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Snake discusses Mario, how Yoshi tastes
We can't get enough of Snake. We admit, we have the biggest crush on the guy, going so far as to sketch his name in our notebook over and over again (we also draw a lot of unicorns). And when it was announced that he was joining the roster in Smash Bros. Brawl, we nearly wet our pants. When we learned that David Hayter would be voicing the spy again, we then wet our pants. Check past the break for another video of Snake and Otacon discussing what Yoshi's gender is, as well as what he tastes like.
TGS07: Snake in Smash Bros Brawl
Konami invited some lucky press folk who've been at TGS to sit in on a kind of Snake retrospective. Chronicling the career of the big guy, they even took some time to chat about his upcoming foray into the world of smashing. Kojima showed off Snake traversing some of the levels in Smash Bros. Brawl, as well as utilizing some of the game's unique items.We can't wait until his dojo update ...[Via Go Nintendo]
Konami to re-release every Metal Gear Solid in Japan
In celebration of the illustrious franchise's 20th anniversary and in aid of those newcomers who still find themselves saying, "METAL GEAR?!" Konami has revealed plans to re-release every modern Metal Gear title in Japan, beginning with the PlayStation's monumental (and so very awesome) Metal Gear Solid. Other titles sneaking onto store shelves will be the rug-pulling Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, culinary diverse epic Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and the PSP's portable opus, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops.IGN notes that the games will be sold seperately, as well as in a Metal Gear Solid Collection package. Unless the included version of Metal Gear Solid 3 contains the feature-laden Subsistence disc, it would seem that the original Metal Gear warranting the celebration in the first place has been left out of the all-important loop -- a situation Snake himself is intimately familiar with. Then again, this is from the same Konami that released The Silent Hill Collection sans, you know, Silent Hill. At the very least, this disregard for roots fuels the hope for a (re)release outside of Japan.
Konami makes iTunes useful
For years, we've been crying bloody tears over the lack of availability of game soundtracks in the US. With the rise of music download services, that situation has changed. First we had some Final Fantasy soundtracks on iTunes, then the Mother 3 OST, and now the best news of all: Konami has made a deal with Sony BMG to make their entire music catalog available on download services.Naturally, we'll be loading up with Castlevania music, but Konami has a very large collection of notable game soundtracks that at least deserve a previewing: the Metal Gear Solid series, Contra, Goemon/Mystical Ninja, and Akira Yamaoka's brilliant Silent Hill work. We don't know when Konami will start releasing music on iTunes/Rhapsody/your favorite download service, and we don't know what the order of releases will be. One thing we can confirm: this is hot.[Via Dot Matrix with Stereo Sound]
Kojima apologizes for lack of edible koalas in MGS3 [update 1]
At GO3, an Australian gaming conference of import (that's fancy speak for importance, not goods entering a country), Hideo Kojima had a little speech planned out where he discussed "game technology evolution" and proceeded through the Metal Gear series up to MGS4's current progress. We'll get to that.Before we go there, though, Kojima offered up an apology for the jungle in Snake Eater: "looks more like your backyard than a jungle," he joked, then apologized to the audience in Japanese for not letting koalas be an edible food source in the game. Would koalas even taste good? They'd probably taste like what they eat -- eucalyptus leaves. Anyway, on to MGS4 not-so-news.In line with the rest of his speech on innovating gameplay, he and his team knew that they "exhausted the concept of the space, so why not create a situation, rather then a place where Snake had to sneak in" and decided on a battlezone. He explained the possibilities of the battlefield setting -- how there are two sides fighting and one isn't necessarily Snake's enemy, moral ambiguities, et cetera. Then he showed the latest, but already viewed by many, trailer for the game. So, nothing new on the game, but it's nice to read about how Kojima has evolved the franchise across time.[update: changed the koala's dietary properties to eucalyptus leaves...]
April Fool's Alert #8: VG Cats gets a makeover ... Metal GEAR?!
Scott Ramsoomair's VG Cats has a new page: a Metal Gear Solid MySpace profile for "David" Snake (screen name solidsnake34). Some of the jokes are subtle; we recommend a viewing or two of Metal Gear Awesome for some clarity. (MGA may in fact not help at all, but we still recommend viewing it for a few chortles.) In case you're wondering and are too lazy to do some minor investigation, every link on the page directs you to VG Cats' real index. If you're viewing this after April 1, the page may be gone; feel free to use this gallery below as a time capsule for the event.%Gallery-2382%
Saturday PSP background explosion: fan edition [Update 1]
Every Saturday you can count on coming to PSP Fanboy to get new backgrounds for your PSP. Usually I create the backgrounds myself out of official game art, but this week one of our readers sent in his PSP backgrounds and wanted us to put them up. So with that in mind, I present PSP backgrounds by Brad Hodson. Backgrounds after the jump ...
PSP Fan Art Fridays: Metal Gear
Do you want to share your PSP-related fan art? Send us an e-mail. A new piece of fan art will be shared every Friday. It's Friday and that means another night of Russian Roulette with my friends and that it's Fan Art Friday. This week we have a Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops art piece that depicts Null fighting Big Boss. It's brought to us from Edward. The look on Snake's face as he narrowly dodged that lunge is as frightened as that time I saw that site with the girl in the tub. Great work Edward, way to bring back those nightmares. No seriously, glad to have the fan art and good taste in games. I'm totally gay for Metal Gear. Leave your feedback on this art in the comments, check out Edward's deviant art account and see us back here next Friday!%Gallery-3450%
Columbia Pictures acquiring Metal Gear movie rights, Ghost Rider producer onboard
Columbia Pictures, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, is reportedly in negotiations with Konami for the rights to adapt Metal Gear Solid for the cinema; as breifly noted by Sony exec Yair Landau earlier this week at D.I.C.E. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Columbia has assigned Ghost Rider producer Michael De Luca to the project, while MGS creator Hideo Kojima and JEA's Rick Privman will serve as executive producers. Privman is also the executive producer of the upcoming film version of survival horror game Siren.Sony producers Doug Belgrad (The Grudge 2) and Sam Dickerson will also be involved with the live-action adaptation; and Josh Bratman, who works for De Luca and introduced the project to Sony, will continue to act as a consultant. Plot details and casting prospects remain unknown.[Thanks, Nitroid]
Metal Gear movie backed by Sony Studios -- so, PS3 exclusive?
Stop and think about the subject line for a minute. The Metal Gear movie is being backed by Sony Pictures. Would Sony really want to fund such a large, high-profile project like this if Konami and Kojima were going to stab them in the back and move onto multiple platforms? We think not. While it is indirect and no more than an assumption, it makes sense. You wouldn't see Sony backing the defunct Halo movie, or Microsoft spearheading a Shadow of the Colossus film (there isn't one).For those curious about the film itself, Kojima himself gave this the go-ahead, so you know there will be quality somewhere along the line. Vice-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Yair Landau, said: "It's a very cinematic game, it really lends itself to movie telling. But the question is, 'How do you translate Snake's experience into a full arc that conforms to what audiences expect on the large screen?" Good question, but that's what Kojima's here for! Ask him for help. There are also talks, he said, of an Everquest movie. Let's not talk about that.[Thanks a lot, Colin!]
Sony Pictures producing Metal Gear Solid movie
Shortly after delivering his convergence keynote at this year's D.I.C.E. summit, the vice chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment confirmed to Gamespot that Sony's film studio would be responsible for dragging Metal Gear Solid into the cinema. "We're working with the Metal Gear guys," says Yair Landau. "It's a very cinematic game, it really lends itself to movie telling. But the question is, 'How do you translate Snake's experience into a full arc that conforms to what audiences expect on the large screen?'" Lead Metal Gear guy, Hideo Kojima, announced the film at last year's E3, though barely any details have surfaced since then. Apart from crushing the hopes of Dr. Boll, Kojima and co. have said nothing with respect to casting, directing or script. A safe assumption sees Solid Snake strangling inept soldiers and battling at least one psychopath with a penchant for babbling about the philosophical hangups of dropping nuclear bombs ... on the rainforest. The real trick will be to provide a film more entertaining than the infamous Metal Gear Awesome (embedded after the break for old time's sake). Landau also hinted at an Everquest movie from Sony Pictures, but declined to name the supposedly esteemed producer attached to it. If it winds up being an epic tale of elven mana dealers and over-the-top dragon chases, we'll know it was Jerry Bruckheimer.
Why don't portables get more respect?
The DS sells more than most consoles. The PSP has some games that look better than many PS2 games. Despite this, there are few magazines or websites devoted to portables. When the web or a mag do focus on a portable, it always seems to be to a lesser degree. If you need any proof, just look at the number of portable games that go un-reviewed compared to consoles. But when the sales are up as is the quality of the games, why do handhelds still get shafted? They're a substitute It seems as though some gamers and press view portable games as a substitute for "real" gaming. Just something to pass the time when you're somewhere unpleasant and unable to play a console game. While it is true that the very nature of a portable game is to give you gaming on the go, it doesn't necessarily mean it isn't as fun or as valuable of a gaming experience as console games. Anyone who's gotten sucked into Lumines or Vice City Stories for hours can attest to that. Kid Stuff While it's true that many games aimed for children have been released for portables through the years, there's no shortage of great games for any age. Especially this generation of portables, it seems more and more portables are aiming their sights for older gamers. Brain Age, Metal Gear and GTA are proof enough that in no way are portables just for the playground. Less vocal fan community One thing that hurts the portable gaming community is that despite the great sales for systems and games, the fan community is far less vocal than the typical console fan base. Of course part of this seems to be self perpetuating since if there aren't many online or print sources for portable gaming, there are obviously less places for those fans to express their feelings. Not as many huge titles Some would say that the portables lack blockbuster titles and that is why they garner less attention. This hardly seems like a good excuse though since at this point nearly every blockbuster franchise has a version on handhelds. From Metal Gear to Mario, if there is a big game on a console there is typically a counterpart on the portable. Not only that, but some portable games consistently sell better than most console games. So while there may be no good reason portables get overlooked, it does seem like they're on there way to reversing this fate. With the increased importance of blogs and forums in the gaming world, it seems like only a matter of time before portable games do get the equal respect they deserve. Until then, the average gamer may just be too busy playing their PSP to even care.
PAL gets exclusive Metal Gear content
My mom always said "Good things come to those who wait" and my dad always said "You just wait around for good things to happen to you". Well because of Konami, I'm now going to ignore everything my dad ever said to me. IGN is reporting that PAL territories will be getting Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops content that neither Japan or the US got. The original game's content will be joined with twelve new characters, new maps and new missions. That's not all though, there will also be a Boss Battle mode which the point of should be fairly obvious. I only hope that at some point this content is made available as a download for current owners of Metal Gear. Check IGN for the more details.
Saturday PSP background explosion [Update 1]
I love my Xbox 360 and I also love custom backgrounds. I don't love paying for them though. Luckily PSP users don't have to pay to have a custom background (that's coming in PSP2). Because of this and to help spice up our reader's PSPs, we will be showcasing new backgrounds every Saturday for you to marvel at. Backgrounds after the jump...
Konami really wants to do a Metal Gear PSP sequel
Back in November there was an IGN interview with Kojima Studios Ryan Payton in which he stated "If the response to MPO is as good as we're expecting, you can look forward to new chapters in the Big Boss legacy on PSP." Well, Ryan is at it again, this time on PSM's podcast saying "If it's successful on the retail level there will definitely be a sequel. ...that's something I really, really want to do." If the Japanese sales are any indication, Snake may be on another PSP sneaking mission very soon. Just to make sure, go out and buy five copies at your local retailer today to appease the Konami gods. The way I feel about it is, the PSP game library is like a bachelorette party; the more Snake the better. [Update 1: Fixed links.]
Gasp: MGS Portable Ops may see sequel
The effects of Konami's most recent stealth adventure, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, have been frightening to say the least. A simple "hello" to one of the bloggers currently playing it is often unreturned, met only with a vacant stare at the greeter's neck and a forlorn sigh. It is with great, neck-preserving displeasure then, that we report on the status of a sequel to Snake's card-free PSP outing. In a recent (ish) PSM podcast, Ryan Payton, the assistant producer for Kojima Productions, underlines the strong possibility of a sequel. "If it's successful on the retail level there will definitely be a sequel." It's quite simple. If you desire said sequel, you'd best go buy the game ... and possibly discover that you don't really want a sequel after all.[Via Eurogamer]Listen -- PSM Podcast (15:50)
Japanese release day highlights: 12.21.06
Trains are great. We ride them most days of the week. In fact, today we took a train ride in order to buy two new train-based videogames. That's the scary extent of our railway passion. To avoid those funny looks we keep getting from the station master, we also picked up copies of the games listed here. Just so that we could look at their non-train-related packaging on the way home, to pretend that we weren't really thinking about trains. Mmm ... the 16:09 Express to Kyoto ... Sorry, those games: Ys Origin (Falcom's legend returns, again; PC) Seiken Densetsu 4 (Mana, Mana, Mana; PS2) Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (ice cool Capcom; Xbox 360) Let's Go By A-Train HX ("Artdink" is the funniest developer name ever; Xbox 360) Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (Snake crawls back to Japan; PSP) Armored Core 4 (PlayStation 3) Railfan (for the jotter and flask crowd; PS3)
Metareview - Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
A true Metal Gear title on PSP? Not exactly. Yes, gone are all those stinkin' cards, but Portable Ops is no epic. Then again, this could be the game's greatest strength: it's not trying to be a PlayStation 2 title on the go.With brisk missions, bold Infrastructure modes (see: Cyber-Survival), and gracious load times, Portable Ops is proof that PSP is a capable platform. (Kojima and company even found a use for the GPS attachment.) 1UP (95/100) - "[A] game that essentially pushes the PSP in all of its features: graphics, portability, Internet, extra hardware doohickeys, and multiplayer. Sure, it might have hiccups ... [but] it's also a damn good showcase for the PSP." Games Radar (90/100) - "Portable Ops feels like what you'd get if you took the Metal Gear Online game from MGS3: Subsistence, simplified it for the PSP and then built a single-player adventure around it ... but rest assured that Portable Ops is anything but shallow ... Portable Ops is one of the only games that's really tailored to all of the PSP's unique strengths. The controls work surprisingly well, the action doesn't feel like a pared-down console game and even the loading goes quickly." Gamepro (80/100) - "[It] succeeds because it boldly strays away from the familiar path that was forged by its big console brethren ... But for all its willingness to be different, Portable Ops still suffers from some of the familial defects."
Gurumin to feature accomplished VAs
Tara Strong, voice of Final Fantasy X's Rikku, joins a surprisingly strong voice acting cast for the upcoming PSP RPG Gurumin. Other VAs include Amber Hood (Psychonauts), Dee Bradley (Viewtiful Joe), Kim Mai Guest (Metal Gear Solid), Robin Atkin Downes (Prince of Persia), and more. The voice acting will be directed by Kris Zimmerman, the voice director of all the Metal Gear Solid games (all of which feature excellent voice acting).It's great to see a PSP RPG finally get some solid voice acting. We've had way too many quests with minimal voice acting-- hopefully, publisher Mastiff sets a standard for all PSP RPGs to come. We'll have more on the ultra-cute Gurumin in the future.[Via GameDaily]
Metal Gear Solid 4 in late 2007, hopefully -- new trailer for now
According to a Famitsu report, Hideo Kojima estimates that Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will need at least another year's worth of development time before it's finished. While Kojima had previously promised to deliver in 2007, he's narrowed that window to late 2007 -- at the earliest. For now, Konami is offering a new trailer, which is currently premiering at Tokyo Game Show.The new trailer -- partially captured in bootleg form from the show floor here & here -- is allegedly 100% gameplay, although Konami has tweaked the camera perspective for clarity. At just 6 minutes, it's significantly shorter than the E3 presentation, but reveals new gameplay elements, including stealth items (e.g. an oil drum), the Octocam suit, and a shift from stealth-orientated missions to player's choice gameplay (i.e. you have a goal and are free to decide how to achieve it).[Thanks, nijah]
