GamesStealthMetal GearMetal Gear Solid37 years later, Hideo Kojima says Metal Gear was so “ahead of its time” because of its portable radio, not its stealth-actionWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesStealthMetal GearMetal Gear Solid37 years later, Hideo Kojima says Metal Gear was so “ahead of its time” because of its portable radio, not its stealth-actionWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Konami)
Metal Gear directorHideo Kojimahas reflected on what made the original stealth game so “ahead of its time,” 37 years after the game debuted.
July 13 marked 37 years since Metal Gear released on the MSX2 in Japan, and Kojima has done a little bit of reflecting to mark the anniversary. Metal Gear is apparently “packed with things that were ahead of its time,” according to the director, who adds that he was just 23 years old when Metal Gear released in Japan in 1987.
Metal Gear was packed with things that were ahead of its time, but the biggest invention was including the concept of a radio transceiver in the storytelling. Moreover, it was interactive, allowing you to send and receive comms. The game moves along with the player, so when the… https://t.co/el42pF5hIo pic.twitter.com/Lu0q47Dv0xJuly 13, 2024
Metal Gear was packed with things that were ahead of its time, but the biggest invention was including the concept of a radio transceiver in the storytelling. Moreover, it was interactive, allowing you to send and receive comms. The game moves along with the player, so when the… https://t.co/el42pF5hIo pic.twitter.com/Lu0q47Dv0xJuly 13, 2024
What Kojima’s tweet really hones in on is the portable radio transceiver, which Solid Snake uses to communicate with other characters in the game like Big Boss, who sends him on the entire mission to take out the titular bipedal Metal Gear in the first place. “Moreover, it was interactive, allowing you to send and receive comms,” Kojima writes.
The radio “moves along with the player,” Kojima adds, so that when dramatic events unfold in the game, the player feels present, and not detached from other characters. “With the transceiver, the player’s current situation can be depicted while the other characters’ story or situation can be foreshadowed in parallel,” Kojima writes.
“Most of today’s shooter games also use this gimmick of a transceiver,” Kojima also adds, stressing that the radio receiver was a crucial part of Metal Gear, even though, in his opinion, “only the stealth part was praised.”
Metal Gear might’ve released 37 years ago, but you can play it right now on modern platforms via the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1, and it’s bundled in with Metal Gear Solid, if you’re purchasing the three games separately.
Check out our rankings of thebest stealth gamesever made, to see where Kojima’s creations rank.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
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2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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2
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3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3
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4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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4
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”