 |
| Title: |
Metal Gear Solid GB |
| Publisher: |
Konami |
| Features: |
GameBoy Color Only, Link-Cable Support, Battery Back-Up |
| Format: |
Action Adventure |
| Reviewer: |
Valerie |
|
 |
|
Introduction
Mention Metal Gear Solid and immediately the word "Snake" comes
to my mind. I don't know why, since I must confess that I've never played the PSX version of this supposedly popular
game. Maybe it comes from reading too many game magazines and associating any stealth-ops game with that slithery
and conniving reptilian.
Well, whatever the reason, MGS was a game that I had to buy. Why? Because of all the hype surrounding this title
of course and also because Konami said that it would be the "one perfect game for the GameBoy Color".
Yes, I know that what a game company says about its game is usually untrue, but in this instance, I was proven
wrong. MGS really is a "perfect" game, and I must admit that Konami did put a lot of work into this portable
action packed adventure. In all of MGS's 13 levels and more than 150 VR missions, it was non-stop adrenaline pumping
action right from the start.
Gameplay & Controls
Play the game as Snake with your first mission in the jungle trying to infiltrate
the enemy base. It's simple but the game gets progressively harder as you are introduced to more and more obstacles
like closed-circuit cameras and smoke emitting triggers.
Enemy guards are aplenty and they patrol the areas all too well but fortunately for you, they aren't quite so smart.
You can easily sneak up behind them and punch them away. No need to waste many bullets if you are patient and tactical.
For me, this wasn't the case, I made my way through several missions trigger happy. Not a smart move I soon learnt
because this meant a lower score for me at the end of the mission. So the trick... stay cool.. be tactical and
use the weapons that you find and pick-up, well.
As you get through each mission, your progress is saved. (Save it on your own as a safety measure, if you like).
With this, you can choose to go on to the next mission or go back and try perfecting the same one in a time trial.
(I usually do the latter because the layout of the mission is still fresh in my mind.)
Whatever you do, the name of the game is to climb ladders... do the belly crawl... hide behind cartons and in trucks...
and make your way through shrubbery, swamps and mazes. It's all in good fun!
The missions aren't time consuming. All it takes is about 5 minutes each and if you're worried about time and portability,
then don't because even though the game has one save slot, you can save anywhere and at anytime. To save the game,
call Mei Ling on your codec... 140.96 - a frequency that's always got to be on your mind. It's simple but Mei Ling
can however be rather irritating with her quotes at the end of each relay.
If you're lucky enough to have a friend with the same game, I'd definitely recommend link-play. Nothing better
than having a human opponent. The real reason however, is that you get a slightly different kind of game to play.
In link-up mode, you play as red or blue Snake. After choosing your weapons, you'll both be thrown into different
areas of the same VR room. The object here, to get as many hidden targets as possible. Each player has three lives
and you can assassinate your opponent if you want him to "drop" the target discs he has picked up, for
you. Interesting?
Music & Graphics
Outstanding graphics and incredible gameplay. The background music also
makes a for good blood pumping action.
Game levels and objectives of each mission are somewhat different and that's good so it feels like a different
game each time. Nothing boring and nothing repetitive, that's the way I felt as I went through the entire cartridge.
Konami did a good job with the well thought out missions and because each mission can be completed in different
ways, there is going to be lots of replay value.
Actually, I can see myself playing this cart over and over again for the next couple of months.
Final Comments
The thing that I was afraid of when I first purchased this game was that
the sprites would be too small. I didn't relish the though of squinting just to see Snake making his way around
the enemies. Well, when I turned on the game, I did discover that the sprites were rather small, but because the
game was so interesting, I found that I couldn't put it down despite this slight disadvantage.
So now I'm really glad that I bought MGS for the GameBoy. It has turned me into an MGS addict, and guess what,
I'm buying the PSX version of the game tomorrow. Not surprising, huh? |
