Tue, Jun 14, 2011 | 14:11 BST
Kojima goes mental about “cheap” MGS NES
Hideo Kojima has had a proper fanny about the NES version of Metal Gear Solid, saying the game was “cheap,” he had nothing to do with it, and it “soiled” his reputation.
For the record, Metal Gear was released on NES in 1987. You hold those grudges, Hideo.
“I had absolutely no participation in the development of the NES version,” he told Nintendo Power (via GSW).
“The NES version was a pitiful title developed cheaply and simply by a small team in Tokyo. That was during the bubble economy where anything and everything that was released would sell. I came across the game in a bargain bin and tried play it, but the game design is pretty bad. There is some gameplay that includes infiltrating a base that didn’t exist in the original. However, even I, the developer of the original game, was unable to infiltrate the base even once.
“Furthermore, being Metal Gear, it goes without saying that Metal Gear should make an appearance at the end. However, from what I’ve heard, due to the technically difficulties in displaying the sprite on the screen, they swapped Metal Gear out for a gigantic monitor.
“That made me see that whoever created the game had no sliver of appreciation for the players. However, even thought it was an abomination, it was during the bubble economy and it sold millions overseas.
“That title has only soiled my reputation.”
The Metal Gear series has sold more than 50 million units worldwide. No thanks to this.
13 
Posted in: Action, Konami
Tags: hideo kojima, metal gear, nes
13 comments
#1
Blerk
14/06/11, 12:25 pm
Did the MSX version even make it out of Japan? Metal Gear would be practically unknown if it wasn’t for the ‘crappy’ NES version, so you could possibly argue that it made his reputation rather than soiling it.
#2
AHA-Lambda
14/06/11, 12:32 pm
it and MG2 were included in MGS3 subsistence edition
apart from that nope =/
so yea absolutely no one has ever played those 2 lol
#3
Schindet Nemo
14/06/11, 12:38 pm
I’d say Metal Gear Solid made his reputation not Metal Gear. The majority of his fans were children/not even born during the NES era.
The MSX itself was released in the EU as far as I know but couldn’t capture a significant market share so releasing Metal Gear outside of Japan didn’t make a lot of sense.
#4
Lemonoid
14/06/11, 1:00 pm
“For the record, Metal Gear was released on NES in 1995. You hold those grudges, Hideo.”
Wrong! Metal Gear was released in 1987 for the NES, the setting of the game was in 1995.
#5
pukem0n
14/06/11, 1:24 pm
never played that, but the Gameboy Metal gear Solid was awesome!
#6
Blerk
14/06/11, 1:49 pm
MSX was definitely released in Europe. We used to see Mastertronic budget games for it in the shops occasionally and say to each other “what the fuck is an MSX?!”
#7
DaMan
14/06/11, 2:04 pm
Ah, Metal Gear, the only good game in the series, I do remember.
#8
Johnny Cullen
14/06/11, 2:11 pm
@4 I’ve fixed it.
#9
Len
14/06/11, 2:53 pm
@Blerk: Haha…my friend had one and I remember playing MGS on it actually but I went the Spectrum route thank goodness.
#10
xino
14/06/11, 4:32 pm
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
he really wants to jump out of the window because of the PsP Ports to ps3!
“There is some gameplay that includes infiltrating a base that didn’t exist in the original. However, even I, the developer of the original game, was unable to infiltrate the base even once.”
wtf? didn’t he say he had nothing to do with the original and he wasn’t a developer?
lol..wow man, he bashed the game pretty hard. Much like how Itagaki bashed Sigma. O_o
Well I never played MG. and when I played MGS1, I couldn’t even get pass the first stage:/
MGS4 is the best game ever:)
#11
Dr.Ghettoblaster
14/06/11, 6:59 pm
I enjoyed NES Metal Gear very much back in the day.
#12
jldoom
14/06/11, 9:33 pm
I tried playing it…but I just couldn’t do it. And by try I mean like seriously sat down a couple of times and just focused on it lol. I gave up though, spoiled by the PS1-PS3 versions of it
#13
xxJPRACERxx
15/06/11, 3:24 am
I think Metal Gear on the NES was much better than the crap that is MGS series on PS1-PS3. Metal Gear on the NES was one of my favorite game on the system.