Metal Gear Solid HD Collection for Xbox 360 and PS3 includes Metal Gear 1 NES and Metal Gear 2 ports!
Both of these games will now be playable on the current-generation of consoles thanks to the fact that Metal Gear Solid HD Collection includes the updated versions of the core Metal Gear Solid titles: Substance and Subsistence.
That means that the Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty version included is based off Substance, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is based off Subsistence.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty was originally released in 2001 for PS2. Substance was an updated version to celebrate the fact that the game was finally coming to Xbox, although Substance also released for PS2 and PC. Substance included the original game plus a ton of extras and enhancements, including Boss Survival Mode, Mission Mode which includes 300 Training/Puzzle-like VR Missions and 200 “Alternative Missions”, 5 additional “Snake Tales” story-based mission episodes, a Skateboarding Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Metal Gear-style mini-game (based on Konami’s Evolution Skateboarding series) and Casting Theater Modes.
Likewise, Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence updated the original game (this time still on the PS2, but with new features from the “International” releases of the game) by adding a fully functional online multiplayer game mode entitled “Metal Gear Online”, as well as full ports of Metal Gear 1 and Metal Gear 2, classic titles originally released for the Japan-only MSX Computer, but later ported to NES in America (for the first game, the second game never saw an American release until Subsistence on PS2). It also included extra costumes, “Snake vs Monkey” and more.
Because Subsistence added the ports of the originally classic 8-bit Metal Gear 1 and Metal Gear 2, and the Metal Gear Solid HD version is based off Subsistence, that means fans of the series will, for the first time, get to re-play these classics on Xbox 360 and PS3!
Sadly though, the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection will not include the original Metal Gear Solid in the Western release. Instead, we get the more recent Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, originally released on PSP as a sequel to Snake Eater.
It’s too bad they aren’t just including the original Metal Gear Solid 1 though, particularly since Xbox 360 gamers never got to play it, and the game was never re-released for play on Xbox systems. PS3 owners however can download the original Metal Gear Solid from the PlayStation Network.
Here’s a look at the original Metal Gear NES in action.
Via Twitter