Who's bright idea was it to release this on the same day as Modern Warfare 3?  There were wall to wall folks lined up at my local game store yesterday, but I had to have been the only one in that massive crowd picking up a preorder for Metal Gear.

Curious to see if the game really runs at 60fps, I fired up MGS3 first - and brother, it's the real deal.  The frame rate is so silky smooth (like MGS2 smooth), it's almost disconcerting.  The in-game engine is particularly impressive; I got through the entirety of the Virtuous Mission, and I haven't seen hide nor hair of slowdown or screen tearing.  (I was bracing myself for the Dremuchij Swampland with the crocodiles, an area that was notorious for big framerate drops in the original Snake Eater.  I'm looking forward to see if it'll hold up at the Chyornyj Pond as well.)  Menus are slick and snappy, and the fonts large and sharp.  My only qualm so far?  They've switched 'Confirm' and 'Cancel' around on the PS3 controller configuration to 'X' and 'O', as opposed to the opposite from the originals.  Seriously throwing me off.

I checked out MGS2 next, but only to watch the opening credits intro.  And I'm extremely happy to report that the "Metal Gear Solid Main Theme" made it over, completely unscathed.

This is definitely on my Want list, but it's very low priority.
Way too much stuff coming out, and I prefer playing something new over HD releases of something old.

I'll get around to it some day though.

I can't seem to find comparison between the versions online.  Anyone know if there's any particular advantage to the PS3 or 360 version?

Graphically and sonically, I'd imagine they're about the same.  But the 360 has the five games spread out across two discs, whereas the PS3 is on one.  The PS3 also features more trophies over the 360: both MGS2 and MGS3 have a total of 92 trophies for PS3 when compared to the 360's 50 achievements.  Also, don't forget that the PS3 version supports 'Tranfarring' for Peace Walker, and presumably for future releases of the Vita versions.

For me, it really boiled down to the controller.  I was bred on the Dual Shock for the 'Solid' series, and using anything else for these games would've seemed alien.  I'm just curious how they handled all the actions that require pressure sensitive buttons on the 360 controller?

I don't suppose that the deleted Arsenal Gear beaching scene was restored?

Put some time in both MGS2 and Peace Walker.  MGS2 looks about as well as to be expected; the game's sharp, near pre-rendered look is highly suited for high def treatment.  Effects wise, the wet rain during the Tanker chapter is still a stunner, and they've even managed to neutralize those instances of slowdown that plagued the original Substance.  (Instances such as the outside on the top level of the main deck, the holds where all the marines stand, and certain alert clearings.)  One minor issue is the paused delay when answering or making a codec call -- a problem that was inherent with the original Substance, but not Sons of Liberty.

MGS3's leap from 30 to 60fps managed to knock me on my ass, so you can imagine how I took to seeing Peace Walker's sub 20fps turned to 60.  So rock solid, it hurts.  Graphics performance aside, it's the addition of the right analog stick and two more shoulder buttons that are the biggest improvements.  The game's gone from a fumbling chore in the controls department to a comfortably familiar joy.  Shooter Type feels exactly like MGS4 now, and aiming has at last become a viable option.  (Recall how I couldn't aim worth a damn in the PSP version.)  I'm still not looking forward to those boss battles again, but maybe they'll go smoother now that I have a means of playing co-op online.

Doubt it.  I suspect that's one sequence doomed to stay on the cutting room floor.  Interestingly enough, they make a clear allusion to said event in MGS4.

So here's a funny story.
I waited 'til payday to pursue this, only to find the PS3 LE isn't available anywhere. I'd really like that artbook, so I decided to look online for a copy.
Do you know you can buy the 360 LE and the standard PS3 copy for less the PS3 LE on Amazon or eBay? Guess what I'm doing tomorrow.

It blows my mind that Konami missed a perfect opportunity to rebalance the single-player version to fix the above.  I just don't get it.  If you're going to have boring, Monster Hunter style bosses to chip away at, at least make them shorter when playing alone.

SNAKE EATEN!  I'd just spent a total of 35 blissful hours, rediscovering the joy that is MGS3, and earning my second PSN Platinum Trophy ever.  Two complete playthroughs, once on Normal and again on European Extreme -- and whatever frustrations had come to pass (nailing those last few Kerotans during the bike chase still feels like sadistic game design) was negated by how utterly incredible the MGS3 experience as a whole holds up today.  The game provided a sense of satisfaction I haven't felt in ages, which behooves me to pull out the old saying, "They don't make 'em like they used to."

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/arch … irmed.aspx

Great to hear the positive comments. This is next on my list of games to get (after Battlefield 3).

Greg Espinoza

In the wake of the story being a bust, Leigh Alexander did a nice write-up arguing against the idea of MGS5 happening.  I'm more or less in agreement with her:

"I Love Metal Gear, But I Don’t Want a Metal Gear Solid 5."

Yeah, I think Mega Man fans are all too familiar with a series hanging around way past its expiration date. If the series had ended at X5 as was planned - and not extended based on what seemed like profitability - I know I would feel a lot better about where it currently stands. Senseless sequels can really hurt a property, and when your series is highly dependent on sequels.... But art (if you consider games to be art if you want to talk the Kojima talk) is another thing that kneels before the almighty dollar - or yen in this case.

Still, I don't think anyone wants a Metal Gear Solid that's as pointless story wise as Mega Man X8. Really, they finally make Axl interesting and don't elaborate on it. WTF? I know comparing the story of a Mega Man series to Metal Gear solid is like apples and oranges but I have to admit I was interested with what little they were giving me until X6 rolled around with it's pointless existence outside Akemi Kimura's music.

Wild Arms is another series that hung around too long as well. Really, once the series left the PS1 it was over. I know some people would argue it was over the minute Wild Arms 2 was released (it didn't garner very positive reviews from the press and when you put up against Square's 2000+ line-up...) but I loved the thing. Still, through Wild Arms 3, 4, Alter code:F I convinced myself it still mattered. Years later I realized what a lie that actually was.

Sorry to say despite the fan I am of some of the games I don't care if Mega Man or Wild Arms get any new releases. In all honesty I'm quite relieved. If they don't make them any more they can't do anymore damage. Oh, and throw Castlevania in there as well, I've nothing against the new one but as far as I'm concerned the series is done and it just makes my life easier having fewer games to worry about.

However, I will say I'd like to see old-style (pre-DQ) BOF make a comeback...

Broke down and picked this up for $40 tonight.  Put a little time into Peace Walker.  It's much easier to play on PS3 than on PSP, but there's still all the design things I don't like (Monster Hunter style bosses, insane stat management stuff) so we'll see if I stick with it this time or not.

Why on Earth did they change these controls? Everything feels right messed up.

Well, I've stuck to it and now put almost 20 hours into Peace Walker.  The game is addictive, mostly due to the constant unlocks.  The story's not very interesting and you only spend about 20% of your time in traditional MGS gameplay, but for some reason the Mother Base management stuff is compelling.  I imagine my tune will change once I have to start grinding for parts and recruits, but so far it's held my interest pretty well.

Made it through the first ending of the game at approx. 26 hours. The story got a little better towards the end, but this entry will certainly go down as having one of the most forgettable stories in the canon. I intend to keep going until I get the hidden ending, but I doubt I will bother trying to complete all of the Extra Ops and Outer Ops missions since there's really no reason to do so.

At approx 53 hours, I got the secret ending in Peace Walker. There is absolutely no indication that I could find in the game itself of how you're supposed to find the event that triggers the final mission, so consider a guide or FAQ a must. The extra bit of story that this ending tacks on is most welcome, and feels more classically Metal Gear than most of what comes before. I still have plenty of Extra and Outer Ops missions to complete, but I'm not sure if I'll keep at it or not. I get that the Extra Ops missions are the modern equivalent of the additional content that used to be found in the VR Missions of past games, but they're simply not as fun as the old VR missions, especially when so many of them are "kill 30 soldiers and then take 60% of a large vehicle's health off" missions.

As a side note, I am so glad I didn't try to play through this game on PSP. The controls, graphics, and frame rate are such a dramatic improvement that it's an entirely different experience. For those of you who did, I have no idea how you dealt with all those bosses without a second analog stick.

i played PW for 60-70 hours on PSP. the controls work if you put some effort in. portable ops was way harder to control properly. i think i fought the controls for the first 10 hours before i could get moderately comfortable with them.

Well, I decided to keep at it. I have now completed every single Main Ops, Extra Ops, and Outer Ops mission in the game. Took about 80 hours. This game is incredibly addicting, and I'm glad to be finally done. Play at your own risk.