Current Events > I'm playing the Metal Gear Solid games for the first time. I have a question.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Always wanted to play them, but never did. I've heard some crazy things about them and seen some clips and they come off as...unique that's for sure. Trying them out now and they're fun. My question is, are they intentionally over the top, campy, and a pastiche of 80s/90s action movies or does Kojima really think all this is cool? Or is it both?

both.

Unironically both

You're in for a treat. But how have you gone this long without playing these legendary games?

Pikachuchupika posted...

You're in for a treat. But how have you gone this long without playing these legendary games?

I don't know really. I like stealth games too. Just never got around to trying them out.

Absolutely both. Although it is worth noting that, as much as we love David Hayter's over the top Solid Snake voice, Kojima is apparently not a fan of his version.

It's funny how time is a factor and we have to stop Metal Gear, but let's let a character get out their backstory and thoughts in a melodramatic way. Not complaining, it's just funny to me.

Pantherkid posted...

Absolutely both. Although it is worth noting that, as much as we love David Hayter's over the top Solid Snake voice, Kojima is apparently not a fan of his version that so much.

Even as someone who has only played about an hour of one game, that's nuts. His voice is part of the charm. I did literally laugh out loud at "A surveillance camera?". I remember the fans not liking when Keifer Sutherland took over the voice.

He'll always be Bernie from Gundam 0080 to me first though.

MGS for the PS1 was great
MGS 2, the story took a WTF turn, but for some reason I still liked it and found it entertaining
MGS 3, I feel like went back to the basics with the story and was more similar to MGS, my favorite game of the series
MGS4, the story again, got crazy, I didn't like the gameplay that much, my least favorite but it's alright

I haven't played the newer ones.

M
Southernfatman posted...

Even as someone who has only played about an hour of one game, that's nuts. His voice is part of the charm. I did literally laugh out loud at "A surveillance camera?".

He'll always be Bernie from Gundam 0080 to me first though.

Southernfatman posted...

Even as someone who has only played about an hour of one game, that's nuts. His voice is part of the charm. I did literally laugh out loud at "A surveillance camera?".

He'll always be Bernie from Gundam 0080 to me first though.

My favorite is "A box?"

Colonel, whats a Russian gunship doing here?

Definitely both. Take them at face value and you'll have a great time.

Southernfatman posted...

Even as someone who has only played about an hour of one game, that's nuts. His voice is part of the charm. I did literally laugh out loud at "A surveillance camera?".

I remember I always found it weird and almost jarring how characters on the codec would explain how to perform certain actions on the controller, especially considering they'd always say things like "Action button" instead of like "Circle button".
Fortunately I wasn't alone in this, as I remember there used to be a user here who had the following sig:
Colonel: "Snake, you have press the Action button."
Snake: "...what?"

SoIidLegacy posted...

I remember I always found it weird and almost jarring how characters on the codec would explain how to perform certain actions on the controller, especially considering they'd always say things like "Action button" instead of like "Circle button".
Fortunately I wasn't alone in this, as I remember there used to be a user here who had the following sig:
Colonel: "Snake, you have press the Action button."
Snake: "...what?"

That is also weird. Maybe the characters are self aware and know they're in a video game.

Also noticed how quick the game gets horny. Snake stares at Meryl's ass when she's escaping and there's the "A woman has more hiding places" line.

I also love how dumb the enemies can be and how you can just run into another section and escape them. When I first started I got caught climbing into the back of a truck and then just hit behind the crate that was in it and the guy who was looking dead at me suddenly got amnesia and walked away. It's an old game obviously so I can't be mad at it. Plus it's beneficial.

I love MGS horniness. The games just get more horny

Southernfatman posted...

I also love how dumb the enemies can be and how you can just run into another section and escape them. When I first started I got caught climbing into the back of a truck and then just hit behind the crate that was in it and the guy who was looking dead at me suddenly got amnesia and walked away. It's an old game obviously so I can't be mad at it. Plus it's beneficial.

Huh, weird. I recall enemies usually start throwing grenades if you hide in places they can't (don't have animations) to get to you, like in the truck.

Did you know how to handle Mantis?

BombermanGold posted...

Huh, weird. I recall enemies usually start throwing grenades if you hide in places they can't (don't have animations) to get to you, like in the truck.

It was right at the start so maybe that's why.

spikethedevil posted...

Did you know how to handle Mantis?

Haven't gotten to him yet. He's the guy you have to move your controller to port 2 right? I've heard about that through cultural osmosis and stuff.

Southernfatman posted...

It's funny how time is a factor and we have to stop Metal Gear, but let's let a character get out their backstory and thoughts in a melodramatic way. Not complaining, it's just funny to me.

Even as someone who has only played about an hour of one game, that's nuts. His voice is part of the charm. I did literally laugh out loud at "A surveillance camera?". I remember the fans not liking when Keifer Sutherland took over the voice.

He'll always be Bernie from Gundam 0080 to me first though.

To be fair, thats not actually the real Snake that Keifer Sutherland portrays, but rather its the wounded combat medic from the ending of Ground Zeroes whos had significant cosmetic surgery as well as his mind wiped and brainwashed into believing that hes Snake so that Ishmael can escape.

Is Mei Ling best girl iyo?

Southernfatman posted...

My question is, are they intentionally over the top, campy, and a pastiche of 80s/90s action movies or does Kojima really think all this is cool? Or is it both?

both. but mostly a big joke. it's meant to be cool with the full knowledge that it's completely silly.

it starts to get, for lack of a better term, cringe when someone takes the joke too seriously and makes something real out of it, like the Rising spinoff. even mgs4 suffers from this in many parts.

the problem with V was that, by that time, everyone started taking all of it seriously and basically caged kojima into making something that had to piece everything together. but dude just wanted to make something cool and fun. turned into drama everywhere.

Yeah you'd think this game is some sort of spy covert game but the game is deeply about humanity.

VeggetaX posted...

Yeah you'd think this game is some sort of spy covert game but the game is deeply about humanity.

MGS1 has the best story imo and the Otacon ending is the best. It really has a good message

Agent_Stroud posted...

To be fair, thats not actually the real Snake that Keifer Sutherland portrays, but rather its the wounded combat medic from the ending of Ground Zeroes whos had significant cosmetic surgery as well as his mind wiped and brainwashed into believing that hes Snake so that Ishmael can escape.

Problem is...it really is Big Boss in Ground Zeroes.

He 1,000% thinks its awesome; the idea of "camp" and "So bad it's good" is not really a thing in Japan. They don't even have a word for irony and just use the same word as "sarcastic" which you know can have a bit of a different meaning. I was with a manga author one time and we were trying to explain why we'd call French Fries "Freedom Fries" and make a silly accent. We tried to explain it was a silly overacting irony thing but he just couldn't understand and thought we were being serious.

Anyone who says it's a joke or silly is looking at it through their own biases.

MuscleRobo posted...

the idea of "camp" and "So bad it's good" is not really a thing in Japan.

i dunno about movies but there is absolutely a subculture of memeifying kusoge and bad anime stuff

It's just campy anime

MuscleRobo posted...

the idea of "camp" and "So bad it's good" is not really a thing in Japan

It is definitely a thing. It's just not described the same way that we would describe it.

Gobstoppers12 posted...

It is definitely a thing. It's just not described the same way that we would describe it.

It's usually from love though, like a genuine belief that it is awesome. Really bad games that are made of are celebrated and considered good for the reasons we think they're bad. It's not the western style thing of making fun of something and saying it shouldn't exist but more of a "This is so fun! In a different way!"

MuscleRobo posted...

It's not the western style thing of making fun of something and saying it shouldn't exist but more of a "This is so fun! In a different way!"

We have plenty of that in American culture too, though. Like viewing parties for The Room, and the people out there who genuinely love Batman and Robin for what it is.

Southernfatman posted...

It was right at the start so maybe that's why.

Haven't gotten to him yet. He's the guy you have to move your controller to port 2 right? I've heard about that through cultural osmosis and stuff.

On the MC you have to press R1+L1 to get a menu with a controls section that lets you change ports.

Both, and Kojima is correct.