you get a model of Snake's head, shoulders and arms, smoking cigarettes. Each time he stubs some of the ash off the cigarette, a message shows up telling you to be responsible with liter and use an ashtray.
Codec is in the main menu. You can also change the select button to do a number of functions.
There's a virtual shooting range in the menu.
There are four or five difficulty levels. Each named after one of the Snakes with the hardest being Big Boss difficulty level. You start off the game with a stun knife for CQC and in a cutscene, Snake picks up a rifle really slowly, using his knife to help him.
The game starts with a cooking show being filmed in a bunker. They show a bunch of stuff Snake has eaten in Snake Eater. It is filmed with real live actors.
There's a TV ad that follows, presenting someone on a motorcycle being chased by some huge robotic mantis thing. The clip states it is an advert for Mantis Security Systems.
Following these clips is a cutscene of Snake in a cemetery, where Otacon and Campbell lands by helicopter. Next, he finds himself on the back of a truck and taken to a warzone. He's wearing a big robe to disguise himself. There's a huge gunfight with the credits flashing up. Snake finally loses the robe and uses the octocamo suit to disguise himself from the Gekkos.
The whole begining is interspersed with small bits of gameplay. All the way through, you don't have access to the radar. Otacon tells you to find Metal Gear MKII. Once you find the device, you'll get the Solid Eye and the radar showing up in the top right corner, along with a few new weapons.