Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Developer: Konami Computer Entertainment Japan Publisher: Konami Platform: PlayStation 2 Released in JP: December 16, 2004 Released in US: November 17, 2004 Released in EU: March 4, 2005 Released in AU: March 17, 2005 This game has regional differences. This game has revisional differences. This game has a prototype article This game has a prerelease article

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is the third entry of the venerable Metal Gear Solid series. This time, we're going back to the swinging 60's with Naked Snake, the man who would become Big Boss. Embark on a jungle mission filled with crocodiles, snakes, boss battles that defy reality, allies with ambiguous motives, and one heck of a bombshell ending. What more could you ask for? Snake eating? Well, there's that, too!

A Nintendo 3DS version was released in 2012.

Version Differences

North American and Japanese versions

North America received the game first, followed by Japan a month later. Both versions are largely the same as far as content is concerned, save for each version's respective language. However, the Japanese version has an extra option in the Special menu: "Special Camouflage Key Disc", which allows the insertion of various MGS 3 music CDs in order to unlock secret camouflages.

European version

Europe received the game a few months later with various additions and alterations.

• Similar to Metal Gear Solid 2, the European version includes the "European Extreme" difficulty setting.
• A Demo Theater was added, allowing playback of the game's cutscenes.
• A Duel mode was added consisting of the game's boss fights in normal or special conditions.
• Various face camos were added that are based on the flags of various countries.
• The "Special Camouflage Key Disc" functionality from the Japanese version is retained in this version.
• Two extra stages were added to Snake vs. Monkey: "Return of the Living Apes" and "The Apes of Wrath".
• Numerous cutscenes have been edited to dial back violence and blood.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence

The enhanced version of the game, with a host of additions. In North America and Japan, this version was available in either a two-disc set or a three-disc Limited Edition set. The European version was the three-disc set by default. Disc 1 is the Snake Eater main game. Disc 2 contains an online multiplayer mode along with a Boss Duel mode and various other extras. Disc 3 is a three-and-a-half hour movie-style presentation of MGS3's story with special cutscenes that fill in the gameplay sections.

• The main game can now be played in a fully rotatable third-person camera. Pressing in the right analog stick changes it back to the original camera angle.
• An online multiplayer mode was added, allowing players to engage in online deathmatch battles. Reiko Hinomoto and her alter ego Rowdy Reiko from Rumble Roses were included as playable characters in this mode.
• The additions for the European version (European Extreme difficulty, Duel mode, Demo Theater, flag face camos and the two extra Snake vs. Monkey stages) were included for North America and Japan.
• The in-game photos taken with the camera can be transferred to Metal Gear Acid 2 on PSP for viewing through the Solid Eye peripheral included with that game.
• Extra camos from the original game that could be obtained through various means (Camouflage Download, Key Discs and what not) are now obtainable in-game. The Camouflage Download now has the files in the game and saves them to the Memory Card and the Key Disc camouflages are obtained after beating the game once.
• Ports of the MSX versions of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake are playable on Disc 2. The former sees its MSX version available in the US/Europe for the first time (as opposed to the previously released NES version) while the latter sees its release out of Japan for the first time.
• A special "Secret Theater" mode was added, containing humorous videos that poke fun at various scenes from the game, many of which were posted on the official MGS 3 Subsistence website in the leadup to the game as well as some new ones created specifically for this version. The TGS 2005 trailer for Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is included here as well.

Many of the above extras are unlocked as you progress through and/or finish the game. Alternatively, everything can be unlocked from the outset by answering "I like MGS3!" when starting a new game.

Metal Gear Solid HD Collection

To do: Check if the Snake vs. Monkey (Banana camo) and Guy Savage (dialogue) exclusions resulted those files being removed or left in the game data unused. Reportedly, the Japanese version of the collection has unused data for a stage that is reminiscent of Brown Town, a stage from the online mode in Subsistence. [1] Apparently, the Master Collection re-release fixes quite a few of the issues from the HD Collection, among other things.

An HD version was released in 2011 for PS3/360 and 2012 for PS Vita. It is based on the Subsistence version but not everything carried over.

• All UI textures were remade and textures have filtering applied throughout the game.
• The entire game was reframed for 16:9 widescreen. This was done by expanding left and right and/or cropping up and down the overall game screen.
• The frame rate was increased to 60 fps. However, the PS3 version has some minor slowdown at times.
• The 360 and Vita versions have a slightly revised control scheme to account for not having pressure sensitive buttons like the PS2 and PS3 controllers do.

The HD version lost the following:

• The Snake vs. Monkey, Boss Duel and Online modes were excluded. Snake vs. Monkey's exclusion results in the Banana camo and Monkey mask going unused, though the latter is still in the game's files.
• The secret theater movies were not carried over.
• The secret "Guy Savage" minigame was omitted. Consequently, this means the dialogue between Snake and his support team that was specific to this "dream" he had goes unused.
• Reduction of some visual effects such as depth of field and heat mirages. At times, these effects are completely missing.
• Vector based rain effects do not have their width scaled up properly, making it very difficult to see in certain areas and cutscenes (this same issue is also in the 2002 Xbox and 2003 PC releases of MGS2 Substance, and the 2023 Master Collection.