E3 2011: Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D Preview (Nintendo 3DS)
Posted by Mark Salmela on 06.12.2011
Hands on: A PS2 classic makes its way to the 3DS.
Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D is a port of the 2004 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater for the PlayStation 2. The game stars Naked Snake, the man from whom Solid Snake of the other Metal Gear games was cloned from. Metal Gear Solid 3DS takes place in the 1960's in the Russian jungles as Naked Snake goes on a covert ops mission. Snake will use several survival tactics as well as advanced stealth tactics in order to survive and infiltrate enemy bases.
Metal Gear Solid 3DS takes full advantage of the 3DS features. The graphics have been converted to run on the 3DS and in full 3D, and the game looks very pretty. The graphics aren't quite as good as the PS2 original but that's to be expected with the 3DS not being quite as powerful as that system. The 3D effects are impressive although they don't add a whole lot to the gameplay or overall experience. It's more of a novelty feature.
Metal Gear Solid 3DS does however take full advantage of the touch screen, mapping several important inventory functions to the touch screen. Weapons can be changed on the fly using the touch screen, which came in handy for switching between the default tranquilizer pistol used in the demo and the combat knife. Other inventory features such as rations can be selected using the touch screen, again making up for the lack of an L2 or R2 button.
If you've played Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker on the PSP than you're already familiar with the rest of the game's controls. You use the analog nub to control snakes movements and the face buttons are used to control the camera. The L and R buttons are used for aiming and firing respectively. The controls do take a bit of getting used to since you're using the 4 face buttons instead of a second analog stick but from what I played it's not a big hindrance on the overall experience.
Metal Gear Solid 3DS includes all of the features of the original. You'll have to manage Snake's health and stamina by taking medicine, healing injuries, and even eating food from time to time. Konami didn't cut any corners in the gameplay department and it feels like you're playing Snake Eater on a smaller screen. Overall a second analog stick on the 3DS would do wonders for this port of MGS3 but even without the second analog stick Metal Gear Solid 3DS is a fun experience. If you never played the original or you're itching to play through the game a second time go ahead and check this bad boy out.
