There’s something so wonderfully subversive about fourth-wall breaks. Isn’t that right…reader?Yes, you there with the unmade bed behind you.It’s no secret thatwe here at DualShockerslove this effect dearly. Sure, itcanbe used a gimmick to truly strike terror into a gamer’s heart, but it’s also an innovative way to switch things up a bit, especially when the grind gets old.
Speaking of old, the innovative geniuses at Konami are also apparently a bunch of sentimental softies (when they’re not being money-grabbing corporate monsters, that is), as they’ve successfully adapted MGS 1’s greatest fourth-wall breaking for modern consoles inMetal Gear Solid: Master Collection.
The collection is on Nintendo Switch, and it’s giving me all kinds of nostalgic feels, especially the boss fight with that old gas-mask aficionado, Psycho Mantis. The fourth-wall bearing scene was something unprecedented for its time, relying on the OG Playstation’s hardware functions to sell the moment.
You’re A Careless Man, Aren’t You?
So how in the hell couldKonamiuse the same joke again on a far superior console? Sheer retro know-how.
But first, a recap on the moment in question: as a gangly awkward teen, I wasn’t ready for what was to happen. A floating shrill Mantis started to rattle off my playing style to me, which was a bit depressing considering my propensity to dying. However, my jaw dropped when this guy announced that he could move myahem…DualShock controller, and then totally did! Are you serious? How did it happen? How did he even know Ihada controller? Could he see me? I was giddy with glee and questions, while my brother, pale with terror, had to leave the room.
My mind was further blown when Mantis “read” my mind, letting everyone in Campbell’s room, and my living room, know that I did indeed like Azure Dreams (I was holding it for a friend!). Eventually, I beat Mantis via the statues, but no fight has come close to the level of ingenuity displayed.
Now, with the release of the Master Collection, my biggest question was how Konami would replicate such an iconic experience. My Switch doesn’t have any memory cards and my Joy-Con controller, while occasionally going nuts, doesn’t plug in. But Konami have quite ingeniously got this one covered.
Hunt For A Missing Ghost In Metal Gear Solid 1’s Secret Spooky Mini-Game
If you’ve completed Metal Gear Solid 1 in the Master Collection, then a spooky surprise awaits.
So before you jump into MSG in the Master Collection, there’s a dropdown menu called Edit Saved Data. Naturally, as it’s your first run-through, nothing shows up, but if you dig a bit deeper and find Add Virtual Saved Data, you’re immediately ferried back to the halcyon days of the 90s. There are nine original Konami games that were released on Playstation that you can add to your fake memory card, each with their own beloved digital save icon.
Nostalgic Memories
To see these spinning pixel images again is almost worth the price of the game itself, but it goes deeper than that. The option to manually go in and fabricate saved data from 25 years ago just so Mantis can repeat the same old lines exposes the gooey centers of the Konami crew, and I’m totally into it. I guess you could call it an Easter egg, but it feels more like a lovingly made pie for those of us who still want to be amazed by our favorite magic trick.
Despite theoverall issueswith Master Collections' version of Metal Gear Solid itself, let’s all be grateful for this small gift, and equally thankful that a Psycho Mantis on modern consoles can’t read our browsing history.
NEXT:The Next Spider-Man Won’t Rely On Old Villains, And That’s Great News
