Hoo boy, we’re sure starting to feel old now…
35 years ago, on December 22nd, 1987, Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear launched on the NES (or Famicom) in Japan, kickstarting a rather scattered relationship between Kojima and Nintendo. The game itself was the first title in a series that would go on to thrive for a total of 28 years, ending with 2015’s Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (Metal Gear Survive doesn’t count, of course), which itself was a prequel to Metal Gear, tying up loose ends (to a certain degree) and bringing the story full circle.
Of course, Nintendo fans don’t have a great deal to look back on when it comes to Metal Gear, with only four titles from the series represented on various Nintendo platforms. This includes the aforementioned first game on the NES, Metal Gear Solid: Ghost Babel for the Game Boy Color, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes for the GameCube, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 3D for the 3DS (which, at the time of writing, is still AWOL from the 3DS eShop).
However, in the absence of quantity, there’s most certainly quality. While the first Metal Gear undoubtedly shows its age in 2022, the stealth gameplay is still remarkably fun and the twist ending around the role of Big Boss was a perfect precursor to the brilliant storytelling found in later titles. Metal Gear Solid: Ghost Babel, although officially non-canonical, was a fine representation of the series on the humble Game Boy Color, containing everything that Metal Gear fans know and love in perfect miniature form.
As a remake, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes is generally considered inferior to the original, if only for the misguided focus on over-the-top action that didn’t really gel with the overall tone of the game. Nevertheless, the way it marries the characters and locations from Metal Gear Solid with the gameplay found in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty made for a refreshing experience–and it was one that Nintendo fans could call their own. Finally, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 3D was arguably the best version of a game that many consider to be the strongest in the series. Not only did it feature a wonderful use of the handheld’s 3D features, but it also introduced the ability to move in a crouched stance, something that wasn’t available in the original or the HD remaster and made for easier stealth takedowns.
Enough chatter from us, though! 35 years after the original Metal Gear launched on the NES, we’d love to know which Metal Gear game on Nintendo systems is your absolute favourite. Be sure to vote in the poll and leave a comment with your memories down below.
