Pros: METAL GEAR ONE - yet sexier
Cons: Sometimes feels like MGS 2. Not all voices are in. A.I's alot to be desired
The bottom line: A great game with just a few minor flaws. Not quit as good as its "daddy" but still one hell of a fantastic play
THE JIST
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (Hence from here: MGS: TS)arrived onto the shelves of department stores, games shops and miscellaneous shops of the United Kingdom on the 23rd of March 2004. The platform that this was released on (obviously Nintendo GameCube) left millions absolutely GUTTED, although that may not be the word, devastated may be a more suitable one. Many people weren't expecting this to be on a "powerless platform" like the GameCube, due to it maybe destroying the PSone/2 feel that people always associated with the game. But MGS: TS does not disappoint me not an ounce.

HISTORY
Metal Gear Solid, written and produced by the Gaming God Hideo Kojima, is the first 3D installment from two very good older versions from 1987. It was released in 1998 on the PSone and was, may I add, the best game I have ever played. It was a huge success and I personally, was eagerly awaiting the second one. Unfortunately the second one MGS: Sons of Liberty proved to be nothing more than a pile of dog turd that smelled sweet. Sorry to all you MGS 2 fans but thats the way it seemed. A great potential with Snake at the beginning and impressive gameplay, but then you switch to a very orange facility and play girly girl Raiden. It was indeed a great game with an average storyline but on par with MGS one, it was indeed a pile of dog turd.

THE REVIEW
Linking swiftly on from above, now we have this. A graphically rendered MGS one, now called MGS: TS. This has new graphics, that of MGS 2, all the moves of MGS 2 and the A.I of MGS 2. Want more? Read below...

At the beginning of the game, you will hear that oh so nostalgic music, the submarine that is the first shot. Then we have the most memorable character in action gaming history: Solid Snake. Snake is swimming towards his next adventure in his life, to destroy his erm..."good" friend Metal Gear. He swims up to the bank and rings Colonel Campbell, your Commander in Chief for the operation. After you have talked to him, you see a full view of Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes.

Straight away, you notice that the graphics of MGS: TS, similar to MGS 2 are absolutely beautiful, first-timers may think I am over-exaggerating here, but MGS 2 fans will know that I am being entirely truthful here. They are rendered from the faces, to the hair and creases on clothes. Brilliant, a work of art that the original was just got better ALREADY. Also, the cut scenes are updated and, even better, there are new parts to some cut scenes that weren't in the original, and, even for the GC's severe lack of ability compared to the Xbox and PS2, look spectacular. GRAPHICS 9.9/10

Then of course, there's the gameplay, and, who could fault it. You are in total paradise the minute you play the damn thing. MGS one, with great graphics and even greater gameplay. You can do all the things you could in MGS 2. The "freeze" technique, where you can scare the crap out of your enemies by pointing a gun at their head. You can hang from ledges, somersaults, jumping from behind corners. Plus the usual: crawling, hugging walls and knocking. The gameplay is authentic. It appears that no other stealth game, even Splinter Cell, can compete with its easy, yet challenging gameplay style.

The game has tonnes of atmosphere too. I, myself have completed the PSone version several times and MGS: TS equals the game in nostalgic atmosphere. If you are (a little repitition of "nostalgia/ic" here) a total nostalgic like myself you will indeed love this game. You cannot put a game down if it has excellent gameplay and atmosphere.

The mapping in MGS: TS is modelled around the "stealth" aspect of the game. In the original on the PSX version the areas were mapped out so there were three or four paths you could take to get to your required goal. Now, you get several cardboard boxes to hide for example. Konami have took advantage of the fact that they can fit more things in the game that may be the difference between life or death. For example: In B2 of the Nuclear Warhead storage building, there used to be four doors on one side; however, Konami have made that harder for you by taking away three of the four of the doors. MGS fans will know that if you raised an alarm on the PSX version on that floor, that room would have been 'oh so easy' to hide in. There is then less places on this floor to hide. Anyway, every "map" of every room is specifically made for you to hide, or not to hide maybe. It was a very good move for Konami to do and I think that it added to the greatness that the game already add all those years ago.

The controls are indeed the final issue I must inform you with gameplay on MGS: TS. And, no matter how weird it could be on the GC, however, yet another super-hero has managed to get everything from MGS 2 and convert it from PS2 to GC and what a fine job it is. Although it may take a while to suss out the controls, and you may make several mistakes when it comes to hiding et cetera. It is not a bad conversion like some PS2 games are badly converted to Xbox. I myself have an Xbox and find FIFA 2005 very hard to access some of the buttons in order to help me. Anyway, Konami have used the A button as the shoot button, so you have your thumb on the A button and conveniently and easily can pump some lead into that guy thats in your way. The buttons have not been converted to be set out as in the PSX controls. Many things are in totally different places e.g crouch is X, where as it is also X on the PS2 control HOWEVER, before you start thinking I am contradicting myself, X on the PS is at the bottom of the pad. It's not set out like that. But the bottoms line is that Konami did an excellent job in converting the controls and leaves some of the PS2 - Xbox conversions for dead. GAMEPLAY/ATMOSPHERE 10/10



The sound is excellent too. Though more or less the same as the previous MGS and MGS 2, they are brilliant. Voice talents are great aswell, although, unfortunately, some of the voicing talents have not returned for vital characters like Mei Ling, the DARPA Chief, ArmsTech president Kenneth Baker and Sniper Wolf. Although David Hayter, whom without his voice I would not have even bothered buying the game, has returned along with Naomi Hunter, Colonel Campbell, Ocelot, Meryl and Liquid Snake. Even though lack of voice talents takes away some of the games character, the talents are still excellently acted out; the soundtrack is great aswell and adds some more pieces of music to it to give it more of a Hollywood feel. SOUND 8.9/10

SO FAR MGS: TS proves to live up to its daddy...almost...

The problems with MGS: TS are...

The computer A.I is a bit sloppy. I'm making as much noise as possible at one time and the guard right in front of me does not waver an inch, so it is very easy to just pop him one in the head.

The game also feels too much like MGS 2 at some times. For example, the Hind D was extremely difficult on the original, however, it was as ridiculously easy as the harrier was. I know that sounds extremely pathetic but it is when you sometimes feel it in the scenery or sometimes in the gameplay, because, it is sort of easy at times and some people will agree that MGS 2 was incredibly easy. I am not whining here or being pathetically picky. I am merely pointing out that the game seems a little easy at times.

OVERALL this game is absolutely fantastic. It very nearly lives up to its daddy that was MGS. It is no way as good but it has excellent graphics, gameplay and sound and is very like the legend. Just to sum it up, an absolute stunning remake.

METAL GEAR SOLD: THE TWIN SNAKES from Konami Computer Entertainment Japan
For Nintendo GameCube.
STATS
GRAPHICS: 9.9/10
SOUND: 8.9/10
GAMEPLAY: 10/10
OVERALL(averaged): 9.6/10 OR 96%

***WITH THANKS TO CHROME KILLER FOR HELPING ME EDIT MY REVIEW***