The Globe and Mail

• Reviewed on:

  Game Boy Advance

• The Good:

  Great graphics; classic gameplay; e-card system adds some depth to the game.

• The Bad:

  No two-player mode; fairly short.

• The Verdict:

  Fans of the series and trigger-happy gamers in general will find a lot to like in this one.
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REVIEW:

Probably the single best thing about the Game Boy Advance is that it's keeping classic game design alive. Not just ports of old school SNES games (which are certainly welcome), but new games that follow in the tradition of those from the 16-bit heyday. Games that anyone over 20 reveres like they do great films.

One genre that has largely been absent from current generation consoles (with a few exceptions) is the 2D-platform shooter. But the Game Boy Advance, with its relatively limited hardware, is a natural for the genre. One of the latest titles to crop up is Metal Slug Advance, a new entry in one of the genre's most respected series.

Metal Slug first appeared on Neo Geo arcade machines and consoles in the mid-1990s and quickly gained a reputation for its frenetic gameplay. Various incarnations of the series have since been ported to other systems, but Metal Slug Advance is the first for a handheld console since the ill-fated Neo Geo Pocket.

Metal Slug Advance is firmly in the mould of its predecessors, so fans won't be disappointed - although they might find it a tad easier than what they're used to. Which isn't to say it's not a challenging game, it's just that the original Metal Slug games are notoriously difficult.

A new twist used in this instalment is the E-card system. In each level of the game you'll find a host of different cards to collect, which, when combined, give your character extra abilities. There are 100 cards in total and collecting them all is no easy task, so there's some added replay value there for those who want it.

Unfortunately, one of the best features of the Metal Slug series, its two-player mode, didn't make the transition to the Game Boy. As a result, there's some untapped potential (such as trading e-cards between players) that could have made a good game even better.

Still, Metal Slug Advance does a fine job of bringing a circa-1996 arcade experience to the handheld form. Here's hoping the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP will keep the 2D games coming.