Metal Gear Solid, one of the most prestigious of all PlayStation game series, is now playable on GameCube. Owners of Nintendo's console will no doubt be celebrating already--with good reason, too. Essentially, Twin Snakes is an updated version of the original Metal Gear Solid PlayStation outing. A new graphics engine--which is every bit as impressive as that of the PS2's Metal Gear Solid: Sons of Liberty--brings the original action bang up to date.
While the storyline in Twin Snakes adheres closely to the original's, the way in which it is told is markedly improved: the original voiceover cast has re-recorded every conversation in the game, giving Twin Snakes a fresh take on a finely weaved plot of intrigue. A first-person perspective is introduced for those who wish to really soak up the Cold War atmosphere, while new cutscenes complete what is a comprehensive makeover for this legendary adventure.
Gameplay is as sharp and intuitive as ever: Solid Snake is one super sleuth, his repertoire of actions is considerable, and controlling those actions is perfectly straightforward. It's a good job, really: the quality of the Artificial Intelligence means that precise control is vital if Snake is to halt the nuclear war that is afoot. Thanks in no small part to its AI, Twin Snakes has an atmosphere that is wonderfully intense--for late-night gaming, this really is video-game perfection. --Jonti Davies