Ghost Babel Review

[Smithee]

This is the project I did on my last week of school... I got a 4 so I think it's pretty good.

Metal Gear Solid Ghost Babel
Review


Metal Gear Solid Ghost Babel is a Gameboy Color Game made by Konami.
The story goes something like this ;

"A new Metal Gear prototype codenamed "Gander" has been stolen by a separatist guerrilla group in the region of Gindra in Central Africa. The group, known as the Gindra Liberation Front (or GLF), plans on using the prototype as a means of achieving victory in an ongoing civil war. Solid Snake, the FOXHOUND operative responsible for the destruction of the original Metal Gear seven years before, is brought back from his retirement in Alaska. His mission is to infiltrate the group's headquarters Galuade, the fortress that was formerly Outer Heaven.


Metal Gear Solid GBC (2000)

During the course of his mission, Snake teams up with Chris Jenner, a surviving member of the Delta Force that was sent before him to retrieve Gander. His main adversaries are Black Chamber, a group of mercenaries with abilities and codenames resembling those of FOXHOUND. In the end, he uncovers a conspiracy involving the GLF and US Government."


That was from wikipedia, as I found they summed it up pretty well and it kept a more serious tone than I ever could have. I mean Gander! "So uh, boss here's the duck you ordered." That guy definitely lost his job. As you can see though, even though it is on a seemingly kiddie console, the game takes itself very seriously and definitely for the better. Obviously there are lighter moments, but when compared to film this is really just comic relief. On very funny example is when you use the codec frequency 140.07 you get a mock radio comedy called Idea Spy 2.5 which I hear is quite pleasant. I have yet to see it myself as it is included in the JP and EU releases and not the US version, but seeing as the Gameboy is region free I could import it (I need a new copy anyways. I was playing this off of a ROM).



Metal Gear MSX (1987)



While the game carries a more anime style than it's Playsation cousin, it actually emulates Yoji Shinkawa's art style fairly well for the tiny screen. The in game graphics directly fuse an art style from the original MSX titles with the new Metal Gear Solid look that is on the Playstation. That combined with spectacular animation creates an experience you would never expect to be on the Gameboy Color. You can tell who and what everyone is even when they use a very limited color pallette.


Metal Gear Solid PSX (1998)

The gameplay in the game matches up perfectly with the rest in the series and is a great testament to show the power of bidimensional gameplay. The gameplay pulls most of its inspiration from its roots but spices things up by using certain conventions found in the later games such as clinging to walls, or aspects the inventory system. Unlike most Metal Gear games it is divided into stages, an idea left untouched until Metal Gear Solid 4


The fighting feels as tight as before, and you will have no problem getting around the game even though there are only two face buttons. It doesn't get too clumped together, nor ever feel too lose. As far as I got (I had a very limited time to play (let alone beat) this game) the boss battles were ace, and felt just like the original MSX games.


Aurally the game is amazing, with tracks taken from the Metal Gear series and some originals. Being very familiar with the MSX version (the MSX had a wonderful soundchip) of some of the songs it was unfamiliar, but on the tinny tiny (pardon the pun) speaker of the GBC it wasn't very noticeable. One of my favorite touches was the use of different sounds depending on were you step, which is something missing from many action games on more "retro" portable consoles.

Replayability is an issue with many action games, and although it has never reaped upon Metal Gear I was worried that things could change with such a portable game. Upon beating the game (I did it previously just not in my recent playthrough. Y'know the one for the review?) it was discovered that the stages are given sub-mission where you play through the stages again with different objectives. There are also over 180 missions in the VR Mission mode, and a nifty VS mode where you can play head to head with a link cable.


This game does not deserve a ten outta ten. For a number of reasons really, although it mostly boils down to:


A) IGN gave it a 10/10


B) The story isn't quite up to par with other games in the series. This issue doesn't quite effect the game as much as it possibly could, due to the whole noncanonic factor.


C) It isn't the perfect game. I didn't really convey that too well within the review. Just because there aren't any real glaring issues, that doesn't mean the game excels perfectly in everything. This game doesn't even do everything, it's just good at what it does.


Thus I award this game a


10/10


A++


100%

not because its perfect but because of bias


and it is because not perfection its bias to for the sake





Please Note: Not all of the pictures are what was originally on there. For this I just fished some stuff from google so that I'd get the point across.

So, whaddya think?

[WinnerStaysLoserPays]

Pretty interesting and informative. I never knew about the mock radio station or that Metal Gear was called "Gander" for that matter.

I already own this game (and love the hell out of it) so it's always nice to see praise for the Metal Gear that few ever really checked out, which I definitely blame on them calling it "Metal Gear Solid. Everyone that ever saw me play this game always thought it was just a bad portable remake of the PSX version until I told them otherwise.

[Smithee]

That's why I sorta mixed the two region's titles. It seperates it, without making it a huge departure.

Glad you like it though, it actually went pretty smoothly and I might review some more stuff later. This and my Super Mario All-Stars+ Super Mario World review (which'll be posted on the new OPCFG) where quite enjoyable. On a side note, you think with my level/style of writing I could do something for HG101?

[zogbog]

I think you could put a little more effort into writing on how the game play and environments are as well as some of your other criticisms on the game. Also I was taught not to use I or you in reviews but that’s just me. But other wise not to bad.

[Smithee]

Thanks, I'll work on that.

[yoshi22011]

In my opinion this is the best buy for gbc if not at least there in the top 5. For the restrictions it amazes on nearly every level the sprite work though simple is well done and well animated, you for got to mention the elevator sections, I think they used polygons to show the elevator movement, one of 2 games I knew of that used polygons on the gbc.( it could have been prerendered but did not look so was too low poly).

AS for the review I think more should be mentioned about the faults you though it had, I happen to like reviews that shous the game's faults no matter how small.
Though the problem with reviewing MGS games is the fear chance fo giving spoilers. Same with this game its faults IMO are mainly with some story elements and what puts this game over the top for me is the cool (sometimes funny)puzzles, like the gate one later in the game.

BTW ign says a 10/10 does not mean perfect(B.S IMO) they say it shows how "ahead" a game is for its time/system.

WinnerStaysLoserPays I was one of those ppl who were skeptical, this game came out at a time when the gbc was getting a ton of games that was a remake of a console game and most were bad.

[Smithee]

Oh I know it doesn't mean it was perfect. I just dislike IGN and decided to make a mockery of it.

[evilakito]

It's certainly a good game, especially considering it's on Gameboy Color. I've also been having a lot of fun with MG2: Solid Snake lately. It kind of makes me want to see a new 2D Metal Gear.