Vimm's Lair: NES Reviews - Metal Gear

Nintendo
Metal Gear

Graphics:
Sound:
Gameplay:
Overall:
8.78
8.87
9.04
8.89
Votes: 55
Reviews: 2


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Reviewer: Jonathan Skinner Date: Jul 19, 2005
Ah this game is a treasure! Ever since I played MGS 2 I've been a fan of Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear. Fans of this game should try MGS 1,2, and 3. I didn't MGS 3's ending though. Anyways this game stars the legendary Solid Snake. His commander is none other then Big Boss or as he was called in MGS 3 Naked Snake. I haven't finished this game yet but from what I played it's great! I love the Metal Gear Series, I love Konami's classics, and I love stealth.

Graphics: 9
It's better then some other graphics like in River City Ransom but I still feel it could be a tad better. There are however lots of excellent animations and good backgrounds. Plus you're limited in the NES palette.

Sound: 10
I like the music and sounds, but again during the time there wasn't a heck lot of em. This was made in 1988!

Gameplay: 10
The most important part. The Metal Gear series certainly has a great story, this one has one too. Snake isn't as much as a tough guy yet.
But Duke had a beginning too and he's a tough guy today. Anyways, the AI is great for the time very good. Games took lots of work they were mostly made using Assembly. A language that was low level and only a set above Binary ((off)0s and 1s(on)). Using words like POP and ADD geeze I thought BASIC was hard (I use DarkBASIC lots). It's still hard today to several thousand lines of code or more. Anyways getting back to the game it's excellent great story, great characters, great fun, and great Metal Gear game. It started it all.

Overall: 10
Cheats, good gameplay, good NES graphics and sounds good! I think this series always delivers, Metal Gear Solid rules can't wait for Metal Gear Solid 4.

Play this game!

 

Reviewer: James Polese Date: May 16, 2005
Today\'s action games aren\'t what they used to be. Stealth, for example, is a little more obvious in many games. Hence, many players are forced to strategize instead of running into a compound with guns blazing. Credit for this innovation should be given to the widespread popularity of Metal Gear Solid (PSX, 1998), which is considered by many as being one of the, if not THE, best game ever created. However, like all things in the world, MGS also had a beginning: Metal Gear for the MSX2 by the then-unknown Hideo Kojima. This is a review for the well-done NES port. The story, although suffering from a few discrepancies with its older brother from the MSX2, remains fairly intact and allows you to assume the role of stealth operative Solid Snake. You must infiltrate an enemy fortress named \"Outer Heaven\", and destroy the ultimate weapon, \"Metal Gear\". Without getting bogged down too much into the logistics, stealth is key in this game, as getting into massive firefights will get you killed almost instantly. Enough talk, commence Operation Intrude N313...

Graphics: 10
Metal Gear looks great running on an 8-bit system. At the beginnig of the game, you are para-dropped into a jungle and must make your way towards the compound. The environments are the first thing that will catch your eye, from the colourful jungles to the cracks in the walls of the soulless concrete interiors of the compound; they\'re all done with a nice attention to detail. The player characters are also very well done, although I wish they had added a bit more colour to the enemy guards, but that really doesn\'t take much away from the experience. Additionally, other miscellaenous objects such as tanks and jeeps are also very well designed. To sum it all up, and given the timeframe and technology used, the graphics are quite stellar.

Sound: 10
There isn\'t much to say about the sound department. The music is entertaining and sets the mood, the explosions and gunshots sound good (especially the muffled gunshots) and so does all the rest. No complaints here, I believe the sound was quite satisfying.

Gameplay: 10
This is where Metal Gear truly shines. Kojima originally had an idea that went something along the lines of, \"Action alone can\'t do it, stealth is more important!\", and man did he ever mean it. You will be punished if you are discovered, as prolonged firefights with enemies will leave you lying in a pool of your own blood after a few shots (just an expression). Hence, stealth is paramount, although as you do progress through the game, you will receive higher rankings via POW\'s rescued, which will permit you take and dish-out more damage. Keep in mind that guards too are vulnerable, as most of them can be dispatched with one shot, but you should abstain from firefights nontheless.

Speaking of firefights, there is a healthy collection of weapons to aid you in your mission (with which you collect as you progress, of course), ranging from hand guns, sub-machine guns, grenade launchers, rocket launchers, remote-controlled missiles, mines and the like. Additionnaly, you will encounter a variety of \"boss\" characters that can only be defeated in certain ways with certain weapons, adding to the game\'s strategy. To help you along, you can receive support over your radio from your commander and fellow resistance members. There is no shortage of eqipment either, as thermal goggles, body armour, key cards and even cigarettes play an important role in the game, among others.

Overall: 10
Overall, well, what can I say: great graphics, good sound, incredible gameplay -- if you\'re a stealth fan or own a Nintendo Entertainment System OR BOTH, you owe it to yourself to check this one out.

It\'s amazing how a game created in the late 80\'s could encompass the complexity of stealth gaming. Moreover, the story and the other game dynamics were truly something to admire, especially at the time.