The Huge Metal Gear Mega Thread

[Caius]

In E3 2009, Konami decided to announce quite a bit of new info on a new Metal Gear Solid game that had a lot of fans of the series iffy on its execution. Why? The main character was a very.. hated character from the 2002 partial hit, Metal Gear Solid 2. Kojima decided to have fun with the fans by announcing it at the Microsoft XBOX conference, and leave out that particular detail until the trailer rolled. Fun!

Back in E3 2010 and followed up at TGSNOV2010 a game for the 3DS was announced by Konami in the Metal Gear Solid franchise. While it's not the first Metal Gear game on the Nintendo, it is the first main Metal Gear Solid game announced for a Nintendo console, and a handheld at that.

This year at E3, we were given something that a lot of MGS fans have been waiting for, the HD collection. But.. let's take a brief trip back in time before I get to the nitty gritty. Skip this portion if you aren't interested.

Metal Gear
MSX2 - JP Jul 7, 1987/EU Sep, 1987
NES - JP Dec 22, 1987/EU Mar, 1988/US Jun, 1988
Commodore 64 - NA Jun, 1990/EU Jun, 1990
GameCube - JP Mar 11, 2004
Phone (Verizon/DoCoMo) - JP Aug 18, 2004/US 2008
MSXVC - JP Dec 8, 2009

Metal Gear was the first game of the Kojima franchise based on Solid Snake thwarting Big Boss. This game was for a number of consoles but sold very well for the NES, especially since it was the first one available in the United States. Since the game did so well in the 1980's, a copy of it was available on the Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence disc for any who were interested in trying it that might not have been able to acquire it for the original system.


Snake's Revenge
NES - NA Apr, 1990/EU Mar, 1991

Not even considered a MG game by standards of the fan, this spin-off of the original Metal Gear bombed in the US market for defying canon story.


Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
MSX2 - JP Jul 19, 1990
Phone - JP Oct 1, 2004
PS2 - JP Dec 22, 2005/NA Mar 14 2006/EU Oct 6, 2006/AUS Oct 13, 2006
Virt Console - JP Mar 30, 2010

Metal Gear 2, Solid Snake was not released in the 1990's as it was in Japan, and never made it to the nintendo entertainment console. Instead, for everyone that wanted it of an english speaking country, they packaged it with Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence. Though 16 years late, it is still considered one of the best 8-bit games ever made. This would be the game that would set the standard for the franchise that we have today.


Metal Gear Solid
PS1 - JP Sep 3, 1998/NA Oct 21, 1998/PAL Nov 6, 1998
CPU - PAL Oct 20 2000/NA Sep 24, 2000
PSN - JP Mar 21, 2008/NA Jun 18, 2009

The game that made Stealth games as popular as they are, Metal Gear Solid is heralded as one of the most important and best games of all time by people of the era for being exactly that. It's the third canonical title in the series, and still holds true as one of the heaviest story and gameplay based games today. This is the first game in the series that actually used Voice Acting.


Metal Gear Solid: Integral/Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions/Metal Gear Solid: Special Missions
PS1 - JP 1999/NA1999/EU 2000

Different versions of this game depending on where you were in the world. This in Japan was packaged as the more complete original Metal Gear Solid Game that had things the American version had at the time, such as adjustable difficulty and first person perspective. In Europe and the United States, VR/Special Missions was the release title, and featured a new entry in Metal Gear, the ability to play through Virtual Missions that had no relation to the story. Just for fun. The disc included Three Hundred of these missions to beat as different, usually unplayable characters or interesting scenarios.


Metal Gear: Ghost Babel
GBC - JP Apr 27, 2000/NA May 5, 2000/ EU May 5, 2000

Metal Gear: Ghost Babel was a very interesting game. In America it was packaged as Metal Gear solid, but it was not the same game. Apparently it was rated very well for what it actually was; an alternate ending to Metal Gear Solid, and is rated #11 in Nintendo Power's best Game boy games list. Not bad for a game considered terrible by a few new fans!


Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
PS2 - NA Nov 13, 2001/ JP Nov 29, 2001/ EU Mar 8, 2002

One of the more on-the-fence titles of the series, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of liberty explored some very controversial topics in video gaming such as conspiracy theories, Memes, Political Conspiracies, and artificial intelligence. The main character of the game was not Solid Snake, which caused a lot of backlash after release, but after a few years passed and hype died down a little, the game was regarded as a very good game in the series, and yours truly's personal favorite. While super heavy in story, gameplay mechanics from the original Metal Gear Solid were cleaned up and refined for this title, making it challenging and fun at the same time.

Due to the date of the games release, Konami had to remove the twin towers and much of the final levels from the game in twenty-four hours after the September eleventh incident to remain on schedule for release. All American flags were removed from the game, though the death of the final boss was meant to have one rest above his corpse in the true 'presidential' burial form.


Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance
PS2/Xbox/Windows - NA Nov 5, 2002/JP Dec 19, 2002/EU Mar 28, 2003

An updated version of Metal Gear Solid 2 that includes alterations to game play, added easter eggs, more dog-tags, and modes such as VR that were not available in the original game. The new game contained 500 special missions, with 300 of the VR variety. Again, the player can use non-playable characters from the game, and in the PS2 version of the game, the player had the option of playing a mini game based on Evolution Skateboarding. The best part.. if you beat the game three times your character will now have sunglasses on the entire game. Crafty! Along with all of these additions is now European Extreme mode for the gamer that moonlights as a masochist.


Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
GameCube - NA Mar 9, 2004/JP Mar 11, 2004/PAL Mar 26, 2004

After the release of Metal Gear Solid 2, Metal Gear Solid became almost unplayable with all of the additions to the way the game mechanics worked. Because it was still a popular game, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes reworks gameplay functions from MGS2 into the old game, updates graphics, and features re-recorded cutscenes and codec calls with better translation. Shigeru Miyamoto oversaw development of the game as well as Hideo Kojima to bring the most of the metal gear experience to the Nintendo Console.


Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
PS2 - NA Nov 17, 2004/JP Dec 16, 2004/EU Mar 4, 2005/AUS Mar 17, 2005

Though one of the more recent titles, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is the first chronological game in the series, the game dated during the 1960's in the timeline. The game centers around Big Boss, and how he got his title, not to mention who he is, and explain the timeline that brings us to who our main hero, Solid Snake is today. The game received beautiful ratings and went down in history as one of the best Metal Gear games made because of the crisp storytelling, beautiful scenery, and interesting additions to the gameplay that made it more than just a stealth/tactical espionage game.

The game was originally supposed to be for the Playstation 3, however because the system was not out at the time, Hideo Kojima took the plunge and developed it to be for the PS2. Unlike other Metal Gear games. the player is given the powerful option of choice in specific areas to drastically change their experience, such as being able to kill one of the bosses before the fight happens, or destroying the enemies food and ammo storage so that they run out of energy and weapons faster. It's all part of the experience! Look out for the James Bond-esque main theme.


Metal Gear Acid
PSP - JP Dec 16, 2004/NA Mar 22, 2005/EU Sep 1, 2005

The first Metal Gear Game to be released on the PSP, and not exactly regarded as canon to the series. The game is a card game, believe it or not that focuses on trading cards to control the main character's actions in game. The game was called Acid not because of the chemistry style naming theme, but because Acid stands for Active Command Intellegence Duel.

 

[Caius]

Metal Gear Acid 2
PSP - JP Dec 8, 2005/NA Mar 21, 2006/EU May 19, 2006

Following the same turn based strategy with trading cards that the first Metal Gear Acid game used, the game is not considered canon by storyline standards. HOWEVER, the game implements an item that would be used in Metal Gear Solid 4, as one of the most important items in the game, the Solid Eye. Packaged with the game, if the player decides to transfer pictures that they have taken in MGS3, the Solid eye can be used with the PSP to create a 3D version of the image. While it isn't required to play with the Solid eye, it is still an interesting item that can be used with the entire game itself to make it seem more 3D-like.


Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence
PS2 - JP Dec 22, 2005/NA Mar 14, 2006/EU Oct 6, 2006/AUS Oct 13, 2006

Metal Gear Solid 3, Subsistence is once again, an updated version of a Meal Gear Game. This featured the first implementation of Metal Gear Online, which is now discontinued in lieu of Metal Gear Solid 4's inclusion of it. Now, unlike the other versions, there is a regular edition and a limited edition. The difference is the Limited edition includes three discs, while the normal one only includes two. The discs are named Subsistence, Persistence, and Existence. Existence features a three hour cut of the game's cinematic cutscenes with Dolby 5.1 remastered sound for those who were unable to finish the game. It also includes the first trailers for MGS4. The Second disc includes Metal gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, because of the lack of American release for MG2.

The gameplay mechanics were changed a bit to include a third person camera to judge the success before the release of Metal Gear Solid 4 and a Demo Theater to watch in-game cutscenes while not needing to play the game. As usual, more easter eggs were added and entertainment is granted to the player in various shapes and forms such as improved Camo, and fun little quirks here and there to make the game more enjoyable. A definite add for replay ability.


Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
PSP - NA Dec 5, 2006/JP Dec 21, 2006/EU May 4, 2007/AUS May 15, 2007

The third Metal Gear game in the timeline, Metal Gear Solid Portable ops is a direct sequel to Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. The game centers around the driving force of the original Metal Gear games, Outer Heaven, and features gameplay tactics that are new to the series. In the game, the player can recruit teammates from a variety of places to build the ultimate team of specialists that will help them on the mission. The game received many great reviews, but left critiques with a poor taste because of lack of 3D cutscenes, and the difficult controls for a portable system.


Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus
PSP - JP Sep 20, 2007/NA Nov 13, 2007/EU Mar 8, 2008

Because where would any recent Metal Gear game be without an updated version? This version of Portable Ops includes more maps, weapons, game modes, characters, and multiplayer options as well as a single update to the single player mode called Infinity Mission. The player can now have 200 character recruits in their squad, and touches on the San Hieronymo Takeover. Unfortunately the original story mode was removed in place of Infinity Mission, and focuses on online gameplay.


Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection
PS1/PS2 - NA Mar 18, 2008

Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence in a very nice collection for anyone that never got to buy all three. At the time, the special updated versions of the games were difficult to find, even used. Metal Gear Solid was not even on the shelves anymore. Note that Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence does not include three discs, only one.


Metal Gear Solid 4: Sons of The Patriots
PS3 - International Jun 12, 2008

The interactive cutscene as it's known by gamers around the world. This Metal Gear game blew gamers out of the water when they thought that the Metal Gear Solid 2 cutscenes and codec calls were long. If you want to play this I hope you have a comfortable spot to sit in, because it's impossible to beat the game in less than fifteen hours if you watch every cutscene in the story. The cutscenes total over nine HOURS total.

Unlike the original Metal Gear's that relied on stealth as the biggest tactic, you are going to have quite a bit of trouble sneaking around in this title. While it's possible, one must become one with the game technically to do so. The slightest sound will alert a guard, the sound of breathing will have guns in your face, and the boss fights? Terribly difficult most of the time.

What is so good about this game?

Twenty years of story that has finally come together to mesh into the greatest finishing tale ever told. Details that have been purposefully left out of the other titles are finally explained, characters are reunited, and a grown man will shed tears over their childhood hero's fate. I'm not kidding. Tears of nostalgia, and the most exciting conclusion since we all found out Anakin Skywalker used to be a pretty cool guy make this game one of the best games.

An interesting fact: After Metal Gear Solid 3, Hideo Kojima announced his retirement from the Metal Gear franchise as a joke.. and fans took to it badly. He received death threats, and fans even went ballistic that Kojima even brought up the prospect of porting the game to the Xbox360. Needless to say, neither of those things happened.


Metal Gear Solid 5: Peace Walker
PSP - International Apr 29, 2010

Don't let the peace sign fool you. This is Big Boss, and Big Boss doesn't screw with hippies. This title focuses on the creation of Outer Heaven and is set in Costa Rica, ten years after Metal Gear Solid 3's timeline. The game includes a four player co-op gameplay option that allows for the player to utilize their friends on difficult boss missions. While yes, it is a PSP game, the game features wonderful graphics and beautiful story that does nothing but add to the metal gear experience. While the cutscenes are done differently, they take on a comic book style instead of a 3D cutscene style. This is presumedly to save space on the smaller console, but fans didn't seem to mind the change at all. The game managed to sell 1.2 million copies in the first quarter, and has an award for being 'the most bang for your buck'. Definitely worth a looksie. For all you young'ns out there, the game is the only one in the series rated T. Get it while you can.


I did skip a few titles such as MGS mobile, MGS Touch, and other lesser-known titles. If you'd like an in-depth analysis on them just send me a message and I'll add them.

Oh, did I say it would be a brief recap? It's Metal Gear. Nothing is short about this series. It took almost twenty five years to get to the big reveal, but wait, there's more. As mentioned previously, there are more games that are in production for the new consoles, as well as a remastered HD collection coming to an XBOX360 and PS3 near you. How cool is that? First things first:


Metal Gear Solid: Rising
XBOX360, PS3, Windows, Playstation VITA

Announced at E3 2009, Metal Gear Solid: Rising focuses on one of the lesser of the 'popular main character' crew, Raiden. No, He's not a side character, and he's not the main dude's friend, this is his story after Metal Gear Solid 2. You can not avoid him, and to be quite honest this game looks really interesting. While just like the other games in the franchise, it is a stealth game, you will have the option of using the Kinnect or Playstation Move (Presumedly) to use Raiden's sword based weaponry as you find out the story behind Jack's oddball cybernetic appearance in Metal Gear Solid 4. Oh, enjoy your extreme watermelon chopping action.

By the way, there's supposedly an achievement for not killing anybody. Good Luck.

 

[Caius]

Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D
3DS - Late 2011/Early 2012

The first Metal Gear to be released on a Nintendo Console in almost TEN YEARS, and it's yet another remake of a formerly masterful game. Unfortunately not much is known about the game yet besides the very updated graphics, beautiful scenery, ability to take pictures with the 3DS camera and use it as camo, and the fact that it will be targeted to new fans to get them into the Metal Gear franchise. Kids, if you're too young to play an M game, you may want to skip this one. Metal Gear is notorious for Sexual themes and uncomfortable situations around parents. Sorry!


Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection
Playstation 3, XBOX 360, Playstation VITA - International Nov 23, 2011

So, the games are fairly recent, and they've mostly aged well, correct? Well.. In this updated package, the fans in the US will be receiving: MGS2: Substance, MGS3: Subsistence, Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, and MGS: Peace Walker. The Metal Gear Solid games will feature crisp new HD upscaling, updated additions that will utilize the 3D camera, and a whole new system for Achievements and Trophies. On the PS3, the user will be allowed to share the game with the PS Vita to play anywhere right from their home console. Menus have been remade, and the whole thing will run at 60 fps at 1080p.

For the UK, if you're lucky enough to live there Zavvi will be selling the HD collection with: Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2, Metal Gear Solid (Product code), Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance, Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, Metal Gear solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker specifically for the Playstation 3 all in a nice steel box. I envy you.

In Japan, the buyer receives illustration books, the soundtrack, two mugs, headphones, and bags as well as the games excluding Metal Gear Solid 4. I do believe that they do not receive Metal Gear Solid product codes either.

Along with enough games to clutter any video game rack, there's now tons of art books, and written novelizations that touch on things that the games couldn't. Look at this list and realize that what I have listed is not EVERYTHING, and you'll soon see a man with an idea is a dangerous thing.

Thanks Hideo Kojima, when 2014 rolls around, if automatic deposit and ship isn't available I'll just start sending you my paychecks.


So yeah, discuss Metal Gear stuff here.

 

[Jas0n]

For anyone who hasn't played the MGS series, I strongly recommend you do. One of the best video game series of ALL TIMEEE.

I still need to play MGS4, but alas I lack a PS3. MGS3 is probably my favourite in the series so far though.

 

[Caius]

For anyone who hasn't played the MGS series, I strongly recommend you do. One of the best video game series of ALL TIMEEE.

I still need to play MGS4, but alas I lack a PS3. MGS3 is probably my favourite in the series so far though.

I really recommend picking one up. Nowadays you can get a used PS3 for about 120 USD, and MGS4 is about 7 USD. Completely worth it.

 

[Bacon Boy]

I'll probably end up picking it up. Never played a MGS game before.

 

[Thunder]

I've only played Peace Walker unfortunately, but damn, I put in so much time into that game. I've been planning on getting MGS4 soon.

 

[Brad]

I've only ever played MGS1 and MG on the NES. MGS3 looks like the most fun to me with the survival and all that.

 

[«Jack»]

Has Metal Gear Solid aged particularly well? I'm considering playing (/totally not allowed thing that starts with an e and ends with ulating) some of the series, and I'd just like some opinions.

 

[Caius]

Has Metal Gear Solid aged particularly well? I'm considering playing (/totally not allowed thing that starts with an e and ends with ulating) some of the series, and I'd just like some opinions.

It has aged... kinda well. Not super well but kinda well. If you plan on playing it, I would really play it first because after playing some of the later entries to the series it makes it very difficult to go back and replay the older games.

I've only ever played MGS1 and MG on the NES. MGS3 looks like the most fun to me with the survival and all that.

MGS3 has a lot of fun little things here and there when it comes to survival. Perhaps the best part is you can tranq live animals and throw them at guards. It gets to ridiculous levels when you start throwing pythons at anything that moves.

I've only played Peace Walker unfortunately, but damn, I put in so much time into that game. I've been planning on getting MGS4 soon.

Try and play at least mgs2-mgs3 first. Trust me. For the full blow-your-mind experience you'll love what it has to offer.

 

[Caius]

On another note I've been doing a load of mgs2-3 speedruns. Trying to get below 3 hours on mgs3, and I think I've reached the lowest i'll probably get on mgs2.

Mgs2:
Difficulty: Very easy (It's a speedrun, what do you want from me?)
Time: 1:42 (or something around there. I have a screenshot somewhere)
Plant Only
Items: Stealth (One part) Brown Wig (one part as well)
Radar Off
Deaths: 6
Saves: 0
Alerts: 3
All dogtags through extreme mode obtained.
Best Fight: Fatman, 37s

Mgs3:
Difficulty: Very easy (Not used to the game anymore)
Time: 3:32:16
Deaths: 86
Saves: 0
Alerts: 12
Items: Ez gun/Patriot (I'll kick the habit someday)
Best Fight: Volgin, 52 Seconds

 

[Ryudo Dragoon]

Metal Gear is a great series.
I'd say MGS3 was my favorite, it just felt so amazing with so many ways to play. MGS4 is a great game, possibly greater, but I just felt like I could do more in MGS3. (This might be due to how many 100s of hours I put into playing MGS3 over and over)

Definitely should play the series, good story, great gameplay, awesome humor. I'd recommend starting out as early as possible. Playing MGS3 and Portable Ops before MGS4 leads to so many amazing revelations about the story you might not understand as well without playing them.

I've played(In order of playing them) Metal Gear Solid(Great GBA game), MGS2(PS2 Substance was great, Xbox was lame, lacking multiple features and a crap controller as PS2 controllers are completely pressure sensitive on each button), MGS3(First regular, later Subsistence, third person is great but makes it easier, would recommend playing it without first if possible), MGS1(Intergral and Twin Snakes. My brother wouldn't let me play this when I was younger and I didn't have a chance to until I got the whole trilogy), Portable Ops(Still need to beat it as my friend lost it :V) and MGS4. Haven't had a chance to play Ac!d or the originals.

 

[Caius]

Metal Gear is a great series.
I'd say MGS3 was my favorite, it just felt so amazing with so many ways to play. MGS4 is a great game, possibly greater, but I just felt like I could do more in MGS3. (This might be due to how many 100s of hours I put into playing MGS3 over and over)

Definitely should play the series, good story, great gameplay, awesome humor. I'd recommend starting out as early as possible. Playing MGS3 and Portable Ops before MGS4 leads to so many amazing revelations about the story you might not understand as well without playing them.

I've played(In order of playing them) Metal Gear Solid(Great GBA game), MGS2(PS2 Substance was great, Xbox was lame, lacking multiple features and a crap controller as PS2 controllers are completely pressure sensitive on each button), MGS3(First regular, later Subsistence, third person is great but makes it easier, would recommend playing it without first if possible), MGS1(Intergral and Twin Snakes. My brother wouldn't let me play this when I was younger and I didn't have a chance to until I got the whole trilogy), Portable Ops(Still need to beat it as my friend lost it :V) and MGS4. Haven't had a chance to play Ac!d or the originals.

Ac!d just seemed like a money maker to me. I never cared much for it. I still to this day haven't beaten mgs1. I tried, lord did I try, but after playing mgs2 and 3 for so many years it was impossible. I never had a gamecube either so it was almost impossible for me to sit down and play through it without that first person aim.

 

[Tyeforce]

Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D will be my first Metal Gear game. If I like it I might try to find Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes for GameCube. Unfortunately, that's pretty much all I can play unless more updated versions of some of the other games come to Nintendo consoles sometime. *coughWiiUcough*

EDIT: And why is this thread in the PlayStation forum? Metal Gear is a multi-platform franchise. It didn't even start on PlayStation!

 

[Jas0n]

Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D will be my first Metal Gear game. If I like it I might try to find Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes for GameCube. Unfortunately, that's pretty much all I can play unless more updated versions of some of the other games come to Nintendo consoles sometime. *coughWiiUcough*

EDIT: And why is this thread in the PlayStation forum? Metal Gear is a multi-platform franchise. It didn't even start on PlayStation!

Because the playstation versions are infinitely better.

 

[SockHead]

Unfortunately, that's pretty much all I can play unless more updated versions of some of the other games come to Nintendo consoles sometime. *coughWiiUcough*

lol that's a good one

 

[Tyeforce]

Because the playstation versions are infinitely better.

That doesn't change the fact that it belongs in Gamers' Lounge, not PlayStation.

 

[Caius]

The thread is in playstation because the majority of games are for the PS consoles.


As for games coming to the WiiU, I doubt they'll be making anymore games for a nintendo console past snake eater 3d, considering the twin snakes deal a while back is why we don't have a remake of MGS1 yet.

 

[Caleb]

I've only beaten MGS2 though I have MGS1 I can't play it. I tried so hard to play MGS1 after beating MGS2 and I couldn't do it. I played MGS3 but it was borrowed so I didn't get to finish it. I like how mcuh effort you put into this thread, I'm very impressed.

 

[Tyeforce]

The thread is in playstation because the majority of games are for the PS consoles.


As for games coming to the WiiU, I doubt they'll be making anymore games for a nintendo console past snake eater 3d, considering the twin snakes deal a while back is why we don't have a remake of MGS1 yet.

It shouldn't matter if a majority of the games are on PlayStation, it's still a multi-console franchise. The franchise isn't owned by Sony, nor is it exclusive to PlayStation, so as long as the thread is about the Metal Gear franchise as a whole, it belongs in Gamers' Lounge, not PlayStation. I avoid the PlayStation forum here, but I do have interest in the Metal Gear franchise, and I would have completely missed this thread if I hadn't seen it in the latest posts.

And I don't understand your reasoning against new Metal Gear games on Nintendo systems. It's not like Hideo Kojima has anything against Nintendo or anything. Hell, he literally begged Masahiro Sakurai to put Snake in Smash Bros. And he worked with Shigeru Miyamoto on The Twin Snakes. I think it's a lot more likely for us to see future Metal Gear games on Nintendo systems from now on, especially with the early 3DS support.