Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes is a weird piece of history. It’s basically a fever dream. If you were around in 2004, you probably remember the absolute hype surrounding a Nintendo-exclusive remake of the 1998 PlayStation classic. It felt impossible. Yet, there it was, sitting on two purple mini-discs, promising the cinematic flair of Metal Gear Solid 2 with the legendary story of Shadow Moses.
Honestly, it should have been a slam dunk.
Silicon Knights, the team behind Eternal Darkness, handled the development under the watchful eyes of Hideo Kojima and Shigeru Miyamoto. That's a lot of cook in one kitchen. The result? A game that looks better than the original but feels fundamentally "off" to many hardcore fans. It's the GameCube Metal Gear Solid experience that remains a point of contention in every retro gaming forum from Reddit to ResetEra. Some people swear by it. Others think it’s a total travesty that ruins the atmosphere of the original.
The Matrix Problem and Ryuhei Kitamura
The biggest shock when you boot up the GameCube Metal Gear Solid for the first time is the cutscenes. They aren't just remade; they are reimagined. Hideo Kojima specifically told film director Ryuhei Kitamura to make them in his own style. Kitamura, known for high-octane action like Versus, took that advice and ran with it. He didn't just run—he did a backflip off a cruise missile.
In the original PS1 version, Solid Snake was a weary, grounded soldier. He was a guy who survived by his wits. In The Twin Snakes, he's basically a superhero. We're talking about Snake jumping off a flying missile to fire a Stinger at a Hind-D. We're talking about him backflipping over a door while dodging bullets in slow motion. It’s very "early 2000s Matrix-core."
For some, this added a layer of fun and spectacle that the GameCube was built for. For others, it completely gutted the gritty, Cold War-era tension that made the 1998 game a masterpiece. It turned a psychological thriller into a Michael Bay flick. You either love the camp or you find it incredibly distracting. There is no middle ground here.
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A Technical Marvel (With a Catch)
Visually, the jump was massive. Using the Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty engine meant that textures were sharper, character models had actual faces instead of pixelated blobs, and the lighting was vastly improved. Seeing the melting ice in the cargo elevator or the steam in the boiler room was a revelation for Nintendo fans who had missed out on the PlayStation era.
But here’s the thing: the gameplay didn't change to accommodate the new mechanics.
By introducing the first-person shooting and hanging mechanics from MGS2, Silicon Knights accidentally broke the game's balance. The original Shadow Moses was designed for a top-down perspective where you couldn't see past the next corner. When you give Snake the ability to go into first-person and pop headshots from across the room with a tranquilizer gun, the challenge evaporates. Revolver Ocelot’s boss fight, which was a tense game of cat-and-mouse in the original, becomes a joke when you can just stand in the middle and shoot him in the face.
The level geometry stayed the same, but the player's power level skyrocketed. It's like bringing a tank to a knife fight.
The Voice Acting Controversy
One of the most fascinating bits of trivia about this GameCube Metal Gear Solid project is the audio. You’d think they would just port the high-quality audio from the PS1 version, right? Nope. Because the GameCube hardware was so much more capable, and because the original recordings were done in a less-than-ideal basement setting with noticeable background noise, they re-recorded the entire script.
Most of the original cast returned, including David Hayter as Snake and Cam Clarke as Liquid. You’d think that would be a win.
Paradoxically, many fans prefer the "low quality" PS1 acting. Why? Because in 1998, the actors were figuring out these characters for the first time. There was a raw energy there. By 2004, the actors were older, and some of the performances felt a bit... tired? Rob Paulsen didn't return as Gray Fox (replaced by Greg Eagles), and the legendary Jennifer Hale dropped her iconic Naomi Hunter accent. It feels more "professional" but less "emotional."
It’s one of those rare cases where "better" tech led to a "worse" atmosphere. The silence and the grit of the original PlayStation's compressed audio actually helped build that lonely, freezing feeling of the Alaskan wilderness.
The Silicon Knights Legacy
It’s impossible to talk about The Twin Snakes without mentioning the developer, Silicon Knights. Lead by Denis Dyack, the studio was at the height of its power. They had just come off the success of Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem and were essentially Nintendo's Western darlings.
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They did a lot of work to make the game feel "Nintendo-y." You can find a Yoshi and a Mario doll sitting on a desk in the laboratory. If you shoot them, they make their signature sounds. It was a cute nod, but it also highlighted how weird the partnership was. This was a dark, violent game about nuclear proliferation and genetic engineering, sitting right next to Mario.
Sadly, this would be one of the last great things the studio did before the disastrous development of Too Human and their eventual legal collapse against Epic Games. For many, the GameCube Metal Gear Solid stands as a monument to a specific era of Nintendo where they were desperately trying to court the "hardcore" older gamer.
Is it Worth Playing Today?
If you have a GameCube or a Wii that plays GC discs, The Twin Snakes is a collector's item. It's expensive. Really expensive. We're talking $100 to $150 for a clean copy. Is it worth that price tag?
That depends on what you want out of a Metal Gear game.
- If you want the definitive story: Play the original PS1 version (or the Master Collection version). The pacing and tone are just superior.
- If you want a "greatest hits" action movie: The Twin Snakes is a blast. It’s faster, crazier, and the graphics still hold up surprisingly well on a CRT or with a good HDMI adapter like the Carby or GCHD Mk-II.
- If you’re a completionist: You have to play it. Seeing the subtle changes in the cutscenes and the way the MGS2 mechanics interact with the Shadow Moses environment is a fascinating exercise in game design.
Some people complain about the "blue tint" the game has compared to the original's greens and grays. Others love it. Some hate the new music, which replaced the iconic "Enclosure" theme during the more emotional scenes. It's a game defined by its differences. It's not a replacement for the original; it's a companion piece. A weird, loud, slightly unbalanced companion piece.
Navigating the Shadow Moses Cold
If you do decide to track down a copy of this GameCube Metal Gear Solid gem, here are a few tips to make the experience better.
First, turn off the "auto-aim" if you want any semblance of a challenge. The game is already too easy with the first-person view; auto-aim just turns it into a walking simulator. Second, pay attention to the environment. Silicon Knights added a lot of tiny details that weren't in the original, particularly in the office areas and the way the snow reacts to your movement.
Also, don't sleep on the "Special" menu. The game includes some fun extras that weren't in the PS1 version, and seeing the character models in the viewer really shows off how much effort went into the 3D assets.
Ultimately, The Twin Snakes is a product of its time—a bridge between the 90s era of experimental 3D and the mid-2000s obsession with cinematic action. It’s flawed, gorgeous, and absolutely essential for anyone who wants to understand the full history of Hideo Kojima's weirdest franchise.
Actionable Next Steps for Enthusiasts
- Check Your Hardware: If you’re playing on original hardware, invest in a GCVideo-based HDMI adapter. The GameCube’s digital out port produces a stunning 480p signal that makes The Twin Snakes look almost like a modern indie game.
- Compare the Accents: If you’ve played the original, listen specifically to Naomi Hunter and Mei Ling in the GameCube version. The removal of their accents was a deliberate choice to make the characters sound more "integrated," but it’s a huge point of debate among lore buffs.
- Hunt for Easter Eggs: Look for the GameCube console itself hidden in the game's environments. It’s a fun meta-touch that reminds you how much Nintendo and Konami collaborated on this specific release.
- Price Watch: If you're looking to buy, check Japanese auctions. The Japanese version is often significantly cheaper than the North American NTSC copy, though you'll need a region-free mod or a Freeloader disc to run it.