We recently got the chance to have a pop at Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 at the invite of Konami. We had around an hour or so to dig into Metal Gear Solid and its two sequels (as well as have a quick gander at all the bonus content on offer), which isn’t a huge amount of time for games of this scale, but we were able to get a broad idea of how the collection pans out. So, what’s the damage?

We started off with the OG, Metal Gear Solid. We were initially struck with the reality that this really is a warts-and-all kind of port, sticking to the original PS1 version’s low resolution and frame rate. We had a bit of a giddy retro thrill seeing it run as originally intended, but it does feel like a bit of a missed opportunity to not take things even further and provide a way to play these games that’s more in line with modern sensibilities.

Speaking of missed opportunities, we were also surprised to discover that Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater are based on the HD Collection editions that were released for PS3 and Xbox 360 back in 2012. We say ‘based on’, but in truth Konami has made no effort to hide this fact (and to be fair it did announce them as such with an admittedly slim banner on the collection’s promotional material). The menus for both games just flat out have ‘HD Edition’ plastered on them, with ‘© 2012 Konami’ still there as well.

These versions run at 720p, and the Switch version is also seemingly capped at 30fps, despite the original HD releases running at 60fps. Considering the Switch is more powerful than the two consoles that previously held this pair of games, it’s disappointing to say the least that the frames have been halved.

We asked about performance on PS5, Xbox Series X, plus the newly announced PS4 release; Konami clarified that the games will be targeting the same resolution (720p) and frame rate of the initial HD releases. Given that Switch isn’t running them at 60fps, we suppose we’ll have to wait and see how things fare on the other platforms. [Update: Having checked the above information with Konami prior to publication, the company has since been in touch again to clarify that, in fact, these games will be targeting 1080p on all platforms, with the exception of Switch's handheld mode. Other platforms will target 60fps.]

What did put a big, childlike grin on our collective face was the bonus content. This collection is jam-packed full of great little extras, such as the original MSX versions of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2, as well as the NES version of the first game and Snake’s Revenge.

There’s also a special booklet detailing the history and insider information for each of the games included, and the big three also come with a screenplay each, meaning you can finally recreate the iconic ‘Les Infants Terrible’ scene with even greater confidence.

Beyond that, well, there's really not much else to be said! We’re pleased to see all three of these games on Switch, 100%. However, we’d be lying if we said we weren’t a little bit disappointed with the core games' presentation. Considering how much love has been poured into the bonus content, the lack of such care being present in the main games feels very out of place.

Three games as excellent as these may be enough to sway our favour regardless, and you’ll have to wait for our review to know that for certain. First impressions, though? There was an opportunity here for Konami to push the boat out and honour these classics with a truly special package. Bonus features aside, this ain't that.