Metal Gear Solid upgraded

[04.07.99] » Konami announces Metal Gear Solid Integral, a new version of its hit spy simulator.

   While the gaming world awaits a continuation of Metal Gear Solid's cliffhanger title, Konami is hard at work on another Metal Gear release. It's not a new game, however -- instead, Tactical Espionage Action fans can look forward to an upgraded version of MGS, titled Metal Gear Solid Integral.

   Goofy name aside, the new version adds a slew of new features. Perhaps most importantly, Japanese gamers will finally get a chance to try the various difficulty levels of the English version -- the original Japanese version of Metal Gear Solid included only one level, equivalent to the "Easy" level of the English version. And for those who lamented the game's short length, a third disc has been added, containing 300 new training missions -- more than enough to keep even experienced Metal Gear players busy.

   Konami hasn't stopped there -- you can now move and fire weapons in the first-person mode, a feature many fans requested. The spoken dialogue has been changed to English, but a choice of Japanese or English subtitles is available. Once the game is completed, players can also scramble the positions of the enemy guards to keep things fresh. Metal Gear Solid Integral even features PocketStation support, though how Konami plans to implement it is beyond us.

   Metal Gear Solid Integral is currently scheduled for a July release in Japan, at a price of 4990 yen (about $40 US). While remixes of this sort rarely make it to North America, strong sales of the original game increase Metal Gear Solid Integral's chances.