Jeremy Parish

NES Works #080: Metal Gear?! (Patreon)

Published:

2021-08-04 12:00:05

Imported:

2024-04

Tags:

konami metal gear nes works ultra games video

Content

There's the long con, and then there's waiting half a year between NES Works episode just so I could make that joke at the beginning.

Anyway, I've covered the original MSX version of Metal Gear in Metroidvania Works, but as you can see from the length of this episode, there's still plenty to say about this conversion—not only what it changes and where it stumbles, but also about the nature of new (?) publisher Ultra Games.

Files

Metal Gear retrospective: Metal Gear?! It can't be! (But it is.) | NES Works #080

One of the most beloved franchises of all time makes its debut on NES, though not its actual debut; the Metal Gear Nintendo fans knew and enjoyed back in the 8-bit era was in fact a port of a minor hit for MSX/2 home computers that had shipped about a year earlier in Japan. Although Metal Gear gets the broad strokes right on NES, it trips up over a lot of minor details. And some major ones, too. Still, if a compromised take on a classic is the one that a million former NES owners knew and enjoyed back in the ’80s, there's something to be said even for that clumsier rendition of the game. Also worth noting this episode: The debut of a brand new publisher! Well, sort of. Video Works is funded via Patreon (http://www.patreon.com/gamespite) — support the show and get access to every episode up to two weeks in advance of its YouTube debut! Plus, exclusive podcasts, eBooks, and more!