For most players, Metal Slug Advance is the better buy. It is a purpose-built Game Boy Advance adventure with five original missions, vehicles, alternate routes and collectible cards that alter upgrades and other game elements. Choose Contra Advance: The Alien Wars EX instead if you specifically want a portable remake of Contra III, its familiar weapon-switching rhythm and additional stages made for the GBA.
The choice is less about which series is universally superior and more about whether you want a new Metal Slug campaign or a compact, expanded version of a Super Nintendo classic. This guide compares their structure, combat, replay value, limitations and cartridge-buying considerations without treating review aggregates or nostalgia as a substitute for the games themselves.
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Metal Slug Advance and Contra Advance at a glance
| Question | Metal Slug Advance | Contra Advance: The Alien Wars EX |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An original Metal Slug game developed specifically for Game Boy Advance | A remake of the Super Nintendo shooter Contra III, expanded with GBA-exclusive content |
| Campaign structure | Five bespoke missions with branching routes and collectible cards | Contra-style stages combining remade material with new levels |
| Combat identity | Run-and-gun shooting, knife attacks, grenades and usable vehicles | Fast action built around switching weapons such as spread shot, laser and flamethrower |
| Progression | Cards can change item effects, character performance and other game elements | Traditional Contra weapon and stage progression; the cited Nintendo description does not establish a comparable card system |
| Replay hooks | Alternate pathways, card collection, weapon choices and several vehicles | Replaying the Contra formula and discovering the GBA-exclusive stages |
| Important limitation | GameSpot’s review criticized the short five-level campaign and lack of a two-player mode | Original-cartridge link functionality is not established by the cited Nintendo listing |
| Release information | SNK lists a Game Boy Advance release on 18 November 2004 | The Nintendo listing identifies the game as a GBA remake with new graphics and additional stages; a launch date is not established in the supplied material |
That summary points to the central decision: Metal Slug offers more original systems to explore, while Contra Advance concentrates on reproducing a well-known Contra feel in a portable format.
What each game actually is
Metal Slug Advance is a new GBA adventure, not a port
SNK lists Metal Slug Advance as a Game Boy Advance release on 18 November 2004. GameSpot reviewer Frank Provo explicitly described it as an original offering developed for the GBA rather than a watered-down conversion of a Neo Geo Metal Slug game. That distinction matters when judging its length and design: the game is not trying to squeeze an existing arcade campaign onto a smaller screen. Its missions, progression systems and vehicle encounters were designed around this handheld release.
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The campaign contains five missions. Within those missions, the game uses alternate pathways and a card-collecting quest to give players reasons to return after a first clear. Cards can provide weapon and tank upgrades, and SNK’s system description says they can also alter item effects, character performance and other elements of play. The result is a game that asks you to look beyond simply reaching the end of a stage.
Contra Advance is a remake with an expansion attached
Contra Advance: The Alien Wars EX takes a different route. Nintendo describes it as a remake of the Super Nintendo shooter with all-new levels and graphics, plus original levels exclusive to the GBA version. Its purpose is therefore recognizably archival and celebratory: it brings the Contra III formula to a handheld while adding material that was not in the original console release.
That approach gives Contra Advance an immediate advantage for players who already know Contra III’s pacing, enemy patterns and weapon loop. It also sets a clear expectation. You are buying a remake-plus-expansion, not a wholly new Metal Slug-style campaign with a new collection system.
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Metal Slug’s five missions are built for revisiting
Five missions can sound restrictive, and GameSpot’s review names the limited stage count as a drawback. However, the number does not tell the whole story. Metal Slug Advance places its replay value in route choices, vehicle use, weapon selection and cards. A first run can establish the basic path; later runs can pursue a different route or seek cards that change how equipment and the character perform.
This structure suits a handheld game that you may play in short sessions. It also means the campaign’s apparent size depends on how much of the card system and alternate content you want to uncover. If your priority is a long, linear stage list, five missions will feel short. If you enjoy optimizing runs and finding optional content, the same five missions have more texture than a simple start-to-finish count suggests.
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Contra Advance prioritizes recognizable Contra momentum
Contra Advance’s structure is about carrying the series’ established momentum into the GBA. Nintendo’s description highlights fast-paced action, a remake of the Super Nintendo material, new graphics and additional GBA-exclusive levels. The appeal is immediacy: move, jump, fire, switch to the right weapon and keep the screen under control.
The GBA-exclusive stages are important because they prevent the package from being only a straight reissue. Nevertheless, the game’s identity remains tied to Contra III. Players seeking a fresh progression system will find less experimentation than in Metal Slug Advance; players seeking a familiar Contra campaign with extra handheld content may prefer that focus.
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Metal Slug Advance: vehicles and a health-based variation on the formula
SNK documents the control layout as follows:
- D-pad: move the character.
- A: jump.
- B: fire the equipped weapon or perform a knife attack at close range.
- R: throw grenades or fire a vehicle cannon when you are in a vehicle.
The game includes the Metal Slug, Slug Gunner and Slug Flyer vehicles. Each changes how you approach hazards, enemies and bosses: a vehicle can provide firepower and a different movement profile, but it also changes the way you read incoming attacks and terrain.
A 2004 GameSpot hands-on report notes that Metal Slug Advance preserves the series’ side-scrolling formula while giving the player a health meter that permits several hits before a mission ends. That is a meaningful difference in feel from a run where every mistake is immediately terminal. It does not make the game automatically easy, because positioning, enemy timing and vehicle control still determine whether the health buffer lasts through a section.
Contra Advance: weapon selection is the central decision
Nintendo specifically lists spread shot, laser and flamethrower among Contra Advance’s weapons. The key skill is not collecting a separate card set; it is keeping the useful weapon alive and selecting the right one for the screen in front of you. Spread shot is naturally valuable when threats occupy several lanes, while a focused weapon can be preferable against a single target or a narrow opening. The game’s fast pace leaves little time to hesitate.
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Contra Advance’s appeal is therefore tactile and immediate. It asks you to read enemy formations, preserve advantageous weapons and react quickly to jumps and attacks. Metal Slug Advance offers more systems around the action; Contra Advance makes the weapon loop itself the star.
Which game is harder?
There is no reliable, apples-to-apples difficulty verdict in the cited material, so claims that one is definitively harder should be treated cautiously. The games also use different kinds of pressure. Metal Slug Advance’s documented health meter allows several hits during a mission, which can make individual mistakes less punishing than a design with no such buffer. Its alternate routes, vehicles and upgrade effects can nevertheless create demanding situations when you are learning them.
Contra Advance emphasizes rapid action and weapon management. Players familiar with Contra III may find that its patterns feel more readable, while newcomers may need time to learn the series’ pace and safe movement. Your prior experience is likely to matter more than a universal ranking. If you want the more forgiving starting point, Metal Slug Advance’s health system is the clearest evidence in its favor; if you want a test built around constant reaction and weapon discipline, Contra Advance is the more direct fit.
Replay value, campaign length and two-player concerns
Why Metal Slug Advance has more to do after the first clear
Metal Slug Advance combines four replay hooks: alternate pathways, cards, selectable weapons and vehicle variety. Cards are not merely decorative collectibles. According to the game’s descriptions, they can affect item behavior, character performance and upgrades for weapons and tanks. That gives collection a practical purpose and lets repeated runs change how a familiar mission plays.
The trade-off is scope. GameSpot’s review praised the action, backgrounds, animation, bosses and weapons, but criticized the fact that there are only five levels. It also called out the disappointing lack of a two-player mode. Anyone buying specifically for cooperative play should treat that criticism as decisive unless the exact edition and hardware setup prove otherwise.
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What Contra Advance adds to a replay
Contra Advance’s replay value comes from mastering its stages, preserving the right weapons and exploring the material unique to the GBA version. The remake framework gives the game a known foundation, while the additional stages provide a reason for returning even if you already know Contra III.
The supplied Nintendo listing does not establish full original-cartridge link functionality. Do not assume that owning two cartridges automatically provides a supported two-player experience. Check the manual, regional release details and the capabilities of the specific hardware you plan to use before making multiplayer the deciding factor.
Critical reception and what it does—and does not—tell you
Metacritic records a 79 critic Metascore for Metal Slug Advance from 32 reviews, with an initial release date of 2 December 2004. That figure is an aggregate snapshot of contemporary criticism, not a guarantee that every player will prefer it or that the score describes current cartridge value. The contemporaneous GameSpot review is more useful for practical expectations: it praises the presentation and action while identifying the five-level campaign and missing two-player mode as limitations.
For Contra Advance, the strongest supplied evidence is Nintendo’s description of its remake structure, graphics, weapon selection and exclusive stages. That establishes what the game is designed to offer, but it does not provide a directly comparable review score in the material here. Comparing a numeric score for one game with a feature description for the other would create false precision.
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Choose by the kind of GBA experience you want
| If your priority is… | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A genuinely new portable Metal Slug | Metal Slug Advance | It was developed specifically for GBA rather than converted from an earlier game. |
| Collecting and build variation | Metal Slug Advance | Cards can alter items, character performance and weapon or tank upgrades. |
| Vehicles as part of ordinary play | Metal Slug Advance | The Metal Slug, Slug Gunner and Slug Flyer are documented playable vehicles. |
| Contra III familiarity | Contra Advance | It remakes the Super Nintendo shooter and preserves its recognizable identity. |
| Classic weapon switching | Contra Advance | Spread shot, laser and flamethrower are central examples of its arsenal. |
| Extra content beyond the original console version | Contra Advance | Nintendo identifies original GBA-exclusive levels and new graphics. |
| Replayable routes and optional progression | Metal Slug Advance | Its alternate pathways and card quest add goals beyond simply finishing a stage. |
| A confirmed two-player purchase | Neither without checking | Metal Slug Advance was criticized for lacking a 2P mode, and the cited Contra listing does not confirm link functionality. |
Is Metal Slug Advance worth buying on a real GBA cartridge?
Yes, if you want an original handheld Metal Slug and accept a compact five-mission campaign. The cartridge makes sense for someone who values the game’s dedicated GBA design, vehicles, route variation and card-driven upgrades more than a large number of stages. It is a weaker fit if your main requirement is local two-player action or a long, linear adventure.
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When shopping, use the specific product wording “Metal Slug Advance GBA cartridge” and distinguish it from downloads, reproduction carts and loose boards. Current prices, condition and completeness vary by seller and were not established here, so do not treat an old listing or a review-era value judgment as a current market price.
For the alternative, search for “Contra Advance: The Alien Wars EX cartridge”. Confirm the region, cartridge authenticity, label condition and whether the listing includes only the cart or original packaging. If multiplayer matters, verify the manual and hardware requirements rather than relying on a seller’s generic “multiplayer” label.
Verdict
Buy Metal Slug Advance for the better all-around GBA package. Its original campaign, cards, branching routes and vehicle roster give it more identity and more reasons to replay five missions. The health meter also provides a little room for error while you learn its systems.
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