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For most players, Metal Slug Advance is the better Game Boy Advance purchase. It is a purpose-built adventure with five original missions, vehicles, alternate routes and collectible cards that alter equipment and other game elements. Choose Contra Advance: The Alien Wars EX instead if you specifically want a Contra III-style remake, the familiar weapon-switching loop and additional stages created for the GBA.
The choice is less about which series name you prefer and more about structure: Metal Slug Advance offers a new, replay-focused campaign, while Contra Advance preserves a classic Contra framework and expands it for Nintendo’s handheld.
Metal Slug Advance vs. Contra Advance at a glance
| Category | Metal Slug Advance | Contra Advance: The Alien Wars EX |
|---|---|---|
| Game type | Original Metal Slug adventure developed specifically for Game Boy Advance | Remake of the Super Nintendo shooter with new graphics and GBA-exclusive levels |
| Campaign structure | Five bespoke missions with alternate pathways | Contra-style stages built around a remake-plus-expansion format |
| Progression | Collectible cards can change item effects, character performance and other game elements; cards can also provide weapon and tank upgrades | Traditional weapon-focused Contra progression; Nintendo’s listing highlights added stages rather than a card system |
| Weapons and attacks | Gunfire, knife attack, grenades and vehicle cannons | Spread shot, laser and flamethrower are specifically listed by Nintendo |
| Vehicles | Metal Slug, Slug Gunner and Slug Flyer | Not established by the cited Nintendo description |
| Health model | GameSpot’s hands-on report describes a health meter that allows several hits before a mission ends | The cited Nintendo material emphasizes fast action but does not specify a comparable health-meter implementation |
| Two-player information | GameSpot’s review criticizes the lack of a two-player mode | The cited Nintendo listing does not establish full original-cartridge link functionality |
| Best for | Players wanting an original portable Metal Slug with collection and route-based replay | Players wanting Contra III familiarity, classic weapon switching and extra GBA stages |
That table captures the practical distinction. Metal Slug Advance adds systems around its shooting, whereas Contra Advance concentrates on reproducing and extending a known Contra experience.
What each game actually is
Metal Slug Advance is an original GBA game
SNK lists Metal Slug Advance as a Game Boy Advance release on 18 November 2004. It was not a shortened port of a Neo Geo Metal Slug. GameSpot reviewer Frank Provo described it as “an original offering developed specifically for the Game Boy Advance,” which matters when deciding whether the cartridge offers something new rather than a portable substitute for an existing console game.
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The game still uses the series’ side-scrolling run-and-gun identity, but its campaign, stages and progression were designed around the handheld. Five missions form the main adventure. Within those missions, alternate pathways and collectible cards give you reasons to revisit sections instead of treating a completed run as the end of the game.
Contra Advance is a remake with GBA additions
Nintendo describes Contra Advance: The Alien Wars EX as a remake of the Super Nintendo shooter. The package adds new graphics and all-new material, including levels exclusive to this GBA version. Its identity therefore comes from two layers: the established Contra III formula and the handheld-specific expansion.
That distinction explains why the games feel different even though both are side-scrolling shooters. Contra Advance is attractive when recognition and continuity are priorities. Metal Slug Advance is attractive when you want a fresh Metal Slug campaign built for a portable system.
How the campaigns are structured
Metal Slug Advance’s five-mission design
Metal Slug Advance has five brand-new levels. “Only five levels” was also one of the principal drawbacks identified in GameSpot’s review, so the number should be treated as a real limitation rather than hidden behind the game’s replay systems.
The stages are not simply a five-stop straight line. Alternate routes let you approach parts of the campaign differently, and the card quest gives exploration a practical purpose. Cards can provide new weapon and tank upgrades. SNK’s system description is broader: cards may change item effects, character performance and other game elements. In practice, that means collecting is tied to how later attempts can be configured, not just to a completion percentage.
Vehicles also change the rhythm of a mission. SNK lists the Metal Slug, Slug Gunner and Slug Flyer. Moving between ordinary foot combat and vehicle sections gives the five missions more mechanical variety than their count suggests, although it does not remove the campaign’s finite length.
Contra Advance’s remake-plus-expansion structure
Contra Advance builds its appeal around the Contra III template and then adds GBA-exclusive stages. Nintendo specifically calls out all-new levels and graphics alongside the remake. If your ideal handheld run is a faithful-feeling Contra campaign with additional content, this arrangement is the central reason to choose it.
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The cited description does not provide a total stage count, a card-like progression layer or a detailed route map. Do not assume that every feature from Metal Slug Advance carries over: the available evidence establishes extra GBA stages and a remake foundation, not a collectible upgrade economy.
Combat, movement and moment-to-moment feel
Metal Slug Advance controls and combat tools
SNK documents the basic control layout as follows:
- D-pad: move the character.
- A: jump.
- B: shoot or perform a knife attack.
- R: throw grenades or fire a vehicle cannon.
This arrangement keeps the essential actions on the GBA’s face buttons and shoulder button. The knife attack gives close-range encounters a distinct option, while grenades provide a separate attack from the standard firearm. When you enter a vehicle, the R button becomes cannon fire, so the same control position supports both infantry and vehicle play.
GameSpot’s 2004 hands-on report says Metal Slug Advance preserves the series’ side-scrolling formula and gives the player a health meter that permits several hits before a mission ends. That is a meaningful difference from a design in which a single mistake always ends the attempt: you still need to manage hazards and enemy fire, but the meter gives some room to recover during a run.
Contra Advance’s weapon loop
Nintendo’s official description highlights spread shot, laser and flamethrower. Those weapons are the core of Contra Advance’s appeal: finding or switching to the right gun changes how you handle formations, corridors and bosses. The weapon loop is immediately legible to anyone familiar with Contra III, while the GBA-exclusive stages supply encounters beyond the original console campaign.
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Replay value: cards and routes versus familiar mastery
Why Metal Slug Advance invites repeat runs
Metal Slug Advance’s replay value comes from several systems working together:
- Cards: collect them to unlock weapon and tank upgrades and to alter item effects, character performance or other game elements.
- Alternate pathways: revisit missions to take routes you did not use previously.
- Vehicle variety: learn how the Metal Slug, Slug Gunner and Slug Flyer change movement and firepower.
- Five-mission mastery: improve route choices and equipment over repeated attempts.
This design makes the game more than a one-time linear clear. It also means the campaign’s shortness is partly offset by goals beyond reaching the final boss. The offset is not unlimited content: GameSpot still regarded five levels as a drawback.
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What brings you back to Contra Advance
Contra Advance relies more on mastery of its run-and-gun fundamentals and on seeing the GBA-exclusive material. The appeal is strongest if you enjoy learning enemy patterns, selecting the right weapon and replaying stages until movement and firing become automatic.
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Presentation and critical context
GameSpot’s review praised Metal Slug Advance’s action, backgrounds, animation, bosses and weapons. Those observations support its reputation as a technically ambitious GBA run-and-gun, not merely a novelty built around the Metal Slug name.
Metacritic records a critic Metascore of 79 from 32 reviews and an initial release date of 2 December 2004. That score is an aggregate snapshot of reviews collected at the time; it is useful context, not a guarantee that every modern player will prefer the game or that a cartridge in any condition will deliver the same experience.
For Contra Advance, the official Nintendo description is the clearest evidence supplied here: fast-paced action, the spread shot, laser and flamethrower, and a remake expanded with new graphics and GBA-exclusive levels. The evidence does not include a directly comparable critic aggregate, so avoid treating the two games as if they have matching review datasets.
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Is either game confirmed to be harder?
No cited source provides a controlled, head-to-head difficulty comparison. Both are run-and-gun games built around movement, aiming, weapon choice and pattern recognition, but the available material does not justify declaring one universally harder. Your experience will depend on whether you are more comfortable with Metal Slug’s health-meter and route systems or Contra’s weapon-focused, fast-action structure.
What does the two-player evidence say?
GameSpot’s review explicitly lists a disappointing lack of a two-player mode as a Metal Slug Advance drawback. That is a concrete limitation for anyone planning cooperative play on original hardware.
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The Nintendo listing for Contra Advance does not establish full original-cartridge link functionality. Do not buy either cartridge on the assumption that a particular cable, adapter or multiplayer mode is included unless the specific manual, cartridge revision and hardware setup confirm it.
How long will the games feel?
Metal Slug Advance has five missions, so a player focused only on reaching the ending may find it brief. Cards, route changes and vehicles supply additional objectives. Contra Advance’s exact total stage count is not stated in the cited material, although its GBA-exclusive levels clearly add content beyond the remake foundation. Neither game’s documented evidence supports a precise hour estimate.
Which game should you buy?
| If your priority is… | Choose | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| An original portable Metal Slug | Metal Slug Advance | It was developed specifically for GBA rather than converted from a Neo Geo title. |
| Collection and progression | Metal Slug Advance | Cards can grant upgrades and change item or character behavior. |
| Exploring different routes | Metal Slug Advance | Its five missions include alternate pathways. |
| Vehicles as a major part of play | Metal Slug Advance | SNK lists the Metal Slug, Slug Gunner and Slug Flyer. |
| Contra III familiarity | Contra Advance | It is a remake of the Super Nintendo shooter. |
| Classic weapon switching | Contra Advance | Nintendo specifically lists spread shot, laser and flamethrower. |
| New stages attached to a familiar game | Contra Advance | The GBA version adds exclusive levels and new graphics. |
| Local two-player play | Neither without verification | Metal Slug Advance is criticized for lacking a two-player mode, and the cited Contra listing does not confirm original-cartridge link support. |
A practical buying decision
- Decide whether originality or familiarity matters more. Choose Metal Slug Advance for a new GBA-designed adventure; choose Contra Advance for a remake-plus-expansion of Contra III.
- Choose your preferred replay loop. Cards, upgrades and alternate paths point to Metal Slug Advance. Repeated weapon and stage mastery points to Contra Advance.
- Check your tolerance for a short campaign. Metal Slug Advance has five missions. Its replay systems add goals but do not change that mission count.
- Confirm multiplayer requirements. If two-player play is decisive, inspect the exact manual and hardware compatibility before paying; the available evidence does not guarantee link play.
- Match the cartridge to the condition you can verify. Current listings, prices and cartridge condition vary, and no current market check is established here. Ask for clear photographs, label and board details, and test information when buying a used copy.
Common buying pitfalls
- Assuming “Advance” means a straight port: Metal Slug Advance is specifically an original GBA game, while Contra Advance is a remake expanded with new content.
- Counting only headline levels: Metal Slug Advance’s five missions are accompanied by cards, routes and vehicles, but those systems are replay incentives rather than extra numbered stages.
- Expecting identical weapon systems: Contra Advance’s documented spread shot, laser and flamethrower should not be treated as a list of Metal Slug Advance equipment.
- Buying for unverified multiplayer: The Metal Slug review’s two-player criticism is explicit; Contra’s cited listing is not proof of link functionality.
- Using an old review score as a guarantee: The 79 Metascore reflects 32 reviews collected around the original release period and should be read as historical context.
- Assuming a used listing is authentic or complete: Prices and condition change by seller and region. Verify the physical cartridge and the return policy rather than relying on a title-only listing.
Frequently asked questions
Is Metal Slug Advance worth buying on GBA?
Yes, if you want an original Metal Slug adventure with five missions, route variation, vehicles and cards that affect upgrades and other game elements. The main reservation is its limited mission count and the review-documented lack of a two-player mode.
Does Contra Advance have extra levels?
Yes. Nintendo describes it as a remake with all-new levels and stages exclusive to the GBA version, in addition to new graphics.
Which game has better weapons?
That depends on the desired style. Contra Advance is the clearer choice for the documented classic spread shot, laser and flamethrower selection. Metal Slug Advance combines shooting and knife attacks with grenades, vehicle cannons and card-linked weapon or tank upgrades.
Can I treat Metal Slug Advance’s health meter as an easier mode?
No. GameSpot reports that the meter allows several hits before a mission ends, but that does not establish an overall difficulty ranking or guarantee that every section is easier than Contra Advance.
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Use the exact game title and region, request photographs of the label and cartridge shell, ask whether the game has been tested, and confirm the seller’s return terms. Market prices and condition are variable, so a listing should not be judged by title alone.
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Verdict
Buy Metal Slug Advance for the stronger all-round package: it is an original GBA game with five bespoke missions, alternate routes, three named vehicle types and a card system that changes upgrades and gameplay elements. Its short campaign and lack of a two-player mode are real compromises, but the layered replay structure gives the cartridge a distinctive identity.
Buy Contra Advance: The Alien Wars EX when the Contra III connection is the point. Its remake foundation, fast action, familiar weapon loop and GBA-exclusive stages make it the better fit for players who want classic Contra design in a handheld version with added content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Metal Slug Advance an arcade or Neo Geo port?
No. GameSpot describes it as an original game developed specifically for Game Boy Advance, and SNK lists its GBA release on 18 November 2004.
Are five missions enough to justify Metal Slug Advance?
That depends on your priorities. Five missions make the campaign short, but cards, alternate routes and vehicles provide additional replay goals.
Does Contra Advance use the same progression system as Metal Slug Advance?
The available Nintendo description establishes Contra’s remake structure, added graphics and GBA-exclusive levels, but does not document a card-based upgrade system.
Is a two-player cable included or guaranteed for either game?
No. GameSpot criticizes Metal Slug Advance’s lack of a two-player mode, and the cited Nintendo listing does not confirm full original-cartridge link functionality for Contra Advance.
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