Snake Eater 3D faithfully recreates the original and introduces many exclusive improvements, making this the best version of the game available.
Controls aside, the features designed around the 3DS add a lot to the game's appeal. The use of 3D is effective when approximating your position in a given environment. Specific details such as rain, snow, swarming hornets, and the occasional gravel spat from motorcycle tires jump out from the screen without coming across as shallow, depth-of-field tricks. A particular boss fight involving a flamethrower creates an impressive heat distortion effect that's without comparison. It's tastefully done and is one of the best uses of the handheld's flagship feature to date. Snake Eater suffered from frame rate issues when it first debuted, and, regretfully, they persist in this version. There are specific moments when it occurs, such as when you're slitting an enemy's throat and laying him on the ground. Overall, it never affects the gameplay in a meaningful way.
Snake Eater also makes use of the built-in camera. You can, for example, take photos in the real world to create custom camouflage for Snake. It's an interesting feature, but the whole photo-taking process takes you so far out of the game that you probably won't get much use out of it. There are also new gyroscope controls that come into play when walking on bridges or narrow branches. Rather than subjecting you to the headaches of tilting the 3DS with 3D enabled, the game thoughtfully reverts to a 2D mode during these sequences. Last but not least, the 64 hidden frogs in the game, known as Kerotans, have been replaced with Yoshis, of Mario fame. It's a thoughtful nod to Nintendo fans, but there's something unnerving about the contrast of Yoshi within the game's drab palette and atmosphere.
The story and array of menacing, superhuman antagonists (the Cobras) have never felt so alive within the slithering, Soviet-era jungle. Superb voice acting and hammy, comic-book-esque dialogue define Snake Eater's style, one that's typical Kojima and unabashedly self-aware. Metal Gear games are always serious affairs, but with a veneer of humor that either makes you smile or breaks the illusion. If this is your first experience with the series, prepare for lots of head-scratching moments and references to previous games that will simply fly over your head. Thankfully, the fan service has subtle charm and doesn't bombard you too often, just enough to remind you that you're playing a Kojima-designed game.
Given the bevy of unlockables and play styles, Snake Eater oozes replayability. The game takes anywhere from 5 to 15 hours to complete depending on your affinity for exploration and cutscenes. Once you've experienced the entire game, replaying it uncovers a world of possibilities. There are unlockable weapons and outfits that are earned by defeating bosses in unorthodox ways, or meeting ambitious conditions such as defeating the game without ever being seen by common sentries. You could never confuse Snake Eater as a sandbox game, but subsequent playthroughs give you a feeling of control and freedom that mimic the same notion of playfulness found in those types of games. Once you are familiar with the maps and the enemies' movement patterns, the game becomes one big playground. The overall length and inherently brief gameplay sections make the game accessible to gamers on the go, without limiting its overall content.
Snake Eater 3D is an excellent treatment of a justifiable classic. The story and characters hold up nearly a decade after their introduction, and the improvements to stealth mechanics enhance the entire experience. It's modern enough to appeal to a new audience, and the improvements should draw a lot of series veterans back into the jungle. The 3D is some of the best on the system so far, and the mature tone is a welcome addition to the family-friendly nature that permeates Nintendo's catalog. The game even makes excellent use of the 3DS hardware while avoiding the perils of tacking on new features for the sake of variety. It's an incredibly successful upgrade to an already fantastic game and is easily one of the best games available for the 3DS to date.
Peter Brown has been writing about video games and hardware since 1999. He grew up with the NES and has an unwavering love for retro and arcade games. Though he's a New England native, he's called the Bay Area home since 2004.
I just got this game yesterday for pretty cheap. I never finished the original on PS2 so I'll get around to it this time. Game looks pretty decent (for 3DS, anyways), better than I remember the PS2 version looking, despite what some comments below might say.
3 Like "The first half of the game is dominated by cutscenes." well welcome to metal gear
@soapman72 Lol! Keepin' it classy, I see.Firstly, I never said it was about spelling; perhaps you're just deluded since you have a nasty habit of reading into messages, an idea that was never there -- too insecure? Of course, I did poke fun of you, but weren't you the one who initially attacked? Please, son, keep up! Don't make this about your issue with spelling. . . fact remains that you attacked a very neutral post that was actually made in agreement with yours. And both times, you've come out defensive -- I'm detecting a pattern. Pfft. I'm a realist. After your response, I abandoned hope for etiquette, so I was just mocking you. Seems fitting since you initiated an attack.
But hey, you keep that up if talking down to pixels, icons and names on the internet -- people you don't even bloody know -- makes you feel like a 'wee big boy' in real life, okay? It's all good.
@KadeStorm It seems that someone is trying to stray away from the topic at hand...this is about a game...not how much you care about spelling in a forum:)
@soapman72 Before you blow your stack like a two-year-old addicted to sugar candy, let me clarify. . . I was actually agreeing with your view, and reinforcing it further. And them appealing to you and others that we just accept each game version for what it is. It's called a dialectic. Perhaps you ought to learn its meaning and assimilate it into your vocabulary rather than slinging around the word 'stupid', even at those who are actually backing up your poorly-worded argument. You really are an example of how reading and writing comprehension has gone down the toilet, or rather, taken a back seat to fuming ego. "oo noo... this stoopid noob responded to me i no better than him! hey shut up stoopid u look stoopid." Lol. Classy, dude. Real classy. Keep it up.
How is this the best incarnation of the game and it gets a 8.0 and the original (no subsistance) get a 8.7
1 Like Best MGS in ages thanks to the improved controls. Oh I could be picky about visuals and lack of gyro aiming but it doesn't affect the gameplay one bit. Awesome game made even better thanks to Nintendo's 3DS.
It annoys me how people refer to this as a remake. If you want to see a remake, look at Resident Evil for Gamecube. This is nothing but a cash-in port with some added gimmicks. It doesn't even look as good as the PS2 game.
@KadeStorm I said the 3ds graphics are amazing are you stupid or something. Everythings you just said i also said so yea try to read what I post before you make yourself look stupid
1 Like Too many cut-scenes? It's Metal Gear Solid 3, ain't it? Heh. @soapman72 As for this being inferior to the HD collection. Well, from a frame-rate and resolution stand-point, yes. No doubt! But the HD version is simply the same old thing running at a higher native resolution and frame rate. . . which is excellent! Nevertheless, the 3DS remake or whatever, has newer textures and certain in-game features along with some mild improvements in the look of the game that come by way of lower frame rates and other minor compromises. It is theoretically better, but from a pure technical standpoint, the HD version will come out on top by way of higher frame rate and resolution. I just don't see why we can't acknowledge that Snake Eater 3D has some visual improvements (which it does), while the HD version is stronger from an overall perspective (which it is).
1 Like Actually i really liked the cutscenes at the begining of Snake Eater. So that would be more of a plus for me ;)
@SheerMadness84 The battery life for the 3ds and vita are close to being the same. They both have terribal battery life. Comparing them is just making you look more like a troll.
@SheerMadness84 I'm not trying to make the 3ds snake eater look bad. I bought the game and am enjoying it. But saying the 3ds version is better is just wrong...I is not better. The HD collection has trophies, better graphics the frame rate is slow sometimes but no more then 3ds version, and has 5 games in the package for the price of snake eater 3ds. Don't get me wrong I love playing mgs3 on the go on my 3ds. But saying it is better is just kinda stupid.
@soapman72 actually the only flaw is the slow flame rate and that doesnt bother me it goes on and off at times.... i paid $23.00 for it since I had a gift card.... 60 FPS is not a reason to favor the HD collection over the 3DS remake. I already have MGS2 and MGS3 on PS2 and trophy support and 60 FPS is still not a reason to for me to buy it.....Peacewalker maybe but i can get that for $10 less on the PS store...
@SheerMadness84 You started your agrument right and then just went down hill...The HD collection looks better then the 3ds version even though the 3ds version is a amazing graphical achivment for the 3ds and anyone saying otherwise is crazy! Please try to make your statements accurate...
@eyebrowless man i cant stand peopel on here! the 3DS isnt going to get anymore smaller with the power it has... the 3DS 2 will not come out.... but a redesign will happen in 2 years...by then MGS3D will be $19.99 and you will be in 2015. by then MGS5 will be out.....Also, i got my 3DS with Ocarina of time bundle zelda edition trading in my DS on black friday total $140.00 its worth it to get it now.....the Vita doesnt even the batterylife either you gonna wait until 2017 for that too the VITAGO?
@Taxonomy Another imbecile. MGS3D is a REMAKE you get FPS with the touch of a button on the 3DS....its not a port.... do your research
@#Benny_a I am so sick of people like you on gamespot. Coming on a 3DS review and saying "Meh the HD collection is better" apparently you havent seen this http://nintendoeverything.com/81893/metal-gear-solid-3-on-ps2-3ds-and-ps3360/ its the very people like you who have to knock over childrens ice cream cones...I have MGS 2 and 3 on my PS2. I dont need to fork over $40.00 for 3 games (2 is ok but nots amazing i hated raiden) 10 years ago MGS2 was amazing then 3 came out and Peacewalker is a T rated town down game you can get on the PSN store for $29.99 with trophies.....I dont need a sharper port of MGS3 when MGS3D is a complete overhaul....and well...portable I only paid $23.00 for MGS3D and its the best game im playing right now....it looks way better than the HD collection and PS2 version combined....have fun with ONE ported game and another crap port and a a PSP game.
@ SapSacPrime "The Bad The first half of the game is dominated by cutscenes. May I remind everyone MGS4 scored a perfect 10 on this very site..." True, MGS 4 may have scored very high in spite of it's cutscenes, but your argument is groundless nonetheless. In fact, I am surprised to see how many people thumbed you up after making such an ignorant statement. It is an oversight on your part, see... Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is a console game, to be played at home, in the living room, on a couch. Metal Gear Solid 3DS is a handheld game, to be played on the go. Having long dramatic cutscenes is not very well suited for a handheld game, at least not in the reviewers mind. But long dramatic cutscenes, with which we have become accustomed to with Metal Gear games, were born on the console and are suited for that very purpose. Hence, the two reviews are not irreconcilable and your comparison fails to hold water.
I think ill get the MGS Collection for 360 or PS3 instead, for same price ill get 3 games. IMO such games are to be played on big screen.
@TrueGamingMouth I think it depends on what games. I don't mind to pay 60 dollars or so for a game like Peace Walker, when I know it is top quality and worth replaying for hours, or like God of War. But come on, I have never bought a game like FIFA or PES on a portable since those versions were made just to sell the Name of the title, and not to satisfy the gamers. Year after year they have the same engine, and no innovation to the gameplay.
And I didn't feel as a problem the fact of controlling the camera with the face buttons on Peace Walker, you get used to it. It was weirder to control it with the directional buttons and moving with the thumbstick like in Portable Ops.
It's interesting the thing about crouch-walk, I would like to test it out some time, but I wouldn't buy it now. I definitely think that the 3d effect makes the cutscenes look better, mostly the lastones on the bike scaping from the shagohod
I will not waste my money on something that i paid for years ago instead of reusing something that came out years ago give us something new and not a re-run with some new 3d effect improve on the old to make it truly new again
@Col_Kilgore I never fought him when i first played through this game on the Ps2, i killed him with my calendar. this game is a definite must buy.
I do wish that the original camera was available in this version. Remember where the camera is set from an overhead style of view? At least that way you wouldn't need to use the face buttons to control the camera. And when you go into aim mode, you should use the left stick to aim rather than the face buttons. What do you need the left stick for in aim mode, anyway? You aren't moving! Wouldn't that make so much more sense?
I got it on PS2 and I'll get the HD collection for Vita and PS3... And when I get a 3DS I'll buy this one. Why? Because it's Metal Gear Solid...
No touchscreen camera/aim (think Metroid Prime: Hunters) as an alternative to buying the Circle Pad Pro? I'm rather disappointed there, but at least everything else seems improved controls-wise. Since I never had a PS2 to play the original game on, I'll definitely look into picking this up...along with a Circle Pad Pro, to take the aiming from "abysmal" to "passable".
Can't wait for Nintendo to release the 3DS-2 so i can buy that and this game. im fine with waiting a while yet, but this game makes that difficult
im glad they remade this amazing game for another platform... this game gave me the most enjoyable game experience i can ever remember....what a incredible game
The battle with 'The End' is one of the most original and incredible boss fights in gaming history.
For those who appreciate story telling at its finest, would not mind the long cut scenes....and i guess it depends on the reviewer, that's why Kevin is the best reviewer on GS.
The Bad The first half of the game is dominated by cutscenes. May I remind everyone MGS4 scored a perfect 10 on this very site...
@ Ultra_Taco "I think portable games need to have their prices cut in half to $20. They're just too expensive these days, these are almost as much as a used console game made this year." Console games usually retail for $59.99, while handheld games usually retail for $39.99. Whether or not you think the discrepancy between the two is large enough is a matter of personal opinion, as is your statement that handheld games are too expensive. I personally think that they are reasonable. As handhelds become more and more powerful, the gaming experience becomes more and more akin to what you would experience at home. And on-the-go accessibility adds even more value. If you want to know the truth, each Playstation Vita and Nintendo 3DS cartridge is probably worth about 50 cents in plastic and metal, mass produced with Read-Only Memory burned into them. CD/DVD-ROMs cost merely a fraction of that. So you see, what we end up paying is not what the games are worth, but rather, the games are competitively priced for what the market is willing to pay. In short, don't blame developers/publishers, blame your fellow gamers.
I think portable games need to have their prices cut in half to $20. They're just too expensive these days, these are almost as much as a used console game made this year.
The only 3DS game that has sucked me in as much as Ocarina of Time did is MGS3!
The game has great: replayability, characters, voice acting, and bosses. Snake is revamped again, available for 3DS!
