Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
Encyclopedia
is an overhead stealth action
game (officially promoted as a "Tactical Espionage Game") that was originally released by Konami
in for the MSX2 computer standard exclusively in Japan
. Metal Gear 2 was directed and written by Hideo Kojima
, who also designed the MSX2 version of the original Metal Gear
. While a previously developed Metal Gear sequel titled Snake's Revenge
(a non-canonical installment produced without Kojima's involvement) was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System
in North America
during the same year, Metal Gear 2 itself did not have an official English
version until its inclusion as a bonus game (along with the first Metal Gear) in Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence for PlayStation 2
in , almost 16 years after its original Japanese release.
In the game, Solid Snake
must infiltrate Zanzibar Land, a heavily defended territory located in Central Asia
, to rescue a kidnapped
scientist and destroy the revised Metal Gear D. The game significantly evolved the stealth-based game system of its predecessor "in almost every way," introduced a complex storyline dealing with themes such as the nature of warfare and nuclear proliferation
, and is considered "one of the best 8 bit games
ever made."
Metal Gear 2 builds upon the stealth-based game system of its predecessor. As in the original Metal Gear, the player's objective is to infiltrate the enemy's stronghold, while avoiding detection from soldiers, cameras, infrared sensors and other surveillance devices. The biggest change in the game was done to the enemy's abilities. Whereas the guards in the previous game could only see in straight lines, the guards in Metal Gear 2 all have a field of vision of 45 degrees
. The guards can also turn their heads left or right to see diagonally and move from one screen to another (instead of remaining stationed in one area). The enemy can also hear any noise made by the player, which usually occurs when the player punches the wall, fires a non-silenced firearm, uses an explosive, or walks over certain types of terrain. If the player is discovered by the enemy, then a counter will be displayed on the upper right side of the screen that will go down after the enemy has lost track of the player. When the counter reaches zero, the alert phase will go off and the game will return to normal.
The player has been given a variety of new maneuvers and tools to help them remain undetected and complete the game. For example, the player can now kneel and crawl in addition to walking, allowing the player to avoid making noise, pick up land mines, and hide under tight spaces such as under desks or inside air ducts. A radar with a 3x3 grid on the upper right of the screen shows Snake's current position in the center screen (as a red dot), with enemy soldiers as white dots, allowing the player to determine what's ahead. However, the radar is disabled when the player is in alert phase. The radar can also be used with the mine detector equipped to determine the locations of any placed mines or launch stinger missiles onto an airborne target. Many of the weapons and equipment from the first game are brought over as well as new items such as robotic mice used to distract enemies, a camouflaged mat and three different types of rations with special attributes each. The player no longer needs to rescue hostages to increase their rank; instead their health and carrying capacity is increased each time an enemy boss
is defeated.
The transceiver has been greatly revamped from the first game as well. The messages the player receives are now based on their current situation and mission objective, rather than the room they're currently in, making them less fixed and more dynamic. The transceiver now displays Snake's face, as well as the face of the character he's currently communicating with. The player can also talk to children living in the fortress to gain new information; the player is penalized with loss of health if he kills a child. The areas are more varied than in the previous MSX2 game and a number of puzzles must be fulfilled to complete the game, such as luring a carrier pigeon
with a specific kind of ration, chasing after a female spy to the ladies' lavatory, and deciphering secret tap codes to gain new frequency numbers. The overall game system of Metal Gear 2 served as the foundation for its 3D sequel, Metal Gear Solid
.
n biologist Dr. Kio Marv from the forces of Zanzibar Land. He is assisted by a radio support crew consisting of Roy Campbell, his new commanding officer; McDonnell Miller, a survival coach and drill instructor; George Kasler, a military strategist; and Yozef Norden (renamed Johan Jacobsen in the later revised versions), a wildlife expert. Also assisting him on-site are Holly White, a CIA
agent posing as a journalist; Natasha Marcova (Gustava Heffner in later versions), an StB agent and Dr. Marv's bodyguard
; and Dr. Drago Pettrovich Madnar, the Metal Gear designer from the first game, who was captured along with Dr. Marv. Also appearing in the game are Big Boss, FOXHOUND's commander-turned-traitor from the first game; and Gray Fox, who disappeared following the events of the first game.
The bosses
of this installment consist of Black Color (Black Ninja in later versions), an experimental drug-enhanced space ninja (who is revealed to be Schneider from the original Metal Gear); Running Man, an agile mercenary; Red Blaster, a grenade throwing expert; Ultra Box (the Four Horsemen in later version), an assassination squad specializing in confined spaces; Predator (Jungle Evil in later versions), a jungle warfare expert; and Night Sight (Night Fright in later versions), an assassin who uses a state of the art stealth suit that renders him invisible. The final bosses in the game are Gray Fox and Big Boss from the first game.
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 fusion power
. However, most vehicles still relied on oil for power.
Oil reserves were at a critical low, and the world community was prepared to take drastic measures, either by drilling into sand and shale for more oil, despite the difficulty—or moving on to renewable fuels.
Such steps proved unnecessary when Czech
scientist Dr. Kio Marv successfully bio-engineered a new species of algae
, OILIX, that could produce petroleum-grade hydrocarbons with little expense and effort. Marv presented the algae to the World Energy Conference in Prague
, and was on his way to a demonstration in the United States
when he was kidnapped by soldiers from Zanzibar Land (a fictional country unrelated to the actual Zanzibar
that is part of Tanzania
). NATO discovers that Zanzibar Land's leaders plan to hold the world hostage by controlling the supply of oil and nuclear brinksmanship, via a stockpile of nukes raided from nearby missile sites.
Solid Snake is brought out of retirement by FOXHOUND's new commander, Roy Campbell, and is sent to Zanzibarland to rescue Dr. Marv.
On the course of his mission, Snake teams up with Holly White, a CIA operative posing as a journalist, and Gustava Heffner, an StB agent and Dr. Marv's bodyguard. He is also reunited with Dr. Drago Pettrovich Madnar, the Metal Gear inventor from Outer Heaven, who claims to have been once again kidnapped and forced to work on another Metal Gear project (named Metal Gear D) for Zanzibar Land, as well as oversee mass-production of smaller, non-nuclear-equipped Metal Gear units. Snake learns from Dr. Madnar that Big Boss, Snake's former FOXHOUND commander, has survived and is the man in charge in Zanzibar Land.
Upon reaching the suspension bridge leading to the Detention Camp, Gustava is killed by a missile fired by Metal Gear D and Dr. Madnar is recaptured by the enemy. The new Metal Gear's pilot is revealed to be none other than Snake's former mercenary buddy Gray Fox. Determined to finish his mission, Snake fights against Zanzibar Land's elite mercenary force and manages to reach Dr. Marv's cell.
Snake arrives too late, unfortunately, as he finds the corpse of Dr. Marv, who was unable to survive the repeated torture. Dr. Madnar is also there and explains he was unable to save him. Just before Snake could retrieve the OILIX formula left by Dr. Marv, Holly reveals via a radio message that Dr. Madnar was not captured after all, but voluntarily resumed his work on Metal Gear and was personally overseeing its development as a result of being rejected by the scientific community after the Outer Heaven incident. After the truth comes out, Dr. Madnar attacks Snake, but fails in killing him.
With the OILIX formula in Snake's hands, Snake is confronted by Gray Fox piloting Metal Gear D. After successfully destroying Metal Gear D, Snake finds himself in a minefield
. The two engage in hand-to-hand combat against each other, and Snake eventually emerges as victorious.
Upon defeating Fox and retrieving the OILIX formula, Snake is met by Big Boss while trying to escape. Having lost his equipment and with no weapons at his disposal, Snake is forced to improvise using the only items he can find, a lighter
and aerosol can. Fashioning a makeshift flamethrower
, Snake defeats Big Boss for the second time. Snake and Holly escape together, and they deliver the OILIX formula to Campbell.
version of Metal Gear in North America
, Konami commissioned the development of a sequel
for the NES, Snake's Revenge
(a game made specifically with the American
market in mind), without the consent of Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima.
According to Kojima's account of the events, he did not have any plans to design a Metal Gear sequel at the time and was unaware that a sequel was being produced until he became acquainted with a member of the Snake's Revenge development team on a train ride in Tokyo
. Kojima was then informed about the development of Snake's Revenge and was told "it's not the authentic Snake, so please create a new Snake game of your own." After being given the go-ahead by his bosses at Konami, he began developing Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake with the MSX division of Konami. Metal Gear 2 serves as a follow-up to the original Metal Gear, ignoring the events of Snake's Revenge (which was unreleased in Japan), and every canonical Metal Gear title released afterward acknowledge only the events of Metal Gear 2, relegating Snake's Revenge to an apocryphal status.
version produced for the European market, the MSX2 version of Metal Gear 2 was never officially released outside Japan (a fan translation
was produced though). The original Metal Gear Solid includes plot summaries of the first two MSX2 games which are accessible in the Special mode under "Previous Operations".
A version of Metal Gear 2 for mobile phones was released in Japan on October 1, 2004 for the i-mode
, EZweb
and Vodafone
services prior to the release of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
. This was the first time the game was ported to another platform since its original release for the MSX2 in 1990. In 2005
, Konami released an expanded edition of Metal Gear Solid 3 subtitled Subsistence, which included, among other extras, remade versions of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2. The release of Subsistence in North America and the PAL region
marked the first time Metal Gear 2 received official English and other languages localizations for the international market.
The re-releases feature several subtle differences between them and the original MSX2 version. The biggest change was in the character portraits, which now features new artwork drawn in a style similar to Yoji Shinkawa
's character designs in the later Metal Gear Solid games instead of the realistic style used in the MSX2 version. Numerous characters were renamed as well, notably Natasha Marcova became Gustava Heffner, Yozev Norden became Johan Jacobsen, and Dr. Petrovich Madnar became Dr. Drago Pettrovich Madnar. Nearly all the bosses were renamed as well. The re-releases also feature two selectable difficulty settings ("Original" and "Easy"), a bonus Boss Survival mode and an infinite bandana that provides Snake with unlimited ammo when equipped.
The PlayStation 2 version, much like the MSX2 original, requires the player to use the instruction manual for reference to solve certain puzzles (such as deciphering Tap Codes or learning a certain frequency number). Because the North American version only came with a condensed manual that did not include the information the game asks for, Konami posted the solutions to those puzzles in a FAQ
page on their official website.
Metal Gear 2 was released for the Wii
Virtual Console
in Japan
on March 30, . The Virtual Console version, though based on the original MSX2 game, features the same revised character designs from previous re-releases.
reviewers. According to Paul Soth of GameSpy
, the game surpassed its predecessor Metal Gear in every way. In addition to praising the gameplay, he also praised the game's "gripping, well written storyline" for its "rich characterization" and its "same quality of storytelling that made MGS
so compelling." He concluded that players will not be disappointed by "the great gameplay and story," and that it remains "one of the best 8 bit games
ever made." The game system of its sequel Metal Gear Solid, despite its transition to 3D
, would remain largely similar to its 2D
predecessor Metal Gear 2. As such, Retro Gamer
regards Metal Gear 2 to be "as close as anyone can get to playing Metal Gear Solid in 2D" and also regards it as being superior to the more recent Game Boy Color version of Metal Gear Solid released a decade later in 2000.
Game Informer
was more critical of the game, however, giving it a 7 out of 10. They wrote that in order to reach the most pivotal moments in the game's story, "you must endure some of the most ridiculous situations Solid Snake has ever seen," and that "the game's focus on constant backtracking and keycard acquisition makes it too repetitive." They concluded that "only diehard fans will find the experience rewarding" and that the best way to play the game is through the bonus disc of Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence.
's crossover fighting game Super Smash Bros. Brawl
on the Shadow Moses Island stage.
Action-adventure
Action-adventure may refer to:*A genre that can include:** action-adventure game*** action game*** adventure game** action *** action film** adventure *** adventure film*** adventure novel...
game (officially promoted as a "Tactical Espionage Game") that was originally released by Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
in for the MSX2 computer standard exclusively in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Metal Gear 2 was directed and written by Hideo Kojima
Hideo Kojima
is a Japanese game director originally employed at Konami. He is currently the director of Kojima Productions and was promoted to Vice President of Konami Digital Entertainment in early 2011...
, who also designed the MSX2 version of the original Metal Gear
Metal Gear (video game)
is an overhead military action-adventure video game originally released in by Konami for the MSX2 computer standard in Japan and parts of Europe. Considered to be the progenitor of the stealth game genre, it was also the first video game designed by Hideo Kojima, who also directed many of the...
. While a previously developed Metal Gear sequel titled Snake's Revenge
Snake's Revenge
Snake's Revenge is a stealth action game by Konami released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1990. The game was produced as a sequel to the NES version of the original Metal Gear, made specifically for the North American and PAL market following the success of the first NES game...
(a non-canonical installment produced without Kojima's involvement) was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
during the same year, Metal Gear 2 itself did not have an official English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
version until its inclusion as a bonus game (along with the first Metal Gear) in Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence for PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
in , almost 16 years after its original Japanese release.
In the game, Solid Snake
Solid Snake
Metal Gear, initially released in 1987, introduces Solid Snake, the rookie recruit of the elite special-forces unit FOXHOUND. Snake is sent by team leader Big Boss into the rogue nation Outer Heaven to rescue his missing teammate Gray Fox and discover who or what the "METAL GEAR" mentioned is, and...
must infiltrate Zanzibar Land, a heavily defended territory located in Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
, to rescue a kidnapped
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
scientist and destroy the revised Metal Gear D. The game significantly evolved the stealth-based game system of its predecessor "in almost every way," introduced a complex storyline dealing with themes such as the nature of warfare and nuclear proliferation
Nuclear proliferation
Nuclear proliferation is a term now used to describe the spread of nuclear weapons, fissile material, and weapons-applicable nuclear technology and information, to nations which are not recognized as "Nuclear Weapon States" by the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons, also known as the...
, and is considered "one of the best 8 bit games
History of video game consoles (third generation)
In the history of computer and video games, the third generation began on July 15, 1983, with the Japanese release of both the Nintendo Family Computer and Sega SG-1000...
ever made."
Gameplay
Degree (angle)
A degree , usually denoted by ° , is a measurement of plane angle, representing 1⁄360 of a full rotation; one degree is equivalent to π/180 radians...
. The guards can also turn their heads left or right to see diagonally and move from one screen to another (instead of remaining stationed in one area). The enemy can also hear any noise made by the player, which usually occurs when the player punches the wall, fires a non-silenced firearm, uses an explosive, or walks over certain types of terrain. If the player is discovered by the enemy, then a counter will be displayed on the upper right side of the screen that will go down after the enemy has lost track of the player. When the counter reaches zero, the alert phase will go off and the game will return to normal.
The player has been given a variety of new maneuvers and tools to help them remain undetected and complete the game. For example, the player can now kneel and crawl in addition to walking, allowing the player to avoid making noise, pick up land mines, and hide under tight spaces such as under desks or inside air ducts. A radar with a 3x3 grid on the upper right of the screen shows Snake's current position in the center screen (as a red dot), with enemy soldiers as white dots, allowing the player to determine what's ahead. However, the radar is disabled when the player is in alert phase. The radar can also be used with the mine detector equipped to determine the locations of any placed mines or launch stinger missiles onto an airborne target. Many of the weapons and equipment from the first game are brought over as well as new items such as robotic mice used to distract enemies, a camouflaged mat and three different types of rations with special attributes each. The player no longer needs to rescue hostages to increase their rank; instead their health and carrying capacity is increased each time an enemy boss
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
is defeated.
The transceiver has been greatly revamped from the first game as well. The messages the player receives are now based on their current situation and mission objective, rather than the room they're currently in, making them less fixed and more dynamic. The transceiver now displays Snake's face, as well as the face of the character he's currently communicating with. The player can also talk to children living in the fortress to gain new information; the player is penalized with loss of health if he kills a child. The areas are more varied than in the previous MSX2 game and a number of puzzles must be fulfilled to complete the game, such as luring a carrier pigeon
Carrier pigeon
A carrier pigeon is a homing pigeon that is used to carry messages. Using pigeons to carry messages is generally called "pigeon post". Most homing or racing type varieties are used to carry messages. There is no specific breed actually called "carrier pigeon"...
with a specific kind of ration, chasing after a female spy to the ladies' lavatory, and deciphering secret tap codes to gain new frequency numbers. The overall game system of Metal Gear 2 served as the foundation for its 3D sequel, Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid
is a videogame by Hideo Kojima. The game was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and first published by Konami in 1998 for the PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to Kojimas early MSX2 computer games Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake...
.
Characters
Solid Snake, formerly retired FOXHOUND agent and hero of the original Metal Gear returns as the playable character. His new mission is to rescue the kidnapped CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
n biologist Dr. Kio Marv from the forces of Zanzibar Land. He is assisted by a radio support crew consisting of Roy Campbell, his new commanding officer; McDonnell Miller, a survival coach and drill instructor; George Kasler, a military strategist; and Yozef Norden (renamed Johan Jacobsen in the later revised versions), a wildlife expert. Also assisting him on-site are Holly White, a CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
agent posing as a journalist; Natasha Marcova (Gustava Heffner in later versions), an StB agent and Dr. Marv's bodyguard
Bodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
; and Dr. Drago Pettrovich Madnar, the Metal Gear designer from the first game, who was captured along with Dr. Marv. Also appearing in the game are Big Boss, FOXHOUND's commander-turned-traitor from the first game; and Gray Fox, who disappeared following the events of the first game.
The bosses
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
of this installment consist of Black Color (Black Ninja in later versions), an experimental drug-enhanced space ninja (who is revealed to be Schneider from the original Metal Gear); Running Man, an agile mercenary; Red Blaster, a grenade throwing expert; Ultra Box (the Four Horsemen in later version), an assassination squad specializing in confined spaces; Predator (Jungle Evil in later versions), a jungle warfare expert; and Night Sight (Night Fright in later versions), an assassin who uses a state of the art stealth suit that renders him invisible. The final bosses in the game are Gray Fox and Big Boss from the first game.
Story
By 1999, the Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
had thawed, and nuclear disarmament
Nuclear disarmament
Nuclear disarmament refers to both the act of reducing or eliminating nuclear weapons and to the end state of a nuclear-free world, in which nuclear weapons are completely eliminated....
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 fusion power
Fusion power
Fusion power is the power generated by nuclear fusion processes. In fusion reactions two light atomic nuclei fuse together to form a heavier nucleus . In doing so they release a comparatively large amount of energy arising from the binding energy due to the strong nuclear force which is manifested...
. However, most vehicles still relied on oil for power.
Oil reserves were at a critical low, and the world community was prepared to take drastic measures, either by drilling into sand and shale for more oil, despite the difficulty—or moving on to renewable fuels.
Such steps proved unnecessary when Czech
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
scientist Dr. Kio Marv successfully bio-engineered a new species of algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
, OILIX, that could produce petroleum-grade hydrocarbons with little expense and effort. Marv presented the algae to the World Energy Conference in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, and was on his way to a demonstration in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
when he was kidnapped by soldiers from Zanzibar Land (a fictional country unrelated to the actual Zanzibar
Zanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
that is part of Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
). NATO discovers that Zanzibar Land's leaders plan to hold the world hostage by controlling the supply of oil and nuclear brinksmanship, via a stockpile of nukes raided from nearby missile sites.
Solid Snake is brought out of retirement by FOXHOUND's new commander, Roy Campbell, and is sent to Zanzibarland to rescue Dr. Marv.
On the course of his mission, Snake teams up with Holly White, a CIA operative posing as a journalist, and Gustava Heffner, an StB agent and Dr. Marv's bodyguard. He is also reunited with Dr. Drago Pettrovich Madnar, the Metal Gear inventor from Outer Heaven, who claims to have been once again kidnapped and forced to work on another Metal Gear project (named Metal Gear D) for Zanzibar Land, as well as oversee mass-production of smaller, non-nuclear-equipped Metal Gear units. Snake learns from Dr. Madnar that Big Boss, Snake's former FOXHOUND commander, has survived and is the man in charge in Zanzibar Land.
Upon reaching the suspension bridge leading to the Detention Camp, Gustava is killed by a missile fired by Metal Gear D and Dr. Madnar is recaptured by the enemy. The new Metal Gear's pilot is revealed to be none other than Snake's former mercenary buddy Gray Fox. Determined to finish his mission, Snake fights against Zanzibar Land's elite mercenary force and manages to reach Dr. Marv's cell.
With the OILIX formula in Snake's hands, Snake is confronted by Gray Fox piloting Metal Gear D. After successfully destroying Metal Gear D, Snake finds himself in a minefield
Land mine
A land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
. The two engage in hand-to-hand combat against each other, and Snake eventually emerges as victorious.
Upon defeating Fox and retrieving the OILIX formula, Snake is met by Big Boss while trying to escape. Having lost his equipment and with no weapons at his disposal, Snake is forced to improvise using the only items he can find, a lighter
Lighter
A lighter is a portable device used to generate a flame. It consists of a metal or plastic container filled with a flammable fluid or pressurized liquid gas, a means of ignition, and some provision for extinguishing the flame.- History :...
and aerosol can. Fashioning a makeshift flamethrower
Flamethrower
A flamethrower is a mechanical device designed to project a long controllable stream of fire.Some flamethrowers project a stream of ignited flammable liquid; some project a long gas flame. Most military flamethrowers use liquids, but commercial flamethrowers tend to use high-pressure propane and...
, Snake defeats Big Boss for the second time. Snake and Holly escape together, and they deliver the OILIX formula to Campbell.
Production
After the release of the NESNintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
version of Metal Gear in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Konami commissioned the development of a sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
for the NES, Snake's Revenge
Snake's Revenge
Snake's Revenge is a stealth action game by Konami released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1990. The game was produced as a sequel to the NES version of the original Metal Gear, made specifically for the North American and PAL market following the success of the first NES game...
(a game made specifically with the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
market in mind), without the consent of Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima.
According to Kojima's account of the events, he did not have any plans to design a Metal Gear sequel at the time and was unaware that a sequel was being produced until he became acquainted with a member of the Snake's Revenge development team on a train ride in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. Kojima was then informed about the development of Snake's Revenge and was told "it's not the authentic Snake, so please create a new Snake game of your own." After being given the go-ahead by his bosses at Konami, he began developing Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake with the MSX division of Konami. Metal Gear 2 serves as a follow-up to the original Metal Gear, ignoring the events of Snake's Revenge (which was unreleased in Japan), and every canonical Metal Gear title released afterward acknowledge only the events of Metal Gear 2, relegating Snake's Revenge to an apocryphal status.
Release history
Unlike the first game, which had an EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
version produced for the European market, the MSX2 version of Metal Gear 2 was never officially released outside Japan (a fan translation
Fan translation
A fan translation, in video gaming, refers to an unofficial translation of a computer game or video game.The fan translation practice grew with the rise of video game console emulation in the late 1990s. A community of people developed that were interested in replaying and modifying the games they...
was produced though). The original Metal Gear Solid includes plot summaries of the first two MSX2 games which are accessible in the Special mode under "Previous Operations".
A version of Metal Gear 2 for mobile phones was released in Japan on October 1, 2004 for the i-mode
I-mode
NTT DoCoMo's i-mode is a mobile internet service popular in Japan. Unlike Wireless Application Protocol, i-mode encompasses a wider variety of internet standards, including web access, e-mail and the packet-switched network that delivers the data...
, EZweb
KDDI
is a Japanese telecommunications operator formed in October 2000 through the merger of DDI Corp., KDD Corp., and IDO Corp. It has its headquarters in the Garden Air Tower in Iidabashi, Chiyoda, Tokyo....
and Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
services prior to the release of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
is an award-winning stealth action video game directed by Hideo Kojima. Snake Eater was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2, and was released on November 17, 2004 in North America; December 16, 2004 in Japan; March 4, 2005 in Europe; and on...
. This was the first time the game was ported to another platform since its original release for the MSX2 in 1990. In 2005
2005 in video gaming
-Events:*March 6 — The television show 60 Minutes tackles issues within video game controversy. This segment of 60 Minutes has been criticized by video game players for encouraging video game censorship....
, Konami released an expanded edition of Metal Gear Solid 3 subtitled Subsistence, which included, among other extras, remade versions of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2. The release of Subsistence in North America and the PAL region
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
marked the first time Metal Gear 2 received official English and other languages localizations for the international market.
The re-releases feature several subtle differences between them and the original MSX2 version. The biggest change was in the character portraits, which now features new artwork drawn in a style similar to Yoji Shinkawa
Yoji Shinkawa
is a Japanese artist. He is most famous for his character, environment and mechanical designs for the Metal Gear and Zone of the Enders series....
's character designs in the later Metal Gear Solid games instead of the realistic style used in the MSX2 version. Numerous characters were renamed as well, notably Natasha Marcova became Gustava Heffner, Yozev Norden became Johan Jacobsen, and Dr. Petrovich Madnar became Dr. Drago Pettrovich Madnar. Nearly all the bosses were renamed as well. The re-releases also feature two selectable difficulty settings ("Original" and "Easy"), a bonus Boss Survival mode and an infinite bandana that provides Snake with unlimited ammo when equipped.
The PlayStation 2 version, much like the MSX2 original, requires the player to use the instruction manual for reference to solve certain puzzles (such as deciphering Tap Codes or learning a certain frequency number). Because the North American version only came with a condensed manual that did not include the information the game asks for, Konami posted the solutions to those puzzles in a FAQ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions are listed questions and answers, all supposed to be commonly asked in some context, and pertaining to a particular topic. "FAQ" is usually pronounced as an initialism rather than an acronym, but an acronym form does exist. Since the acronym FAQ originated in textual...
page on their official website.
Metal Gear 2 was released for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on March 30, . The Virtual Console version, though based on the original MSX2 game, features the same revised character designs from previous re-releases.
Reception
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake has received near universal critical acclaim by retro gameRetrogaming
Retrogaming, also known as old-school gaming, is the hobby of playing and collecting older computer, video, and arcade games. These games are played either on the original hardware, on modern hardware via emulation, or on modern hardware via ports or compilations...
reviewers. According to Paul Soth of GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
, the game surpassed its predecessor Metal Gear in every way. In addition to praising the gameplay, he also praised the game's "gripping, well written storyline" for its "rich characterization" and its "same quality of storytelling that made MGS
Metal Gear Solid
is a videogame by Hideo Kojima. The game was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and first published by Konami in 1998 for the PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to Kojimas early MSX2 computer games Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake...
so compelling." He concluded that players will not be disappointed by "the great gameplay and story," and that it remains "one of the best 8 bit games
History of video game consoles (third generation)
In the history of computer and video games, the third generation began on July 15, 1983, with the Japanese release of both the Nintendo Family Computer and Sega SG-1000...
ever made." The game system of its sequel Metal Gear Solid, despite its transition to 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
, would remain largely similar to its 2D
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
predecessor Metal Gear 2. As such, Retro Gamer
Retro Gamer
Retro Gamer is a British magazine, published worldwide, covering retro video games. It was the first commercial magazine to be devoted entirely to the subject. Although launched as a quarterly publication, Retro Gamers soon became a monthly...
regards Metal Gear 2 to be "as close as anyone can get to playing Metal Gear Solid in 2D" and also regards it as being superior to the more recent Game Boy Color version of Metal Gear Solid released a decade later in 2000.
Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
was more critical of the game, however, giving it a 7 out of 10. They wrote that in order to reach the most pivotal moments in the game's story, "you must endure some of the most ridiculous situations Solid Snake has ever seen," and that "the game's focus on constant backtracking and keycard acquisition makes it too repetitive." They concluded that "only diehard fans will find the experience rewarding" and that the best way to play the game is through the bonus disc of Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence.
Soundtrack
Arranged music based on Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake were used for the VR Training disc in Metal Gear Solid: Integral (which was released in North America as Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions). Additionally, Integral features two hidden tunes based on Metal Gear 2 available via a secret codec frequency in the main game. One is an arranged version of the "Theme of Solid Snake" (accessed from frequency 140.66), while the other is an arrangement of "Zanzibar Breeze." The "Theme of Solid Snake" also made an appearance in NintendoNintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's crossover fighting game Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
on the Shadow Moses Island stage.