Metal Gear Solid (PlayStation)

This will undoubtedly be worth two or three posts, not only because it’s about such a fantastic game, but also because it goes back to one of the weirder parts of my life.

The summer of 2001 started off with a bang, in more ways than one.

“But Andre”, you say, “didn’t Metal Gear Solid come out in 1998?”  Yes, well, I’ll get to the point in a bit, but to me, 2001 was the year of Metal Gear.

In June of 2001, I graduated from high school.  It’s one of those events in a person’s life that’s supposed to be filled with meaning, and begins a gradual shift into adulthood.  Well, it certainly was that for me, but in a slightly different way for slightly different reasons.

A few weeks after graduation, I went to see Scary Movie 2 with my good friend Tom.  After getting to the theatre, I realized I had forgotten my wallet.  It would be a pain in the neck, but I had to drive all the way back home to get it.  

I was certainly right about the “pain in the neck” part.

As I pulled out of the parking lot (which was under heavy construction), I didn’t see an on-coming club-cab pickup truck – AKA the huge kind – in the far lane.  That “oh crap” feeling is something I’ll never forget.  In that fraction of a second, I experienced fear, anxiety, regret, and even managed to utter a curse word or two.  Just like that, I got t-boned in the driver’s side door, and my mom’s poor ’91 Honda Civic was a write-off.

I came through it pretty sore, though only with bruised kidneys, which meant peeing blood for about a week.  I’d also wake up a few times in the middle of the next few nights to a crunching noise coming from my mouth, which turned out to be shattered glass from the car window.  It was a bit traumatic, but I knew it could have been a lot worse.

Tom was also fine, and when he realized I was OK and my parents got there, he casually walked back across the street to enjoy Scary Movie 2 with his friends!  I have a good chuckle whenever I think of that.

After recently seeing the brand new “No Left Turn” sign where I had my accident ten years ago in June, I thought back to that summer of ’01 and felt like re-kindling my love for Metal Gear Solid.  The 2004 re-make The Twin Snakes (released for GameCube) was definitely the better choice to make a movie out of, simply due to its updated graphics and improved cutscenes and voice acting.

I’m not ruling out making a movie out of the original some day, just for fun!