METAL GEAR (NES)
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Publisher: Ultra Games.
Developer: Konami. Released: 1988 (Europe). Genre: Stealth Adventure. Other versions: MSX2; C64. Posted 8th October 2014. By Chris Weatherley © 2014 |
Undoubtedly one of the most popular game franchises of the last two decades, the Metal Gear series has been running with considerable success, and with the upcoming release of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain it shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. Its origins are not as you would expect however. Many believe this very game I am reviewing is the first title in the series, but this is one title the NES cannot hold aloft as an exclusive. The Japanese MSX2 home computer is where Hideo Kojima’s money spinner started; and was ported to the NES without Kojima’s consent by a sneaky Konami sub-division. Although the original game is still the true vision, the NES version is somewhat enjoyable, even if it has a number of problems and has been vastly altered from the MSX original. So, the US got a watered down Snake, but did he still have the same bite we all expect nowadays?
It would be fair to say that this type of game had never been attempted or even presented as a concept before. The very idea of having to avoid enemies rather than kill them struck a cord back then, so the foray in stealth territory was genuinely new for Konami and subsequently gave rise to the stealth genre. You play the protagonist Solid Snake, on his inaugural mission as a rookie agent to infiltrate the terrorist cell Outer Heaven, rescue members of FOXHOUND and assistants, including agent Grey Fox and ultimately to destroy the nuclear-powered walking tank known as Metal Gear. You are in continuous contact with your commander Big Boss, to guide you around the locale. Presented in a front/top-down view, you must avoid gunfire, locate weapons and gadgets, and contact the prisoners of Outer Heaven. The story is intriguing, and lays the groundwork of what we all know of today, with nice twists and turns and a final big surprise at the end. This is a very good thing, as it does spur you on to see what exactly will happen next. Its sequels took this style of insightful but sometimes baffling storytelling and developed it, but it’s obvious that the core hook of the franchise lies right here.
Snake fears poor turnout at the annual Truck Parking Championships
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Blending in with the floor is never a bad idea
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However, this is not the same kind of experience you get say with Metal Gear Solid. Although the concept is groundbreaking, the visuals certainly are not anything to be desired. Colours are a splattering of military and desert hues, which while fitting for the game does not jump out and yearn for admiration. The sprites are distinguishable… just. The Snake sprite is passable, with a bit of a wooden walk but certainly unique among the other soldiers presented. The enemies are very much a bunch of clones with little variance, and this poses issues. You cannot always tell which way they are facing at first glance, which is kind of important when you are trying to dodge their line of sight. This too is also indiscriminate, as sometimes they can appear to stare straight at you and not respond, and at other times open fire with their backs turned. For the most, you can learn these behaviours, but that hint of randomness can cause a call of “what?” on occasion. Vehicles are also carbon copies of each other, so remembering where an item is inside a certain truck is another headache. It does at least move at the solid pace, with sharp flipping between screens and character speeds remain consistent. Inside buildings things are a lot better in terms of environment design and colour styling, but with long periods of outside action it can become tiresome to look at.
Thankfully the gameplay is what saves the game from being a total bummer, even with the drastic changes to not only the primary scenes but also key factors in the plot line. For example, Metal Gear itself billed famously as a bipedal nuclear tank is a computer console in the ilk of Skynet. Ridiculous. However, exploring the base, dodging the guards, finding items and uncovering the plot is very enjoyable once you have gotten into the game. I say this, because the first section is a difficult part to conquer given the amount of enemies and limited energy you start with. Some may even give up before they have even got started due to this. The transceiver is a great innovation though, as messages from fellow cohorts and the commander himself give hints and help along the way, so it’s not always a blind walk in the dark. As positioning is key to making progress, it’s a surprise that you only have 4 directional control over Snake. This means you have to carefully plan your routes as walking diagonally is out of the question. It’s a pity many things like this hamper the otherwise engrossing storyline and player impetus to make advancement, because when you do succeed in reaching the next checkpoint, it is pleasing and satisfying.
Thankfully the gameplay is what saves the game from being a total bummer, even with the drastic changes to not only the primary scenes but also key factors in the plot line. For example, Metal Gear itself billed famously as a bipedal nuclear tank is a computer console in the ilk of Skynet. Ridiculous. However, exploring the base, dodging the guards, finding items and uncovering the plot is very enjoyable once you have gotten into the game. I say this, because the first section is a difficult part to conquer given the amount of enemies and limited energy you start with. Some may even give up before they have even got started due to this. The transceiver is a great innovation though, as messages from fellow cohorts and the commander himself give hints and help along the way, so it’s not always a blind walk in the dark. As positioning is key to making progress, it’s a surprise that you only have 4 directional control over Snake. This means you have to carefully plan your routes as walking diagonally is out of the question. It’s a pity many things like this hamper the otherwise engrossing storyline and player impetus to make advancement, because when you do succeed in reaching the next checkpoint, it is pleasing and satisfying.
A guarded room, with nothing but a desk and a gas mask? Fishy
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Cigarettes: evidently a habit Snake was never able to kick
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The NES gives Metal Gear a fine chiptune soundtrack which you can clearly tell influenced the future soundtracks of the series. Apt effect are numerous and not too repetitive, and the iconic alert theme is certainly panic inducing in times of heated action. Overall the sound is very well placed and executed, and is certainly of far higher quality than the humdrum visuals.
Being Japanese in origin and not given the full western makeover, we are treated to some classic speech translation issues, the most frequently occurring being, “I feel Asleep!” uttered by a lurking guard, who is very much awake. These grammar hiccups occur more during the prolonged talks on the transceiver, some really rather amusing. This however underlines the problems with Metal Gear on the NES. It’s got the heart of the good game deep down, but has been lost in translation on many factors. It’s playable certainly, and no way an awful game, but it’s not what you would expect a legendary classic to be, because that game is the one on the MSX. The differences are stark, and it takes its toll. Metal Gear fans will of course want to relive the first adventures of Solid Snake, but this is not the brilliant title it’s remembered to be. Kojima himself disowned this version of it, so make of that what you will. More of a limp snake than a solid one, even the cover art is a lifted still from The Terminator…. Kyle Reese is not Solid Snake!
Being Japanese in origin and not given the full western makeover, we are treated to some classic speech translation issues, the most frequently occurring being, “I feel Asleep!” uttered by a lurking guard, who is very much awake. These grammar hiccups occur more during the prolonged talks on the transceiver, some really rather amusing. This however underlines the problems with Metal Gear on the NES. It’s got the heart of the good game deep down, but has been lost in translation on many factors. It’s playable certainly, and no way an awful game, but it’s not what you would expect a legendary classic to be, because that game is the one on the MSX. The differences are stark, and it takes its toll. Metal Gear fans will of course want to relive the first adventures of Solid Snake, but this is not the brilliant title it’s remembered to be. Kojima himself disowned this version of it, so make of that what you will. More of a limp snake than a solid one, even the cover art is a lifted still from The Terminator…. Kyle Reese is not Solid Snake!
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