At a glance
The Iron is the end-encounter reference for Mission 3 of Metal Slug 4. It is followed by Mission 4.
Mission numbers refer to the original campaign order. Boss names follow the community mission reference; they are encounter identifiers, not official stage titles.
Snowfield routes and a waterfall climb
Mission 3 climbs through snowy terrain with two distinct approaches. The upper route includes a cave and descending logs; the lower route passes a Sasquatch cave and a waterfall climb with a Slugnoid. Both rejoin for the Iron.
The route choice affects the traversal as well as the enemy sequence. A Slugnoid climb and the upper downhill section should be practised as different approaches to the same final encounter.
Campaign reference: Metal Slug Wiki’s mission overview. Practice suggestions below are our own.
Make the middle run stable
Try this focused practice plan during your run. These are optional goals to set yourself, not extra objectives or achievements awarded by the game.
Keep the same movement setup used in the first two missions.
After a continue, check the current weapon before returning to your previous attack plan.
Compare the number of avoidable input mistakes on the way to the Iron, rather than comparing score alone.
How do I reach Mission 3?
Progress through Mission 2 in Metal Slug 4 to reach this mission. A new arcade run begins at Mission 1.
The Play button selects this title in the collection. It does not launch this specific mission, change the original game’s difficulty or unlock later stages. Use the guides below to read ahead while your campaign follows its normal order.
Can I return to Mission 3 later?
Metal Slug 4 does not currently offer Save State or Load State because restored graphics can be unreliable. Keep the current page open and use pause for a break. Closing or reloading ends that run; a guide link cannot restore it.
Manual continues include free credits. Automatic continues can be changed in Options & Controls → Gameplay. Neither option is a mission selector. Read the save and continue guide.
Controls for this run
These are Classic keyboard defaults; saved bindings take precedence. Touch uses movement plus A / FIRE, B / JUMP and C / BOMB. Arrange touch controls before a long session, or see all controls.