Metal Slug Advance on GBA, adaptation of SNK's cult run and gun. Less spectacular than the arcade but the game's essence is there. Difficult, frantic and exhilarating. A must for series fans.
Your verdict
Category
Action1 player12+
Description
Action game from the Metal Slug series developed by SNK Playmore and published in the United States in March 2005. Soldiers Marco, Tarma, Fio and Eri battle General Morden's army and new enemies through intense action levels. Slug vehicles to pilot including the original metal tank, heavy weapons to collect, monumental bosses and the off-beat humor characteristic of the franchise. GBA adaptation of one of the most celebrated run and gun series.
Metal Slug Advance review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
The challenge was fitting sprites designed for the arcade cabinet into a far narrower frame: the soldiers are redrawn in reduced proportions but keep the essentials of their animation, comic falls and grimaces included. The armoured vehicles keep their visible bolts and detaching parts, and the explosions still take up a generous share of the screen.
The score picks up the series' sonic codes: twisted military marches, synthetic brass, snare rolls announcing the arrival of armour. The timbres are tightened for the handheld's chip, drier than in the arcade, but the motifs stay recognisable and the martial energy tinged with irony survives the change of format perfectly.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Pushing forward gunning down everything that moves, freeing prisoners and triggering explosions galore: the frantic run'n'gun spirit carries over intact to a handheld. The detailed sprites and offbeat humour elevate a relentless action. Short, intense and packed with secrets, a blow-off of instant fun, built for snappy sessions where you never let go of the trigger.
European PAL edition of Metal Slug Advance, the only Metal Slug built specifically for the GBA by SNK Playmore and structurally distinct from the arcade ports through its hub level design and collectible card system. SNK Europe run was short, the European cardboard box is fragile, and the game's singular place in the franchise makes it for Metal Slug collectors a piece carefully isolated from the portable arcade compilations.
Is Metal Slug Advance still worth playing in 2026?
Metal Slug Advance takes the daring step of an original cartridge rather than a Neo Geo port, and the result holds up remarkably well. The SNK run and gun keeps its readability, detailed sprites and explosive humor, while introducing a collectible card system that tweaks certain in game behaviors. The difficulty stays demanding, but more fair than on arcade. For anyone fond of run and gun who wants a true Metal Slug cartridge designed for handheld play, this is a swing well worth taking.
