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[Majmun]

It's one of my favorite games. I remember playing the demo back then. My first MGS game. I was intruiged. The final game blew me away. It had such a great atmosphere and I loved the characters. The easter eggs were mindblowing as well.

I disliked the sequel but loved the third game. Never played MGS4 or any other MGS game after Snake Eater. I just lost interest in the franchise and I can't excplain why, But MGS on the Ps1 still holds a special place in my gamer heart.

 

[AwRy108]

It has aged very poorly, and has been bettered in every single facet by MGS games and others, but for its time, you're right.

I just replayed the game last year, and I completely disagree with this. The graphics hold up as well as any of the best PSX titles; the gameplay is still rock-solid and intuitive; and the story might still be the best in the series.

 

[fvng]

Right here

The cardboard box will make a return for Phantom Pain, Skull Face's name alone is over the top and if flaming unicorns and flying whales aren't absurd enough for you then I don't know what to say.

I'll reserve my judgement until it comes out

oh and I can see why I missed the exclamation point.

 

[ScOULaris]

Yeah, MGS1 is the best in the series. It has the best atmosphere, music, writing, voice acting, bosses... everything. It's just a masterpiece that still holds up very well today.

I give Blaustein all the credit in the world for making MGS1 what it was. Just look at the writing and voice acting in every subsequent MGS game after Kojima got rid of him. It takes a steep nosedive in MGS2 and gets more and more bloated with each subsequent entry. Ugh. I just wish they had kept him around for all of the sequels.

But yeah, I agree with all of your points, OP. MGS1 is one of the best games ever made.

 

[MetroidPrimeRib]

MGS1 is one of the true classics of games, and I can say there aren't that many in this fairly young industry.

 

[AuthenticM]

The cardboard box will make a return for Phantom Pain, Skull Face's name alone is over the top and if flaming unicorns and flying whales aren't absurd enough for you then I don't know what to say.

Hahaha, indeed.

 

[Tidus_Great]

MGS will always hold a special place in my heart. It was the first really well done cinematic game i played, the VA was good, the story was great and the gameplay was innovative. It really helped shape the modern game IMO being story driven and helped games gain ground as an artistic medium. Lord Kojima is the best

 

[Pupo]

Agree, best MGS.

 

[Scully Scully Scoo]

it is kind of unplayable now, not aged well. i tried getting twin snakes to run on dolphin emulator but it runs like a slideshow. i really want to experience the magic of the first game again. the story was incredible

 

[hipgnosis]

it is kind of unplayable now, not aged well.

How in the hell it is unplayable?

 

[gl0w]

I agree 100%. It's probably my 2nd or 3rd fav franchise of all time.

same here...

 

[CrackPebbles]

Its a good game.

I kinda don't like how you have to be so close to enemies to choke them though, and because you have to stand completely still to choke them I always accidentally throw them (like. you gotta get close enough but if your still moving in a direction snake will just throw them instead), which alerts the guards.

After a couple hours it was not an issue, but I still struggle with it when I replay the game.

 

[MormaPope]

You are only cutting a tiny bit of what I said and taking it out of context... Completely blowing over the part where I said it in relation to the people who were (yourself included) going on a huge hyperbolic tirade.

I mean Shining compared it to Keifer Sutherland for crying out loud!

Tirade? I posted one goofy sentence and then a cutscene I felt was hilariously silly. You still haven't elaborated on your main point, yes, I feel it doesn't live up to or meet the requirements the first MGS set. Do you agree on that? Disagree on that? What makes Twin Snakes a great play to begin with since it has different mechanics and plenty of differences overall?

Also I dig Kiefer as Big Boss, so there's that.

 

[fvng]

it is kind of unplayable now, not aged well. i tried getting twin snakes to run on dolphin emulator but it runs like a slideshow. i really want to experience the magic of the first game again. the story was incredible

Re-played it last year... Unplayable? Not even close.

 

[BrokenEchelon]

It's one of the eternal masterpieces of the medium.

The music, the gameplay, the insane universe and world building that it establishes, and just about everything else about it is amazing.

 

[Fevaweva]

Twin Snakes was fucking badass.

 

[djshauny]

Fantastic game. The best of the series imo.

 

[Grisby]

I think I said in the last thread that I recorded all of the cutscenes on a couple of VHS tapes.

Hours were spent on that psm demo alone, watching Snake ride that oft up and be all badass. The full game lived up to the hype and then some.

One the first real 'cinematic' games as well.

This entry is the best in the series. Game had the right balance of crazy. Still can't believe they took the shitting guy and made him into a full character (urgh).

Sniper Wolf is always on my favorite boss list. Loved her character and fight.

 

[Danielsan]

Can we please not mention the filth that is Twin Snakes when talking about MGS1.

 

[stn]

So...again, you changed. The areas where you think the game is clunky have always been that way.

Well, not quite. I always disliked the controls and camera angles, even way back. Basically, I just think that the controls and camera needed/need work. The only thing that changed is that what I thought was once bad is now even worse due to developments in gaming technology.

Take, for example, MGS2 on XBox. In order to shoot and run you have to hold "x" to draw the gun, THEN hold "y", and then push forward. Given the button placement its extremely awkward. To me its bad game design irrespective of aging.

 

[Unknown One]

I think I said in the last thread that I recorded all of the cutscenes on a couple of VHS tapes.

Hours were spent on that psm demo alone, watching Snake ride that oft up and be all badass. The full game lived up to the hype and then some.

One the first real 'cinematic' games as well.

This entry is the best in the series. Game had the right balance of crazy. Still can't believe they took the shitting guy and made him into a full character (urgh).

Sniper Wolf is always on my favorite boss list. Loved her character and fight.

I played the hell out of that demo. Was my first experience in stealth games and what a ride. Everything was perfect. I remember the first time I was caught, the music that played was so thrilling.

 

[old manatee]

How does the PS One version run and control on the Vita? I have one coming on Monday and I want to finally finish MGS 1 after aborting Twin Snakes early on back when it came out.

 

[Verendus]

One of the things that I really liked in MGS that the sequels lack, in my opinion, is how atmospheric the setting was. It really adds to the immersion. Maybe I just really love the whole secluded base in snow setting.

 

[Jamix012]

That's you changing, not the game. You age. The game does not age. Why would someone be afraid to say, "My expectations have changed"? I think it makes people appear less self centered.



So...again, you changed. The areas where you think the game is clunky have always been that way.

This is a unique way of looking at it I feel. If you think a game is bad in general you don't blame your own expectations for the game (although I guess sometimes you might), you blame the game.
This is similar, you don't blame your enhanced expectations, you blame the game. But because your expectations could have once accomodated for such a game instead of just calling the game bad it's just a "product of its time" or "aged."

I want to point out I fucking love MGS1, so I personally don't think its aged, this is just a general point of contention.

 

[supernormal]

I really dislike where the series went afterwards, but MGS1 is a gem. Probably my favorite 3D game of all time. Everything about it was just so different compared to any other game I've ever played. It really had a lot of attitude and personality. The whole thing played out like a movie yet still managed to be a really gamey game with things like ! ? ZZzzz floating above enemies. The Easter eggs, the amount little hidden things, and all the codec conversations you could have depending on the situation, totally blew my mind.

 

[Broken Joystick]

True. After the direction MGS took after MGS1, this scene doesn't seem too bad anymore. I think people were upset with it mostly because it wasn't in the original game.

I dislike it because:

That's one backflip, there's a lot of other flips and cartwheels going on throughout the game. And the biggest problem with that flip is none of the protagonists in other MGS games display abilities or attributes that can't be done in gameplay.

this really. I mean, I don't hate it, it's just, "well fuck, why couldn't I do that shit while fighting REX or Raven. Shit.".

No, it's mostly because it looks dumb. I don't mind if other characters leap about like demented grasshoppers but Snake should never do over the top inhuman stuff like this.

This all reminds me of that theory where MGS1 is Snake's point of view and Twin Snakes is Ocelot's, or something along those lines. Didn't make complete sense but it was comforting.

 

[Fancy Clown]

I just recently played MGS for the first time, and while it's an amazing gam, the tension killing backtracking that was just added to pad out the length of the game, and the simpler gameplay, keep it from being better than 2&3 in my eyes.

Oh, and Solidus and The Boss are better antagonists than Liquid.

 

[RSB]

The best thing about TTS were the hidden red and blue pipes (no more tedious backtracking to change the key's temperature)

That's pretty much the only thing I miss from TTS when replaying MGS, really.

 

[TickleMeElbow]

Funny you made this thread. I just started playing MGS last night after getting Legacy Edition.

Haven't played since PS2 came out.

Nostalgia'd all over the place.

Just realized the "women have more hiding places than men" line by Meryl flew over my head back in the day lol.

 

[Tomodachi]

Warms my heart to see all this Twin Snakes bashing. SK please.

 

[robotrock]

Funny you made this thread. I just started playing MGS last night after getting Legacy Edition.

Haven't played since PS2 came out.

Nostalgia'd all over the place.

Just realized the "women have more hiding places than men" line by Meryl flew over my head back in the day lol.

Holy shit, is this a Ground Zeroes reference now? My mind has been blown.

 

[wintermute0]

This all reminds me of that theory where MGS1 is Snake's point of view and Twin Snakes is Ocelot's, or something along those lines. Didn't make complete sense but it was comforting.

I'd like to read that theory. Do you know where to find it?

 

[jett]

I'd pay good money for a "retro remake" of MGS1 using the MGSV engine but maintaining the original textures and models, like how the PS1 modes look in the Deja Vu Mission in Ground Zeroes.

Last month I went on a full MGS binge, played every game in the series. MGS1 holds up decently enough and is still a great experience for any longtime MGS fan. I enjoy playing it more than MGS4.

 

[Itchy//Tasty]

Whenever I play this (annually), it always strikes me how fantastic Hayter's performance is. The whole cast is great, but Hayter especially.

 

[S1lent]

Agree with every word of the OP--pretty much touched on every reason why it is the best of the series, and one of the best games of all time.

 

[RedSwirl]

I'm going to take this opportunity to suggest every fan of MGS1 play the second MSX game, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. It's like 90 percent the same game, except it came out eight years earlier. Gameplay-wise, I think Psycho Mantis is literally the only new thing MGS1 added.

It's like the Final Fantasy VI or Link to the Past of the Metal Gear franchise.

 

[BrokenIcarus]

I truly agree.

I wish I could've played it when it was released in 1998, but I was only four at the time, so that wasn't exactly an option.

I can't even imagine how much I'd have enjoyed the game in 1998, when I immensely enjoyed playing it in 2008 almost 10 years later.

I still get goosebumps whenever I hear The Best Is Yet To Come.

I think people like to bash Kojima for being not a good writer or director, but I think he truly excels at both. God bless, I hope MGSV can recapture the magic of MGS.

 

[Sectorseven]

What I think makes this particular Metal Gear game so much better is its story pacing. The whole game takes place in one location over the course of a single night. Narratively, this keeps Kojima on somewhat of a tight leash. Characters aren't able to globe hop at their convenience, and very little can happen behind the scenes without the player knowing. A small time frame allows for easier management of all the pieces and makes the build up of tension both more natural and simpler. A good example of this is the original "Die Hard." Look at how tight the movie is from a narrative point of view, then compare it to "Live Free or Die Hard."

 

[Tambini]

It really is great. I'd like to try the gamecube version one day but it's real expensive.

 

[TickleMeElbow]

Holy shit, is this a Ground Zeroes reference now? My mind has been blown.

Huh.

Didn't even think of it like that.....

 

[Caesnd]

I fully agree. MGS1 is the best in the series by far. Best characters, best soundtrack, best setting etc. I love how the way it is so focused compared to the bloated mess the series has become now. It is the reason I wanted Kojima to keep working on new things instead of getting bogged down in releasing sequel upon sequel. In the same way he went from Snatcher to Policenauts to MGS1, I wish he had continued to make new games in that vein instead. Also the fact that you can tell that Yoji Shinkawa is just about ready to burst with new ideas for new IPs doesn't help the matter for me either.

It is also the only time in the series that the English side of the VA managed to keep up with the Japanese side (though I still prefer the Japanese VA except for possibly David Hayter, Paul Eiding, Cam Clarke and Patric Zimmerman)

 

[Weltall Zero]

Still the best Metal Gear game. It had the exact perfect amount of mind screw and twists before it got out of hand. Voice performances were emotional and believable as well. Bosses were varied and unique. Liquid is the best MGS villain ever. All in all a masterful, well rounded and perfect game. It's perhaps even more amazing now, compared to most of its rather primitive PSX contemporaries.

 

[TheKastorian]

Probably my favorite game of all time.

 

[Dice]

Hell yes, still the best game ever made. My view of it has remained unshaken. It is a masterpiece.

One of the best things about it is that it is always giving you JUST enough to handle. It always gives you something fresh in both situation and tools, but you have always had enough experience with other things to figure out how to handle it, yet only while always being on your toes. It's not trial and error, and it's not purely reactionary, it is dynamic while also being narrative. Its perfect pacing and escalation in interactivity with your mind and creativity and skills just hasn't even been approached in other games.

While playing it again provides such a rich experience of appreciating the design and genius of it, that first play through when you are flying by the seat of your pants is truly one in a million. Some games like Symphony of the Night have similar levels of craftsmanship in their components, and are similarly appreciated upon returning to them, but they still lack the beautiful dynamic and progressive dance of problems, knowledge, creativity, and skills.

 

[Boke1879]

Definitely one of my favorite games of all time.

One thing I like to do is just listen to all unique codec conversations. You really learn a lot about the world and it's just so damn good. Truly a masterpiece

By the way this track I feel is the best in the game. Completely summarizes the mood. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdrOUinKAB8

 

[matrix-cat]

Pretty sure the 'Women have more hiding places than men' line is Meryl talking about her cleavage. She's hiding a credit-card-shaped thing, after all

 

[Y2Kev]

This is a unique way of looking at it I feel. If you think a game is bad in general you don't blame your own expectations for the game (although I guess sometimes you might), you blame the game.
This is similar, you don't blame your enhanced expectations, you blame the game. But because your expectations could have once accomodated for such a game instead of just calling the game bad it's just a "product of its time" or "aged."

I want to point out I fucking love MGS1, so I personally don't think its aged, this is just a general point of contention.

It's not a unique way; it is the way we should look at things. What you're describing is not overlapping with what I mean.

For example, when I play Sneak King, and I'm like, wow, this game is shit, I'm saying it is shit and will forever be shit. When people say something has "aged," they're implying they thought favorably of it in the past but now they no longer think favorably of that thing because of the passage of time.

The thing itself is unchanging. We are changing; I think we ascribe blame or causality to a "thing" to absolve ourselves of having to look at our changing expectations.

No other medium really goes through this process. We certainly don't say art or film ages; even the earliest silent film is evaluated much in the same way new films are.

So I find "it hasn't aged well" to be a lazy way of looking at something when what we should really be doing is looking at ourselves.

 

[Catalix]

What I think makes this particular Metal Gear game so much better is its story pacing. The whole game takes place in one location over the course of a single night. Narratively, this keeps Kojima on somewhat of a tight leash. Characters aren't able to globe hop at their convenience, and very little can happen behind the scenes without the player knowing. A small time frame allows for easier management of all the pieces and makes the build up of tension both more natural and simpler. A good example of this is the original "Die Hard." Look at how tight the movie is from a narrative point of view, then compare it to "Live Free or Die Hard."

Even the cutscenes themselves have a tighter pacing style, compared to the sequels. Not a lot of the awkward pauses in conversations or tedious camera lingering you get in MGS2-4.

As a result, most scenes have a snappier flow in MGS1.

 

[foxtrot3d]

This all reminds me of that theory where MGS1 is Snake's point of view and Twin Snakes is Ocelot's, or something along those lines. Didn't make complete sense but it was comforting.

Nah, you got it all wrong. MGS1 is the real Shadow Moses incident as played in real time by Solid Snake. Twin Snakes is actually you playing as Raiden, playing a simulation of the Shadow Moses incident.

 

[Sojgat]

I'm going to take this opportunity to suggest every fan of MGS1 play the second MSX game, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. It's like 90 percent the same game, except it came out eight years earlier. Gameplay-wise, I think Psycho Mantis is literally the only new thing MGS1 added.

It's like the Final Fantasy VI or Link to the Past of the Metal Gear franchise.

I like to think of it as Kojima's L.A. Takedown.