Metal Gear: MSX vs. NES
- Johnny Undaunted
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Metal Gear: MSX vs. NES
I wrote this essay months ago regarding the differences between the MSX and NES versions of the original Metal Gear and the various regional pressings . I didn't know where to publish it, so I've posted this for all to see. This only a rough draft of the essay and I might do a few editing and modifications here and there. There was also a Snake's Revenge essay I wrote which I hadn't finished yet.
Introduction Although the Metal Gear series first became a mainstream success with the release of 1998's Metal Gear Solid for the PlayStation, series's creator Hideo Kojima already layed out the basic concept of the game more than a decade prior with the original Metal Gear, released in 1987. The original Metal Gear was an overhead military-themed action/adventure game which encouraged player to avoid visual contact with the enemy in order to accomplish his or her eventual goal, the destruction of a top-secret weapon under development deep within the enemy's headquarters. The player collected various weapons and items (including key cards to unlock doors) in order to accomplish. Moreover, the player had to collect ammunition and rations by either, looking for them under fixed locations or punching enemies from the back, in order to survive and fend for themselves. The player must rescue prisoners in order to either: gain information or simply have their rank increased (neccesary in order to hold more items). Metal Gear also had a unique transceiver system where the player could communicate with allies and friendly forces in order to complete their mission.
There were two main versions of the original Metal Gear game as most fans are aware. The original and rare MSX2 version, which is the version Kojima worked on and the later and better-known NES/Famicom version, which Kojima did not directly worked on. Between these two versions of the game, there werea few regional versions and other ports between them. Most people tend to believe that the NES version was made to be just a localized version of or a western equalivent to the MSX version, but this is not completely true. The MSX game had two versions: the original Japanese version and an English-translated version released in Europe. The English MSX version was published by Konami UK (although a Netherlands-based company called HomeSoft was apparently behind the translation according to rumors, there doesn't seem to be any evidence in the game's packaging or manual to suggest this). The English MSX version is almost the same exact game as the Japanese MSX version. No real difference has been made to the gameplay, but most of the dialogue has been taken out or edited due to space issues. The Japanese MSX version was released on July 12 1987, while the English version came out shortly after that (no date is given, but the 1987 copyright is still there).
The Japanese Famicom version came out six months after the MSX version on December 22, 1987. The Famicom version made several changes from the MSX version which will be documented here, but the basic differences include rearranged stages, less colorful graphics, different music and the removal or modifications of various small, but integral aspects of the gameplay. The storyline remained unchanged and the premise was still the same as the original MSX game. The Famicom was translated for it's western counterpart, the NES, and published in America under the Ultra Games label (a subsidiary dedicated specifically to bypass Nintendo's five games a year limit) five months after the Japanese release (June 1987). Konami of America published Metal Gear the same way they did with all their other NES games; by bastardizing the manuals that came with their games. While the original Japanese (MSX and Famicom) kept the main villlain's identity a secret intentionally (since the player eventually found out that Snake's commander was the main bad guy), Konami of America's "interpretation" (so to speak) had an apparent Mongolian "crazed colonel" by the name of Vermon CaTaffy (who's name was actually a pun on Muammar Qaddafi, a real-life terrorist) identified as the leader of Outer Heaven. Moreover, Snake's commander was also improperly identified as Commander South, who's name was also a pun, this time referring to the US South Command. While thankfully none of these changes actually made it to the game itself, KoA's bastardized manual has deceived western fans into believing that the storyline was changed in the NES version from the original MSX version, but in reality the in-game dialogue was left pretty much unchaged from the Famicom version, where the dialogue is virtually unchanged from the MSX version. The western-only NES sequel to Metal Gear, Snake's Revenge, also suffered from the same reasons and gets criticized unfairly because of it. The third and final version of the NES game was the PAL version. The PAL version is virtually identical to the American version besides a few minor tweaks and the removal of vowels from the password system (due to an infamous vulgar code contained in the Japanese and US version of the game). In addition to those three versions, the NES game was also ported to the Commodore 64 and in a move which caused a bit of controversy, the Famicom version was chosen over the MSX version that was included in the bonus disc for the Metal Gear Solid GameCube Premium Package.
While the NES version's manual was bastardized beyond recognition, the Famicom and English MSX version's manuals managed to remained faithful to the original Japanese MSX manual. However, both manuals are lacking the added contents that was featured in the original Japanese MSX manual, which contained profiles for all the main characters (as well as the bosses) and even the specifications for Metal Gear. While seemingly insignificant to the game itself and not as deep as the later Metal Gear games, it does reveal a few things about the storyline that aren't revealed in the game itself such as Schneider's motivation for becoming Outer Heaven's resistance leader.
Stages: In the original MSX version of the game, Outer Heaven consisted of three buildings (all of them generically numbered) plus the outdoor areas between Building No. 1 & 2 and Building No. 2 & 3. Building No. 1 consisted of three floors, the roof and the basement, while building no. 2 has two floors, the roof and the basement. Moreover, the basement area of building no. 1 and no. 2 was connected via a dark passageway that could only be travelled with the flashlight equipped. The final area (building no. 3) contains only one floor and the 100th basement where Metal Gear is stored.
In the NES port, the underwater insertion is replaced by a flashier air insertion where Snake lands into the jungle along with three other soldiers (whom are never identified by the game and are not seen after this, so presumably they're decoys). Because of this, the game begins outdoors in a jungle, which Snake must traverse before arriving to the entrance of building no.1 via a transport truck (interesting to note, the trucks in the MSX version always faced north, whereas the outdoor trucks in the NES version faced west and the indoor trucks faced south). Some of the munition carriers from the first floor of building no. 1 which contained key items were moved into the jungle (like the binoculars) or the backdoor of building no. 1 (keycard 4). Because of this, the first floor of building no. 1 now consist mostly of unmanned tanks and jeeps. The actual entrance to the building has been moved a bit to the east. Most of the other floors remain mostly unchanged, but the mined courtyard (where you use the parachute to get in) where Petrovich is supposedly held has been removed (Petrovich's empty cell and the other prisoner are now located on the roof). The basement floors of building no. 1 and 2 were relocated and are now building no. 4 and 5 respectively, both located west to building no. 2 and 3 respectively. The only way of reaching either of these buildings (besides getting yourself captured) is by getting pass through a maze area before reaching the entrance. Unfortunately, this is the most annoying aspect of the NES port, since the solution to the maze (left, left, up and left) is never given by the game, so the player has to consult with an outside source to get the directions. In today's age of the internet, this isn't such a big deal, but back when the game was released, the player has no such convenience (they had to check out back issues of their game magazine of choice to see which issue covered the game or buy a strategy guide if one was availble). Otherwise, but the guess the solution on their own.
There's a few more minor differences between the other stages in the MSX and NES versions (like the fact that Petrovich's actual location and that of his imposter are switched), but one big difference is the importance of the transportation trucks. In the MSX version, the trucks only served as traps to hinder the player's progress, while in the NES version, they actually serve as shortcuts to each building in the outdoor area due to the fact that the player could only continue his game in one of six continue points depending on his present rank. As a matter of fact, the transport truck is the only way the player can get off the jungle and into the first building. This is as much of a benefit as it is a hindrance, as a beginning player could wander around checking out the trucks and then finding himself in front of building no. 3 with no idea of what to do. It can be really confusing and ruins the intentionally linear structure of the original MSX game.
The ending scene has changed somewhat. Big Boss's room is located east instead of west and instead of taking a ladder, the player has to take one of three elevators. While the final scene shows Snake running away from an explosion in the MSX version, in the NES version shows the screen from the air insertion intro is shown, this time with a blinking skyline. After the closing credits are over, the player receives one last message from Big Boss in the MSX version, which was taken out on the NES.
Enemies The main goal of the game is to avoid visual contact with the enemy, so naturally the enemy soldiers are the most common obstacles in your mission. The regular enemy soldiers in the MSX version were actually color-coded. The grey and brown soldiers patrolled building no. 1 and 3 (and some of 2), while the green and blue ones only shows up in building no. 2. There doesn't seem to be much of a difference though, other than the fact the brown and blue soldiers are more static and are usually the ones to activate the lv. 3 alarm (more on that later). The NES version has no such grading/coding system and all the NPCs (including the dogs and scorpions, although Big Boss still shares the same palette with Snake) and items actually share the same palette (black, grey and white). In fact, the soldiers are miscolored with their top colored white (looking more like bare-chested guerillas than members of an actual professional army, despite using the same sprite).
What most people don't know or tend to ignore about the original Metal Gear is the fact that the MSX version actually had not one, but two different kind of alert mode. The first alert mode is easier alert mode (which will be known as Lv. 2 Alert in this article) happened when one of the many guards sees you, while the second and tougher alert mode (which I deemed Lv. 3 Alert) happened if you activate the alarm by stepping on an infrared sensor, got caught on camera or simply did the mistake of firing an unsilenced weapon. In a Lv. 2 Alert, the alarm could be turned off simply by moving to the next screen and everything would be fine. However, in a Lv. 3 Alert, the only way to turn off was to either: move to a different area or floor or simply kill every guard or enemy sent after you. In some places (such as the roof to building no. 2 or the entrance to building no. 3) where the alarm is always activated no matter what. The only way to immediately determine whether a Lv. 2 or a Lv. 3 Alert is activated is by looking over the exclamation marks over the guard's head when he sees you. A white word balloon with a single exclamation mark was a Lv. 2 Alert, while a double exclamation mark in a yellow word balloon meant a Lv. 3 Alert. In the NES version, only the Lv. 2 Alarm was ported.
Other minor enemies includes the guard dogs and the rocketeer-like soldiers from the rooftop areas. In the MSX version, there are fewer dogs on-screen and not all of them wake up at the same time like they do in the NES version (nor do they player the danger music when they're awake). The rocket guards from the MSX version are still in the NES version, but unfortunately they lost their ability to hover and are merely regular guards with different sprites.
There are two kind of bosses in the original Metal Gear: regular human mercenaries and military machinery. The Outer Heaven's mercenary forces consisted of the Shoot Gunner (or Shotgunner), the Machine Gun Kidd, the Fire Trooper, Coward Duck, the Arnold cyberoids (more machine than man though) and the unknown leader of the mercenaries (revealed to be Big Boss himself in the game's ending). The vehicles you fought consisted of a Hind D, a Tank, a Bulltank and of course, the titular Metal Gear mech itself. The changes made to the roster of bosses in the NES version is one the port's greatest failings. While all of the regular mercs are still in the game, the Hind D and Metal Gear were taken out and replaced by "Twin Shot" and a SuperComputer respective. "Twin Shot" was actually a pair of twin gunners that appeared on the roof where the Hind D originally appeared, guarding Petrovich's cell. Unlike most of the other mercenaries, the Twin Shooters had no opening dialogue whatsoever and didn't really fight that differently from the Hind D. The Super Computer on the 100th Basement floor in Building no. 3 just before the battle with Big Boss. While in the MSX version, you never actually fought with the Metal Gear itself, the mech was protected by a pair of laser cams that would shoot Snake on sight and in order to destroy Metal Gear, the player had to place 16 plastic explosives on Metal Gear's feets in the order given by Petrovich. In the NES version, the Super Computer is only guarded by a few easily-disposed guards. There's no puzzle to solve in order destroy the SuperComputer, you simply place each plastic explosive one by one until the Super Computer is destroyed. As a matter of fact, you don't even have to destroy the Super Computer thanks to a bug which allows you to completely skip directly to Big Boss's room. The addition of the Super Computer not only takes away the actual Metal Gear's presence from the game, it also takes away from any challenge you get from trying to destroy Metal Gear in the MSX version.
Transceiver There are four allies in the game which you can communicate with via the game's transceiver system: your commander, Big Boss, and the members of the Outer Heaven resistance, Schneider, Diane and Jennifer.Each of your allies had two different frequencies which you can use to talk to them, one during the first half of the game (Building No. 1) and the other for the second half (Building No. 2 & 3). The checkpoint in front of Building No. 2 serves as an indicator as to when your allies changes frequencies. The fourth ally, Jennifer, only has one frequency (since you never get in touch with her until the second half of the game), but you have to a four stars class (or rank) in order to get in touch with her. Talking to Jennifer was neccesary to complete the game, since she's only character that can provide the Rocket Launcher (needed to defeat Arnold and Big Boss) and the Compass (to get pass the desert before Building No. 3). What most people don't know about the transceiver system is the fact that it was actually room-oriented. Meaning that you will only receive a pre-determined reply from your ally depeneding on your current coordinate. For example, if Snake is in the truck where the handgun is located (regardless of whether you already picked the handgun or not), the player could call Big Boss and they would receive a reply from Big Boss telling the player a tip on how to use the handgun. Because of this aspect, the player could use the old frequencies when they were in Building No. 1, even after reaching the checkpoint in Building No. 2. When your character were in the second half of the game, an Antenna was required in order to make communication in the area possible.
The NES version keeps the transceiver system relatively unchanged (Schneider's second frequency is changed from 120.26 to 120.16 for no real reason), including the room-oriented aspect of their location. However, due to the fact that some of the stages were rearranged, the developers forgot to move some of the transceiver messages with them. For example, the place in front of the room containing the gas mask in the NES was originally the location of a minefield in the MSX version.. Because of this, when you call Schneider in that location, he will tell you the location of the mine detector for no reason. Moreover, when you call Schneider on the roof of Building No. 1 to get the location of the Bomb Blast Suit, which is quite interesting considering this neither, the location in the MSX version nor in the actual NES game. Another referential mistake is made when the character calls Jennifer to get the location for the compass, they will receive a reply from Diane instead. The player could also stick speak to Schneider even after his supposed death before the Coward Duck battle (in the MSX version, the game didn't allow communication with Schneider, unless you skipped Schneider's dialogue during said scene).
The transceiver mode is one of the biggest aspects when it comes to pointing out differences between various versions of the game, both platform-wise and region-wise. The English MSX version of the Metal Gear only had some of the transceiver messages from the original Japanese MSX version, most of them were edited. Some of the messages given by Big Boss and Schneider (mainly all of Big Boss's comments on items) were taken out. Moreover, Steve, a character who would reply for Diane when she was unavailble during certain occasions, was completely taken out (when the player tries to call Diane while fighting the Shotgunner or Fire Trooper, they would get no reply). In both of the MSX versions, the transceiver screen consisted of Snake's wireless radio and faceshot of Snake who's lip were animated whenever Snake spoke. in the Japanese Famicom, Snake's faceshot was removed, but the radio itself was left relatively unchanged from the MSX original. When the game was localized for the NES, the transceiver screen was given an updated and more modern appearance from the previous versions. All the transceiver messages were even left this time, although the quality of the translation is almost as bad (if not worse) than the English MSX version.
Weapons and Equipment In order to accomplish the game's objective, the player must collect all sorts of equipment located within the enemy's fortress in order to further progress in the game, as well as weapons to defend themselves from the enemy or defeat bosses. This includes keycards to unlock doors (each door only works with a respective key card),rations to mantain your health, binoculars to see ahead and equipment such as oxygen tanks, gas masks and uniforms that helps you gain access to otherwise unaccesible areas There's even a cardboard box to cover yourself from the enemy's view. Player could stock up on any quantifiable item such as rations and ammo by leaving
There are.seven weapons in the whole game plus an "optional" silencer (almost required). Your main firearms are the handgun (a Beretta M92F) and the sub-machine gun (Ingram Mac-11). The main difference between the two is that the sub-machine gun fires it's bullet in a fan pattern and has a faster firing rate. Both guns are compatible with the silencer, The grenade and rocket launcer are the more heavy-duty-type of firearms and are best reserved for bosses. The grenade launcher (M79) in particular uses a crosshair to pin-point the exact spot where the grenades will fall, while the rocket launcher (an RPG-7) is just the most poweful weapon in the game. Neither of the launchers can use the silencer (naturally), but for some reason they all use the same type of ammo. There are also three type of stand-alone weapons. Plastic explosives (to blow up walls for hidden passages), landmines (to lure enemies into) and a remote-controlled or guided missile, use mainly to destroy electric panels which activates electrified floors.
Aside from pre-programmed locations, the player could also received addition rations or ammo by taking out an enemy with their bare fists (it takes three punches) during Stealth mode (Lv. 1 Alert) and more often than not, they would leave behind the item. This feature from the MSX version was taken out and the functions of many items were altered as well. The lenght of Snake's gunshots only covered half of the screen's width in the MSX version, but was changed to full width on the NES (the sub-machine gun also loses some of it's usefulness, since enemy reinforcements always come after you in straight lines).. The player isn't supposed to be abled to use his gun while under a cardboard box in the MSX version, but it's possible in the NES version. While the binoculars is supposed help you look a screen ahead, they'll also reset the enemy's position to their default locations in the NES version. As a matter of fact, the NES version had several instances of memory managing problems wheneve the player switched screens. When you open a door with a keycard a and then switch to equip the gas mask, the door would close down and had to be opened again (the MSX version had no such problem). The player could sometime use the NES version's "forgetfulness" to their advantage, such as closing down pitfalls (the opened portions would still be there, but invisible to the player's eye). Bosses would reset to their original position when the player switches to the transceiver screen.
And finally, one of the items, the parachute, was removed and replaced by an Iron Glove. The parachute is meant to be used to reach the courtyard in the first floor of building no. 1 by falling from the rooftop without dying, but since that area was removed, the iron glove was put into it's place. Now, ideally, the Iron Glove is supposed to act like wall breaker, an alternative to using plastic explosives (in the MSX version, player needed to knock on the walls first, to determine which of them could be destroyed), but the truth is that the player could destroy any breakable walls by using their regular punches, making the Iron Glove almost useless. This was fixed in the PAL edition, where the Iron Glove is needed to enter the room where Fire Trooper and Dr. Petrovich's cell are located. Regardless of the usefulness (or uselessness) of the Iron Glove, the usage of plastic explosives is less active due to the fact that walls could be broken without it. The only time the player will ever need to use the explosives are when confronting the supercomputer at the end of the game.
Ar one point of the MSX version, the player has to fight a group of soldiers to get the silencer. No such battle is included in the NES version and the silencer is left unguarded by the enemy. In fact, very rarely will you see a room or truck that carries a soldier and an item at the same time during the NES version. In the MSX version, enemy soldiers also had the ability to leave and reenter trucks. For example: the truck with the first keycard usually has an enemy waiting inside. If you wait awhile though, the soldier will leave and you can enter the truck safely. No such feature is present in the NES version and the player has no choice but to enter a truck where an enemy might be waiting for them from a fixed position.
Conclusion While the NES version is not exactly a horrible game, it lacks the care and polish Kojima and his team put into with the original MSX game. The NES version left out many important gameplay aspects from the MSX version and at the same time, made too many unnecessary changes and is overall a poorly reprogrammed version of the original MSX game. The changes made creates a sense of uneveness, as the game can be difficult at some point (for example, in the jungle in the beginning of the game, is difficult to hide from the enemy and once you get spotted, it's basically over for the player) and easy during others (since the alarm can be deactivated by moving to the next screen, the importance of stealth is lost once you find the handgun and then the ammo to use it). Also, the greatest flaw in the NES version is the removal of the Metal Gear boss. One has to wonder who exactly came up with the idea of taking out the two-legged walking tank so central to the game's storyline, that it had game named after it? The Super Computer boss is completely anti-climatic in comparison.
Despite all of it's flaws, the Famicom/NES version somehow managed to be a big hit with a mainstream audience unfamiliar with the original MSX version, especially in the western market, where Metal Gear sold over million of copies. This would led to the production of a western-specific sequel in the form of Snake's Revenge, which served as Kojima's motivation for creating Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, which became the basis for the later and more popular Metal Gear Solid. The popularity of the NES version even helped in generating interest for Metal Gear Solid prior to it's release. The existance of the NES version was without a doubt, essential to the series's current success. Still, one has to wonder how the NES version would've been like had been if Kojima supervised it like he wished to do.
Introduction Although the Metal Gear series first became a mainstream success with the release of 1998's Metal Gear Solid for the PlayStation, series's creator Hideo Kojima already layed out the basic concept of the game more than a decade prior with the original Metal Gear, released in 1987. The original Metal Gear was an overhead military-themed action/adventure game which encouraged player to avoid visual contact with the enemy in order to accomplish his or her eventual goal, the destruction of a top-secret weapon under development deep within the enemy's headquarters. The player collected various weapons and items (including key cards to unlock doors) in order to accomplish. Moreover, the player had to collect ammunition and rations by either, looking for them under fixed locations or punching enemies from the back, in order to survive and fend for themselves. The player must rescue prisoners in order to either: gain information or simply have their rank increased (neccesary in order to hold more items). Metal Gear also had a unique transceiver system where the player could communicate with allies and friendly forces in order to complete their mission.
There were two main versions of the original Metal Gear game as most fans are aware. The original and rare MSX2 version, which is the version Kojima worked on and the later and better-known NES/Famicom version, which Kojima did not directly worked on. Between these two versions of the game, there werea few regional versions and other ports between them. Most people tend to believe that the NES version was made to be just a localized version of or a western equalivent to the MSX version, but this is not completely true. The MSX game had two versions: the original Japanese version and an English-translated version released in Europe. The English MSX version was published by Konami UK (although a Netherlands-based company called HomeSoft was apparently behind the translation according to rumors, there doesn't seem to be any evidence in the game's packaging or manual to suggest this). The English MSX version is almost the same exact game as the Japanese MSX version. No real difference has been made to the gameplay, but most of the dialogue has been taken out or edited due to space issues. The Japanese MSX version was released on July 12 1987, while the English version came out shortly after that (no date is given, but the 1987 copyright is still there).
The Japanese Famicom version came out six months after the MSX version on December 22, 1987. The Famicom version made several changes from the MSX version which will be documented here, but the basic differences include rearranged stages, less colorful graphics, different music and the removal or modifications of various small, but integral aspects of the gameplay. The storyline remained unchanged and the premise was still the same as the original MSX game. The Famicom was translated for it's western counterpart, the NES, and published in America under the Ultra Games label (a subsidiary dedicated specifically to bypass Nintendo's five games a year limit) five months after the Japanese release (June 1987). Konami of America published Metal Gear the same way they did with all their other NES games; by bastardizing the manuals that came with their games. While the original Japanese (MSX and Famicom) kept the main villlain's identity a secret intentionally (since the player eventually found out that Snake's commander was the main bad guy), Konami of America's "interpretation" (so to speak) had an apparent Mongolian "crazed colonel" by the name of Vermon CaTaffy (who's name was actually a pun on Muammar Qaddafi, a real-life terrorist) identified as the leader of Outer Heaven. Moreover, Snake's commander was also improperly identified as Commander South, who's name was also a pun, this time referring to the US South Command. While thankfully none of these changes actually made it to the game itself, KoA's bastardized manual has deceived western fans into believing that the storyline was changed in the NES version from the original MSX version, but in reality the in-game dialogue was left pretty much unchaged from the Famicom version, where the dialogue is virtually unchanged from the MSX version. The western-only NES sequel to Metal Gear, Snake's Revenge, also suffered from the same reasons and gets criticized unfairly because of it. The third and final version of the NES game was the PAL version. The PAL version is virtually identical to the American version besides a few minor tweaks and the removal of vowels from the password system (due to an infamous vulgar code contained in the Japanese and US version of the game). In addition to those three versions, the NES game was also ported to the Commodore 64 and in a move which caused a bit of controversy, the Famicom version was chosen over the MSX version that was included in the bonus disc for the Metal Gear Solid GameCube Premium Package.
While the NES version's manual was bastardized beyond recognition, the Famicom and English MSX version's manuals managed to remained faithful to the original Japanese MSX manual. However, both manuals are lacking the added contents that was featured in the original Japanese MSX manual, which contained profiles for all the main characters (as well as the bosses) and even the specifications for Metal Gear. While seemingly insignificant to the game itself and not as deep as the later Metal Gear games, it does reveal a few things about the storyline that aren't revealed in the game itself such as Schneider's motivation for becoming Outer Heaven's resistance leader.
Stages: In the original MSX version of the game, Outer Heaven consisted of three buildings (all of them generically numbered) plus the outdoor areas between Building No. 1 & 2 and Building No. 2 & 3. Building No. 1 consisted of three floors, the roof and the basement, while building no. 2 has two floors, the roof and the basement. Moreover, the basement area of building no. 1 and no. 2 was connected via a dark passageway that could only be travelled with the flashlight equipped. The final area (building no. 3) contains only one floor and the 100th basement where Metal Gear is stored.
In the NES port, the underwater insertion is replaced by a flashier air insertion where Snake lands into the jungle along with three other soldiers (whom are never identified by the game and are not seen after this, so presumably they're decoys). Because of this, the game begins outdoors in a jungle, which Snake must traverse before arriving to the entrance of building no.1 via a transport truck (interesting to note, the trucks in the MSX version always faced north, whereas the outdoor trucks in the NES version faced west and the indoor trucks faced south). Some of the munition carriers from the first floor of building no. 1 which contained key items were moved into the jungle (like the binoculars) or the backdoor of building no. 1 (keycard 4). Because of this, the first floor of building no. 1 now consist mostly of unmanned tanks and jeeps. The actual entrance to the building has been moved a bit to the east. Most of the other floors remain mostly unchanged, but the mined courtyard (where you use the parachute to get in) where Petrovich is supposedly held has been removed (Petrovich's empty cell and the other prisoner are now located on the roof). The basement floors of building no. 1 and 2 were relocated and are now building no. 4 and 5 respectively, both located west to building no. 2 and 3 respectively. The only way of reaching either of these buildings (besides getting yourself captured) is by getting pass through a maze area before reaching the entrance. Unfortunately, this is the most annoying aspect of the NES port, since the solution to the maze (left, left, up and left) is never given by the game, so the player has to consult with an outside source to get the directions. In today's age of the internet, this isn't such a big deal, but back when the game was released, the player has no such convenience (they had to check out back issues of their game magazine of choice to see which issue covered the game or buy a strategy guide if one was availble). Otherwise, but the guess the solution on their own.
There's a few more minor differences between the other stages in the MSX and NES versions (like the fact that Petrovich's actual location and that of his imposter are switched), but one big difference is the importance of the transportation trucks. In the MSX version, the trucks only served as traps to hinder the player's progress, while in the NES version, they actually serve as shortcuts to each building in the outdoor area due to the fact that the player could only continue his game in one of six continue points depending on his present rank. As a matter of fact, the transport truck is the only way the player can get off the jungle and into the first building. This is as much of a benefit as it is a hindrance, as a beginning player could wander around checking out the trucks and then finding himself in front of building no. 3 with no idea of what to do. It can be really confusing and ruins the intentionally linear structure of the original MSX game.
The ending scene has changed somewhat. Big Boss's room is located east instead of west and instead of taking a ladder, the player has to take one of three elevators. While the final scene shows Snake running away from an explosion in the MSX version, in the NES version shows the screen from the air insertion intro is shown, this time with a blinking skyline. After the closing credits are over, the player receives one last message from Big Boss in the MSX version, which was taken out on the NES.
Enemies The main goal of the game is to avoid visual contact with the enemy, so naturally the enemy soldiers are the most common obstacles in your mission. The regular enemy soldiers in the MSX version were actually color-coded. The grey and brown soldiers patrolled building no. 1 and 3 (and some of 2), while the green and blue ones only shows up in building no. 2. There doesn't seem to be much of a difference though, other than the fact the brown and blue soldiers are more static and are usually the ones to activate the lv. 3 alarm (more on that later). The NES version has no such grading/coding system and all the NPCs (including the dogs and scorpions, although Big Boss still shares the same palette with Snake) and items actually share the same palette (black, grey and white). In fact, the soldiers are miscolored with their top colored white (looking more like bare-chested guerillas than members of an actual professional army, despite using the same sprite).
What most people don't know or tend to ignore about the original Metal Gear is the fact that the MSX version actually had not one, but two different kind of alert mode. The first alert mode is easier alert mode (which will be known as Lv. 2 Alert in this article) happened when one of the many guards sees you, while the second and tougher alert mode (which I deemed Lv. 3 Alert) happened if you activate the alarm by stepping on an infrared sensor, got caught on camera or simply did the mistake of firing an unsilenced weapon. In a Lv. 2 Alert, the alarm could be turned off simply by moving to the next screen and everything would be fine. However, in a Lv. 3 Alert, the only way to turn off was to either: move to a different area or floor or simply kill every guard or enemy sent after you. In some places (such as the roof to building no. 2 or the entrance to building no. 3) where the alarm is always activated no matter what. The only way to immediately determine whether a Lv. 2 or a Lv. 3 Alert is activated is by looking over the exclamation marks over the guard's head when he sees you. A white word balloon with a single exclamation mark was a Lv. 2 Alert, while a double exclamation mark in a yellow word balloon meant a Lv. 3 Alert. In the NES version, only the Lv. 2 Alarm was ported.
Other minor enemies includes the guard dogs and the rocketeer-like soldiers from the rooftop areas. In the MSX version, there are fewer dogs on-screen and not all of them wake up at the same time like they do in the NES version (nor do they player the danger music when they're awake). The rocket guards from the MSX version are still in the NES version, but unfortunately they lost their ability to hover and are merely regular guards with different sprites.
There are two kind of bosses in the original Metal Gear: regular human mercenaries and military machinery. The Outer Heaven's mercenary forces consisted of the Shoot Gunner (or Shotgunner), the Machine Gun Kidd, the Fire Trooper, Coward Duck, the Arnold cyberoids (more machine than man though) and the unknown leader of the mercenaries (revealed to be Big Boss himself in the game's ending). The vehicles you fought consisted of a Hind D, a Tank, a Bulltank and of course, the titular Metal Gear mech itself. The changes made to the roster of bosses in the NES version is one the port's greatest failings. While all of the regular mercs are still in the game, the Hind D and Metal Gear were taken out and replaced by "Twin Shot" and a SuperComputer respective. "Twin Shot" was actually a pair of twin gunners that appeared on the roof where the Hind D originally appeared, guarding Petrovich's cell. Unlike most of the other mercenaries, the Twin Shooters had no opening dialogue whatsoever and didn't really fight that differently from the Hind D. The Super Computer on the 100th Basement floor in Building no. 3 just before the battle with Big Boss. While in the MSX version, you never actually fought with the Metal Gear itself, the mech was protected by a pair of laser cams that would shoot Snake on sight and in order to destroy Metal Gear, the player had to place 16 plastic explosives on Metal Gear's feets in the order given by Petrovich. In the NES version, the Super Computer is only guarded by a few easily-disposed guards. There's no puzzle to solve in order destroy the SuperComputer, you simply place each plastic explosive one by one until the Super Computer is destroyed. As a matter of fact, you don't even have to destroy the Super Computer thanks to a bug which allows you to completely skip directly to Big Boss's room. The addition of the Super Computer not only takes away the actual Metal Gear's presence from the game, it also takes away from any challenge you get from trying to destroy Metal Gear in the MSX version.
Transceiver There are four allies in the game which you can communicate with via the game's transceiver system: your commander, Big Boss, and the members of the Outer Heaven resistance, Schneider, Diane and Jennifer.Each of your allies had two different frequencies which you can use to talk to them, one during the first half of the game (Building No. 1) and the other for the second half (Building No. 2 & 3). The checkpoint in front of Building No. 2 serves as an indicator as to when your allies changes frequencies. The fourth ally, Jennifer, only has one frequency (since you never get in touch with her until the second half of the game), but you have to a four stars class (or rank) in order to get in touch with her. Talking to Jennifer was neccesary to complete the game, since she's only character that can provide the Rocket Launcher (needed to defeat Arnold and Big Boss) and the Compass (to get pass the desert before Building No. 3). What most people don't know about the transceiver system is the fact that it was actually room-oriented. Meaning that you will only receive a pre-determined reply from your ally depeneding on your current coordinate. For example, if Snake is in the truck where the handgun is located (regardless of whether you already picked the handgun or not), the player could call Big Boss and they would receive a reply from Big Boss telling the player a tip on how to use the handgun. Because of this aspect, the player could use the old frequencies when they were in Building No. 1, even after reaching the checkpoint in Building No. 2. When your character were in the second half of the game, an Antenna was required in order to make communication in the area possible.
The NES version keeps the transceiver system relatively unchanged (Schneider's second frequency is changed from 120.26 to 120.16 for no real reason), including the room-oriented aspect of their location. However, due to the fact that some of the stages were rearranged, the developers forgot to move some of the transceiver messages with them. For example, the place in front of the room containing the gas mask in the NES was originally the location of a minefield in the MSX version.. Because of this, when you call Schneider in that location, he will tell you the location of the mine detector for no reason. Moreover, when you call Schneider on the roof of Building No. 1 to get the location of the Bomb Blast Suit, which is quite interesting considering this neither, the location in the MSX version nor in the actual NES game. Another referential mistake is made when the character calls Jennifer to get the location for the compass, they will receive a reply from Diane instead. The player could also stick speak to Schneider even after his supposed death before the Coward Duck battle (in the MSX version, the game didn't allow communication with Schneider, unless you skipped Schneider's dialogue during said scene).
The transceiver mode is one of the biggest aspects when it comes to pointing out differences between various versions of the game, both platform-wise and region-wise. The English MSX version of the Metal Gear only had some of the transceiver messages from the original Japanese MSX version, most of them were edited. Some of the messages given by Big Boss and Schneider (mainly all of Big Boss's comments on items) were taken out. Moreover, Steve, a character who would reply for Diane when she was unavailble during certain occasions, was completely taken out (when the player tries to call Diane while fighting the Shotgunner or Fire Trooper, they would get no reply). In both of the MSX versions, the transceiver screen consisted of Snake's wireless radio and faceshot of Snake who's lip were animated whenever Snake spoke. in the Japanese Famicom, Snake's faceshot was removed, but the radio itself was left relatively unchanged from the MSX original. When the game was localized for the NES, the transceiver screen was given an updated and more modern appearance from the previous versions. All the transceiver messages were even left this time, although the quality of the translation is almost as bad (if not worse) than the English MSX version.
Weapons and Equipment In order to accomplish the game's objective, the player must collect all sorts of equipment located within the enemy's fortress in order to further progress in the game, as well as weapons to defend themselves from the enemy or defeat bosses. This includes keycards to unlock doors (each door only works with a respective key card),rations to mantain your health, binoculars to see ahead and equipment such as oxygen tanks, gas masks and uniforms that helps you gain access to otherwise unaccesible areas There's even a cardboard box to cover yourself from the enemy's view. Player could stock up on any quantifiable item such as rations and ammo by leaving
There are.seven weapons in the whole game plus an "optional" silencer (almost required). Your main firearms are the handgun (a Beretta M92F) and the sub-machine gun (Ingram Mac-11). The main difference between the two is that the sub-machine gun fires it's bullet in a fan pattern and has a faster firing rate. Both guns are compatible with the silencer, The grenade and rocket launcer are the more heavy-duty-type of firearms and are best reserved for bosses. The grenade launcher (M79) in particular uses a crosshair to pin-point the exact spot where the grenades will fall, while the rocket launcher (an RPG-7) is just the most poweful weapon in the game. Neither of the launchers can use the silencer (naturally), but for some reason they all use the same type of ammo. There are also three type of stand-alone weapons. Plastic explosives (to blow up walls for hidden passages), landmines (to lure enemies into) and a remote-controlled or guided missile, use mainly to destroy electric panels which activates electrified floors.
Aside from pre-programmed locations, the player could also received addition rations or ammo by taking out an enemy with their bare fists (it takes three punches) during Stealth mode (Lv. 1 Alert) and more often than not, they would leave behind the item. This feature from the MSX version was taken out and the functions of many items were altered as well. The lenght of Snake's gunshots only covered half of the screen's width in the MSX version, but was changed to full width on the NES (the sub-machine gun also loses some of it's usefulness, since enemy reinforcements always come after you in straight lines).. The player isn't supposed to be abled to use his gun while under a cardboard box in the MSX version, but it's possible in the NES version. While the binoculars is supposed help you look a screen ahead, they'll also reset the enemy's position to their default locations in the NES version. As a matter of fact, the NES version had several instances of memory managing problems wheneve the player switched screens. When you open a door with a keycard a and then switch to equip the gas mask, the door would close down and had to be opened again (the MSX version had no such problem). The player could sometime use the NES version's "forgetfulness" to their advantage, such as closing down pitfalls (the opened portions would still be there, but invisible to the player's eye). Bosses would reset to their original position when the player switches to the transceiver screen.
And finally, one of the items, the parachute, was removed and replaced by an Iron Glove. The parachute is meant to be used to reach the courtyard in the first floor of building no. 1 by falling from the rooftop without dying, but since that area was removed, the iron glove was put into it's place. Now, ideally, the Iron Glove is supposed to act like wall breaker, an alternative to using plastic explosives (in the MSX version, player needed to knock on the walls first, to determine which of them could be destroyed), but the truth is that the player could destroy any breakable walls by using their regular punches, making the Iron Glove almost useless. This was fixed in the PAL edition, where the Iron Glove is needed to enter the room where Fire Trooper and Dr. Petrovich's cell are located. Regardless of the usefulness (or uselessness) of the Iron Glove, the usage of plastic explosives is less active due to the fact that walls could be broken without it. The only time the player will ever need to use the explosives are when confronting the supercomputer at the end of the game.
Ar one point of the MSX version, the player has to fight a group of soldiers to get the silencer. No such battle is included in the NES version and the silencer is left unguarded by the enemy. In fact, very rarely will you see a room or truck that carries a soldier and an item at the same time during the NES version. In the MSX version, enemy soldiers also had the ability to leave and reenter trucks. For example: the truck with the first keycard usually has an enemy waiting inside. If you wait awhile though, the soldier will leave and you can enter the truck safely. No such feature is present in the NES version and the player has no choice but to enter a truck where an enemy might be waiting for them from a fixed position.
Conclusion While the NES version is not exactly a horrible game, it lacks the care and polish Kojima and his team put into with the original MSX game. The NES version left out many important gameplay aspects from the MSX version and at the same time, made too many unnecessary changes and is overall a poorly reprogrammed version of the original MSX game. The changes made creates a sense of uneveness, as the game can be difficult at some point (for example, in the jungle in the beginning of the game, is difficult to hide from the enemy and once you get spotted, it's basically over for the player) and easy during others (since the alarm can be deactivated by moving to the next screen, the importance of stealth is lost once you find the handgun and then the ammo to use it). Also, the greatest flaw in the NES version is the removal of the Metal Gear boss. One has to wonder who exactly came up with the idea of taking out the two-legged walking tank so central to the game's storyline, that it had game named after it? The Super Computer boss is completely anti-climatic in comparison.
Despite all of it's flaws, the Famicom/NES version somehow managed to be a big hit with a mainstream audience unfamiliar with the original MSX version, especially in the western market, where Metal Gear sold over million of copies. This would led to the production of a western-specific sequel in the form of Snake's Revenge, which served as Kojima's motivation for creating Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, which became the basis for the later and more popular Metal Gear Solid. The popularity of the NES version even helped in generating interest for Metal Gear Solid prior to it's release. The existance of the NES version was without a doubt, essential to the series's current success. Still, one has to wonder how the NES version would've been like had been if Kojima supervised it like he wished to do.
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Wow man that's really impressive work. If you want to, we can make a special page at Junker with this info.
Take care and great job indeed.
Take care and great job indeed.
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Re: Metal Gear: MSX vs. NES
We can only wonderJohnny Undaunted wrote:Still, one has to wonder how the NES version would've been like had been if Kojima supervised it like he wished to do.


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Thanks for the feedback. Again, it needs a few rewrites here and there (I need to update it to consider the cel-phone version of MG1 which came out), I probably gonna need to make this a bit less noob-oriented too, but I think it will be good enough to have it's own page here.Snatcher wrote:Wow man that's really impressive work. If you want to, we can make a special page at Junker with this info.
Take care and great job indeed.
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Well done JU, top article, but a few errors:
* You forgot to mention the IBM PC version, which had several big gameplay design changes regarding layout.
* I personally regard the Famicom port as having more colours than the MSX version, which always seemed very muddy to me.
* And I disagree with the linearity statement, but that is personal preference.
I regard the opening of the Famicom/NES MG to be superior to the MSX version, since it allows sequence breaking. It is possible to get keycard 1, and the right afterwards get keycard 4 using the trucks. This allows the player to sneak into the building via an entirely different route, which I think is easier than the normal way.
People criticise the jungle opening too much. It is entirely possible to avoid all the dogs without a scratch. The first et of three dogs, are programmed in such a way that if you head straight for the right hand path, they will run around you.
Anyway, these criticisms are due to personal preference rather than any factual mistakes you made, so fee free to disregard them.
When exactly did you write this JU?
I also wrote a MG history article roundabout November/December time. It should be in print and on sale sometime next week, though due to editing it is much shorter than yours, though vagually similar in content. (unless my editor decided to cut it at the last moment)
hehehe, great minds think alike, and it would be interesting to compare the two.
To Snatcher:
Which reminds me, I dont want to steal any thunder here, but would you mind me starting a topic with links the magazine website, in case people are interested in reading it? Once the magazine is no longer on sale, I will post the full unedited article here. (apparently a lot was removed for space)
* You forgot to mention the IBM PC version, which had several big gameplay design changes regarding layout.
* I personally regard the Famicom port as having more colours than the MSX version, which always seemed very muddy to me.
* And I disagree with the linearity statement, but that is personal preference.
I regard the opening of the Famicom/NES MG to be superior to the MSX version, since it allows sequence breaking. It is possible to get keycard 1, and the right afterwards get keycard 4 using the trucks. This allows the player to sneak into the building via an entirely different route, which I think is easier than the normal way.
People criticise the jungle opening too much. It is entirely possible to avoid all the dogs without a scratch. The first et of three dogs, are programmed in such a way that if you head straight for the right hand path, they will run around you.
Anyway, these criticisms are due to personal preference rather than any factual mistakes you made, so fee free to disregard them.
When exactly did you write this JU?

I also wrote a MG history article roundabout November/December time. It should be in print and on sale sometime next week, though due to editing it is much shorter than yours, though vagually similar in content. (unless my editor decided to cut it at the last moment)
hehehe, great minds think alike, and it would be interesting to compare the two.

To Snatcher:
Which reminds me, I dont want to steal any thunder here, but would you mind me starting a topic with links the magazine website, in case people are interested in reading it? Once the magazine is no longer on sale, I will post the full unedited article here. (apparently a lot was removed for space)
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otaku84 wrote:* You forgot to mention the IBM PC version, which had several big gameplay design changes regarding layout.
I wrote this along time ago and I wasn't aware such a version existed back then. I've only played IBM version briefly and it really wasn't that different from the NES version aside from being crappier (no music, crappy graphics) .
Well play the damn games again. The NES version only made use of three palette patterns for it's sprites (green/white/black for Snake and Big Boss, grey/white/black for everything else and purple/white/black for Snake's guided missiles or whenever he takes damage).* I personally regard the Famicom port as having more colours than the MSX version, which always seemed very muddy to me.
The MSX version contains a greater variety of color patterns for their sprites, which is why you see guards colored in grey, brown, burgundy, green and blue in that version.
Also, the backgrounds in the MSX made better use of shading and have more colors, but I think that may be an actual hardware discrenpacy (as the NES only allows four colors per pixel.
It isn't so much the idea that bothered me, but rather the execution. The dogs are only part of the problem (although I can handle them without any trouble). The enemy placement in the Jungle also makes it impossible to sneak past them without being seen. For example, if you get inside the truck containing the binoculars and then go outside. The guard will discover you and attack. It ruins whatever sense of stealth there is. Likewise, you can also just use the binoculars and turn off the alarm, which is just as cheap.* And I disagree with the linearity statement, but that is personal preference.
I regard the opening of the Famicom/NES MG to be superior to the MSX version, since it allows sequence breaking. It is possible to get keycard 1, and the right afterwards get keycard 4 using the trucks. This allows the player to sneak into the building via an entirely different route, which I think is easier than the normal way.
People criticise the jungle opening too much. It is entirely possible to avoid all the dogs without a scratch. The first et of three dogs, are programmed in such a way that if you head straight for the right hand path, they will run around you.
Anyway, these criticisms are due to personal preference rather than any factual mistakes you made, so fee free to disregard them.
Either way, it's clear that Metal Gear was meant to be a linear game, with only areas becoming availble once you meet a certain requirement. The original MSX game structure so that you need to rescue Grey Fox first, then Elen and Petrovich and then destroy Metal Gear while fighting agaisnt the bosses in a certain order.
I believe sometime last year. Can't remember exactly whenever, but it may had been during the summer (definitely pre-MGS3 though), but it was really long ago.When exactly did you write this JU?![]()
I also wrote a MG history article roundabout November/December time. It should be in print and on sale sometime next week, though due to editing it is much shorter than yours, though vagually similar in content. (unless my editor decided to cut it at the last moment)
hehehe, great minds think alike, and it would be interesting to compare the two.![]()
I've never played this game and am debating on whether or not I should just get the NES version. I have the patched MSX rom, haven't played it yet. There's two reasons why I'm considering the NES port instead:
1. I can't get a single MSX emulator to run correctly on my PC.
2. I usually prefer to play a real physical game on my 27" tv instead of emulation.
I know that the beginning and ending of the NES port is different from the original and that there were a lot of compromises made; but is the game as a whole changed so much that it completely pales in comparison? I know the MSX version is viewed as best/definitive, but that really doesn't do much good if I can't read Japanese or emulate correctly...
1. I can't get a single MSX emulator to run correctly on my PC.
2. I usually prefer to play a real physical game on my 27" tv instead of emulation.
I know that the beginning and ending of the NES port is different from the original and that there were a lot of compromises made; but is the game as a whole changed so much that it completely pales in comparison? I know the MSX version is viewed as best/definitive, but that really doesn't do much good if I can't read Japanese or emulate correctly...
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I know Johnny will disagree here, but if thats all you can get, then the NES/Famicom version is fairly close. I actually in some ways prefer it, since in the beginning you can sequence break and enter the building from one of two different ways.
On the other hand it is easier, some bosses are missing and the end is not quite as good.
But its clearly a MG game when you play it, the menu selecting, the overall stealthy feel. Its a great fun, just not as refined as its MSX original.
I also HIGHLY recomend you find and play Snake's Revenge, its actually better than the NES original, since it is closer to the MSX original.... hope that makes sense.
An article I wrote about all this was scanned and put here:
viewtopic.php?t=274
Goto the later pages and check out the scans of the article.
have a read and it should i hope clarfy any thoughts about what to play and the many different versions.
But please dude, after completing the 2 NES versions, get your butt into gear and get the MSX emu running, then complete MG1, and the sublime MG2SS. Then go play SD Snatcher too!
Now, away with ye! Go and play NES!
On the other hand it is easier, some bosses are missing and the end is not quite as good.
But its clearly a MG game when you play it, the menu selecting, the overall stealthy feel. Its a great fun, just not as refined as its MSX original.
I also HIGHLY recomend you find and play Snake's Revenge, its actually better than the NES original, since it is closer to the MSX original.... hope that makes sense.
An article I wrote about all this was scanned and put here:
viewtopic.php?t=274
Goto the later pages and check out the scans of the article.
have a read and it should i hope clarfy any thoughts about what to play and the many different versions.
But please dude, after completing the 2 NES versions, get your butt into gear and get the MSX emu running, then complete MG1, and the sublime MG2SS. Then go play SD Snatcher too!

Now, away with ye! Go and play NES!
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MetalGear (MSX2) [European]
MetalGear (NES) [European]
MetalGear (Famicom) [Japanese]
MetalGear 2: Solid Snake (MSX2) [Japanese]
Snake's Revenge (NES) [European]
MetalGear Solid (PlayStation) [European]
MetalGear Solid: Premium Pack (PlayStation) [European]
MetalGear Solid: Integral (PlayStation) [Japanese]
MetalGear: Ghost Babel (Gameboy Color) [European]
MetalGear: Ghost Babel (Gameboy Color) [European]
MetalGear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty (PlayStation 2) [European]
MetalGear Solid 2: Substance (PlayStation 2) [Japanese]
MetalGear Solid 2: Substance + The Document of MGS2 (PlayStation 2) [European]
MetalGear Solid 2: Substance (Xbox) [European]
MetalGear Solid 2: Substance (PC) [European]
MetalGear AC!D (PSP) [European]
MetalGear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PlayStation 2) [European]
MetalGear Solid 3: Snake Eater - Premium Pack (PlayStation 2) [Japanese]
MetalGear AC!D2 (PSP) [European]
MetalGear Solid 3: Subsistence - 1st Edition (PlayStation 2) [Japanese]
MetalGear Solid 3: Subsistence - Promo copy (PlayStation 2) [European]
MetalGear Solid 3: Subsistence - 1st Edition (PlayStation 2) [European]
MetalGear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel (PSP) [European]
MetalGear Solid: Portable Ops (PSP) [American]
MetalGear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - Limited Edition (+ Bonus Disc, Soundtrack and 6" Old Snake Action Figure) [European]
SNATCHER SERIES
Snatcher (Mega CD) [European]
Snatcher (Saturn) [Japanese]
POLICENAUTS SERIES
Policenauts Pilot Disk (3DO) [Japanese]
Policenauts (3DO) [Japanese]
Policenauts (PlayStation) [Japanese]
Policenauts (Saturn) [Japanese]
Policenauts (Saturn) [Japanese]
ZONE OF THE ENDERS SERIES
Zone Of the Enders (PlayStation 2) [European]
Zone Of the Enders: The Second Runner - Special Edition (PlayStation 2) [European]
BOKTAI SERIES
boktai: The Sun Is In Your Hand! (Gameboy Advance) [European]
boktai 2: Solar Boy Django (Gameboy Advance) [European]
OTHER SERIES
Penguin Adventure (MSX) [European]
Kabushiki Baibai Trainer Kabutore (DS) [Japanese]
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Memnon: Have you tried blueMSX? It's a great MSX emulator. Check it out here: http://www.bluemsx.com/download.html
Since you haven't played MG1, i'm assuming you haven't played MG2:SS either, and the only way to do that is on an MSX (or an emulator). So i recommend getting an MSX emulator set up, so you can play both MG1 and 2. There's no reason why you should play an inferior version, just to avoid emulation. Besides, if you really want to you can hook your pc up to your tv and play it there. That along with a decent gamepad and you're all set.
The NES version should really be avoided. otaku84 is too gentle on it. The MSX version is better by far.
Since you haven't played MG1, i'm assuming you haven't played MG2:SS either, and the only way to do that is on an MSX (or an emulator). So i recommend getting an MSX emulator set up, so you can play both MG1 and 2. There's no reason why you should play an inferior version, just to avoid emulation. Besides, if you really want to you can hook your pc up to your tv and play it there. That along with a decent gamepad and you're all set.
The NES version should really be avoided. otaku84 is too gentle on it. The MSX version is better by far.
After reading otaku's article, it's convinced me to go ahead and give emulation another shot, since I really want to play Metal Gear 2 as well. Those blasted MSX emus are so troublesome, though. I may go ahead and get Snake's Revenge, also...I've always heard it was an abomination of a game, but since otaku said it was actually closer to the MSX original, I may reconsider it.
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True that Ninja, the original hardware always feels better.
Anyway, while I am soft on the NES version, I do believe SR is actually better than it in some respects to being a MG game.
MG MSX > SR NES > MG NES
Would be a rough equation
glad you liked my article, thanks

Anyway, while I am soft on the NES version, I do believe SR is actually better than it in some respects to being a MG game.
MG MSX > SR NES > MG NES
Would be a rough equation
glad you liked my article, thanks
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- Favorite Game: Mega Man 2
- Location: Busted Kiddy Pool In The Front Yard
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