metal gear life

To nobody's surprise, Metal Gear Solid 5 was announced. I'm already having spasms of nerd joy while typing this at work. I love the Metal Gear Solid games with a passion. I would never call myself a MGS fanboy - I simply couldn't. I know what it's like to be a fanboy, since I am a Shoutaroh Kojima fanboy, for instance. And based on my own acts of fanboysm, I can assure myself I'm not a MGS fanboy. I'm merely a fan who deeply loves every MGS game I've had the pleasure to play.

When I play a game, I'm most interested in gameplay. A good plot surely enhances the fun factor. Great characterization does that too, as do beautiful graphics and pleasant music. I recognise all aspects of a game (particularly the characters) are of utmost importance. But my biggest interest lies on good gameplay, above all the rest. And Metal Gear Solid is a series that's far from being my favourite style - I never liked action games (or espionage games FWIW). I've been mainly a RPG player since back when I started playing Phantasy Star on the SEGA MasterSystem, at age 7. That's sixteen years.

Then why do I like MGS so much? Because I learned to savour MGS games as experiences rather than games. Everything in a MGS game is always just perfectly put together. Even though I don't particularly like the style, it fits the overall package to an extent you can't imagine it playing as something different. The game plots always entrance me, maybe partly due to myself being a dimwitted person - I'm always taken aback by the twists and turnarounds. The characters are always interesting, the setting and atmosphere are very immersing...

...and there is Snake. Solid Snake, Naked Snake, whatever. Snake is godly perfection. There aren't words to describe him - he's what I consider to be the best done fictional character in nerd media. The personality, the looks (*swoons*) and the voice (whether by David Hayter or Akio Ohtsuka *melts*), everything reeks of the essence of sexy manliness sent from the heavens by God himself. I wouldn't dare to try to describe Snake's greatness, because I'm obviously incapable of such heroic deed.
Even though I'm far from being as big a Snake fanboy as some I've seen (he isn't even my favourite fictional character (that honour will always belong to Musashi, from Eyeshield 21 - although Snake is my favourite videogame character), I believe Snake is the perfect character. "Perfect"... I guess that might fit Snake. But it still doesn't feel... complete. That's Snake for you!

We have one being to especially thank for creating MGS (and, especially, creating Snake): Hideo Kojima. I don't follow his every step or even play every game he releases, but that the man is a genius is, to me, undeniable. I consider him to be one of the most important people in videogaming this days, almost up there with Yasumi Matsuno, my videogame God.

Even though I probably won't be able to play MGS5, as I haven't played MGS4 or even finished MGS3 (possibly my greatest frustration in my videogame background), I hope the MGS series is far from being over. Videogames, as a media, need the anticipation MGS ensures. Even when it's not yet announced, we look forward to a new MGS and feel certain that nothing could satisfy our needs for an over-the-top, often touching and, above all, very manly videogame experience as well as a MGS game does.

(EDIT: The trailer for the new Metal Gear Solid game for the PSP has a short scene of two Snake clones sharing private moments under a cardboard box with "Love Pack" written on it. Is there a limit for fanservice? This might have broken it, and I'm loving every moment!)