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This tone and some of these themes reflect the mindset of a large amount of the [[Japanese cinema]] made since the [[Hiroshima]] bombing of 1945.
This tone and some of these themes reflect the mindset of a large amount of the [[Japanese cinema]] made since the [[Hiroshima]] bombing of 1945.

The main underlying themes for [[Metal Gear Solid]], [[Metal Gear Solid 2]] and [[Metal Gear Solid 3]] is regarding the effects of [[genes]], [[memes]] and [[scene]] respectively, and how the characters are affected by these factors.


==Character groups==
==Character groups==

Revision as of 09:07, 19 January 2006

File:Mgs logo.gif
The Metal Gear Solid logo style used since Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.
File:SolidSnakeMGS2.jpg
Solid Snake, the most common protagonist in the Metal Gear series

Metal Gear is a series of stealth-based games created by Hideo Kojima and developed and published by Konami. The player takes control of an elite military operative (usually Solid Snake) repeatedly facing off against the latest incarnation of the eponymous superweapon, "Metal Gear", a bipedal walking tank with nuclear launching capabilities.


The games

The original Metal Gear debuted on the MSX2 computer in 1987 in Japan and Europe. The game was one of the first games, if not the first, in which using stealth was emphasized over direct confrontation with the enemy. This was due to the MSX hardware's limitations when it came to handling more conventional action games. Many of the series' trademark aspects were already present, including the wireless communicator used by the player's character. This game was later released in North America and Japan on the NES/Famicom.

A sequel, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, was released in 1990 for the MSX2 in Japan only. Metal Gear 2 made numerous enhancements and additions to the game, including a deeper and more developed storyline.

The Metal Gear franchise made a comeback in the form of Metal Gear Solid for the Sony PlayStation, adapting the basic premise and gameplay of the first two games in 3D. Whereas the first two Metal Gear titles were only moderately successful, Metal Gear Solid was a huge hit, selling nearly 15 million copies. This paved the way for similar stealth-based games and at the same time, established Metal Gear as one of Konami's hallmark series.

Metal Gear Solid was followed by two sequels for the PlayStation 2. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty in 2001 and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater in 2004, each providing further enhancements to the Metal Gear gameplay.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is currently in development, with the tagline "No Place to Hide". It is to be produced by Ken-ichiro Imaizumi and Hideo Kojima with Kojima also reprising his role as director along with co-director Shuyo Murata. The game will feature the return of several characters from Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.

The main games

The series consists of the following titles (in order of release) in its official canon:

Supplemental editions and remakes

Since the release of Metal Gear Solid, there have also been various "special edition" products, with additions, improvements, or brand new content. In Japan, the initial versions of the Metal Gear Solid titles usually feature the original Japanese voice acting, while the updated versions (Integral, Substance) contain the English dubbing from the North American version in their place.

Additionally, Metal Gear Solid has been remade in a Konami/Silicon Knights coproduction titled Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (2004), a GameCube exclusive. This featured fully redubbed English voices, and all-new cutscenes, directed by Ryuhei Kitamura, best known for the Japanese cult action film, Versus.

The updated versions are:

Other ports and versions

Shortly, after the release of the original MSX2 version of Metal Gear, Konami released a port of the game for Nintendo's Family Computer in Japan and its western counterpart, the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was the first Metal Gear game released in North America. The NES version was made without Hideo Kojima's involvement and contained several considerable changes, including different level designs and the removal of the Metal Gear mecha. Hideo Kojima has been quoted as saying the NES/Famicom port of Metal Gear was changed quite a bit from the original MSX version. It was made without his direction and he, himself, finds the game to be rather challenging. The NES version was the basis of two North American computer ports released in 1990, one for the IBM PC and the other for the Commodore 64. The Famicom version was also released for the GameCube in emulated form as part of a Japanese bundle of The Twin Snakes.

In 2004, mobile phone ports of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 based on the original MSX2 versions were released in Japan; they feature (among other changes) new game modes and items. Ports of these two versions are scheduled to be included in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence.

In 2000, Konami released a version of the original Metal Gear Solid for PC ported by Microsoft Game Studios. This port was actually based on the Integral re-release and contained both the original game and the VR Missions disc.

In 2002, Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance was ported to the Xbox and PC.

Non-canonical sequels and spinoffs

In addition to the core titles listed above, a number of Metal Gear related titles have appeared through the course of the series that don't follow the main continuity.

The first of these titles was Snake's Revenge, a 1990 NES game that intended to be a sequel to the original Metal Gear. The game was produced in Japan and made specifically for the western market (a Japanese version was never released). Although Hideo Kojima was not involved in the production of the game, Kojima has stated that he liked the game and that it served as his inspiration for Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (which supplanted Snake's Revenge as the canonical sequel).

The next non-canonical Metal Gear title was Metal Gear: Ghost Babel, a Game Boy Color game released in 2000 and retitled Metal Gear Solid for its English language release. This game uses the storyline of Metal Gear as a backstory (while ignoring the events of Metal Gear 2 and Metal Gear Solid), picking up seven years after.

In 2004, Konami released Metal Gear Acid for the PlayStation Portable. Acid is not a traditional stealth game like the other Metal Gear titles, but instead is a strategy game which combines the stealth elements of the series and card-based interface. A sequel to Metal Gear Acid is currently in development.

Tone and themes

Although the series has a war setting and is of the action genre, and thus contains large amounts of (occasionally graphic) violence, it has an underlying tone of pacifism. This is reflected throught the series which has dealt with such themes as the futility of war, the stupidity of nuclear deterrence, the dangers of nuclear weapons in general, the moral implications of genetic engineering and the concept that enemies are only enemies in relative terms.

This tone and some of these themes reflect the mindset of a large amount of the Japanese cinema made since the Hiroshima bombing of 1945.

The main underlying themes for Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3 is regarding the effects of genes, memes and scene respectively, and how the characters are affected by these factors.

Character groups

FOX

Known Operatives: Naked Snake, Major Zero, Para-Medic, Sigint, The Boss.

FOXHOUND

Known Operatives: Big Boss (Commander), Gray Fox (aka Frank Jaeger & Deepthroat), Roy Campbell (replaced Big Boss), George Kessler, Naomi Hunter (chief of medical staff, and in charge of gene therapy), McDonnel Benedict "Master" Miller (instructor), Solid Snake, Liquid Snake, Revolver Ocelot (also known as Shalashaska and ADAM - double-agent, secretly employed by other forces), Sniper Wolf, Vulcan Raven, Psycho Mantis and Decoy Octopus.

Pseudo-Operatives: AI Roy Campbell (an AI reproduction of Col. Campbell by supercomputer GW) and Raiden (aka Jack - believes he is in FOXHOUND, but is actually being manipulated by The Patriots and the AI Campbell).

Dead Cell

Known Operatives: Commander Reginald Jackson, Fortune (Helena Dolph-Jackson), Vamp and Fatman. They are later under the command of Solidus Snake (former President George Sears). Two other members were killed six months prior to the events of the Plant Chapter of Metal Gear Solid 2: Old Boy and China Man.

Outer Heaven

Known Operatives (mercenary force): Shotgunner (former Spetsnaz operative), Machine Gun Kid (former SAS operative), Fire Trooper (former GSG9 operative), "Arnold" (TX-11 cyberoid units), Coward Duck (former terrorist leader).

Zanzibar Land

Known Operatives (mercenary force): Black Color (high-tech ninjas, formerly from NASA special forces), Running Man (former terrorist leader), Red Blaster (former Spetsnaz), Ultra Box (former members of UDT, GSG9 and SAS), Predator (former "Reccies" operative) and Night Sight (former "Whispers" operative).

Black Chamber

Known Operatives: Black Arts Viper, Marionette Owl, Slasher Hawk and Pyro Bison. Note that these characters are from the non-canonical game Metal Gear: Ghost Babel, and therefore have no relation to the main storyline.

Cobra unit

Known Operatives: The Boss (aka The Joy), The Sorrow, The Pain, The Fear, The Fury, and The End.

Gurlukovich Mercenaries

Known Operatives: Col. Sergei Gurlukovich and Olga Gurlukovich. Other operatives were named after contest winners, by Konami.

Civilians

Kenneth Baker (ArmsTech Inc.), Hal Emmerich (Metal Gear REX designer), Emma "E.E." Emmerich (Arsenal Gear "GW" designer), Dr. Drago Petrovich Madnar (TX-55 Metal Gear and Metal Gear D inventor), Elen Madnar (Petrovich's daughter), Rosemary (Raiden's girlfriend & data analyst), Peter Stillman (former NYPD bomb expert), Yosef Norden (animal expert) and Dr. Kio Marv (OILIX inventor).

Foreign agents

Jennifer (Outer Heaven Resistance), Kyle Schneider (Outer Heaven Resistance - becomes Black Color, a ninja protecting Building 1 in Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, allied to Big Boss) and Diane (Outer Heaven Resistance), Johnny Sasaki (Mercenary - survived Shadow Moses AND Big Shell with only an injured pride and diarrhea), Johnny (Soviet Soldier - father of Johnny Sasaki, see him in 1964 during MGS3), Natasha Markova (former StB agent, assigned to protect Dr. Marv, killed accidentally by her boyfriend Gray Fox in Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake).

Misc. U.S. Government agents

Donald Anderson (DARPA, Chief of Operations), Nastasha Romanenko (nuclear weapons specialist), Mei Ling (communications expert), Jim Houseman (former Secretary of Defense), Meryl Silverburgh (Next-Generation Special Forces), Col. Scott Dolph (Marines), James Johnson (U.S. President), Holly White (CIA / Journalist), and Col. Richard Ames (Secret Service, DIA, The Patriots).

ACUA Troops

(Metal Gear Ac!d) These soldiers are products of a secret experiment developed somewhere in Africa. They are also know as "Human Weapons," as they have no feelings or mercy. These soldiers become controlled by the Neoteny (No. 16) after ingesting a considerable amount of ACUA. Only those who are "Name-Knowers" can be controlled by the Neoteny.

Philanthropy

  • Known Operatives: Solid Snake & Otacon.
  • Possible Operatives: Raiden, Rose, Meryl Silverburgh, Mei Ling & Nastasha Romanenko

Storylines

The storylines for each game are listed in chronological order.

With the Metal Gear Solid games, the overarching theme is one of "meme, gene, scene" according to the game's producers — Metal Gear Solid deals with genetics, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty deals with how identity can be affected by the philosophies and behaviours of people around you (a meme), and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater deals with how the time and place you live in (your 'scene') affects your identity. [1]

Template:Spoiler

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Set in 1964 at the height of the Cold War, this game follows Naked Snake - the man who will become Big Boss - into the Soviet jungle to recover a scientist who has been working on a new type of tank that can fire a nuclear missile. It is heavily influenced by the style of James Bond movies, from the plentiful love interests to the classic visual style of the opening credits.

The plot of Snake Eater provides closure to the series (some trailers called it the last in the "Metal Gear Solid trilogy"), resolving many hanging plot points raised in earlier titles. For example, the role of The Patriots in the story arc, raised in MGS2, and the transformation of Big Boss from hero to renegade with the creation of Outer Heaven, which underpins the first two titles, are explained. There are several references to actual events in the series' past, as well as a very detailed background on Ocelot's role in the whole Solid series.

Metal Gear

In 1995, 200 km north of Galzburg, the South African nation of Outer Heaven is held by a mysterious mercenary. Word had gotten out to the western world that deep within the Outer Heaven stronghold, that a weapon of mass destruction was being constructed. Government officials orders the high-tech Special Forces squad, FOXHOUND, to infiltrate the fortress, access the situation and neutralize the threat. Known as operation "Intrude N313," FOXHOUND operative Gray Fox infiltrated the Outer Heaven stronghold. Days later, contact with Gray Fox is lost. His last transmission reads, "METAL GEAR..."

Another operative, the rookie Solid Snake, is ordered by FOXHOUND leader Big Boss to find the missing operative Gray Fox and carry out his mission. Upon infiltrating Outer Heaven, Snake discovers the advanced nuclear weapon system Metal Gear and learns from its imprisoned creator how to destroy it. Snake succeeds after a series of gruelling battles with the mercenary forces which defend Outer Heaven and the sophisticated electronic defenses surrounding Metal Gear itself. It is then that he meets the man who rules Outer Heaven: FOXHOUND's own commander, Big Boss. Big Boss activates the destruct sequence for the fortress, but is defeated by Snake, who escapes as the base crumbles behind him.

Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake

By 1999 the Cold War had thawed, and nuclear disarmament by the major world powers promised a bright beginning to the 21st century. Despite this, all was not well in the world. A series of shocks to the oil market spurred the development of new high-tech energy sources, including nuclear fusion power. However, most vehicles still relied on oil for power. A breakthrough solution is presented in Prague by Czech scientist Dr. Kio Marv: a type of algae which can produce petroleum-grade hydrocarbons. However, somewhere between the (presently known as) Czech Republic and the United States, he is kidnapped by forces belonging to the heavily fortified nation of "Zanzibar Land."

Solid Snake is sent in to rescue the scientist. He discovers that the nation's leaders plan to hold the world hostage through both the oil supply (now tied inexorably to Dr. Marv's research) and nuclear weapons (through a new form of Metal Gear). The man in the seat of power in Zanzibar Land is none other than Big Boss, and his newest lieutenant is Snake's old comrade Gray Fox (who supposedly dies in a fistfight in a mined room). While Snake succeeds in destroying Metal Gear and bringing down Big Boss(who is rumoured to be modified with the capabilities of a Snatcher), he finds the blood of his best friend on his hands. Upon completing the mission, Snake leaves the military and disappears into the Alaskan wilderness to seek isolation and solitude.

Metal Gear Solid

Sometime in February 2005, Solid Snake is called out of retirement by his old commanding officer Roy Campbell and given a new mission. Apparently, the Special Forces unit FOXHOUND and the Next Generation Special Force were conducting a training exercise on Shadow Moses Island in Alaska's Fox Archipelago when the unit suddenly revolted against the U.S. government. Their demands include the remains of the legendary mercenary Big Boss, and they threaten a nuclear strike within twenty-four hours if their demands are not met. Snake is given two objectives: first, to infiltrate the nuclear weapons disposal facility and rescue DARPA Chief Donald Anderson and Kenneth Baker, the President of ArmsTech. Secondly, he must stop the terrorists from launching a nuclear strike. Secretly, this is also to prevent FOXHOUND from making away with the first (known) American Government backed Metal Gear but eventually Snake uncovers this.

Solid Snake defeats or otherwise neutralizes most of FOXHOUND and the other terrorists in battle while Decoy Octopus, Baker, and Liquid Snake die from a specially engineered assassination virus called 'FOXDIE' (Solid Snake was the carrier of the virus). Snake also learns of his origins as a genetic son of Big Boss and also as a genetic twin of Liquid Snake. Solid Snake, Meryl Silverburg, and Dr. Hal Emmerich are officially recorded as dead after the events on Shadow Moses Island; the recorded outcome of the only other physical survivor, Revolver Ocelot, is most likely unchanged due to his "Top Secret" status. Incidentally, the Metal Gear in this game is named Metal Gear REX and resembles a Tyrannosaurus rex in some respects.

This game was later remade as Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes in 2004, as is noted above.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

Tanker Chapter

Metal Gear Solid 2 opens on the George Washington Bridge in New York City, in 2007, two years after the events of Metal Gear Solid. Solid Snake, now a member of the NGO Philanthropy, is investigating the development of a new Metal Gear, consistently described only as having been designed to "wipe the floor with all the other models." The new Metal Gear model is being transported for testing by the U.S. Marines following the proliferation of Metal Gear REX's blueprints. Shortly after Snake's arrival to the aptly named oil tanker "Discovery," a large group of Russian terrorists hijack the ship. These troops are later identified to be under the command of Sergei Gurlukovich, the GRU commander that Liquid Snake was scheduled to sell the plans for Metal Gear REX to after the events of Metal Gear Solid. After sneaking up to the bridge of the ship, Snake must fight off Olga Gurlukovich, daughter of Sergei. After achieving victory, Solid Snake steals his way down to the holds in order to record pictures of the new Metal Gear. The Metal Gear in question is found out to be Metal Gear RAY, an amphibious prototype. The mission rapidly goes from bad to worse as Revolver Ocelot murders Sergei Gurlukovich, sinks the tanker, and steals Metal Gear RAY.

Incidentally, Revolver Ocelot is sporting a new right arm after his heated conflict with Solid snake in Metal Gear Solid; it is revealed that the arm is that of the late Liquid Snake via a change of personality in Revolver Ocelot's demeanor and behavior.

Plant Chapter

The player finds himself in control of Raiden, supposedly operating under FOXHOUND two years after the Tanker Chapter, April 29, 2009. His mission is revealed to be to rescue the U.S. President and other hostages from the "Big Shell" facility off of the shoreline of New York City from the anti-terrorist group Dead Cell, who are calling themselves the "Sons of Liberty" and claiming to be led by Solid Snake. Raiden enters through an oil fence while SEAL Team 10 enters by air as a distraction from Raiden's infiltration. During Raiden's mission he meets with the self-proclaimed Lt. Junior Grade Iroquois Pliskin as well as Peter Stillman, a bomb disposal expert that was brought in with the SEALs; and a Cyborg Ninja imitating Gray Fox's ninja persona but calling himself Mr. X.

It is revealed that the Solid Snake leading Dead Cell is in fact Solidus Snake, a third clone from Big Boss, and that Iroquois Pliskin is the real Solid Snake in disguise. It is later revealed that the Big Shell (and the sinking of the oil tanker) was merely a cover-up for the development of "Arsenal Gear", an amphibious mobile fortress defended by a fleet of mass-produced, unmanned variants of Metal Gear RAY as well as a large payload of missiles. Through meeting with Emma Emmerich (Otacon's step-sister), Raiden discovers that Arsenal Gear was secretly built as part of a conspiracy by the Illuminati-like "Patriots" to further their control over the public interests. It carries a neural network of supercomputers facilitated by several AIs, two of which are named "GW" and "JFK", which is designed to monitor, block, and tamper with Internet communications, in order to further the totalitarian agenda of "The Patriots." By the end of Metal Gear Solid 2, all of the members of Dead Cell (and Peter Stillman, Emma Emmerich, James Johnson, and Richard Ames) are dead (with the exception of Vamp) and Liquid Snake's personality seems to have completely dominated Ocelot's body. Few of the questions raised by the original MGS are answered, and MGS2 brings up even more. The game ends on April 30, 2009.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (commonly abbreviated MGS4) will be the latest iteration in the Metal Gear series of stealth-based games, as announced by Konami in March 2005.

Using the "No place to hide" motto and the theme of "Senses", the game is set to be produced by Kenichiro Imaizumi, with series creator Hideo Kojima co-directing the game with Shuyo Murata. It is being developed by Kojima Productions (a newly-formed subsidiary of Konami) for the PlayStation 3.

In the recent trailer released by Kojima Productions, the phrase, "X YEARS SINCE BIG SHELL" is shown, both confirming that the game will take place after the events of MGS2 and sparking debate on how many years after the Big Shell Incident the game will be set.

Some fans speculate that the "X" is a use of the Roman Numeral for Ten, meaning that the game would take place in 2019 when Snake is 47 years old. It is thought that his old age is a side effect of advanced cell degeneration. However, this is disputed, as the Japanese captions displayed on the trailer read "あのビッグシェル事件から数年後..." (ano Big Shell jiken kara suunen go...), which translates to "Several years after the Big Shell incident" in English. This would indicate that the X is simply a variable, employed in an effort to retain a shroud of secrecy over the game's details rather than the roman numeral.

See also


Official

Fansites

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