Top 7... Definitive MGS moments

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We recount the seminal action-stealth series

2) Raiden

All eyes were on the PlayStation 2 in the fall of 1999. The Sega Dreamcast had just launched and the world waited for Sony’s response. While the initial game trailers impressed, we knew that the launch games would not suffice after learning Metal Gear Solid 2 would be released in 2001. After an impressive E3 2000 trailer that was cut cleverly to showcase only the gruff Solid Snake fighting in a tanker ship, and a gameplay demo sold with Zone of the Enders, who knew what crafty letdown was in store for one of the most anticipated sequels of all time - one that would help Sony crush Sega’s last attempt at making consoles.

In one fell swoop, Kojima showed just how big his balls were by alienating fans everywhere in building an entire game around Raiden playing second-fiddle to Snake - essentially making MGS2 a $50 cocktease. In recent years Kojima has made light of his decision to use Raiden, parading him around as whipping boy to the series, with his likeness appearing as Major Raikov in MGS3, the gay lover to villain Col. Volgin. Now it seems as if Kojima’s desperately attempting to reinvent Raiden by outfitting him with Ninja-exoskeleton, soulless eyes and a heart as black as night in the forthcoming MGS4.

All eyes were on the PlayStation 2 in the fall of 1999. The Sega Dreamcast had just launched and the world waited for Sony’s response. While the initial game trailers impressed, we knew that the launch games would not suffice after learning Metal Gear Solid 2 would be released in 2001. After an impressive E3 2000 trailer that was cut cleverly to showcase only the gruff Solid Snake fighting in a tanker ship, and a gameplay demo sold with Zone of the Enders, who knew what crafty letdown was in store for one of the most anticipated sequels of all time - one that would help Sony crush Sega’s last attempt at making consoles.

That trailer? It was all footage from the first hour and a half of the game - in other words, the prologue. From there, Snake was swept aside and we were introduced to bleach-blonde, pasty-skinned, never-even-shot-anyone-before Raiden. Raiden who was trained in VR missions, was a child soldier whose sole purpose (we eventually discovered) was to mimic Snake’s mission from MGS1 - meaning, the entire reason he exists is to make you wish you were playing as Solid Snake.

In one fell swoop, Kojima showed just how big his balls were by alienating fans everywhere in building an entire game around Raiden playing second-fiddle to Snake - essentially making MGS2 a $50 cocktease. In recent years Kojima has made light of his decision to use Raiden, parading him around as whipping boy to the series, with his likeness appearing as Major Raikov in MGS3, the gay lover to villain Col. Volgin. Now it seems as if Kojima’s desperately attempting to reinvent Raiden by outfitting him with Ninja-exoskeleton, soulless eyes and a heart as black as night in the forthcoming MGS4.