To go along with this great news, Konami will launch a special campaign Metal Gear Online: Commemorative Campaign, which will officially begin on November 25, 2008, awarding reward points to gamers who access Metal Gear Online during the promotion. The 10,000 reward points will be updated to account owners on the last day of the campaign, December 9, 2008.  

These reward points can be used to purchase new online gear from the in-game reward shop.

• The Core Game Itself- Yep, the hit PSP game - Twisted Metal:Head On - is now on PS2. And now it’s running at 60 frames/second, has improved textures and art, and even has a new level created specifically for this version (Transylvania Castle).
• The Lost Levels - Four brand new levels straight out of the dark, demented world of Twisted Metal: Black. These levels are designed with two player deathmatch in mind and I think they are some of the best Twisted levels we have ever made. My favorites are Suburban Terror and Stadium Slaughter.
• The Twisted Metal Symphony- folks who purchase the game will get a free code to let them download a free copy of The Twisted Metal Symphony. TMS is a compilation soundtrack of the greatest musical tracks from TM1, TM2, TM:BLACK, and TM:HEAD ON. Yes, old school TM fans, Rooftops from TM1 WILL be on there!
• A Continuous Suicide Of Reason: The Art Of Twisted Metal- a pack in art booklet filled with concept art dating back to the very first Twisted Metal game.
• The Dark Past- A 30 minute documentary tracing the history of Twisted Metal, the struggles the team went through in making the games, the success, the failures, the fans,etc. Heck, we even touch on what went wrong with TM3 and Tm4 and what the original team REALLY feels about those games. It’s a nice little doc that- I feel- is much more honest than the usual ‘making of’ puff pieces you see [in] a lot of games these days.
• Sweet Tour- This is where you get to take control of Sweet Tooth himself and run him around some levels built for Twisted Metal: Black 2. As you run around, you find icons you can collect. Each icon opens up concept art and behind the scenes information about the making of the series.
• The Lost Ending Movies- Back in 1995, I wrote and directed some live action end movies for the very first Twisted Metal. Because they were deemed too sexist and too violent, they never saw the light of day. But it’s 2008 now and what was once offensive is now just- to most folks- cheesy and charming. So these flicks are on the disc for folks to finally judge for themselves if they are cinematic masterpieces or the final proof of my total lack of talent. I’m sure you’ll let me know which.

According to Gamernode, Metal Slug 3 is scheduled to arrive on Xbox Live Arcade early next year on January 2. The game was initially released on the Xbox but will feature new weapons, equipment, character mutations and best of all, an online cooperative mode.

Metal Slug 3 is expected to cost 800 Microsoft Points.

Anybody who would be excited about this should recognize the quote in the headline.

That's right, now Cyborg Ninja aka Gray Fox aka Frank Jaeger aka "I have no name" has been confirmed as an Assist Trophy character in the upcoming, hyper-anticipated, already character-stuffed Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

For those who aren't initiated, an Assist Trophy is like a Summon from Final Fantasy. For those still uninitiated, it's like a secondary character you can call on during a fight to appear, smack your enemies up with a few signature moves, then leave again. In this case, Solid Snake would be the one calling on him.

We will have more on this developing story.

“The addition of the online battle mode to Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence? offers a wealth of new possibilities for Metal Gear Solid.” said Hideo Kojima, corporate officer of Konami Corporation. “This game also contains the milestone game Metal Gear. I hope that through this title, gamers will be able to follow the route we have taken at Kojima Productions, and that they enjoy the flow of the story that runs through the series.”

A release date has not yet been revealed. Expect more soon.

"Metal Gear Solid Digital Comic [will represent] the greatest source of information on the legendary Metal Gear Solid," said Hans-Joachim Amann, Head of European Product Management of Konami of Europe. "It is effectively a digital Metal Gear Bible, and is another example of Kojima Productions' ability to think outside of the usual gaming realms and offers PSP users a different way to make use of their hardware."

The digital book marks Solid Snake's second leap onto the PSP, following Konami's Metal Gear Acid; another genre-deviation that made its debut in March of 2005. Expect a specific release date and more information on Konami's new project soon. In the meantime, enjoy eight artwork screenshots from the "game."

Originally written by Evan Lahti]]> Tue, 13 Jun 2006 16:19:00 -0500 Aaron Dunlap http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_metal_gear_solid_portable_ops_psp1 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_metal_gear_solid_portable_ops_psp1 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_metal_gear_solid_portable_ops_psp1# This preview was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content.

The game won't be the card-based action we saw with Acid and instead has players controlling a whole brigade. The game is set to reveal the events between Snake Eater and the original Metal Gear where Big Boss looks to build his private army of renegade soldiers.

The title will be set in the 1970's and will feature multiplayer online modes in which you can recruit characters like Ocelot and Eva. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops is scheduled to release for the PlayStation Portable in late 2006 or sometime in 2007.

METAL SLUG (Game Boy Advance – Fall 2006): The original arcade classic that started the series comes to the Game Boy Advance. METAL SLUG for the GameBoy Advance features non-stop action packed 2D missions and classic over-the-top boss characters to challenge gamers’ skills. Battle General Morden and his evil forces with a huge array of weapons at your disposal.

The title, Metal Slug Collection is expected to include six games from the series including Metal Slug, Metal Slug 2, Metal Slug X, Metal Slug 3, Metal Slug 4 and Metal Slug 5. SNK has confirmed that the game will support ad hoc two player cooperative mode.

Metal Slug Collection is scheduled to relase towards the end of the year.

”Metal Gear Ac!d 2 is a new addition in the Metal Gear series created for the PSP? handheld entertainment system. The series will continue to progress as a strategy game,” said Hideo Kojima, corporate officer of Konami Corporation. “Metal Gear Ac!d is different from the established Metal Gear Solid series, and features cool, innovative playing elements that are the hallmark of handheld gaming systems. We plan to continue evolving the series, so I hope everyone - from those experiencing the world of Metal Gear for the first time, to fans who’ve come to love our series - will try out Metal Gear Ac!d 2 !”

No release date as of yet.

Mr. Kojima has created a lot of buzz recently with comments on a future Metal Gear project for the PSP, currently named Metal Gear B.D.  The new game is being directed by Shinta Nojiri, who also directed Metal Gear Ac!d 2.  The new Metal Gear Title is not a remake or port of an already existing game, and is currently rumored to be some kind of digital comic book and game rolled into one.  Mr. Kojima’s comments are vague enough that the new game could be just about anything.

"It's totally new…Even though it's only on PSP, it's going to be pretty amazing." 

"It's just a normal game. Only with one little thing radically different about it."

"The gameplay system will diverge from existing gameplay trends. That's really the selling point. We'll test whether or not people will accept it…It might be too new for people. I don't even know if they're going to sell this thing. I mean, I find it interesting myself, though who knows what people will think of it."

Gaming Horizon will have more information on Metal Gear B.D. as soon as it becomes available so stay tuned! ]]> Thu, 22 Dec 2005 09:22:00 -0600 Tim Grube http://www.gamebump.com/go/metal_gear_solid_4_trailer_next_month http://www.gamebump.com/go/metal_gear_solid_4_trailer_next_month http://www.gamebump.com/go/metal_gear_solid_4_trailer_next_month#

This article was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Certain formatting, imaged, and embedded content may have been lost in the transition process.

Gaming Horizon will more on this story as soon as it develops.

A prequel to

Added characters, transmutation weapons, changed combos, but frustrating AI and dullness.

I like the cell-shaded cast, but the standard visuals earn it few points.

Voiceactors from the anime perform well, but still annoying Al calls. Better music.

If you’re a fan you’ll enjoy yourself, mostly.

And if you’re enjoying yourself, you’ll be drawn to finish it quickly and maybe return.

]]> Wed, 06 Jul 2005 14:24:00 -0500 Shiva Stella http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_metal_gear_acid_psp http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_metal_gear_acid_psp http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_metal_gear_acid_psp# This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content.

In a strange return to the turn-based strategy titles of the mid-late 90’s, we’ve seen a few interesting card-based games lately. One such title, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, which appeared on the GameBoy Advance, made use of stacking randomly dealt cards to perform combat maneuvers, while allowing players to take direct control of Sora during regular, platform gameplay. The system worked, and I was delighted to see that although it did have some flaws, Square had developed a worthy in-between title for its KH series, utilizing a mix of platform and light-hearted strategy elements during fights.

Unfortunately, it’s difficult to tell whether or not the same could be said of Metal Gear Acid’s card-experiment. The system is functional, interesting, and unique, but nowhere near as intuitive as the traditional Metal Gear experience we’re accustomed to. The end result is an MG-light with a Solid presentation, very nice graphics, and fan-treats but less depth, intuitiveness, fun and enjoyment.

The plot of MGA is probably set in theMGS1-MGS2 period, though as far as MG games go, that it’s difficult to gauge the time-setting is not surprising. Terrorists have hijacked a plane with over 500 passengers, paralyzing the hostages and killing the pilot and copilot. The key “terrorists” onboard, two dolls – Elise and Frances – who are absolutely creepy (and gorgeously detailed, at that) have demanded that the US government hand over “Pythagoras” (no, not the mathematician) or else have the innocents suffer the consequences.

As it turns out, Pythagoras is a top-secret research project developed in the Lobito Physics and Chemistry Lab on Lobito Island, owned by a fictional government in a South African territory. The laboratory itself is owned and operated by BEAGLE cooperation, which has donated large sums of money to the fictional government and, as compensation, is given free-reign of the Island. However, that same terrorist organization has taken over the facility too, so that it now has pressure applied on two fronts: the hostages in the plane, and the hostages (scientists and so forth) at the facility. To save the passengers the US government has sent the only man for the job, Snake, to retrieve Pythagoras from the facility and somehow make sense of all the mess he’s about to be thrown into. For our beloved Solid Snake, the best he can hope for at the end of the day is survival and an overdue vacation.

The storyline itself, as well as some key scenes, are presented in either storyboard or cutscene form (sorry, no fancy CG). The storyboards are very nicely detailed and the cutscenes are all done in standard PSP, pre-PS2 fare, like the rest of the game’s graphics. On the surface MGA appears to be like any other post-MGS1 title; the environments feature the same jungle/compound areas that fans are familiar with and all with precise details, and characters (including enemy soldiers) strongly resemble their PS2 counterparts. From the cutscene cinematics and strands of Snake’s hair down to the dropping of bullet casings and the bright, fiery wrath of explosions, MGA is very good looking, if nothing else. I’d say the visuals are above those of other PSP launch titles (including Wipeout Pure), and are definitely better than I’d anticipated, but you already knew that. The key point here, however, is that the title has retained the series’ prized cinematic feel.

And now we reach the touchy subject: the game’s use of card-based gameplay. First the basics. MGA does not allow complete freedom of movement, at least not in the traditional sense; players “move” and perform maneuvers by selecting the appropriate cards. The gameplay is turn-based and highly strategic – definitely more strategic than action-oriented – and has Snake dealt six cards at the start of his turn. For the player to move, she’ll have to select a card and choose “move” from the card’s available options, then highlight Snake’s path on the blue movement blocks presented; once Snake is in position then the player has to choose an ending direction and may opt for an action before ending her turn (i.e., “flatten” Snake’s back against a wall, knock on an object, etc).

It’s simple enough at first, but immediately gets tricky. Snake carries 30 cards in his deck, and the cards may be automatically chosen from the card menu’s “auto” listing, or manually selected. However they’re chosen, Snake can never carry more or less than 30 cards for the majority of the game. Of these 30 cards are card types – weapon, support, etc – and these types are used together, strategically, to perform an action or series of actions. For example, say there’s a small, square building in the middle of a compound, and there’s a soldier standing on the other side of the building who needs eliminating. The gamer can select a movement card (say, genome in this case), move Snake to the building, have him flatten his back against it, select knock to get the soldier’s attention, then select another movement card (say, cardboard box or whathaveyou) to move a little ways around the building. The soldier will proceed to walk all the way to the spot of the distraction; players can either sneak up behind the soldier while he’s en route or wait until the enemy comes to them before pouncing.

By now you’ve noticed the somewhat complicated process involved in performing any string of meaningful actions (in this case, eliminating a single soldier). Unfortunately it doesn’t stop there. Some additional things to take into consideration concern card cost (kind of a penalty for using, or even not using, a card), weapon-type equipped cards, and special character cards. Weapon-type cards can include weapons like a SOCOM, or a supportive weapon card that increases a weapon’s hit accuracy. The tricky thing here is that only certain supportive weapon cards work with certain weapon cards (they must be of the same caliber). Furthermore, special character cards provide additional strategy by introducing special abilities. Sniper Wolf’s card increases hit percentage; Cyborg Ninja’s produces a devastating attack; Psycho Mantis’ confuses an enemy target, and so on. Character cards are a great treat as they come with mini-biographies and character quotes, and additional character cards can be picked up after finding (or purchasing) decks.

While we’re on the topic of decks we should examine the intermission menu. Each “mission” in MGA is distinctively downsized to one selectable area from the map menu, and between each mission is an intermission menu. From intermission players can visit the card shop, edit their decks, change the options, save the game, and view some mini-tutorials, randomly presented so as not to overwhelm the gamer from the beginning (though that doesn’t keep it from happening). For a handheld title, having an intermission period was a brilliant idea.

Now it’s time for something that doesn’t quite go anywhere else – camera movement. Players use the analog stick to move the character further up (as in above, not ahead), and the L/R buttons to turn the camera around. Holding triangle swings the camera into overhead view, where players can check out an extensive area’s targets and figure out where they’re headed. During combat actions, when Snake actually gets to shoot/kick/punch a soldier, the camera swings in up-close for good detail of the fight, increasing that cinematic flair.

For those who have wanted strange goodies Konami included a multiplayer option, but as I was unable to test this option out I won’t address it. Suffice it to say, it’s apparent that I’m not missing much.

A very nice presentation element that gets additional points is the game’s audio. Music appears pulled from the regular MGS games, and gives the gamer that heightened tension when spotted/fighting, or even traversing an area. There aren’t many bits of voiceacting – you may get some “huh?” from soldiers – but while it’s severely missed, it doesn’t exactly depreciate MGA’s value. All in all, a very good title for the PSP.

That strategic, unique card-based gameplay I mentioned earlier wouldn’t be so complicated if it were more intuitive. There’s a period during the opening sequence when another soldier (Teliko, whom you may eventually control) is seen quickly going through an area, using cards to eliminate her foes. The action was slowed down a bit but observing the process was particularly overwhelming, and using the card system myself hasn’t really made that feeling dissipate. If it weren’t for the mini-tutorials presented in intermission there’s a lot I would have missed, and the game’s book doesn’t make a lot of things clear (at this point you’ll be using online guides to figure out the exact nuances of the system). Some more intuitive options, like allowing full movement for one, or simplifying the supportive card usage – would have made the game a lot less frustrating.

Gameplay progression is a bit too slow for a handheld; players spend a lot of time waiting on enemy soldiers to move, and even with the ability to hold triangle to speed up (or even skip) their actions, that’s still a lot of time wasted waiting for a turn, and when you’re playing on the go that’s a lot of time most players won’t have.

The lack of an in-game saving option, which seems to be the trend with PSP titles so far, is irksome. When you’re playing during a car trip or before an exam there will be times when you’ll need to save your game, shut it off, and get back to reality. In MGA, though, you can’t do that – you have to complete the mission to save.

There are a few camera troubles I didn’t care for, either. Sometimes turning the camera around through every angle doesn’t allow the player to see everything that’s around him, and simple things, like doors, get missed. There’s no first-person view (a pity, as I’ve been enjoying it in Dynasty Warriors so far) which feels restricting. Even in the days of the PSone Snake could snap into first-person view, handy for things like crawling. Unfortunately the option is entirely missing here.

And finally, the real kicker always comes back to the card system. If you can handle the slow, complicated strategy then you’ll be fine, but for the rest of us who’ve enjoyed faster, better turn-based strategy games (I’ll say it again – Final Fantasy Tactics) this one’s a deal breaker. It’s a very good thing Snake is on the front of the box.

Metal Gear Acid isn’t like its predecessors, naturally; it feels like its parent games, and has the cinematic style, characters, class, and stealth tension of its parent games, but the card-based system – while very pretty and unique – eventually becomes a little more frustrating than most players will be able to handle. Still, it’s not nearly as bad as some are reporting it to be, and any fan of Snake should definitely check this one out. Just remember to keep your expectations down to the handheld level; this isn’t MGS1/2/3 all over again, and the game has its flaws. It’s ironic that the very thing that draws players in – Solid Snake and his stealthy adventures – sometimes does the series wrong by taking on a sort of “perfected” or “hero” status. Accept that the card-based system was a novel, but in the end not entirely satisfying, idea and you’ve got yourself set for the next couple of weeks. Refuse to relinquish the series’ perfection, or desire more intuitive strategy play, and pass it up.

The card system has its faults, and lack of complete character control is frustrating.

Very nice touches and details, but the environments are a little bland.

Nice music and sound effects, like explosions.

If you’re into the card mechanics you’ll be set. If not, don’t bother.

You can replay areas for cards or try multiplayer.

]]> Mon, 28 Mar 2005 11:31:00 -0600 Tim Grube http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_twisted_metal_headon_psp http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_twisted_metal_headon_psp http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_twisted_metal_headon_psp# This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content.

Massive enviroments and online play! Short single-player

Very crisp, but a few slowdowns here and there. Still beautful though.

Not a big soundtrack, so you tend to hear the same songs a few times.

Found myself playing more online than single-player. Lots of extras.

Single player wont last long but online will keep the replay up just a bit.

]]> Thu, 24 Mar 2005 17:56:00 -0600 Aaron Dunlap http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_twisted_metal_headon_psp1 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_twisted_metal_headon_psp1 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_twisted_metal_headon_psp1# This preview was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content.

If you handed me a hand-held, wide-screened, wireless-enabled gaming system and told me to make a game that you can play against all your friends wirelessly, I would probably end up with something very much like Twisted Metal: Head-On. If they told me I couldn’t do that, I’d probably make a portable "You Don’t Know Jack!" Game – by the way.

I had a chance to get my hands on Head-On this week, including a rather enjoyable multiplayer session against another journalist and two representatives from Sony. I won. Booyah.

You probably remember the Twisted Metal series; its two iterations made a mild splash on the PlayStation and the PS2’s Twisted Metal Black was just great, though not very well-received. The game’s story can be as simple or complex as you like it, depending on how far you read in the manuals, but the basic idea here is that you’re driving a car with guns and missiles – and so is everyone else. Destruction, mayhem, etc.

For your solo entertainment, the game offers three single-player modes: Story mode, Challenge mode, and Endurance. Story mode is basic, with a set of character-driven (pun may be intended) missions. Challenge mode and Endurance are less of a commitment; in Challenge you pick a map and have to match or beat some goal scores or times, and in Endurance you just have to last as long as you can against an onslaught of enemies.

Multiplayer mode, however, is where things get really interesting. In addition to allowing you to go "head-on" against up to seven of your friends via the short-range (ad-hoc) wireless modes, you can also hop on Infrastructure mode via a wireless router or a free hotspot and battle for online play. Connecting via ad-hoc mode was simple: someone started a room, it showed up on my screen, I hit X, and there I was. In a four-player match, the framerate was flawless and the game played smoothly. In multiplayer games, all players spawn onto a rather large map with weapon and vehicle upgrades scattered freely about. A rudimentary radar system shows you directionally where other players are, and when someone is close enough to you, an arrow appears on your screen showing the player’s name and which direction you need to turn to find him.

Because the PSP uses 802.11 technology for wireless gaming, you don’t need line-of-sight to connect to other units, or even to be in the same room, so gameplay isn’t really constrained as it often is with multiplayer gaming. The four of us were lounging around on couches, pounding away at each other’s vehicles, and laughing manically as we destroyed each other. I liked how it took quite a few hits to destroy a vehicle, so gameplay lasts longer and you don’t need to worry about getting taken out with one direct hit.

I’m excited about the notion of playing this game online, because the game is pretty simple and you can just sort of pick up and go; unlike games like Splinter Cell or Halo 2, you can only get so good at a game like this, so you don’t have to worry about going online and getting spanked by people with no jobs or lives and who do nothing but play the game online (which is why I’m terrified of Splinter Cell’s online play, people just get too bloody good at it). Twisted Metal has a great play model that’s accessible to anyone who can understand that homing missiles home and clusterbombs cluster.

The graphics look great in Head-On; the PSP’s beautiful screen makes the game look almost perfect. It’s not exactly Burnout 3 on the Xbox, but it isn’t supposed to be. Games like this, where you need to be aware of as much of your surroundings as possible, are perfect for the PSP’s 16:9 widescreen. The audio packs a punch too, even from those deceptively small speakers.

Before I had a chance to play this game, I probably wouldn’t have even considered buying it. Having experienced it first-hand now, I’m hooked. Twisted Metal: Head-On makes perfect use of all of the PSP’s landmark features. It’s the perfect multiplayer game (especially for those who aren’t interested in sports titles), and it’s going right on my list of games to buy.]]> Fri, 11 Mar 2005 15:52:05 -0600 Aaron Dunlap http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_metal_gear_acid_psp1 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_metal_gear_acid_psp1 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_metal_gear_acid_psp1# This preview was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content.

At first glance, one would surely assume that by making a new Metal Gear game on a new portable gaming platform into a card battle game, Konami has slipped off the diving board and into the deep end of the crazy pool. I’m glad to report that this speculation is not as true as we all thought it was a few months ago.

Metal Gear Acid (or Ac!d, depending on your keyboard prowess) is indeed a card battle game, but not in the boring or brain-threatening sense as Yu-Gi-Oh (another Konami series) or, say, that Pokémon card game; MG:A is very much the stealth action game you were expecting, but it utilizes the growingly-familiar card routine to structure the gameplay into snack-size doses rather than giving you full control over the legendary Solid Snake.

Putting the cards away for a moment, I’ll focus a bit on the game’s story. Hopefully, none of your friends went and bought the imported Japanese version and unloaded all the spoilers on you – ‘cause there’s a lot. In traditional Hideo Kojima fashion (only sans-Hideo Kojima this time), the story here is somewhat supernatural or mythological yet grounded very much in reality. Taking place after the events of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, this game sees Snake called [again!] out of retirement because some rouge faction of oddly-named warriors have hijacked an airplane (expect some public-outcry over this) and kidnapped a US Senator expected to be the next President. As usual, expect the story at the end to be no way related to the story written on the back of the box.

Back to the cards: at the start of your mission, you’re dealt a handful of cards from a deck. Those cards contain weapons and abilities you can use within the game itself. Weapon cards (like Socom pistol, grenades, etc) are useful if you are discovered and need to slay some guards, while maneuver cards like crawl and the famous cardboard box allow you to sneak past enemies and to infiltrate the warehouse you’re supposed to get yourself into. Good performance in the game will earn you points that can be used to purchase more powerful cards from the main menu, and some cards are scattered throughout that you can find or earn.

Another type of card you can use is "Character" cards, which are similar to "summon" attacks – if you’re familiar with Final Fantasy lore. Character cards contain characters from Metal Gear Solid 1 and 2, and attribute their signature attacks or skills to Snake (or you) when he (or you) uses that card. The Metal Gear Ray card unleashes an unholy ray blast against enemies, while the Johnny Sasaki card "flushes" your current hand of cards and draws you a fresh set.

The card gameplay itself plays smoother than you might expect, and the storyline’s included tutorial does a great job of explaining the process. The card battling here isn’t as in-depth (annoying) as in games like Magic: The Gathering where you have to draw a land card, an attack card, a defense card, a shoe card, a time card, and a card card. Rather, the cards here are just like tangible icons for weapons, attacks, and maneuvers. If your parents think that card games are evil and will steal your soul (like mine do), you should be able to get away with neglecting to mention the card element to this game and not feel like a total wretch.

Something included in the US release of Metal Gear Acid that wasn’t able to go into the Japan version is Wi-Fi multiplayer mode. The multiplayer mode works sort of like VR missions from previous games (TRON-esq black background with neon platform lines) where you can just have a one-on-one melee with a friend, dishing out attacks with your best cards. Currently, there’s no ability to trade cards with other people (card-trading is sooo lame, anyway), though I can imagine Konami allowing you to download specific cards from specific locations, like a game retailer or something, as they do with Metal Gear Solid 3 camouflage.

I know a lot of Metal Gear fans who say they won’t buy this game on principle, they’re so jaded by the concept of putting a card game inside a MG game. I’m pleased to say that Metal Gear Acid isn’t Yu-Gi-Oh with rations and robots, it’s an entirely new experience that just feels right. For a launch title, you couldn’t ask for better. Whether Acid can wiggle its way into the "official" Metal Gear timeline is still up for debate, but I’m willing to say every fan of the series should check this game out, if for no other reason than the lead character being (at least in name) Solid Snake.]]> Fri, 04 Mar 2005 08:39:00 -0600