5 amazing Metal Gear facts

In celebration of the high-paced hack-‘n-slash Metal Gear spin-off, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, released today (22 February 2013) it’s only fitting to look at some of the strangest and most interesting factoids the weird world of Metal Gear has to offer.

Psycho Mantis reads your mind

One of the most memorable (and mind-blowing moments for its time) was during Metal Gear Solid, where you take on the telepathic fiend, Psycho Mantis.

Just before battling the mind-reading lunatic, Psycho Mantis exhibits his powers by reading your memory card, and commenting on any Konami save games you may have on your card.

In 1998, it was the most unnerving thing before fighting a boss.

Psycho Mantis

Mario gives you a boost

In the Gamecube version of MGS, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes features a moment in Otacon’s office where the player will see small figurines of Mario and Yoshi.

When shooting the Mario figure, Snake will gain some health while the familiar Super Mario “1-up” sound is heard.

Metal-Gear-Solid-Twin-Snakes-Mario-e-Yoshi

Mario and Yoshi figurines in MGS: Twin Snakes

Raiden’s work-out

In Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, you spend a lot of time running back and forth as Raiden across the tanker setting of the game.

You’ll have to hang and shimmy your way across a few ledges, and if you press both R1 and R2 simultaneously, Raiden will do a pull-up.

Doing 100 pull-ups will increase Raiden’s grip ability, and you’ll receive an overly enthusiastic call from Campbell and Rose to tell you how great you are.

Raiden’s pull-ups

Developer Ghosts

Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima has a sick sense of humour, and the developer threw in ghost-like images of the development team throughout the original Metal Gear Solid.

The ghosts can only be seen using Snake’s camera.

Ghost images in Metal Gear Solid

Fighting the Hind D in mono

Like the Psycho Mantis boss fight, the Metal Gear series is known for breaking the fourth wall.

Another instance of this is when you’re about to fight Liquid Snake in his Hind D helicopter.

Just before the fight, Campbell calls you and tells you to use your ears and listen to the rotor blades to find his location. If your TV is mono-only (or you have it set to mono), he’ll interrupt himself and ask why you don’t have a stereo TV.

He then assures you that “there’s more to being a good person than having a stereo television.”

Are you excited for more Metal Gear? Will you be picking up Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance? Check out our Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance review roundup.