Metal Gear Solid 3: Pachinko Eater

Konami, already the subject of much controversy surrounding the release of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, has announced recently that the Playstation 2 classic, Metal Gear Solid 3, will be re-released. Newly programmed on the FOX Engine, the same used in The Phantom Pain, the game looks amazing from the video Konami just released alongside the announcement.

However, Konami’s focus lately has been less on home console releases, and more on… pachinko machines.

Many fans will never get to play or experience this version at all. It is the latest in Konami’s step away from home console games, and into the world of gambling machines. Silent Hill recently received in this same treatment. Released only in Japan, the latest ‘game’ in the Silent Hill series is a pachinko machine. While it has a story shown through cutscenes, the gameplay itself is the simple pinball-style game pachinko always was.

Now, this is a bit of personal opinion from a Metal Gear fan, but if you’re like me, that trailer might have actually saddened you. Metal Gear Solid 3 is the beginning of Big Boss’s journey in the series, which links up to the newest entry as you are the same Snake. The events in Metal Gear Solid 3 are very important to the overarching story of Big Boss and begin to showcase the differences between him and Solid Snake, our previous main character. The Phantom Pain shouldn’t be considered a good starting point for newcomers, but I’ve noticed a lot of people just hearing of Metal Gear Solid now.  I imagine they’d enjoy knowing the history of the character, especially considering how important that is in every MGS. Instead of putting the game where fans could get it, they released a version that looks like everything you’d want in a remake but you can’t even really ‘play’ it. You can witness it.

The response to the Metal Gear Solid 3 trailer has been extremely poor. Much like the trailers for the upcoming Ghostbusters remake and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, the people are taking to the YouTube channel and disliking the video en masse.  It hasn’t gotten to the levels of the former two just yet (only about 33,000 dislikes right now) but it seems Konami will be hearing about it. No word yet on any future instalments of the true Metal Gear Solid or Silent Hill game franchises, but stay tuned to see what else Konami may have up their sleeve, besides Pro Evolution Soccer.

(I’m guessing Contra 5: Machinegun Pachinko Invasion)