Choose METAL SLUG 3
Choose METAL SLUG 3 if you want the Online Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 88.8% positive across 2,485 reviews.
METAL SLUG 3 vs METAL SLUG 2
METAL SLUG 3 and METAL SLUG 2 both land in Action on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Action games on Steam. METAL SLUG 3 (2014) is 2 years older than METAL SLUG 2 (2016). METAL SLUG 3 scores higher on Steam reviews (88.8% positive) than METAL SLUG 2 (85.3% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose METAL SLUG 2
Choose METAL SLUG 2 if it matches what drew you to this matchup. METAL SLUG 2 launched in 2016.
Both METAL SLUG 3 and METAL SLUG 2 sit in Action on Steam and both list Multi-player, Steam Leaderboards, and Shared/Split Screen Co-op, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 METAL SLUG 3 |  METAL SLUG 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2016 |
| Genres | Action | Action |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 1.59 USD | 1.39 USD |
| Steam reviews | 88.8% positive (2,485 reviews) | 85.3% positive (279 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op | Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | SNK CORPORATION, Dotemu | SNK CORPORATION, Dotemu |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- METAL SLUG 3 (2014) is 2 years older than METAL SLUG 2 (2016).
- METAL SLUG 3 scores higher on Steam reviews (88.8% positive) than METAL SLUG 2 (85.3% positive).
- METAL SLUG 2 is currently ~13% cheaper on Steam than METAL SLUG 3 (1.39 USD vs. 1.59 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Both are Deck Unsupported.
METAL SLUG 3 vs METAL SLUG 2 — FAQ
- Which is better, METAL SLUG 3 or METAL SLUG 2?
- On Steam reviews METAL SLUG 3 scores higher (88.8% positive) than METAL SLUG 2 (85.3% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, METAL SLUG 3 is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play METAL SLUG 3 or METAL SLUG 2 first?
- If you want chronology, METAL SLUG 3 (2014) came out before METAL SLUG 2 (2016). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are METAL SLUG 3 and METAL SLUG 2 similar?
- They overlap on Action on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Do both METAL SLUG 3 and METAL SLUG 2 have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: METAL SLUG 3 ships Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op; METAL SLUG 2 ships Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Co-op.