Metal Gear (video game)/YMMV

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • Anticlimax Boss: In the NES version, Snake has to destroy a Super Computer with plastic explosive in no particular order in order to stop the TX-55 Metal Gear, and the only enemies guarding it are four easily-disposable soldiers who don't respawn, making it a heck of a lot easier to defeat compared to the MSX version where you not only have to fight the TX-55 directly, but also place C4 on its feet in the order given by Dr. Pettrovich, while avoiding laser-shooting cameras that cannot be destroyed.
  • Awesome Music: See here.
  • Hilarious in Hindsight: Big Boss's sarcastic response to Solid Snake's use of a cardboard box in the first game becomes especially ironic when it becomes apparent that Big Boss was the one who developed the technique as Naked Snake.
  • Inferred Holocaust: Although Solid Snake does manage to destroy Metal Gear and escape Outer Heaven before the base self-destructs, the ending shows what is unmistakably a mushroom cloud from an atomic blast in the distance, and the KNK radio station also mentioned an earthquake occuring before sunrise. In Metal Gear 2, it is revealed that said mushroom cloud is actually the result of NATO's air raid that devastated both sides of the conflict, of which Snake was partially responsible for causing. It also falls into Nice Job Breaking It, Hero.
  • It's Easy, So It Sucks: The NES version removes the high alert phases from the MSX2 (which happens when two exclamation marks appears above an enemy's head instead of just one), making it easier to escape after being discovered by simply moving to the next screen. The Super Computer boss is also a lot easier than the Metal Gear, since the player aren't required to memorize where to place their plastic explosives.
    • On the other hand, there's no Mercy Invincibility in the NES version, and since many of the early areas (especially the Jungle and the first floor of Building No. 1) consists of really tight corridors, it's easy to be stampeded to death by watchdogs and enemy soldiers. Likewise, the NES version also feature instant shortcuts to later areas, so novices are bound to get lost if they take a transport truck without knowing where it leads.
  • It Was His Sled: Thanks to the sequels, pretty much everybody knows the identity of the enemy leader. It's Big Boss.
  • Porting Disaster: The NES version, aside for lacking the titular mecha, also features different level designs, changing the layout of the outdoor segments and most of the ground floors, as well turning the basement floor connecting Buiding 1 and 2 into a separate building, which is preceded by a maze segment with no clue on which is the correct path to take. It also removes the Mercy Invincibility when Snake gets hit, allowing enemy soldiers to bull-rush Snake into an easy defeat. On the other hand, the high alert phase (which occurs when two exclamation marks appear over an enemy's head instead of just one) was removed from the NES version, making enemies easier to escape from by simply moving onto the next screen, while several bugs and glitches were also added that actually makes the game easier in some instances (such as the fact that the player can skip Super Computer room and go straight to the final boss).
    • In the NES port, the Parachute is replaced by an Iron Glove that is supposed to allow Snake to break thin walls with his punches. However, all the thin walls in the game can be destroyed without it, making it a rather useless item. Unless you're playing the PAL version, in that case, you'll need it to open the roomin Building 5 where Dr. Pettrovich is held.
  • Sequel Displacement: Most players began the series with Metal Gear Solid and the few people that played the actual original most likely played the NES port, unaware of its origin as an MSX2 game.
  • Woolseyism: The American manual for the NES version notably gives a completely different account towards the events of the story than what is actually shown in-game. This also acts as one of the few instances where fans actually hated the concept of Woosleyization.
    • To be fair, the manuals for pretty much every NES game (and some of the early Game Boy and SNES games) published by Konami of America were written by jokers that didn't take their job very seriously. The parents of planet Zelos from the Salamander are "Ma & Pa Deltoid", if the manual for the NES version of Life Force is meant to be taken seriously.
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