Metal Gear Retrospective: Part Four slithers back to the '60s
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Jun 4th 2008 at 9:30AM }
If you're looking for more, don't forget to check out the other three episodes in the retrospective. You can also learn more about what it's actually like to replay the MGS series by checking out our dear Mr. Kietzmann's b[ack]log.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
kbomb1upc @ Jun 4th 2008 9:44AM
Whoever at Gametrailers.com that have created these Retrospective looks into Metal Gear needs a pat on the back. They are great and very informative for old and newcomers to the series.... June 12th...aaahhhhh
PojoMofo @ Jun 4th 2008 9:56AM
agreed, all the retrospectives that I have watched are top notch, but this one had to have been the most difficult.
tc @ Jun 4th 2008 11:07AM
12th June indeed, i wonder how the lisbon vote will go!
...oh theres something gaming related too?
FOXHOUND @ Jun 4th 2008 11:55AM
Man... next week can't arrive fast enough. XD
SirRigby @ Jun 4th 2008 10:12AM
I am pretty sure you are referring to "geriatric snake" as the protagonist of MGS4. Well, in MGS3 you are Big Boss, not Solid Snake. Solid Snake has aged significantly in MGS4 because he is a clone. Anyway, these retrospectives are great watches. As are the recent Bonus Round interviews with N'Gai, David Hayter, and some other guy.
kaneda @ Jun 4th 2008 10:19AM
MGS 4 takes place 5 years after 2 and Solid Snake looks easily 30 years older. I have always wondered about the cloning project that created Solid, Liquid, and Solidus. Solidus looked like he was in his late forties or fifties. I wonder if he was the first and the rest came a few years later? Just some speculation for those interested in the overall store.
Non MGS fanatics commence flaming.
kaneda @ Jun 4th 2008 10:22AM
store = story. should have proof read. my bad.
Hyams @ Jun 4th 2008 10:33AM
kaneda: Liquid mentions near the begining of MGS2 (in the final cut scene of the Tanker mission) that the cloning process was flawed. After seeing his brother, he declares that Snake "hasn't aged well" and says that as Big Boss was "already in his fifties" when they cloned him, the Sons of Big Boss are flawed.
As I understand it, all the clones were born at the same time, so Solidus was the same age as Solid. I guess the premature aging hit him harder.
kaneda @ Jun 4th 2008 12:03PM
I recall it now that you have mentioned it. I kinda considered that line an attempt at an insult. Snake would have been in his mid thirties and looked it in my opinion. It's probably just the smokes. But I think you are right about their aging at different rates.
Of course we are talking sci-fi, so laws of real cloning do not apply, but I never really considered these 3 to be identical twins. Liquid stated that solid is all dominant genes where Liquid is all recessive, which is only evident through Liquid's blond hair, but then Naomi turns it around to say that Liquid had it backwards. What ever. The point is, they never really address (to my knowledge) what concoction of Big Boss Solidus is. Though the definition of the word Solidus might shed some light on why he was so unstable, in clone terms (deteriorated so quickly).
"Solidus - The maximum temperature at which all components of a mixture (such as an alloy) can be in a solid state. Above the solidus some or all of the mixture will be in a liquid state."
Man, I just know I'm gonna get flamed for geeking out so deeply about the story here.
baby sea tuna @ Jun 4th 2008 12:03PM
Oh shit! Snake's a clone?
SPOILAR ALURT!
Hyams @ Jun 4th 2008 1:36PM
Solidus is described in MGS" (and hinted at the end of MGS1) as being a 'well balanced mix'.
So, Liquid was the strong one, Solid the weak one, and Solidus balanced.
Eric @ Jun 4th 2008 10:14AM
MGS3 to me was the best one. I have yet to play 4 but man 3 was so awesome.
Hyams @ Jun 4th 2008 10:27AM
I agree. It's definately the best on released so far.
kbomb1upc @ Jun 4th 2008 10:32AM
I'm sorry but I will have to disagree. The first Metal Gear Solid on the PSONE was the best. Do you remember the opening scence when you were playing the game and credits were rolling... Great touch...
Hyams @ Jun 4th 2008 10:40AM
MGS1 was good for its time - it's my favourite game on the PS1 - but it cannot stand up to MGS3. It has way to many flaws, most notably the fact that it's insanely easy to avoid ever being seen (something MGS3 remedies thankfully remedies).
jcd @ Jun 4th 2008 10:43AM
There's always someone saying that for each of the games lol
http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/18/metal-gear-retrospective-part-two-sneaks-into-the-ps1-era/#c12201543
http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/25/metal-gear-retrospective-part-three-explores-the-big-shell-inci/#c12309792
Best part: I bet mgs4 will be 'the best' too.
Eric @ Jun 4th 2008 10:44AM
MGS1 is a great game too. But 3 was just so refreshing, it's a great spin on the MGS series. Plus the story was fantastic so many great moments.
kaneda @ Jun 4th 2008 12:03PM
@jcd:
I think MGS _2_ was the best.
*ducks for cover*
baby sea tuna @ Jun 4th 2008 12:07PM
No wai! The Twin Snakes was the best!
*triple backflips in slow motion into cover*
tmacairjordan87 @ Jun 4th 2008 1:04PM
I gotta agree with kaneda, 2 was the best for me. 4 looks unbelievable though.
ck @ Jun 4th 2008 11:16AM
As much as I love the MGS retros, I can't believe they completely ditched the Star Wars retro. What the hell is wrong with GT?
Adam Reiniger @ Jun 4th 2008 11:43AM
I am with you 100%. Loved the star wars retros, whyever did they stop them? They didn't even mention KoTOR. Bastards :(
John @ Jun 4th 2008 1:13PM
I'm pretty sure in the Metal Gear Saga Vol. 2 DVD that the narrator said that Solidus was the best clone of Big Boss out of the 3, which is why he looked so much older than the rest.
Booxatron @ Jun 4th 2008 4:35PM
Here's an interesting thought:
What if Solidus is actually a direct biological descendant of Big Boss, and not a clone? If Naked Snake and EVA had a child at any point during or shortly after Snake Eater, that child would be about ten years older than Solid and Liquid, making him about 45 years old during the plant chapter.
And EVA wants Solid Snake to call her Big Mama in MGS4. Or is she the surrogate mother of all the Snakes?
Goddamnit June 12, get here already. Kojima, you so krazy.
Brandon Jones @ Jun 5th 2008 2:05PM
What's up Joystiq? I'm the Creative Director and Co-Founder of GameTrailers.com and I edited and voiced the Final Fantasy, Star Wars, and Metal Gear Retrospectives. I'm always on here reading your comments but I wanted to sign in and update you on Star Wars. We had to postpone it due to an editor's conflict, but it will resume on Saturday, June 21st and continue for six more episodes. Sorry for putting those off. Hope you like the rest of Metal Gear!