF-345 Black Fly space fighter craft across six increasingly difficult rounds to combat against the Nemesis alien race and save humanity.

[2][3][4] The gameplay is unique in that there are no alternative weapons or bombs;[2][3][4] the only power-up players grab through rounds are the Newalone molecules scattered by Nemesis.

[2][3] Each bonus round has players encircle a group of enemies that must be destroyed by locking on the moving targets and launch cluster missiles under a time limit to gain extra points.

[2][3] Getting hit by enemy fire or colliding against solid stage obstacles will result in losing a life and once all lives are lost, the game is over unless the players insert more credits into the arcade machine to continue playing.

With Newalone in their hands, scientists quickly begin Project Metal Black, focused on developing at least twenty-thousand human spacecraft capable of wielding the same beam weaponry as the aliens.

With the planet's population thinning and natural resources dwindling, a rogue pilot named John Ford commandeers one of the Black Fly craft in violation of the treaty, intending to strike back against Nemesis and save what remains of humanity.

The events within the game itself unfold over six stages as Ford pilots the Black Fly and travels to Jupiter, confronting powerful Nemesis ships along the way.

[4] Hiroyuki Maruyama of G.rev stated that Metal Black was a heavy inspiration during development of Border Down, including its "beam level" system and also features references to the former in other ways.