An_Invisible_Dog

It's a shame this is probably the least known Metal Gear game in the series, however this is probably down to the fact that it was only officially released outside Japan in 2006. When many people mention the Metal Gear Solid series they think of MGS (PS1) as the game which set the foundations of the series we all love today, in fact they are wrong, the foundations were set 8 years earlier, in this game. MGS1 merely converted MG2 into 3D, I'm not picking on MGS1, I love it and it totally revolutionised the cinematic experience of games with it's awesome voice acting and great cut scenes. But in terms of game-play the game doesn't differ that much from its predecessor. In fact a lot of elements from MG2 were carried over to MGS1 and reused!

Having to warm/cool a key. Running up several flights of stairs with guards chasing you. Meeting up with a woman dressed like a guard in the women's restroom. Getting a call from a person claiming to be one of your fans. Being ambushed in a elevator by 4 guards. A fist fight. Entering the first building using an air vent. A fight with a Hind D.

Anyway, like I said, this isn't a dig at MGS1, it's just that I think Metal Gear 2 doesn't get the credit it deserves.

What makes this game so good that I claim it's the best in the series?

Well, the story...which is a big improvement on the first Metal Gear (which didn't really have an in game story). It's got twists, turns, betrayals, returning characters, motives, love affairs and a huge confrontation between Snake and the second biggest character the in whole saga. The story is portrayed through text dialogue, mainly over the radio screen but it's to the point and not much waffle which is nice. There are some sad parts, some funny parts and some downright cool parts. Solid Snake's accomplice on this game is called Holly White and she's downright less annoying than Meryl from future MGS games, in fact her and Snake seem to hit it off well, they have chemistry and it comes off really....cute. They seem perfect for each other, where as with Meryl, she's like a damsel in distress, she acts immaturely and it seems like Snake is always babysitting her. With Holly it's different, Holly is funny, she has nice banter with Snake, she's got attitude and her and Snake just seem a lot more suited to each other.

Colonel Roy Campbell is here as your main point of information and unlike Metal Gear 1 you won't repeatedly get the same radio messages every time you visit the same area, that was an irritating bug in the first game. There are some other people here to help you out over the radio, each with their own specific knowledge who you will have to call at specific times in the game in order to understand what the hell you are suppose to be doing. That's another plus about this game, it has puzzles, it's not easy, some puzzles in the game will resort in you using trial and error methods unless you cheat and use an FAQ.

This game introduced a much welcome 9 screen radar system at the top right of the screen. The screen with Snake on will always appear in the middle and you can see where guards are on the different surrounding screens to help you get by undetected, it's a cool feature in the game and a feature used in the later games and it was amiss in MG1. Snake can now crouch and crawl, there are hole in walls you will need to crawl through and there are some spaces you can hide in if you trigger alert mode. You can knock on wall to lure guards, another big element used in the later games.

The sound is great. It has a nice variation of music, all 8 bit renditions of course but like I said; the variation is there....frantic, weary, calm, sad. The music is just all around excellent. A huge improvement on Metal Gear 1 where all you heard mostly was "Theme Of Tara" which is a good tune but it gets very monotonous quickly. Metal Gear 2 has many more songs suited to the different environments in the game and they're all very atmospheric.

A lot of MGS fans choose to snub these two games, because they are "BORING N CRAPPY 2D GAMES WITH NO STORY". MG1 might fit that description although I don't think it's boring, but MG2 just took it to a whole new level. I much prefer the story of Metal Gear 2 to that of the likes of Portable Ops or even MGS4. These fans call for these games to be remade and frankly, I'd hate for this game to be remade. It is so far ahead of its time and really did set the foundation for the games these "fans" enjoy. Remaking this would just turn what's already an great game into a 3D, over the top, retcon filled piece of garbage. This game explains itself well; it's got a story, a great story. It's got good game-play, solid game-play. In fact the dialogue between the final boss and Solid Snake is the best I've seen in the series, the intentions, the emotions and the motives of both characters are expressed brilliantly.

This game is worth 4 hours of anybodies time who likes a great game with fun game-play and a good story to boot. If you're an MGS fan then you really should have played this game by now, you can find this game along with its predecessor Metal Gear 1 on the second disc of MGS3: Subsistence for the PS2. The fact it was made in 1990s testament to what a great developer Hideo Kojima and his team are.

There's not a new episode which comes close to this. Why? Well lets look at it, the plot isn't some whacky rubbish unlike most new episodes. It doesn't have rubbish cameos from washed up celebrities. The plot is something kids can relate to, bullying. They took a real lie issue and made it funny. Homer giving Bart advice is hilarious "Remember the family jewels son!", that's what made Homer funny, he was a caring Father struglling to do his best for the family, his blunt and often naive ideas were often misplaced but his intentions were good. In newer seasons he's just a uncaring inconsiderate jerk, the warm yet funny character from the early series is not present in the newer ones. When Homer says "Let's dry those tears" and then proceeds to blow Bart's face with a hair dryer; I practically roll of the floor laughing when I see that, it is brilliant; that is humour and that is clever humour at its finest. Any new episode is not comparable with this, it's quite simple brilliant.