It's odd that, despite Hideo Kojima requesting Solid Snake to be put in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, there haven't exactly been many games from the Metal Gear series on Nintendo systems, and none since that crossover happened.
Thankfully, Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D is due to change that later this year. An enhanced port of the third Metal Gear Solid title, viewed by many fans as the best game in the series, it has to be one of the most promising upcoming 3DS titles. We had a chance to play it recently, and we can safely say it's stunningly accurate to the original.
Upon starting up the demo we were briefly presented with a screen showing all controls, on which one thing in particular stands out very much: all of the "face" buttons (that is, A, B, X and Y) are used to control the camera, while the Circle Pad moves Snake around. Everything else, like inventory management and shooting, is done with the shoulder buttons and the D-Pad. Using the most important buttons from just about any other game just for simple camera movement felt very weird for a bit, but we quickly got used to it, and it actually works surprisingly well. Of course, precise camera movement is a very welcome feature in a primarily stealth-based game like this.
The demo took us through the very first few areas of the original game, though without much of the intro. Air-dropped into the Soviet Union with the mission of rescuing Dr. Sokolov, we had to make our way through a short swamp section in order to reach the building where he was being held captive. To get used to the controls, the game sent a few crocodiles our way, which we could stun from a distance with tranquilliser darts, before making our way through the mud surrounding them and trying not to drown.
In the next area, we encountered a guard, so we had to make our first use of actual sneaking. Since it was just a lone guy, this was pretty simple enough, we could just wait for him to pass by and then sneak past. Veterans will be pleased to know the hidden pick-ups are still present, though.
Next we reached the bridge that's been seen in trailers a few times. There's a trick to clear this area rather easily, but we decided to try out a little bit of combat and defeated the guards with some hand to hand combat instead. Curiously, Snake seems to be pretty resistant to damage, so we took a few hits that didn't really seem to make an impact on our health. Perhaps this was just done for the demo to make it easier for those who've never played the game, however.
Unfortunately we knew the demo was about to end there, as the next screen held the building in which Sokolov was being held. There were still plenty of guards patrolling it, but with some quick grass-crawling we were right next to the room he was in and quickly snuck in unseen. No cutscene followed, sadly; the demo simply ended without warning right as we walked up to the door.
Despite the relatively short length of the demo, we walked away quite impressed. The game plays pretty much identically to the original release and surprisingly actually manages to look the same, if not slightly better, though we did notice that the framerate was most definitely not at a solid 60, especially when we were in some of the large open areas with guards around. Let's hope that they can smooth this out for the final release.
If the rest of the game is the same as it was originally, then we can quite easily say this is going to be another must-have for the 3DS library. It's quite likely that if you don't own a Sony system you've never played a Metal Gear game, so this is going to be a nice entry point for new players as well.
Comments 55
Other impressions have stated that the game does not run very well at all. I think most people will be buying the PS3 HD Collection which includes HD versions of this, MGS2 and Peace Walker for probably the same price.
60fps is a bit redundant when your sneaking it easily looks better than original looking forward to this it will be a welcome addition to the 3ds library★
I don't understand why there is an obsession for 60fps. Surely when 60Hz TVs can only display video at 30fps anyway... I mean, this may not apply to the 3DS screen but you do see where I'm coming from, right?
'viewed by many fans as the best game in the series'
Yes
Hmm, in the original, there is more than one guard in the area before the bridge. It was also 30fps iirc.
Edit: But yes, I'd much rather have the HD collection. For one thing, the PS3 has all the buttons (and analogs) that the PS2 had so no weird configurations, and oh yeah, I have a PS3.
Thanks for the impressions Marcel.
I'm looking forward to this, but I am concerned about the camera control being assigned to the four face buttons; this control scheme wasn't good in Splinter Cell 3D. Perhaps it's implemented better and isn't quite as awkward to use in this one. I can't help but wonder whether they could have aped the Resi Merc setup, where you can either stand still and aim with the circle pad or have a limited strafe move while shooting.
I'm still looking forward to this though, and you've given me some optimism for when it comes
I'm scared it might not be amazing...
Snake vs. Monkey?
Awesome - another remake!!!
/sarcasm
Yeah I noticed the framerate was a bit choppy near the end of the trailer.
I believe MGS3 was 30fps. MGS2 was 60fps though.
Anyway... not too hyped for this, I don't like the idea of using face buttons for camera control, it should be using the touch screen.
I already have this game on PS2. I think I 'll just buy the HD collection.
I'll be getting it....despite having it on PS2. MGS3 is THAT awesome!
If the hd versions they release are the same price as this I am getting the hd version. Even if not I may still probably going to get the hd version. I would get this on 3ds but the only two games I have not played in the solid series is MGS2 and MGS3.
I can't get enough of Metal Gear. I'll get this game day one! Hopefully they'll smooth the game out near launch.
But how is the 3D? There is 3D, right?
While I love the franchise and am hoping that MGS4 makes it to the WiiU, I am still not sure about this on the 3DS. Having full camera control was added to Subsistance, not the orginal release of MGS3, so hopefully they will have a classic control option that will use the face buttons as they usually are. I am also getting tired of all these remakes on the 3DS. Ocarina needed an update, but I wish STAR FOX was a new entry storywise. Whatever, I sure have been having fun with RE: MERCENARIES 3D . . .
I cannot wait. Was always envious of my mates PS2 because of this game but I avoided it at the time on purpose in anticipation of a re-release! My dreams are coming true!
yay I hope we get it soon, I have a PS2 but I never got this for it, so now I can... I also wanna heard Kojima talk about MGS SoL for 3DS some more.
What is with all the remakes for the 3DS. No offense or anything but if I am going to shell out $250 for a system I want more original titles. Why should I pay for something that its game library is a bunch of games that I have on other systems just with updated graphics? Its getting harder and harder to convince me to buy a 3DS.
I think the d-pad should have been used for the camera, how often do you move and move the camera in metal gear right? It's not about run and gun.
Please, please have optional control options. I don't want to use the normal buttons as a camera control.
I'll hopefully get to try this out tomorrow. I'll try to get some more info about the game out to you guys
I own "Subsistance" on PS2. I was excited about this but I really don't want a simple remake. =/
Glad they're keeping the control scheme from Peace Walkers. I'll just get the collection. (Assuming it comes out by November.)
Even though I look forward to this game big time, I do wish they would work on controls a little more thats more suited for single analog system.
@ #8 & #20 - what, you think completely new games are fully finished within just a few months? You can either have remakes now and new games later or you can have no games now and new games later. Thats pretty much the size of it in a nutshell. New games take time.
Remakes are good for advertising the system. Release games everyone knows are good and you'll push the system as well. There's nothing wrong with this. Also, there are original titles being released
Damn you Konami! You'll be getting my money twice for the same game....
@29 (freaking website needs a reply button)
Nintendo has a new Super Smash Bros game, Luigi's Mansion 2, new Paper Mario, new Mario Kart, and a new Super Mario Bros game that combines SMB3 with Mario 64 and is developed by the same team that made Mario Galaxy. They have plenty of originality on the horizon.
@3: The difference between 30 and 60 fps has more to do with controls. @60 fps controls are much tighter. Play any FPS on Wii and you'll notice how jerky 30 fps is (the Conduit) compared to 60 (Metroid Prime). It makes a difference in racing games also. F-Zero GX would have been a much more difficult game if the framerate wasn't a stable 60 fps.
Any why are people whinning about remakes again? This game was anounced with the system at last years E3. Get over it.
Snake returns to Nintendo
Twin Snakes didn't count?
@Bass_X0: Might as well have no games now its just the same. Just because they are releasing remakes doesnt make me want to run out and buy a 3DS now. If they didnt have a new game line up than they should have held off releasing the 3DS till they had some more.
Well I only own Peace Walker for PSP. Anyone know where that goes in the MGS timeline? Is it a sequel to MGS3 or is it a prequel to it? Cuz I know both Peace Walker and MGS3 use the same original Snake, unlike the rest of the series, which uses a clone of him.
@36 its after 3
it goes:
3, Portable Ops, Peace Walker
@26- It's the same control scheme they used for the PSP MGS game, which only has the one analog nub as you know. I DO wish that this remake utilized the touch screen for camera controls instead, though, as moving the camera with face buttons can be a bit awkward at times.
@Otaku- Ah okay thanks. I'm an MGS noob so yeah.
Cannot wait for this game... along with 2 others on the Metal Gear Solid HD collection for PS3.
Colonel Campbell and his 61 scissors approve this article!
I'm actually very excited for this. And I like how the control layout is similar to Metroid Prime Hunters, I wish that Kid Icarus Uprising had this control scheme, instead of the Call of Duty DS controls.
Am... so... pumped... for... this... game.
I think I may just explode from anticipation.
@40: lol
@34: This is the first time this [Naked] Snake (aka Big Boss if that's not spoiling anything) has been on a Nintendo console since that old crappy NES port.
Awesome!
I've always wanted to get into MGS but I've never had the right system for it.
This is a must-buy for me, and who cares if it's not in HD, it's in 3D!
(Although it would be great if they released the HD collection on PC)
this seems interesting i pre-order this. never played MGS. why is he missing an eye?
I saw a picture in Nintendo Power of the game. You can find Yoshi in the forest!
@47 he is missing the eye because near the end of the game ocelot accidently shoots him in the face.
never been a huge fan of digital aim in these types of games. Sadly this is looking like a pass barring second-coming-of-christ reviews.
@Bass_XO: No, I don't think new games are completely made in a few months. What I do think, however, is that they would probably have known about the 3DS a while before it was released to the public, and been able to develop new games for it.
I understand that in the current climate of huge-budget games, developers are not willing to take big risks, but the amount of remakes and ports coming out is ridiculous (I'm not just talking about Nintendo, by the way, but they seem to have a large proportion of these types of games).
While i'd also like more original games on the 3DS i'm a sucker for games that haven't been on a Nintendo before. I don't know how much i'd actually pay for this game yet though.
@RetroEagle So much irony in that statement when 4 of the 5 you mentioned are sequels to Mario games. Hows that for originality?
@50 i like the second-comming all are welcome
the reason why it is 60 fps per second is so that when the 3d is on it will split that into 30 fps per eye and wont have to drop alot of detail, and if they have it less that 60 it would look very choppy in 3d
...Aaaand hopefully this will be the last rehash for 3DS in a long time. Yeah, sure.
This game looks awesome!
Totally stoked to play the best mgs in 3d
I doubt ill use the 3d but im extremely excited for this game. The thought of being able to play it whenever wherever is incredible
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