Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes

by Silicon Knights

Product Features

• A retired spy code-named Solid Snake has been called back into action. His old unit, Fox Hound, has gone rogue. They've taken over a military base & intend to unleash a secret weapon known as Metal Gear on the world. Snake is sent in to investigate, and stop their plans if he can.
• Incredible 3rd-person action in amazing game environments, as you sneak across a military base -- stealth is more important than shooting skills here
• Collect multiple weapons and use your strategic skills to keep from being seen
• Fight off snipers, invisible ninjas, psychic warriors, and even an M-1 tank
• Linear, story-driven progress and cinematic cutscenes bring the story of Solid Snake to life

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B0000A09EN
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches ; 8 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: March 9, 2004
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (153 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,362 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Game Informer Review

The masterwork that spurred a cinematic movement and made high-tech espionage a staple in the world of video games is back to entertain another generation. Whether you found yourself staring wide-eyed in disbelief at a taut, action-packed sequence, or marveling in awe at the cleverness of the stealth-laden gameplay, Metal Gear Solid delivered one memorable moment after another in its original version. Under the guidance of series' creator Hideo Kojima and the development muscle of Silicon Knights, players are invited to rekindle these unforgettable moments in this technologically advanced remake.

If you were to go back and play through the PSone version today, I can pretty much guarantee that the thought, "I can't believe that I used to think that these graphics were amazing" would pass through your mind. The 32-bit era of gaming didn't exactly age well. Pixellated texturing…jagged polygons…it's not a pretty sight. Hence, all of the graphics in the Twin Snakes are completely updated and showcase the best of today's texturing, effects, and character modeling.

In addition to the beautifying of visuals, all of the cinematics in the game have been reworked and oftentimes extended in length. To accompany this change, all of the dialogue has been re-recorded. The result is over an hour of extra footage. Some of the updated sequences do tend to run a little long, but the majority of the content really adds something to the game. The story is much easier to follow, and you really get the feeling that Kojima and company did everything in their power to ensure that each action sequence was more explosive than The Matrix. The lack of remorse for human life that Ninja displays in this version is rather disturbing…but makes for some truly outstanding scenes.

In updating the gameplay package, Silicon Knights turned toward the series' sequel, Sons of Liberty. With the ability to zoom into first-person targeting, the erratic toe-to-toe gunfights in the original game are now a thing of the past. Picking off enemies with a steady hand from across the room really opens things up. Snake can also leap over balconies, hang on ledges, and stuff bodies in lockers. To counter the player's higher level of interaction, Silicon Knights has re-written all of the enemies' AI scripts. Your foes are even smarter than those in Sons of Liberty, and will go out of their way to thoroughly sweep their surroundings. They'll toss grenades under beds, search every upturned box, and radio for help in seconds flat. Unfortunately, you won't run into any extravagant new material like weapons, items, levels, or enemy encounters; but as a whole, the game plays much better and offers up a number of new strategies.

I'm sure that everyone is dying to ask the question, "Did they change anything in the Psycho Mantis fight?" I don't want to ruin anything for you, but I will say that he's the same old head case and has a few new tricks up his sleeves. Just make sure that you have a ton of save files on your memory card before going into the fight!

New Easter eggs and sight gags are dispersed throughout every inch of this epic adventure as well. You'll run across different posters hanging in lockers, GameCube units on desks, and maybe even some Mario paraphernalia lying around.

While not boasting a ton of new content, you can't help but find yourself completely entranced by the updated sequences and newfound graphical realism. Even if you've already played through the original game 100 times, The Twin Snakes is worth revisiting. For the second time running, it's something that you'll cherish for a lifetime.

Concept:
A remake of the PSone game that boasts significant graphical enhancements, updated gameplay, and over an hour of new footage

Graphics:
The cinematics have been overhauled completely, and the level of graphical realism is every bit as impressive as Sons of Liberty

Sound:
Newly recorded dialogue, a heart-racing score, and some of the best effects around

Playability:
Adding first-person targeting alleviates the frustration of gunfights and opens up the gameplay tremendously

Entertainment:
A new look for one of the greatest games of all time

Replay:
Moderately High

Rated: 9.25 out of 10
Editor: Andrew Reiner
Issue: March 2004

2nd Opinion:
I'm a big fan of game remakes. They are a great way to keep gaming history alive, and I'd love to see the trend continue. Metal Gear Solid is without a doubt a monumental title that should have a place in every gamer's library. It placed an emphasis on plot and cinematics that few other action games had ever attempted, and starred one of the most involving and complex heroes ever. Thanks to all the games that have referenced MGS since it was released, this version doesn't feel quite as monumental as it once did, but it still holds its own as one of the best games I've ever played. The improved graphics and cutscenes are really the primary selling point of this version, but since the original was so good, there was little reason to make further changes. This is a great edition of a great title, and GameCube owners everywhere should proudly add this to their collections.

Rated: 9.5 out of 10
Editor: Jeremy Zoss


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Product Description

In Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, superspy Solid Snake infiltrates the GameCube for one of the most games ever! Twin Snakes is a complete remake of the legendary Metal Gear Solid, with updated graphics for better, smoother gaming. Prepare to save the world, in the game that launched a classic series and started the spy gaming genre!

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Metal Gear Game...Need I Say More?, June 1, 2006

By 

R.A. McKenzie (New York) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (Video Game)

I can't please everybody with one review, so I'm gonna give you two:

Never Played The Original PS-one Title?
---"This is the game that created stealth gaming as we know it. The emphasis is on avoiding the enemies to reach your objectives, though enemy contact is sometimes unavoidable and will result in some bloody gunfights. There are creative boss battles, each vastly different from each other. Simply put, this game never runs out of ideas to keep the experience fresh. Like the great "God of War" or "Zelda" titles, it's an epic game, but not so big that it's overwhelming - it's got just the perfect balance of familiarity and discovery. The basic story is that six terrorists have taken over a nuclear weapons base in Alaska, and a retired covert operative named Solid Snake is sent to stop the crisis. Make no mistake, this plot is one hell of a labyrinth. This story goes from double crosses and political intrigue, to figurative subjects like the nature of love and the ethics of genetic research. Also, even though this is the third game in the 'Metal Gear' franchise, the game includes summaries of the first two 'Metal Gear' games. However, I hadn't played those, and found this game just as easy to follow. You will be doing more watching than playing, but both are experiences like no other. Give it a rental, as this game is only 8 hours tops, and see what you think."
{For more info, skip to the end of the review}

Already Finished The Original PS-one Title?
---"This game is identical to the original in almost every way. The levels design hasn't changed at all, although the graphics are much prettier. The written dialogue is pretty much the same, however the new voice-acting make it feel less forced. The cutscenes are the biggest change, as fight choreography and cinematography are given a breath-taking facelift. As many have said, the story from the first MGS merges with the gameplay of MGS 2: Sons of Liberty. Unfortunately, this makes the game much easier to beat, which is the only reason I'm giving this game an overall 4-Star rating. But that's a small price to pay, because this is a proper tribute to the PS-one classic's gripping story and innovative gameplay. In short, 'The Twin Snakes" isn't different enough in order to guarantee a purchase for the skeptical, but it's defintely worth a rental even if you've already beaten it."

FOR THE NEW PLAYERS
Original versions
"Metal Gear Solid" (PSone, 1999) and (PC, 2001)
"Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty" (PS2, 2001)
"Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater" (PS2, 2004)
"Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots" (PS3, 2007 - we hope!)

New versions of the old titles
"Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes" (Cube, 2004)
"Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance" (PS2/X-Box/PC, 2002)
"Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence" (PS2, 2006)

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great, if you never played the original, March 3, 2006

By 

LeatherFace (New York) - See all my reviews

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (Video Game)

Let me start this review by saying METAL GEAR SOLID for PSX is my all-time favorite game ever. And before that was my favorate game of all time, SNATCHER for the Sega CD was (both written and directed by Hideo Kojima). After the huge let down that was Metal Gear Solid 2, I was looking forward to this remake that would feature the same great gameplay mechanics as MGS2 with the same great storyline of MGS. Did this game deliver? Yes. Well...sort of. While the game has much prettier graphics and gameplay, there are some things changed where they never should have messed with perfection:

1.) My first gripe is the decline in voice acting. Naomi, Mei Ling, and Natasha have all lost their ethnic accents which gave them personality in the original, so now they just seem stiff and boring. The voice acting overall is just not as good, and I didn't like the tweaks made to the script.

2.) The absence of the classic music that made scenes so exciting in favor of that weird techno crap from MGS2.

3.) While I do like some of the extended cutscenes, such as the first encounter with the ninja, others are just ridiculously over-the-top, and too matrix wannabie.

4.) While the game does sport the much improved gameplay of MGS2, the level layouts are exactly the same and were not designed with these play mechanics in mind, rendering them pretty much unnecessary to use, with the exception of the first person view mode... which, as another reviewer pointed out, deletes certain challenges from the game.

Overall, it just doesn't have the magic or the soul that the original does. If you never played the original game, none of the above will bother you, so I highly recommend you buy this. For those of you who have played the original, it's worth a rental to play through with the spiffy new graphics, cutscenes, etc. But I'd take original over this remake any day of the week. If you want to play a remake that surpasses its original, I recommend the Resident Evil remake for the Gamecube.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An exceptional remake to an exceptional game, August 4, 2006

By 

F0X H0UND (Greenwood Lake, NY) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (Video Game)

Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes is the remake to Konami's Playstation smash hit Metal Gear Solid where we were reintroduced to our favorite super spy of the 1980's - Solid Snake. In both the original and Silicon Knight's remake, Solid Snake is pulled out of retirement and sent to a nuclear test base in Antartica called "Shadow Moses" to stop a bunch of geneticly enhanced super soldiers from unleashing the new Metal Gear. Along the way Snake is going to meet up with some people from previous missions, make new allies, and unravel a conspiracy far beyond Snake's comprehention.

Twin Snakes is straight up one of the most action packed games I played, even though you are supposed to rely more on stealth then fighting. However, you will find yourself taking on a tank with grenades, crossing a minefield, repeling down a wall while being fired at by a Hind chopper which you will later be shooting rockets at, fist fights, a massive firefight going up a large tower, and the most intense sniper shootout protrayed in any video game. Obviously you will be doing more than this, but I think I caught your attention by now =]

So the story is told, so how does the game play fair up? The basic idea behind MGS: TS is this: You run around using your enviroment to your advantage, such as pressing against a wall or crawling under a table, to avoid being seen. You have guns, like the SOCOM pistol or the FAMAS machine gun, but in all reality those are supposed to be used as a last resort. Anyway, when you approach a guard you can grab him and snap his neck, when he falls you can grab his body and hide it in a locker or other various areas. If you wish, you can go into first person mode, aim with your weapon and shoot out a camera or a guard in his head.. its really up to you. You get grenades too - chaff (which jams electric devises) and stun (which knocks out enemies for a short period of time). Also, you can do a small melee combo, which at first, doesn't look like much - but I guarentee you will use it almost constantly when in tight spots.

From the original, pixalated Playstation version, Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes looks almost life like with fluid motions both in-game and in FMV sequences, realistic (for the most part) physics, and some of the best graphics I have ever seen thanks to Silicon Knight's hardwork and Nintendo's awesome Gamecube system. Everything looks magnificent, and at the same time, dark, lonley, and terrifying. The character models look so real its hard to tell if its simply a video game, and that goes double time for Snake & all the bosses he fights. The codec sequences seem a little corny, that same as it was back in the original, so that sorta sucks.. but oh well.

Musically speaking, this game has one of the best scores I have heard in a video game. It is just very catchy, and always adds elements to the atmosphere. Ontop of that, the sound effects are awesome as well. Each guard lets out a satisfying scream when he is either shot or beaten up, and the guns sound virtually like their real life counter parts. The voice acting is superb; David Hayter did an excellent job on Snake.. the same goes for the rest of the cast.

You can unlock things too, depending on what you do during the torture scene with Ocelot. If you give in and let Meryl die, then at the end of the game, Otacon will give you a stealth suit. If you insisted on enduring the torture to let Meryl live, then you are rewarded with a special bandana that gives you unlimited ammo. Also, if you take certain pictures with your camera you are given the chance to see the "ghosts" of the creators of the game in the pictures. There are other unlockables, but I will let you find them yourself.

But no game comes without some sort of flaw. Two major problems I have with MGS: TW is the excessive amount of talking (but thats found in EVERY Metal Gear game.. so we can't blame Silicon Knights) and in the movie sequences, Snake does almost impossible moves. For instance, when he first meets up with Meryl, she shoots at him with a FAMAS - Snake quickly does a flip in matrix mode and the bullets miss him.. sort of lame.

To wrap it up, you need to buy & play Twin Snakes. It is, by far, the best Metal Gear game in the series. It is even better than the original.