A 2004 Game Boy Advance exclusive game is being re-released in 2027 as part of a larger collection in 2027. And this is set to be the first re-release of the 22-year-old game ever. When in 2027 the re-release will arrive remains to be seen, but it will be on a myriad of platforms. More specifically, via Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X. Meanwhile, there’s no word of it coming to PS4 or Xbox One.
The new collection comes the way of SNK, a developer and publisher based out of Osaka, Japan. And in 2027, SNK is planning to release Metal Slug Ultimate Collection, featuring 10 different Metal Slug games. Most of these Metal Slug games have been released before, but Game Boy Advance exclusive Metal Slug Advance. Developed by Noise Factory — which has been defunct since 2017 — this Game Boy Advance exclusive was released in 2004 to a solid 79 on Metacritic. While it sticks out from some other games in the series as an exclusive, it’s just another Metal Slug game in terms of design; though it does have two unique systems, the life system and the card system, that make it distinct from other titles in the long-running and nostalgic series.
For those unfamiliar with the Game Boy Advance exclusive game, you play as one of two new Peregrine Falcon recruits: Walter Ryan or Tyra Elson, in a survival training camp where new recruits are dropped onto an unnamed island with limited supplies and weaponry. The camp is interrupted, though, when General Morden’s blimp appears above the island and begins to parachute down troops to build a new base. In the process, many of the recruits are captured. Your job, along with the other remaining recruits, is now to cut through enemy lines and thwart the takeover.
As for the other games included in the collection, they are as follows: 1996’s Metal Slug, 1998’s Metal Slug 2, 1999’s Metal Slug X, 2000’s Metal Slug 3, 2002’s Metal Slug 4, 2003’s Metal Slug 5, 2006’s Metal Slug 6, 2008’s Metal Slug 7, and the never before relesed Metal Slug Location Test Version.
Does Metal Slug Advance hold up in 2026? Like many Game Boy Advance games from this era, it is no doubt dated and primitive, but not in a way that makes it inaccessible. That said, unless you love the run-and-gun genre or have nostalgia for the series, it’s probably not worth revisiting. It’s a decent option if you fall into either of these camps, but not good enough, nor does it hold up well enough, to jump into cold-turkey style.
