Metal Gear MSX

Cover for Metal Gear MSX

Publisher: Konami

Creator: Hideo Kojima

Console: MSX2, NES Port Variation, PS3, PS2

ESRB Rating: Unknown

        

         The Metal Gear Solid franchise is one of the most successful franchises out there. Most people think that it all started with, ‘Metal Gear Solid’ for the PS1, released in 1998 … but NOPE! It actually got its start in 1987, on an unfamiliar computer which was the MSX Japanese Computer (that was made by Microsoft…who knew!) It was released in Japan only with North America getting the NES port which I think is inferior to the MSX version. We did get a re-release MSX version which came bundled in the recent Metal Gear Solid HD Collection for the PS3 and Metal Gear Solid 3: Substance for the PS2, but that was much later. I will focus more on the MSX version but mention some information about the NES version.

         The premise is a heavy fortified fortress in South Africa called Outer Heaven, founded by a legendary mercenary. It has been said that the fortress contains weapons of mass destruction. The Special Unit FOXHOUND commanded by Big Boss sends Gray Fox, its most trusted and best agent, to infiltrate the fortress. He gets captured, only leaving his last transmission, “METAL GEAR…” So now it is up to rookie solider, Code Name: Solid Snake, to do the following:

A)    Infiltrate the stronghold

B)    Rescue missing FOXHOUND member Gray Fox

C)    See if they have the ability to launch and to learn about plus destroy the weapon

That’s the background of the story so let’s get to the Game Play!

           

         You must navigate Solid Snake through the fortress Outer Heaven, while not getting spotted by the enemy soldiers. If you happen to step in their line of vision and it will go in Alert Phase. If an enemy soldier has only (!) above his head, only the enemies in the area will come after you and you can end the Alert Phase from exiting the screen. But if there are two (!!) above an enemy soldier’s head, other enemy soldiers will come from the other areas to help out, and the Alert Phase won’t end unless you take out all the numerous soldiers coming after you. There are also traps which results in instant death, Guard dogs that will chase you and cameras which will trigger a (!!) Alert Phase. The whole point of this game is to not be seen by the enemy, using stealth to avoid being spotted or silently taking enemies out to pursue further into Outer Heaven. You can use the walls and even a cardboard box to avoid detection.

         You will collect weapons, ammo and items along the way to help so you will proceed deeper into the fortress and you may have to back track to another area to grab an item you didn’t know about or forgot along the way. You must gain key cards to unlock different doors. I don’t like the key card since it is time consuming to figure out which key card works with each door, and if you have 8 key cards to go through, it will be total hell to tell which keycard goes with each door! Along trying to find and rescue Gray Fox, you will come along POW’s (Prisoners of War). Saving a number of them will result in your rank going up as a solider, increasing your health (FYI, SAVE THEM ALL… you’ll thank me…) and also some will give you information to where you need to go (Killing them will result in decreased rank and health so don’t be an asshole and be the better man). You will run into bosses along the way that may require a certain weapon to defeat them but you must find their weakness on how they work. You also have your superiors that will call you or you can call them to gain information when you are clueless (sometimes they don’t answer or aren’t helpful). Rations will replenish some of your health, and to mention something, leaving rooms will respawn rations and ammo. Getting a Game Over means losing all your health or falling into a pit resulting in instant death. You can save the game, and you will return to the main area where you saved.

Now onto the Controls…

         The controls differ from the keyboard on the MSX to the Controllers on the PS3 and PS2. The directional buttons moves you in Four Directions: Up, Down, Left and Right. You can’t move diagonally in which that you and your enemies move in a grid. This can be a challenge especially when you have to punch someone out or line up your shot on a moving target which can cost you some life.

         There are two buttons used for combat, one for firing your weapon you have selected and the other to use your fists to defeat enemy soldiers (which can be used when scarce for ammo or fun!). There are buttons for transmission like receiving calls from your superiors and two separate inventory buttons: one for weapons and the other for items collected which all will be used to progress through the game.

         The graphics are 8-bit goodness, with a nice look of a base and having a kick-ass sound track even if it is repetitive. The soundtracks like ‘Theme of the Tara’ and ‘Encounter’ will be recognized if you played any of the Metal Gear Solid games. Depending on the game, the translated text of the transmissions can be misinterpreted or have mistakes that may cause confusion but no problems with anything else.

         I think this game isn’t perfect, but for being the first stealth game, I have to give it credit. It has a big story line for the time, that many games didn’t have and the creator, Hideo Kojima, got a lot of his inspiration for the gameplay from movies like ‘The Great Escape’ and ‘Escape from New York’ (notice the word ‘escape’). It is difficult finding where you need to go and some parts can be unfair. But the overall fun factor is high, and the difficulty plus your curiosity will make you pursue into Outer Heaven to figure out why you had been sent and what is really going on… but I can’t spoil anything… I would recommend this to old school gamers and Metal Gear Fans that want to play the much older games in the series. 

        

         There of course was an NES version of the game.  There had many changes to it which included increased difficultly, inclusion of an jungle scene in the beginning not in the original, and change to the story…… like no Metal Gear to fight in the end….. HUH!? Metal Gear is a bi-pedal, nuclear, walking battle tank that you must destroy in the end, but I guess the people porting the game didn’t really get to the end of the MSX game and replaced the final boss with a computer in the NES version. Kojima himself was not involved with the North American releases and including sequels that were made to the North American release only, not the MSX game. It was then Kojima created a sequel himself related to the MSX version called Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake that would create one of my favourite 8-bit games of all time and a game that would contain more things found in the Metal Gear Solid games. But that’s another tale… a Snake Tale!

   -Wawa 911

7.5/10



Gameplay