Together Retro: Metal Gear

[Luke]

"Does the key work? No. How about this one? Nope, not that one. How about this one? Nope..."

And when the key does finally open the door you die because you forgot to equip the gas mask within a half of a second.

[prfsnl_gmr]

And when the key does finally open the door you die because you forgot to equip the gas mask within a half of a second.

Either that or you die because you absolutely cannot wear the gas mask and try keys at the same time.

[Stark]

Started up the MSX version last night, I like the music and feel of the game a lot. It's been a while since I played Metal Gear and I'm struggling a little bit with the best approach to things. I mean that first set of guys guarding that door ... can you defeat them without getting hurt? I don't have any bullets at that point...

The red ones?

Just wait for the shift change. They will leave, and you will be free to go to the elevator.

Ah, you want me to wait for something?

[isiolia]

There multiple times during the back quarter of the game where I felt like I was opening a hotel room door with a finicky card reader while soldiers ran around frantically trying to shoot me to death.

Metal Gear 2 at least lets you swap out three numbered cards for one color card, so instead of 1-9 you have red, green, and blue keycards to fumble through.

[alienjesus]

Metal Gear 2 progress. I beat a ton of bosses, met a few new allies, and found a whole ton of shit which was reused in Metal Gear Solid, listed in the spoiler here (obviously spoilers for both Metal Gear 2 and Metal Gear Solid)

1. A section where I had to run up tons of stairs whilst guards chased me
2. A boss fight where I was ambushed in a lift by a group of assassins
3. A key that would only work when I adjusted the temperature by taking it to a hot room.
4. Posted myself to a building inside my cardboard box.

I also found a hilarious tape that I could play to cause guards to freeze, allowing me to freely kill them. I thought it might make the game too easy, but overuse caused it to run out, so I hope it wasn't too important.

I also hatched some eggs, one of which turned out to be a snake which ate my rations. I'll get my revenge when I come round to playing Metal Gear Solid 3 I guess


I'm enjoying Metal Gear 2 well enough now. I think its worse than the first for knowing when to go, but like the first the difficulty takes a dip after the opening sections, and at the point I'm at, being caught or shot at isn't all that big a deal.

The worst thing about it really is that it kinda shows up Metal Gear Solid. I think it does a lot more ambitious stuff than that game, some of which works and some of which doesn't. Metal Gear seems LESS revolutionary to me now having played most of this one - it's practically a 3D remake of this game, just with a new story and Psycho Mantis.

It is interesting that MGS seemed so revolutionary at the time though - weird to think that in the years between MG2 and MGS nothing had really been expanded upon so it all seemed fresh.

[Stark]

Can anyone explain the save system in the MSX version on the MGS3 edition? I saved a couple of times and it always starts me back at the beginning when loading the save. Am I doing something wrong?

[noiseredux]

Can anyone explain the save system in the MSX version on the MGS3 edition? I saved a couple of times and it always starts me back at the beginning when loading the save. Am I doing something wrong?

starts you from the last elevator you were in before you saved. Right?

[Stark]

Can anyone explain the save system in the MSX version on the MGS3 edition? I saved a couple of times and it always starts me back at the beginning when loading the save. Am I doing something wrong?

starts you from the last elevator you were in before you saved. Right?

Ok. I'll try out this theory. I've not saved since going into the first elevator. I've had a scenario where I saved after getting the card key and then my Vita died and loading it started me back at the beginning.

[isiolia]

Ok. I'll try out this theory. I've not saved since going into the first elevator. I've had a scenario where I saved after getting the card key and then my Vita died and loading it started me back at the beginning.

The game basically has a checkpoint system that determines where you'll restart if you die and continue. Usually it's the last elevator, but it can be other places too. I saw it as more the last time you "zoned" - it's more obvious in Metal Gear 2 since there's a loading screen.

It's something you can utilize to your advantage, since you can reenter an elevator in order to "save" that you grabbed an item or whatnot before proceeding elsewhere on the floor (easier in 2, since it doesn't have one-way elevators).

Far as actually saving though, all it does is let you start back from the last "checkpoint", same as if you'd died/continued.

[alienjesus]

Metal Gear 2 finished!

Stats:
Difficulty: Original
Play Time: 4:53:28
Save: 35
Continue: 17
Alert Mode: 129
Humans Killed: 199
Rations used: 27
Special item: Not used

Code name: Zebra


Only one game left in my month of 2D Metal Gear, and it's the GBC Metal Gear Solid.