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Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes Preview

A series that has received worldwide acclaim, A series that involves tactical espionage action. A series that needs no introduction. The series known as Metal Gear Solid.

Developer: Silicon Knights

Publisher: Nintendo/Konami

Release Date: November 4th 2003

Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes is the first MGS game to come to a Nintendo console since the NES days. It is being developed by Silicon Knights, a Nintendo second party that also developed the likes of Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem. The game will be a remake of the PSX classic, meaning it will feature the same story and characters and also incorporate elements from MGS2. Gamers should consider the fact that this remake may be even better than a new MGS as combining the talents of two of the greatest game designers in the world an adding a Hollywood-beating storyline with powerful Nintendo Gamecube graphics, a pinch of new playability concepts and you get a extremely tasty dish indeed.

For a long time now Nintendo systems have been associated with children’s and teen games. Critics always used to say you would never find a real game for the mature gamer as Nintendo would never allow them to be sold. However, since the launch of the cube these statements are nothing but memories and will never be used again. Resident Evil made it’s appearance back on the N64 but the Cube only titles were the scariest and most gruesome the series have ever seen on any platform. Now again we see a turn around in peoples opinion in the Cube as shortly before E3 2003 Konami announced its exclusive Metal Gear Solid remake, developed by Silicon Knights. As E3 approached more and more information was revealed about this title and was announced that the Nintendo Gamecube would be the host of a totally reworked, vastly improved game: Metal Gear Solid The Twin Snakes. Once we saw the game at E3 any doubt we may have had were gone. The game looked better than the PS2 sequel (whats new!) Metal Gear Solid: Sons of Liberty, and boasted improved gameplay, graphics, and well - just about everything, really.

Gameplay

For those people who have stayed loyal to Nintendo and have yet to experience the Metal Gear Solid series it is a tactical espionage action game with brilliant story lines and comes packed with an highly addictive atmosphere. That means instead of running around unloading clips of ammo at your enemies, the game requires you to stealthily infiltrate and sabotage areas to stop this attempt at new global conquest. Some may find this slightly annoying, however it is not ass bad as resident Evil when every shot is painful to shoot as you know your absurdly short of ammo. The main character of the series, Snake, he comes prepared for his mission rather like a certain Mr Bond who has the uncanny ability to know what gadgets to bring along with him. Cardboard boxes, lockers, vents these can all be used to evade capture and prevent detection. Details like being able to cling to ledges and sidle along walls all add to the gaming experience and heightens the atmosphere of stealth ness. The title strives for realism though, and you will always become aware of Snakes weaknesses.

Visuals

Silicon Knights can be trusted to produce high quality visuals, we have seen their work in Eternal Darkness and from this we can rest assure we wont be disappointed. From the running E3 demo we’ve seen of this title, already there have been vast improvements to the series. Everyone always wants to use the newest, latest technology, and it’s clear the Nintendo Gamecube provides on all fronts as usual. Higher polygon counts in both the characters and settings takes the steps to bring a classic into the future, real time shadows, lighting and physics create a truly “life like environment”. Complete overhaul of textures and polygon counts gives the original a next-generation look and feel and is hardly recognisable from the PS1 classic. Everything about The Twin Snakes has been enhanced and improved to ensure a nearly different game ends up being sold.. Other than an unaltered storyline, the Metal Gear Solid the Twin Snakes experience is going to be completely unique. Newcomers will get to play a timeless classic for the first time, in a far superior form. Snake is coming to the GCN and he is doing so in style.

QUICK FIRE INFORMATION

  • Elements from Sons Of Liberty are implemented in The Twin Snakes. So we have the best parts from the PS2 game added to the vastly improved PS One remake now also renamed The Twin Snakes.
  • Gamecube quality graphics bring the story to life unlike anything ever thought possible. In fact it looks a totally new game as the visuals cant be compared to the PS One smudges they called graphics.
  • The first Metal Gear Solid title on the Nintendo Gamecube
  • Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Mario and Zelda and in my opinion Nintendo’s greatest employee, is overseeing the development of the title with the original designer Hideo Kojima.
  • Developed by the mastermind’s behind Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem, Silicon Knights and President of the company Denis Dyack.
  • Releases sometime at the end of this year
  • It has been reported that more than just visuals are being changed.
  • Chance of a multiplayer? Well maybe
  • There is a real chance that the use of the Nintendo Gameboy will be used. Taking advantage of the connectabilty the console offers.

WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR

So far, Nintendo has only shown the first level of The Twin Snakes, and while the graphical upgrades are definitely the first thing you’ll notice, there’s more to Twin Snakes than meets the eye.

The above scene shows Snake’s infiltration of the nuclear weapons disposal facility on Alaska’s Shadow Moses Island. Protected from the ice cold water by his hi-tech scuba gear, Snake hides from guards that patrol the area. Snake’s outfit has gotten a complete overhaul. You can now see the ripples in the material, the breathing apparatus, and Snake now casts a realistic shadow on the structure behind him. Konami did a a fantastic job simulating shadows via textures, but the real-time shadows in the GameCube version will add a lot more life to the visuals.

Since Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes is, essentially, a remake of the original Playstation masterpiece; Twin Snakes will sport the same detailed and intriguing storyline – and maybe better as I have already hinted.

NINTENDO’S E3 STATEMENT IS ADDED BELOW:

Continuing to broaden the Nintendo Gamecube library, Konami and Nintendo today announced Konami will publish a new Metal Gear® adventure exclusive for Nintendo Gamecube. Metal Gear Solid The Twin Snakes™ combines the thrilling story of the original Metal Gear Solid® game with the jaw-dropping graphics and unparalleled game play found in Metal Gear Solid® 2: Sons of Liberty™. The game is scheduled to ship later this year in North America and Europe, followed by the Japanese launch in early 2004.

Bringing heart-pounding espionage action home to gamers, Metal Gear Solid® is one of the most highly-regarded action series ever created. Metal Gear Solid The Twin Snakes™ for Nintendo Gamecube will combine stunning next generation graphics and game play, an epic storyline and unmatched content designed specifically for mature gamers.

Under the guidance of Konami’s Hideo Kojima and Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo’s exclusive second-party developer, Silicon Knights, is working with Konami to develop the game. Silicon Knights previously developed last year’s award-winning Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem™ for Nintendo Gamecube.

“I am tremendously excited to introduce a unique Metal Gear Solid® experience to a new audience of gamers as well as collaborate with my mentor in game design, Mr. Miyamoto, on Metal Gear Solid The Twin Snakes™ for Nintendo Gamecube,” says Hideo Kojima, vice president, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan, Inc.

“Mr. Kojima and I have spoken about this project for some time, and I’m excited our ideas have matched so perfectly,” adds Shigeru Miyamoto, senior managing director of Entertainment Analysis and Development Division, Nintendo Co., Ltd. “It’s this shared passion for game creation that has allowed us to collaborate to bring a special Metal Gear® project exclusively for Nintendo Gamecube.”

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