Background History

Solid Snake, superspy extraordinaire, has had one of the most illustrious careers in stealth this side of 007. The star of Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear series is one of the most venerable and popular properties in video gaming history. Metal Gear forgoes the run-and-gun attitude of most action-adventure games for an element of stealth; for series' newcomers, a full frontal assault with guns blazing is likely to end in the failure of the mission. Instead, Kojima combines this unique gameplay with stylish cinematic presentation, a good dose of political intrigue, and an underlying message espousing the quest for peace. The result is the closest thing to a spy movie you'll find on a video game console.
But Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is just the latest in a long line of missions for the covert operative…

Metal Gear (MSX, NES)

The Story
The year is 1995 and mankind is living under the cloud of an imminent nuclear attack. Deep in South Africa, a mercenary group occupies a stronghold known as Outer Heaven. According to intelligence reports, this group has access to a new kind of weapon - one that will change the scale and scope of warfare irreversibly. The elite Special Forces team Fox Hound is called upon to gather further intelligence. Their best agent, Grey Fox, infiltrates Outer Heaven undercover, and reports back with new information consisting of two words: "Metal Gear." Contact is then lost.

Troubled by the loss of communication with their operative, and the apparent urgency of his brief message, Fox Hound sends another agent, Solid Snake, into Outer Heaven to retrieve Grey Fox and discover the secret of the mysterious Metal Gear. Snake finds his way inside the fortress, enlisting the aid of various prisoners, eventually locating Grey Fox and learning that Metal Gear is, in actuality, a monstrous bipedal tank with nuclear capabilities.
The implications of this new weapon are staggering: Metal Gear's mobility and its ability to launch a nuclear warhead from almost any position on the planet makes it a prominent and unavoidable factor in the global tension between nuclear superpowers. Snake goes on to rescue the scientist responsible for Metal Gear's development, and from him learns Metal Gear's weak point: the supercomputer that controls it.

Snake finally discovers Metal Gear on the 100th basement floor of Outer Heaven. After using his knowledge of the behemoth to destroy it, Snake receives a shock: The leader of the Outer Heaven mercenaries, and the man behind Metal Gear, is none other than Fox Hound's own leader, Big Boss, who has been pulling the strings behind Snake's mission in Outer Heaven all along. Stunned by this betrayal, Snake goes on to engage Big Boss in battle, emerging victorious. With the threat of Metal Gear destroyed and the traitor vanquished, Solid Snake flies off into the sunset.

The Game
Metal Gear introduced the idea of stealth to a video game audience grown accustomed to simply obliterating everything in sight. True to real covert operations, Solid Snake's greatest ally wasn't a rifle or grenade (though their importance is never understated), but his own agility and resourcefulness. The clearest path to victory in Metal Gear lay beneath sewer grates, behind corners, and in the shadows. Avoiding detection is essential to Snake's survival, and being spotted results in a steady stream of guards storming the area. Forgoing a firefight, Snake must evade them for some time before they'll give up the search. Combined with the complexity and depth of the plot, these harrowing gameplay factors helped make Metal Gear one of the most original action-adventure games of the time, and an instant classic.

The original Metal Gear plays very much like more recent versions; the series continues to more and more elaborate and impressive, but the core remains the same. Action is presented from an overhead perspective so floor layouts and any patrolling guards can be easily discerned. As always, Snake begins the operation with no equipment, requiring him to procure weapons and items on site. Metal Gear also introduces the Codec - a series staple - a tiny radio with a tunable frequency that keeps him in contact with the mission commander and a wide array of support personnel.

The first Metal Gear originally appeared in 1987 on the MSX, a cross-compatible series of computers popular in both Japan and Europe. Shortly afterwards a version for Nintendo's NES was released by Konami. This 8-bit incarnation of Metal Gear had undergone a few minor changes: many of the backgrounds had changed, while maps were subtley altered. Plotlines were also tweaked and although Big Boss is still the one pulling the strings, players of the NES game are led to believe that a terrorist named Vernon CaTaffy is controlling the Outer Heaven group.

Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (MSX2)

The Story
By 1999, the world's nuclear superpowers have improved diplomatic relations, and agree to dismantle their nuclear weapon programs. In this environment of pending peace, a small Middle Eastern nation called Zanzibar creates a new military regime and begins to raid larger nations' nuclear disposal sites. At the same time, the world is experiencing an energy crisis due to a rapidly diminishing supply of oil. To combat this threat, Dr. Kio Marv invents a microorganism called OILIX that has the ability to refine crude oil. Desiring this technology for their own evil ends, the forces of Zanzibar take Dr. Marv hostage.

With the militaristic Zanzibar establishing itself as controller of the world's supply of energy and nuclear weapons, new Fox Hound commander Roy Campbell calls upon Solid Snake - now in retirement - to take the job. Going in solo once again, Snake penetrates Zanzibar's defenses and makes his way into the heart of the militant country. It soon becomes apparent that Big Boss's betrayal in Outer Heaven was not the end of Fox Hound treachery, as Snake discovers that Grey Fox - the first special agent sent into Outer Heaven four years before, and Snake's former mentor - is the leader of Zanzibar's mercenary force.

Snake defeats Grey Fox in battle and rescues Dr. Marv before retrieving the OILIX microorganism, thus guaranteeing a new source of energy to replace oil. But in the process he encounters Big Boss, who it transpires survived the destruction of Outer Heaven and has since founded the empire of Zanzibar. Not surprisingly, Big Boss is in possession of a new Metal Gear. Snake again defeats both Metal Gear and Big Boss, escaping Zanzibar in the midst of its destruction.

After Solid Snake's series of harrowing battles and escapes, he again retires, this time to the Alaskan wilderness. But the evil intentions of those who hunger for power ensure that Snake's retirement will be short-lived...

The Game
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake embodied the basic evolution of the gameplay model established in Metal Gear. Better graphics and improvements such as the radar (which is now familiar to Metal Gear Solid fans) lead the roster of changes between Metal Gear and its sequel. Kojima maintained his vision for the character of Solid Snake, as well as the gameplay of Metal Gear as a series, by again thrusting the player into a world where stealth and subterfuge are more important than brawn. Metal Gear 2's plot was suitably complex and satisfying; the rich scenario was already becoming a hallmark of the series. Unfortunately, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake never made it past the MSX2 system as the format failed to make a mark with Japanese gamers and plans to launch the machines in Europe were canned, leaving European fans of Metal Gear wanting more.

Metal Gear Solid (PlayStation)

Perhaps one of the most anticipated and most hyped games in history, Metal Gear Solid took what was essentially a niche franchise and turned it into a landmark title. After its debut at the 1997 E3 show in Atlanta, Metal Gear Solid immediately became the talk of the game industry. Applauded for its stylish, movie-like presentation and the stealth-oriented gameplay that had made its prequels so interesting, Metal Gear Solid would go on to be regarded as the pinnacle of action adventure games for the Sony PlayStation.

Metal Gear Solid upped the ante over its predecessors in almost every aspect of its production. Unlike some developers who compromised gameplay in favor of glitz upon receiving the benefits of CD-ROM storage, Kojima remained true to his original vision for Metal Gear, using the power of the PlayStation to finally realize the game he'd clearly wanted to make on less capable systems. From the first title, A Hideo Kojima Game, to the movie-like introduction and opening credits that roll while you're playing, all the way to the end of the game, Metal Gear Solid all but defined the term interactive movie.

The Story
The peacetime foretold by Metal Gear 2 fails to come to pass, and by 2010, nuclear deployment is again in full swing. A United States military installation on Alaska's Shadow Moses Island, while playing host to a series of tests involving a new secret weapon, is hijacked by a group of terrorists. Interestingly, renegade agents Fox Hound - Solid Snake's former unit - lead the group. Important government and corporate officials - on hand to observe the tests - are taken hostage. The terrorists' demands are simple, if a bit puzzling: if the remains of Big Boss are not delivered to them within 24 hours, a nuclear warhead will be launched. Former Fox Hound commander Roy Campbell once again calls on Solid Snake to infiltrate the base, rescue the hostages, and disable the terrorists' nuclear capability.

Snake is shocked to find out that the leader of this insurgence is Liquid Snake, an agent with the same "Snake" codename as him and almost identical physical features. Joining Liquid are a group of Fox Hound's top agents, including gun-slinging torture specialist Revolver Ocelot and psychic powerhouse Psycho Mantis. Vulcan Raven, Sniper Wolf, and Decoy Octopus complete the vicious support team. Liquid Snake also commands a legion of genome soldiers, troops whose genes had been conditioned to augment their physical attributes. In light of this capability to manipulate genes, the terrorists' demands for the remains of Big Boss - the "legendary soldier" - become clear.

Snake successfully breaches the base's security and finds the hostages, learning that the tests being conducted on the island are for a new model of Metal Gear, dubbed Rex. Snake's mission is now one of search and destroy. En route to Metal Gear Rex, he encounters a number of interesting figures, including Meryl Silverburgh, niece of Roy Campbell and inexperienced soldier, and Hal "Otakon" Emmerich, the lead scientist on the Metal Gear Rex project. Snake and the terrorists are also stalked by a mysterious cybernetic Ninja, who later reveals himself to be Grey Fox, previously thought to be deceased.

After defeating all of the ex-Fox Hound agents (with the exception of Revolver Ocelot, who escapes after losing his hand to the Ninja), Snake destroys Rex. Liquid Snake then confronts him, revealing a terrible secret about their lineage. Both of them are genetic experiments, products of the Les Enfants Terribles ("The Terrible Children") project, crafted by scientists from the genetic material of the perfect soldier, Big Boss. Despite his moral urgings to the contrary, Solid Snake exists solely to fight. After a narrow escape and the apparent death of Liquid, Snake and Meryl ride once more into the sunset.

Following the ending credits, the player is treated to a brief transmission from escapee Revolver Ocelot to - of all people - the president of the United States. It becomes clear that Ocelot has been a double agent the entire time. More shocking is that Solidus, the President, is a third product of Les Enfants Terribles. What this portends for Solid Snake's future remains to be seen, but it's certain that these two will meet again...

The Game
Metal Gear Solid didn't introduce too many new features to the classic Metal Gear model - it's clear that Hideo Kojima had the general gameplay rules ironed out from the very beginning - but Solid did do a lot to refine that gameplay. Snake still hides behind, under, or around everything in sight to evade the enemy, but Metal Gear Solid's stunning 3D graphics helped make that action far more interactive. When Snake is pressed against a wall, the camera angle swings around to face him, revealing the area immediately behind him. A first-person mode was also introduced, enabling the player to observe their surroundings with unprecedented clarity and control. Crawling through tight spaces made use of this mode, too, providing the player with plenty of nerve-wracking moments in which the feet of passing guards are visible just inches away.

Metal Gear Solid also upped Snake's arsenal substantially. As always, Snake begins the mission alone and armed only with his fists. During his adventures on Shadow Moses, he would find a SOCOM pistol, an assault rifle, a sniper rifle, various explosives, and even a small-scale surface-to-air missile launcher. Plenty of items rounded out his cache, from cigarettes and rations to thermal goggles and the ever-popular and frequently hilarious cardboard box.

Metal Gear Solid is the culmination of Kojima's ideas about gameplay and presentation, executed on a system capable of handling them; a prototype for what we can expect out from Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.

Metal Gear Solid Integral/Special Missions (PlayStation)

Integral
While Metal Gear Solid was lauded almost universally as an incredible game, its most often recognized flaw was its length, or lack thereof. Dialogue and cinemas comprise nearly half of the game, so it's no wonder that some gamers were a little perturbed that they'd finished it in two sittings.

Enter the Integral version of Metal Gear Solid. Although it did very little to lengthen the core storyline, Integral introduced enough "value added" features to keep fans coming back long after they'd destroyed Rex and put an end to Liquid Snake. The original Metal Gear Solid package consisted of only two discs, and both contained only the game. Integral not only added a variety of elements to the first two discs but also included a Special Missions disc for fans of the surprisingly addictive VR training simulation.

Metal Gear Solid Integral is truly the definitive version of Metal Gear Solid. Although exlusive to Japan, Integral features the same superb English voice acting found in the American edition of Metal Gear Solid, with subtitles available in both English and Japanese. In addition to the difficulty levels found in the American game, a "very easy" mode was added, providing Solid Snake with a weapon and unlimited ammunition from the outset. Completing the game once opens a first-person-perspective mode. This mode differs from that in the original game by enabling the player to actually move around the world in first person at all times.

Special Missions
Those who've played the English-localized version of Metal Gear Solid, will experience a new challenge with the Special Missions disc. It contains literally hundreds of new missions that use the virtual reality motif of the original game's training simulation, however these missions vary much more widely in range and complexity. Entire sets of sorties are devoted to honing your skills with all of the weapons and items found in Metal Gear Solid's story mode, such as the cardboard box and cigarettes; many of the later missions contain some very intricate puzzles.

Integral contains a few interesting bonuses but sets very high requirements to obtain them. For instance, after obtaining the camera, Snake can use it to take pictures of the polygonal Dr. Naomi and Mei Ling. The catch is that he can only get so close to them; as more Special missions are completed, the distance between Snake and Mei Ling decreases. While this feature is little more than fan service, but it's a worthwhile addition nonetheless. Of much more interest is the Special Missions' ninja mode, which allows the player to take control of the ninja character (complete with his own moves) for a grand total of three missions. Appropriately, unlocking the ninja demands an incredible display of skill.

Gamers hoping to own the most complete version of Metal Gear Solid were disappointed to find that Integral was never announced for a European release. Thankfully, most of the new material was destined to appear in the Special Missions disc, which appeared as an entirely separate game entitled Metal Gear Solid: Special Missions in Europe.

Metal Gear Solid/Ghost Babel (Game Boy Color)

The name of the Game Boy Color edition of Metal Gear is slightly misleading. Originally known as Metal Gear Ghost Babel in Japan, it was renamed for marketing purposes to Metal Gear Solid when it hit European shores. Despite the name, it's a separate entity from the PlayStation title.

The game takes place seven years after the events of Outer Heaven, in the year 2002. Solid Snake is approached by Roy Campbell to retrieve a United States Army cargo plane, hijacked by terrorists and currently being held in the Central African nation of Gindra. The plane contained nuclear weapons... and a new Metal Gear. This new model of Metal Gear was actually developed by the US government, which had retrieved the plans from Outer Heaven after the original unit's destruction.

The Gindran Liberation Front, led by General Augustine Eguabon, steals Metal Gear in order to force Gindra's independence and oust United Nations peacekeeping forces. An Army Delta Force team is sent into Gindra, but not surprisingly, contact is lost. Snake reluctantly accepts this mission, having found solace in his Alaskan retirement. Then Campbell reveals that Gindra is actually situated on the same land that Outer Heaven had occupied seven years before. Suspecting conspiracy, Snake sets out once more for Outer Heaven to stop Metal Gear.

Assisting the Gindran Liberation Front is a Fox Hound-esque group of special agents known as Black Chamber. The group apparently took a cue from Fox Hound in naming its members, who boast monikers such as Marionette Owl, Pyro Bison, and Black Arts Viper, their leader. Snake makes his way into Galuade, GLF's fortress, evading terrorist forces and occasionally engaging members of Black Chamber in battle. Inside, Snake encounters Delta Force survivor Chris Jenner, who assists him via codec as he makes his way toward the new Metal Gear.

Leaving behind a destroyed power plant, a ruined Black Chamber, and a few casualties, Snake finally locates Metal Gear, once again housed in Outer Heaven's 100th basement floor. Snake defeats Metal Gear and takes down Black Arts Viper, in the process learning some very interesting and shady secrets about the GLF and Outer Heaven, and their involvement with the United States government.

Much like the PlayStation version of Metal Gear Solid, this one has an excellent storyline, and as it's a recent title, we won't reveal everything to you; it's worth experiencing the plot's twists as they come. Rest assured that there are plenty of surprises throughout the game, and that these add a new dimension to one of the series' long-running characters.

The Game
Graphically, Metal Gear Solid on the Game Boy Color gets back to the series' roots, although it retains most of the PlayStation edition's game mechanics. Snake can still back up against a wall and see around the corner, but here the effect is accomplished by simply scrolling the background. Knocking on walls to lure guards from their posts is again an essential part of sneaking around. Amazingly, enemy AI seems more challenging than in the PlayStation game: guards are much harder to evade once Snake is discovered and will follow him from room to room, taking longer returning to their original positions. Most of the weapons and items Snake used in his PlayStation mission return to the portable version, with the notable exception of the stinger missile launcher. Overall, the portable MGS is an excellent iteration of the Metal Gear formula, especially considering its platform's constraints.

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