Metal Gear (NES)

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Metal Gear
Metal Gear - NES - US.jpg
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
Year: 1987
Developer: Konami
Buy: Amazon

Metal Gear is the NES port of Metal Gear (MSX), the first entry in the series of the same name. It focuses around Solid Snake, a rookie operative in a special operations unit known as FOXHOUND, who is sent to infiltrate a fortress known as Outer Heaven, the mysterious commander of which has stolen the prototype of a bipedal nuclear-capable tank called Metal Gear. Unlike most other games of this period, the gameplay focuses around stealth rather than action.

As groundbreaking as the MSX original was, the NES port has a pretty poor reputation, and has been disowned by series creator Hideo Kojima, who was not involved in its production. The MSX version was itself admittedly still very rough around the edges compared to Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (MSX) and all the Metal Gear Solid entries, but the NES port adds in additional problems such as an opening jungle segment that's more tedious than anything else, a terrible English translation, faulty collision detection, and not even featuring the titular nuclear tank. There would later be a NES-exclusive sequel, Snake's Revenge (NES) that was ignored by all subsequent Metal Gear games, but nonetheless fixes most of this port's problems.

Screenshots

Metal Gear - NES - Title Screen.png

The game's title screen.

Metal Gear - NES - Intro Cutscene.png

Solid Snake begins his first-ever mission.

Metal Gear - NES - Radio.png

Gee, with instructions as poorly translated as those, it's like your boss wants you to fail.

Metal Gear - NES - Jungle.png

Sneaking through the jungle, taking advantage of a narcoleptic guard.

Metal Gear - NES - Truck.png

Finding some all-important binoculars in the back of a truck.

Metal Gear - NES - Fortress.png

Trying to dodge the guards in the depths of Outer Heaven.

Music

Metal Gear's soundtrack is pretty decent for 1987 standards, using a roughly 50/50 mix of Iku Mizutani's music from the MSX original, and new tracks composed by Kazuki Muraoka. The soundtrack overall manages a good balance of suspense and action-related pieces, and regardless of the port's overall quality, apparently impressed Hideo Kojima enough for him to enlist Muraoka as the series' audio director starting with Metal Gear Solid (PS1).

Recording

# Title ComposerArranger Length Listen Download
01 Game Start Kazuki MuraokaKazuki Muraoka 0:10
Download
02 Jungle Kazuki MuraokaKazuki Muraoka 1:38
Download
03 Outer Heaven Kazuki MuraokaKazuki Muraoka 1:43
Download
04 Alert Kazuki MuraokaKazuki Muraoka 1:35
Download
05 Alert 2 Kazuki MuraokaKazuki Muraoka 1:37
Download
06 Alert 3 Kazuki MuraokaKazuki Muraoka 1:40
Download
07 Just Another Dead Soldier Iku MizutaniKazuki Muraoka 0:09
Download
08 Password Kazuki MuraokaKazuki Muraoka 0:50
Download
09 Mercenary Iku MizutaniKazuki Muraoka 0:45
Download
10 TX-55 Metal Gear Iku MizutaniKazuki Muraoka 0:37
Download
11 Escape Iku MizutaniKazuki Muraoka 1:16
Download
12 Return of Fox Hounder Iku MizutaniKazuki Muraoka 1:45
Download

Credits

(Source)

The game uses Atsushi Fujio's sound driver, though it's not known if he worked on the game's sound beyond just providing the driver.

Game Rip

Format

Download

NSF.png

Download

(Info)


Releases

  Japan.svg   Japan
Metal Gear - NES - JP.jpg
Title: Metal Gear
Platform: NES
Released: 1987-12-22
Publisher: Konami
  USA.svg   USA
Metal Gear - NES - US.jpg
Title: Metal Gear
Platform: NES
Released: 1988-06-??
Publisher: Ultra Games
  UK.svg   UK
Metal Gear - NES - UK.jpg
Title: Metal Gear
Platform: NES
Released: 1990-??-??
Publisher: Konami

Links