The Story
The year was 1995. At that time, nuclear
disarmament was only a pipe dream, and fears
of nuclear attack ran rampant. Deep in South
Africa, a mercenary group controlled a
stronghold called Outer Heaven. According to
leaked information, this group had access to a
new kind of weapon that would change the
scale of warfare irreversibly. The elite special
forces team Fox Hound was called upon to
gather further intelligence related to this
supposed weapon of mass destruction. To this
end they sent their best agent, Grey Fox, to go
under cover, infiltrate Outer Heaven, and report
back with new information. Grey Fox's report
consisted of exactly two words: "Metal Gear." Then contact was
broken.
Deeply disturbed by the loss of communication
with Grey Fox and the apparent urgency of his
brief message, Fox Hound sent another agent,
Solid Snake, into Outer Heaven to find Grey Fox
and discover the secret of the mysterious Metal
Gear. Snake found his way inside the fortress,
enlisting the aid of various prisoners to continue
his search for Grey Fox and Metal Gear. Eventually Snake located
Fox and learned that Metal Gear was, in actuality, a walking,
nuclear-capable tank. The implications of this new weapon were
staggering; Metal Gear's mobility and its ability to launch a nuclear
warhead from any position made it an imposing factor in the global
tension between nuclear superpowers. Solid Snake went on to
rescue the scientist behind Metal Gear's development and from him
learned Metal Gear's weak point.
Finally, Snake discovered Metal Gear itself, on
the 100th basement floor of Outer Heaven, and
using his knowledge of the behemoth, he
destroyed it. After Metal Gear's destruction,
Snake received a shock: The leader of the
Outer Heaven mercenaries, and the man
behind Metal Gear, was none other than Fox
Hound's leader, Big Boss! Big Boss had been pulling the strings
behind Snake's mission in Outer Heaven all along. Stunned by this
betrayal, Snake went on to engage Big Boss in battle, emerging
victorious. With Metal Gear destroyed and the traitor vanquished,
Solid Snake flew off into the sunset.
Story from metalgear.com
Outer Heaven Revolt (1995)
A small, but powerful armed
nation called "Outer Heaven"
emerges from deep within
South Africa. NATO learns that
they are designing a
nuclear-equipped walking
battle tank called "Metal Gear",
and they send in one of their
best agents, Gray Fox. But, he
is taken hostage, and they are
forced to send in the newest
member of FOX-HOUND,
Solid Snake. He rescues Gray
Fox and forces the surrender
of Outer Heaven. As Solid
Snake escapes, he is
confronted by one man. Its
FOX-HOUND's commander,
Big Boss! It seems that Outer
Heaven was a mercenary
company and Big Boss was
the mastermind behind it. Big
Boss had intentionally chosen
his most inexperienced agent,
Solid Snake, thinking he would
fail, but he seriously
miscalculated. After a fierce
battle, Snake defeats Big
Boss as Outer Heaven burns
around him. From "Metal
Gear"
The Game
Metal Gear introduced the idea of stealth to a
video game audience more accustomed to
obliterating everything in sight. True to secret
agent form, Solid Snake's greatest ally wasn't a
rifle or grenade (though their importance wasn't
understated), but rather his own agility and
resourcefulness. The clearest path to victory in Metal Gear was
through sewer grates, behind corners, and in the shadows.
Combined with the twisting plot, the stealth aspects made Metal
Gear one of the most original action-adventure games of the time.
The original Metal Gear plays very much like the more recent
versions; the series continues to get prettier and perhaps more
elaborate, but the core remains the same. Action is presented from
an overhead perspective so floor layouts and the location of guards
can be easily discerned. Like usual, Snake begins this mission with
no equipment, requiring him to find weapons and items during the
mission. He is also assisted by a Metal Gear staple called the codec,
a tiny radio with a tunable frequency that keeps him in contact with
the mission commander and any number of support personnel.
Avoiding guards is essential to Snake's survival; being spotted
means a horde of guards coming seemingly out of nowhere, and
Snake must evade them for a preset amount of time before they'll
stop looking for him. Metal Gear was a departure from the typical
video gaming of the day, to be sure.
The first Metal Gear appeared originally in 1987 on the MSX, a
computer popular in Japan and Europe but basically unknown in the
United States. American gamers were fortunate enough to receive
the chance to play Metal Gear the following year, when Konami
released it there under the Ultra Games label on the NES. This 8-bit
incarnation of Metal Gear had undergone a few minor changes by the
time it made it to American consoles. Many of the backgrounds had
changed, and maps were laid out differently. The translation was a
bit odd in parts. And although Big Boss is still the eventual bad guy,
you are led to believe that a terrorist named Vernon CaTaffy is
controlling the Outer Heaven group. The changes weren't earth
shattering, but die-hard Metal Gear fans agree that the MSX version
is the definitive Metal Gear.
Mission Objectives
Big Boss: Snake, your mission is to infiltrate the enemy base in 'Outer Heaven', rescue our missing Fox-Hound member 'Grey Fox', and destroy the final weapon, Metal Gear.
Characters
Solid Snake Weapons
Handgun w/Silencer
Metal Gear is for the Nintendo Entertainment System. I've got it, and it is amazing, especially for a NES
game. I have to say, A LOT of what's in the PlayStation version originated in this game, like the Codec,
Nikita missile launcher, and even the cardboard box! If you still have your NES, or can get a used one, I
definitely recommend trying to find Metal Gear, it's worth the effort. To find out more about the game,
join the forums and ask me. Now if only I could find Metal Gear 2: Snake's Revenge...
[NEWS][INFO][MEDIA][STRATEGIES][LINKS][FORUMS]
Soundtrack: "MG Outside"
Systems: MSX (released 1987), NES (released
1988)
Big Boss, Frequency: 120.85 and 120.13
Grey Fox
Schnieder, Frequency: 120.79
Diane, Frequency: 120.33 and 120.91
Dr. Pettrovich
The Shotgunner
The Machine Gun Kid
Arnold
Machine Gun
Plastic Explosives
Land Mines
Remote Control Missile Launcher
Grenade Launcher
