Escape From Mount Stupid - Metal Gear
By
Danny O'Dwyer, Video Journalist
This week on Escape From Mount Stupid, Danny tackles the many incarnations of Metal Gear.
The bell rang for lunch, and five of us made our way into town. It was early 1999, and I had just turned 13. My friends and I would usually start our generous 90-minute school lunch break by going to the local shop for some grub, but on this day we walked straight past--this day was different.
We walked to the book shop and huddled around the games magazine section. There it was: Issue 42 of Official PlayStation Magazine UK. And stuck onto the front with adhesive resin was a cover disk containing the first playable demo of Metal Gear Solid. We grabbed five of them, paid the man, and ran back to school. I didn't concentrate much in class that afternoon.
It's amazing what you remember, but I recently posted an image of this issue on Twitter and was inundated with stories familiar to mine. For many of us, this demo sparked a love affair with the series that still remains. For others, the story of Metal Gear goes back much further.
Metal Gear is the story of a designer finding his vision, of a franchise spanning 25 years, of young men getting old, of war changing. It's not an easy series to sum up in a single video, but if this episode fails to answer every question you had about the series, I hope it succeeds in celebrating one of gaming's most beloved franchises.
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By
Danny O'Dwyer, Video Journalist
Danny has been a GameSpot community member since 2005. Since joining the staff as a video journalist in 2011 he has lost touch with most of his friends and family. He looks forward to the day achievement points become legal tender so he can return to Ireland and fix its broken economy.
277 comments
1 Like @ShadowofSonic good for you too bad the majority hate gayden
snake and big boss will always remain the best characters...gayden will always be a shadow
@ShadowofSonic I thought he would have had one of the greatest send off in videogames if he died with Liquid's Outer haven submarine crashed into him while he tried to save Snake. Yet, not only he lived through that by untold mystery, but was practically scratch less and even a videogame coming along :\
1 Like I kinda look at MGS4 the same way I look at RE4. The first three MGS games (starting with the ps1 version) were built pretty much the same way. When part 4 came out, it was on a different console, had drastically better graphics, so many in game options with CQC and things like that, that I never even learned all of them. The camera angle was different, the camo was automatic, etc. So I think MGS4 kind of stands alone as a new era in the game. It took a huge jump forward kinda the same way Ocarina of Time did compared to the previous Zelda games. I hate making that comparison though cuz that's kinda what the MGS game on the PS1 did. So I guess it had two huge leaps forward.
Parts 1, 2, and 3 seem to all fit together into their own era, even though 2 and 3 were on PS2. As far as those three games, I'd have to say the first one is my favorite. Next would be Snake Eater for it's best graphics of the three games, the introduction of camouflage, the cooler and less repetitive environments, the ability to kills lots and lots of wildlife (which is in all the Mario and Zelda games, so why not MGS?), and the cooler characters. Then last but not least is Sons of Liberty. I didn't hate it or have a shit fit over the fact that we had to deal with Raiden, but it was a let down overall to not play as Snake the whole time. Still, a great game that also introduced cool new features like storage options for unconscious people, first person view, looking around corners, etc.
I don't have a favorite, they are all great, and each one holds something special for each person. The story and characters are what makes this series great, and each game is like a chapter or book in one of the greatest sagas ever. Kojima is a genius, and hopefully, Metal Gear will never die!
I played all of them and loved every single one of them...except ACID of course. IT was something different. Can't wait for 2 new ones.
I started playing this series from the PS (the first MGS). And frankly, the first one was the best! They were all good but the first one was something else.. It's probably the effect of "first time" but anyway.
Wow, this is great guys, I watched MGS video and now this, I both play frequently (specially SC2) GREAT WORK!
Oh man, those 4th wall experiences. Somehow Kojima manages to get me EVERY TIME.
The Game Over thing in MGS2 almost made me hurl my controller.
The "HIDEO 2" screen in MGS4 had me looking on on the PS3 like "omfg did you break?"
Truly memorable moments, partly because he does these things at some pretty intense and involving parts of the game. These are the things that separate great games from the elite.
i liked mgs2 besides the annoying girfriend im playing part 3 now and doesnt seem as enjoyable
MGS1 and 3 for gameplay are the best... MGS2 was too much of Raiden and too less of Snake; and MGS4 was too mych gamplay versus cyborgs than human soldiers, that was not so good. (Sorry for my english, my language is spanish)
@jceledono thats why it got a 10 and its the best selling mgs to date ?
hate more plz like it or not mgs4 is one of the top 5 best games the last 2 generations
3 Like mgs4 is the definition of what a true video game is. From the cinematics to the great voice acting to the AI. And i know that their wasnt a single person in the world who could stay calm during the microwave sequence were everything begins to fall apart.
1 Like @killerjay13 Eh no no no no MGS 4 is not a true videogame It sucks. MGS3 is way better. Now MGS4 it is a game compare to asuras wrath.
2 Like @CRAPCOM1926 Oh my, Clearly you don,t know MGS very well hey. MGS4 was the absolute best anything you could ever play. MGS3 was awesome, but MGS4 was decades ahead in every possible way.
1 Like @killerjay13 MGS4 the only MG game that i dont like and i hate, heck even the ACID has a betetr story.
nice one i like metal gear but i reall dont wanna break my brain playing it so i only played mgs4 which is amazing
dont really [layed zelda ever but in a differerent issue is why dont you do hitman!!!!! also i know people hate it but its not that bad so maybe do one on cod remember how many games it sold!!!!
MGS series for me will always be the game series that started the whole epic story telling in the industry
The game was indeed way ahead of it's time, when mgs2 came in 2001... the story elling, the dialogue, cutscenes, gameplay, boss battles. Everything about it was just incredible.
Sure we have other games that are good, but I tell you something...
MGS series's story..is simply awesome...it's just a genre of it's own...
I have played other games, sure they have better gameplay, but mgs series offers the whole package, it's bloody brilliant!
absolutely great once again Danny, loving the Johnny cameo, love the end too "what is it we have next week?" o_o haha
1 Like I have to say that the best MGS has to be Snake Eater. Ive played MGS 1,2,3, and 4 in order but Snake Eater was simply the best. The story was simple, the controls felt just right, and the cutscenes were sweet. MGS4's cutscenes were pretty well made, and I have to say the game was a masterpiece, but MGS3 was still slightly better.
I forgot about the microwave tunnel, pretty much broke out in a cold sweat just thinking about it...KEEPING PRESSING X! YOU CAN MAKE IT SNAKE!
I remember the NES version of Metal Gear and trying to play that.
The bstrd child that was Metal Gear 2: Snake's Revenge I played, thinking it was a sequel only to discover much later on that it was all lies, LIES!
Ah, the memories. Played passed MGS, MGS: Twin Snakes. Didn't finish 2; didn't care much about Raiden. Finished 3, 3: Subsistence. Finished 4. Didn't play Peace Walker.
Going to replay them all just to get ready for the next MGS.
1 Like Sorry but you have your facts wrong Twin Snakes was just a remake of Metal Gear Solid 1 on the Gamecube with the graphics from Metal Gear Solid 2.
@solidus2_1 Its a shame that there are still people out there that need you to explain this to them hey.
1 Like @Threesixtyci The game might have come out between those two, but it was a remake for MGS1
@Craigy--IRE @Threesixtyci No... push the video to 7:40. He says that Twin Snakes was made before MGS2 SOL. He even says that Twin snakes was glimpse of MGS2 engine. I'm pointing out a mistake in the video.
Twin Snakes is just a remake of Metal Gear Solid 1 with Metal Gear Solid 2 Graphics. and dont tell me no Because I own and have played Twin Snakes.
I understand and appreciate how expansive some of the recent franchises have been that EFMS has tackled, but I feel like they've been less funny than informative as of late. Don't get me wrong, I like learning about the history of some of these game series, but I also liked laughing hysterically at them.
"Eating a plate of chicken, and shooting dogs in the face! Shooting dogs in the face?? Talk about wish fulfillment!"
Haven't have the time to play MGS4 just yet so Snake Eater is really the best I'd played on the series.
1 Like Seriously, not that I walk away with great exposure in these videos, but hands down EFMS is my favorite "show". MGS has been a beloved series of mine and honestly I'll admit that I cried at the end of MGS3. The end was spectacular and I truly felt like Snake was killing his own mother. Great series.
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Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Not Following
-
X360, PC, PS3
- Publisher:
- Konami
- Category:
- Action
- Release:
- Feb 19, 2013
