There have been reports abound that Konami will remake Metal Gear Solid for Sony's PlayStation 5 and PC. The news of a potential remake of Metal Gear Solid has stirred the community into a frenzy of excitement and curiosity. A ResetEra user named Potterson made the original claim, though the news has gotten additional traction through the RedGamingTech YouTube channel.
While this prospect may excite some Metal Gear Solid fans, a remake isn't what's needed. A perfectly fine Metal Gear Solid remake already exists on the GameCube but has been seemingly abandoned. Metal Gear Solid needs a Twin Snakes re-release.
What is Twin Snakes?
Believe it or not, this would be the second remake of the 1998 PlayStation classic. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes released in 2004 on Nintendo's GameCube and rebuilt the game from the ground up. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty blew players and critics away with its finesse and attention to detail. This better reflected Hideo Kojima's desire for an interactive experience rather than a video game.
The critical success with Metal Gear Solid 2 would ensure a remake for the five-year-old predecessor would be next in line. Twin Snakes replaced some of the antiquated systems, introduced significant graphical improvements and added additional cutscenes and content that further fleshed out Snake's world. Many fans of the series consider Twin Snakes the definitive version of Solid Snake's mission on Shadow Moses.
Was Twin Snakes Better Than Metal Gear Solid?
Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes is considered by many to be the best way to experience Solid Snake's first encounter against Liquid on Shadow Moses Island. Even though it's a complete visual overhaul, Twin Snakes managed to keep the original areas, enemies, suspense and base game's feel intact. There was no voice audio reused from the original Metal Gear Solid to the delight of many fans. Nearly all English voice cast reassembled to re-record their dialogue more professionally. Characters like Mei Ling and Naomi would drop their forced accents and speak as any American-born and raised person would, regardless of heritage.
Twin Snakes also added additional gameplay elements borrowed from Metal Gear Solid 2, like first-person view and environmental stealth props. These elements allowed for new and unique ways to sneak around Shadow Moses. One of the most significant additions Twin Snakes brought over the original was introducing the tranquilizer gun, now a staple in Metal Gear Solid games.
Where Can I Play Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes?
Today finding a copy of Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes is no simple task. The game released on the GameCube in 2004 and never received a re-release or digital port on later consoles. Further compounding the issue, The Twin Snakes was given a low print run as the series was untested on the GameCube at the time. Metal Gear games tend to rise in price as they age or when new games are released anyways, but Twin Snakes was compatible with Nintendo's next console, the Wii, while still considered the superior version of Metal Gear Solid. There just weren't too many copies that players decided to trade back in. Nowadays, a copy of Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes with its original packaging and contents can run upwards of $100 online.
It's been over five years since Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and fans are ready for more Metal Gear Solid in any form. Let's not forget, however, Twin Snakes was the definitive remake of Metal Gear Solid, and it couldn't have come out better. Could a remake, even on the vastly more powerful PlayStation 5, actually surpass Twin Snakes' legacy? The original remake was lightning in a bottle, a rare example of a developer revisiting a project and remaking it with love, and Konami's relationship with series creator Hideo Kojima has soured since then. If Sony and Konami are dead set on bringing back Metal Gear Solid, they should instead consider a remaster of Twin Snakes, the game fans are still shelling out over $100 to play.