Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake

Surpassed the original Metal Gear in almost every respect. The graphics were much improved and Snake got a little more personality this time round. (He also looked suspiciously like Charlie Sheen in Hot Shots 2). The stealth aspect was much more stable this time around, with none of the irritating rocket-man sequences that plagued the first installment. Familiar characters from Metal Gear turn up once again with new roles to play in the proceedings. The gameplay too takes a turn for the better. Notably the boss characters are a little more imaginative, in comparison to Metal Gear's 'man with shotgun', 'man with machine gun', and 'man with flamethrower'. The radar system is also a welcome addition, allowing you to make sure that your next screen change won't put you into the middle of five alert guards. All in all, an excellent sequel.

Fixing nearly everything that was broken in part one, MG2:SS is the definition of what a sequel should be.

Several years after the Outer Heaven incident, Solid Snake is again called upon. World renowned scientist Dr. Marv has engineered an organism that refines crude oil, however he has been kidnapped during a terrorist revolt in Zanzibar Land. Snake must infiltrate the enemy compound and rescue him, though many surprises are in store for the legendary soldier.

The difference between the two MSX metal gears is astonishing. Judged against this sequel, the first game feels primitive. The graphics are more colorful with more fluidity in the movements, the controls are more responsive, and the sound is vastly improved, particularly the music, which was almost teeth grinding in the first MG. Other improvements include additional gear, more weapons, a refined alert system, and the god-sent ability to duck and crawl.

The most notable improvement in the game is the story telling. In the first game the plot was ill-developed; aside from the one major late game twist. Also, characters were devoid of personality and lacked meaningful bearing on the narrative. Not so with this (and all subsequent) entry. Snake is given much more to do and say this time, as opposed to his grunt like behavior in part one. The side characters get a lot more to do as well, enough that when something bad happens to one of them you feel it.

The game holds up amazing well given it's age. The design and complexity of the game are such that they remain almost unchanged throughout the rest of the series. The next game in sequence, Metal Gear Solid (PS1), is as much a remake in mechanics as it is a sequel in story.

A few small annoyances keep the game from retro-perfection. Enemies will occasionally spot you as soon as you enter/exit a door way and there is nothing you can do about it. The guns you are (eventually) equipped with fire bullets so slow that baddies will often out run them off screen. Also, while the card swapping shenanigans of the first game have been noticeably reduced, it's still tedious to cycle through several cards just to see which (if any) will open a door. Lastly, the game has a habit of throwing a complication at the play without providing any readily apparent solution; either get a walk-through or be prepared for LOTS of aimless wandering.

Despite the few grievances levied against the game, it is still a fantastic experience that all Metal Gear fans should check out.

8/10

You are Solid Snake and you have been sent to stop another uprising in a secret military base!

+) The controls have been greatly improved. Snake has more weapons, he can actually crawl now and hide, and he has more items to use.

+)The story is better than the original. This is the "real" beginning of the Metal Gear saga. Codec calls now help tell the story instead of just "go here next Snake," that was in the original.

+)The music is great

~ Still you have to do some "trial and error" gameplay at certain points ~Item management still kinda is clunky ~Might required an online guide to get through certain parts as it is very vague.

"Metal Gear 2:Solid Snake" surpassed it's original successor in almost every way possible: it looked better, it played better, it sounded better, and most of all, it was a true sequel to a great series created by "Hideo Kojima". When I first heard that there was a true sequel to the original "Metal Gear" only released in Japan, I knew I had to play it, because here in America we got a bad sequel. I finally played "Metal Gear 2:Solid Snake" the year it came out in 1990 in Japan, I fell in love with the game, it was fun and exciting and wonderful when I first glazed eyes on it's amazing graphics for an old 8-bit game, it's truly unbelievable and it quickly became my favorite game, and it still is to this day followed by many others I will keep to myself at this time. If you played "Metal Gear Solid" or "Metal Gear Solid 2:Sons of Liberty", you MUST play this awesome amazing sequel only released in Japan, find a rom or visit Ebay and look for it, whatever it takes you need to play this game to see how wonderful it really is, and it also has a very interesting plot. Simply put:"Metal Gear 2:Solid Snake" is a great game not played by many. Find it now! good luck and enjoy this awesome breathtaking sequel masterminded by it's creator, "Hideo Kojima".

While I never finished this game, I still found it enjoyable and interesting. The building at the end of the game was just too tough for me, and I eventually grew tired of the game. But then again, I had no semblance of patience back in those days. If I had the chance, I would love to play this game again. This was a great send-off to a game which set new standards at the next level.