Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes is a stealth action game for the Nintendo GameCube developed by Silicon Knights (Which was a Gamecube exclusive developer at the time) and Konami. Twin Snakes combines the story and levels of Metal Gear Solid with the gameplay abilities of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, with additional graphical upgrades to the game world, designed to take advantage of the GameCube's hardware. These graphical and gameplay upgrades gave the game a look and feel similar to Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. Game designer Hideo Kojima oversaw the project.
Changes[ | ]
Other than a large graphical upgrade, the cut-scenes were entirely redone by Japanese film director Ryuhei Kitamura. This new direction caused many of the cut scenes to have obscenely over the top action, in a Matrix-like style. For example, in one scene, a missile is shot at the main character, Solid Snake, so he jumps onto it, does a backflip off of it, and shoots a Stinger missile at it; all in slow motion. Even getting from one side of a doorway to the other (to avoid being seen), Snake somersaults over the doorway. Some fans found this entertaining and amusing, while others thought it didn't fit with the series, and preferred the old versions.
Silicon Knights handled most of the conversion work. Because Solid Snake had new abilities that weren't available in Metal Gear Solid, the developers had to make some changes to the level design, such as adding lockers to hide in. All the voice acting was re-recorded by the same voice actors, including David Hayter and Cam Clarke.
Some abilities taken from Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty are hanging off ledges, shooting in a first-person view, the M9 Tranquillizer Gun, and being able to hide bodies.
Story[ | ]
The elite group of special forces, Fox-Hound, has taken over a nuclear weapons disposal facility in Alaska. The group is led by Liquid Snake, who, except for skin tone and hair, looks exactly like Solid Snake. Solid Snake is pulled out of retirement by General Roy Campbell, who's niece, Meryl Silverburgh, is one of the soldiers being held captive at the base. There are also two important hostages that Snake must save: DARPA Chief Donald Anderson and ARMSTech President Kenneth Baker.
With the help of a team of experts giving him advice via a communications link, Snake must infiltrate the base and rescue the hostages. At the same time, he uncovers many mysteries involving nuclear weapons, a strange lethal disease, a cyborg ninja, and even his own origins.
Gameplay[ | ]
The Twin Snakes is basically a third-person action game with emphasis on Stealth. Hence the genre name, Stealth action. You control Solid Snake in a nearly overhead camera view (It changes in certain rooms/areas to completely overhead to parallel to your character). There are guards patrolling almost everywhere, and it's best not to be seen.
There are several ways Snake can avoid enemies: he can slide up next to walls to see around the corner more easily, make noises to get a guards attention, hang off railings to avoid sight, crawl into crawlspaces, hide in lockers, and more. If he is found, the famous "!" signal will appear over the guards head, who will then call in the assault team. When the assault team comes in, you have several options: run and hide or stay and fight.
Run and hide is usually the best course of action, although it is possible to triumph with staying to fight, depending on difficulty level. If you run and hide, and you manage not to be seen, the enemy will enter "Caution" mode. Here, the Assault team sticks around as guards. After the Caution mode dies down, the assault team leaves, leaving only the normal guards, who go about the same routine.
Snake also has different weapons and items to use compared to Metal Gear Solid, and can be accessed using the The L & R buttons. Weapons that can be used include the FAMAS machine gun, the SOCOM, the M9 Tranquilizer gun, a Sniper rifle, and more. Items that can be used include rations, to heal Snake's health, anti-depressants to steady his aim when using the Sniper rifle, cigarettes to create smoke and make laser traps easier to see, and various cards keys that give access to different rooms.
Characters[ | ]
- Solid Snake - The main protagonist from previous Metal Gear games.
- Meryl Silverburgh - Roy Campbell's niece. Meryl is a soldier, and Snake's love interest.
- Roy Campbell - Retired FOXHOUND commander, used to work with Snake. Like Solid Snake, he has been temporarily brought out of retirement for this mission.
- Metal Gear Rex - A giant, mobile, undetectable, nuclear missile-launching armoured unit.
- Ninja - A strange, violent, cybernetically-enhanced Ninja that seems to know Snake, and wants to fight him.
Fox-Hound[ | ]
- Liquid Snake - 'Brother' to Solid Snake, and 'Son' of Big Boss.
- Revolver Ocelot - A Russian Gunslinger, and a recurring character of the Metal Gear Solid games.
- Vulcan Raven
- Psycho Mantis
- Sniper Wolf
- Decoy Octopus