20 Things You DIDN'T Know About Metal Gear Solid 1

Kojima Used Lego for Design

Game development tech has advanced dramatically since Metal Gear Solid launched. Today, engines like Unity allow developers to easily build complex 2D and 3D environments. To plan and visualize the game's levels, Kojima famously used Lego bricks, as the amenities of modern game development didn’t exist. In behind-the-scenes footage, Kojima demonstrates how he used Lego models and a small camera to simulate in-game perspectives before development began in the engine, and it’s surprisingly effective.

Original Name

Some may ask, why we went from Metal Gear 1 and 2, to Metal Gear Solid. Well as it turns out, Metal Gear Solid was originally intended to be titled Metal Gear 3, but Hideo Kojima felt the series wasn’t widely recognized enough at the time, especially with the jump from Nintendo (having the more popular release of the Metal Gear) to Sony. To help the game stand on its own, he opted for a new title. Kojima chose the word “Solid” to signify both that it was the third entry in the series, and that it starred Solid Snake.

Konami Logo Theme

For those who aren’t familiar, Kojima had another fan favourite game prior to Metal Gear that went by the name of Policenauts. What you might not know is that a nod to Policenauts appears in Metal Gear Solid during the loading sequence before the main menu. As the Konami logo fades in, the Policenauts theme subtly plays in the background. The inclusion of this musical cue serves as yet another tribute to Kojima’s creative legacy, a legacy that is still thriving to this day.

Space Odyssey Reference

The entire Metal Gear Solid series draws heavy influence from 1970s and 1980s action films and spy thrillers, with character designs often lifted directly from the big screen. Snake’s appearance and name, for instance, are inspired by John Carpenter’s Escape from New York. Kojima has never hidden his deep appreciation for cinema, and Kojima’s favorite film, 2001: A Space Odyssey, receives a direct homage in Metal Gear Solid’s ending. In the Otacon ending, when Snake reveals his real name is Dave, and Otacon shares his is Hal, they laugh, clearly referencing 2001’s Dave and HAL 9000.

Cat Feet

Alright! Let’s move away from these behind-the-scenes facts and look at some actual gameplay tips that you might not know. Normally, running on noisy floors causes your footsteps to be heard, alerting nearby guards. It's frustrating during particular moments of the game, especially when you’re going for those speed run records. If you want to cheese these noisy floors, you can quickly equip and unequip a weapon using the R1 button while running. This works because his walking animation resets each time you toggle a weapon, making your feet completely silent, as you never really get to complete the step animation.

One Punch Man

One of the most oddly frustrating encounters in the game is the final fight with Liquid, and not even when he’s using a giant metal mech. Struggling with the fistfight? There's a trick that can make it much easier. As it turns out, you can actually defeat Liquid with a single, continuous string of solo punches. It takes precise timing, but with some practice, you can find the right rhythm and finish the fight in one smooth combo. It’s not pretty, but neither are the character models. Why does Snake have no eyes? Anyway…

Ocelot is Disappointed

There are actually WAY more alternate versions of cutscenes that most players realise, and one of them is the post-battle scene with Ocelot. Normally, after you defeat him, he says, “You're pretty good. Just what I'd expect from the man with the same code as the Boss. It's been a long time since I had such a good fight, but I'm just getting warmed up,” before his hand is cut off and he lets out a dramatic, high-pitched scream, which sounds like it was voiced by someone else. However, if you die a few times during the fight, the scene changes. Instead, he says, “I am disappointed. You are no match for the Boss. Playtime's over, friend. You're not cut out for war. Don't worry, I'll kill you quickly.” Oddly enough, his scream is also different in this version, and I have no idea why.

Hiding Wolf

Remember the moment Sniper Wolf shoots Snake just before the second boss fight? If you look closely, you can actually spot her lying in wait in the snowfield after exiting the tower. Instead of moving forward, try using the Nikita missile launcher to scout the area. You can guide the missile all the way to the far end and find her, just chilling... Get it? Screw you guys. While you can’t deal any damage to her at this point, it’s a cool hidden detail. And don’t worry, I’ve tried entering and exiting three times, she’s always fully clothed.

No Socom

Jumping back to our alternate cutscenes, let’s look at the first cutscene with Meryl. By this point in the game, most players have picked up the SOCOM pistol. It's pretty much impossible to miss it, so naturally when Snake shouts “Don’t think, shoot!” he raises his weapon, ready to fight alongside Meryl. However, if you never picked up the SOCOM, Snake won’t be holding it in the cutscene. It’s a small change, not particularly dramatic, but it’s a great example of the game’s attention to detail, apart from Snake not having eyes… I’ll stop.

Meryl is From a Different Game

Meryl Silverburgh is a key figure in the story of MGS1, and the emotional anchor for Snake. Meryl stands out among the many strong female characters Hideo Kojima has created, ignoring what he does with them. What makes her unique, however, is that she wasn’t originally designed for Metal Gear Solid. Meryl first appeared in the previously mentioned Policenauts. The two versions share a similar design, and her return in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots reinforces this connection, most notably through the bullet-shaped earrings, a direct callback to her original Policenauts appearance.

The Game was Supposed to Fail

You know, most people say that Metal Gear Solid being a classic is obvious, but when you really think about it, the game took a lot of risks introducing elements that were all incredibly original. Kojima knew this, and has openly admitted that neither he nor anyone else anticipated the game would be a commercial success. Kojima revealed that expectations for Metal Gear Solid were quite low, which gave him the creative freedom to experiment and take risks, and these risks are ultimately what made the game succeed. It was obviously a massive hit and sold over seven million copies worldwide, marking a major triumph for both Kojima and Konami.

The Opening Song is Irish

The Metal Gear Solid series has easily one of the best musical scores in gaming, and one of most gameplay-integrated scores of all time. One standout example is the famous ladder scene in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, where Snake Eater plays in full to accompany the massive climb. However, perhaps the most significant track in the franchise appears during the opening of the original Metal Gear Solid, as Snake swims into Shadow Moses. Interestingly, the song is performed in Irish (or more accurately Gaelic). It was composed and written by Rika Muranaka, with original lyrics in Japanese, but the final version was sung entirely in Gaelic.

Kojima’s Attention to Detail

Development on Metal Gear Solid began in mid-1995, with the ambitious goal of creating “the best PlayStation game ever,” a goal that obviously sounded ridiculous in 1995. Kojima and his team prioritized both realism and immersion, striving to make the experience grounded in authenticity, y’know? Realism like Vulcan Raven and Psycho Mantis. Anyway, for full attention to detail, the development process included demonstrations of weapons, vehicles, and explosives by the Huntington Beach SWAT team, along with field visits to Fort Irwin and live-fire sessions at Stembridge Gun Rentals. Kojima’s obsession with detail was so intense that even individual desks in the game were uniquely designed, showcasing his commitment to realism at every level.

Parachute

Here’s a fun one that I didn’t know about before today. While you're in the snowfield, there's a pretty cool detail worth checking out. After defeating Sniper Wolf (and after spotting her early with the Nikita, remember?), head to the southeast corner of the area. If you switch to first-person view and look around carefully, you can spot a parachute, hinting that Liquid survived the Hind D crash by jumping. Discovering it even triggers a codec call: “Colonel, listen to me. I found a parachute near the wreckage of the Hind. A parachute. You don’t think… that Liquid survived? Impossible.” It’s a clever bit of foreshadowing that adds depth to the story, and explains how on EARTH he survived a giant exploding helicopter.

Slow Snake

You probably remember the iconic exchange between Snake and the Colonel at the start of the game: “It’s Snake. I’m in front of the disposal facility.” “Excellent. Snake, age hasn’t slowed you down one bit.” But what you might not know is that this conversation can actually change. If you take an unusually long time (and I mean seriously long) to reach the elevator in the game’s opening area, a different codec call will trigger instead. “It’s Snake. I’m in front of the disposal facility.” “That took a long time. I guess you’re feeling a little rusty.” “Don’t worry. It’s been a while, but it’s all coming back to me... I guess.” Looks like Snake really did keep him waiting! Been waiting this whole video to make that joke.

Pee Box

Here’s a cool and surprisingly useful trick. After defeating Psycho Mantis, Snake and Meryl make their way into an underground cave filled with wolves who can be truly frustrating pains in the anus, especially if it’s your first playthrough and you don’t know where you’re going. But once you reach the end of the cave, you can punch Meryl and quickly equip a cardboard box, Meryl (who has made a connection with the wolves) makes one of them pee on the box you’re hiding in. The next time you pass through the cave while wearing that specific box, the wolves will leave you alone, because I guess wolves love each other’s piss? It’s a clever little trick that makes navigating the area much easier on return trips.

Meryl’s Sneaking Suit

Most fans know that after beating Metal Gear Solid twice and starting a new game on the same save file, Snake appears in a tuxedo. It's another nod to Kojima’s love for classic action cinema. But what many Western players don’t realize is that in the Japanese edition of the game, there’s an additional chance on this playthrough and Meryl also wears a new outfit, a sneaking suit similar to Snake’s, complete with a bandana. And yes, it’s as dope as it sounds.

Metal Gear MK. II

The Metal Gear Mk. II was a fun little addition to MGS4 that contextualised Otacon always being by your side and gave you a fun little gadget to play with if you don’t want to just run and gun. I kinda just runned and gunned (or ran and ganned?). Interestingly, Snake was originally intended to use the Mk. II throughout Shadow Moses, and it even appeared in his inventory during Metal Gear Solid’s E3 1997 demo. Considering Metal Gear Solid’s top-down layout, the Mk. II might’ve been an even more valuable tool than it was in MGS4, and by the time we got to MGS4, it would have been the Mk. 37. Thank you.

Liquid Was Going to Survive

Before Hideo Kojima reimagined Metal Gear Solid 2 as a cerebral mind bending face melter, he originally planned a more conventional sequel in which Solid Snake would once again face off directly against Liquid Snake, which to be honest would have been easier on my psyche. To make this possible, Kojima initially intended for Liquid to have faked his death at the end of the first game. On some level, that idea tracks, as FoxDie ultimately delivers the fatal blow. But bringing Liquid back in full would have cheapened that epic journey we went on to finally eliminate him.

Voice Actors Used Fake Names

In the late ’90s, voice acting in games was still a relatively new frontier, and many actors were unsure about how it fit within union guidelines. At the time, the Screen Actors Guild hadn’t established clear rules for video game work, leading many actors to use pseudonyms to avoid potential conflicts. This was the case for much of the Metal Gear Solid cast, who were credited under aliases. Apart from David Hayter, Doug Stone, and Scott Dolph, most of the cast were not who they said they were, with Hayter even using a pseudonym for the tech demo.