Metal Slug vs METAL SLUG 3
Metal Slug is a platformer game from Nazca Corporation (1996) while METAL SLUG 3 is a platformer game from SNK CORPORATION (2014).
What each one is
Steam files Metal Slug under Platformer. In contrast, it files METAL SLUG 3 under Platformer.
“METAL SLUG ”, the very first title in SNK’s legendary 2D run & gun action shooting game series where all began, returns to the missions on the Steam gaming platform!
“METAL SLUG 3”, the masterpiece in SNK’s emblematic 2D run & gun action shooting game series, still continues to fascinate millions of fans worldwide to this day for its intricate dot-pixel graphics, and simple and intuitive game controls, heads out to the Steam gaming platform!
At a glance
| Metal Slug | METAL SLUG 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 7.1/10 | 7.5/10 |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (89%, 5,258) | Very Positive (90%, 9,156) |
| Critic aggregate | No aggregate | No aggregate |
| Price | $7.99 | $7.99 |
| Install size | 0.49 GB | 0.49 GB |
| Steam Deck | playable | unsupported |
| Released | 1996 | 2014 |
| Developer | Nazca Corporation | SNK CORPORATION |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Metal Slug vs METAL SLUG 3, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Metal SlugPlatformer gameMETAL SLUG 3Platformer gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Metal SlugAction, Arcade, 2DMETAL SLUG 3Arcade, Classic, ActionThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Metal SlugScore 7.1 · 89% on SteamMETAL SLUG 3 ✓Score 7.5 · 90% on SteamThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Metal Slug5,258 reviews · 1 add-on · 0.49 GBMETAL SLUG 39,156 reviews · 1 add-on · 0.49 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Metal Slug$7.99METAL SLUG 3$7.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
Metal Slug ✓PlayableMETAL SLUG 3UnsupportedValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Across the rounds a number can settle, it is level at 1 each. Which one is "better" is the part no figure decides, so we leave it to what you want from the two.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueMetal Slug and METAL SLUG 3 on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- PC
- PlayStation
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The higher-rated of the two: METAL SLUG 3 (GamingPickz Score 7.5)
- Better on a Steam Deck: Metal Slug (playable)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
ActionArcade2DShoot 'Em UpSide ScrollerRetroMultiplayerCo-op
Where they differ
FunnyFast-PacedAdventureCartoony
Online Co-OpOld SchoolDifficultNostalgia
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Metal Slug is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. METAL SLUG 3 is demanding, for players who want a challenge.
System requirements, side by side
| Metal Slug | METAL SLUG 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | — | Intel HD Graphics |
| Minimum CPU | — | Pentium 4 2.4Ghz |
| Minimum RAM | — | 1 GB |
| Install size | 0.49 GB | 0.49 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Metal Slug · METAL SLUG 3.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 1 accessibility feature for Metal Slug and 1 for METAL SLUG 3. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Metal Slug and METAL SLUG 3 in scope?
Metal Slug has drawn 5,258 Steam reviews, ships 1 add-on and installs in 0.49 GB. METAL SLUG 3 has drawn 9,156 Steam reviews, ships 1 add-on and installs in 0.49 GB.
Is Metal Slug or METAL SLUG 3 better?
By the GamingPickz Score, METAL SLUG 3 rates higher (7.5 to 7.1). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, Metal Slug or METAL SLUG 3?
Metal Slug is cheaper right now at $7.99, against $7.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
How we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.