Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection is a video game compilation published by Konami. The compilation features ports of titles in the Metal Gear franchise of stealth games, released in commemoration of the series' 35th anniversary.

Split across volumes, Vol. 1 was announced in May 2023. It comprises the first five main entries in the franchise: Metal Gear (1987), Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (1990), Metal Gear Solid (1998), Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001), Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004), as well as the VR Missions for Metal Gear Solid, the Nintendo Entertainment System version of Metal Gear and its standalone sequel Snake's Revenge (1990), games guides, a sound selection of music from the series, and the motion comics Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel and Metal Gear Solid 2: Bande Dessinée as bonuses. The Master Collection series marks the first time the NES entries have been available on non-Nintendo systems, the first release of Metal Gear Solid on Xbox, the original version of the game and Sons of Liberty on a Nintendo console, Snake Eater on PC, and the first worldwide release of Metal Gear Solid: Integral outside Japan.

Vol. 1 was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on October 24, 2023. More volumes will be announced and detailed in the future.

Games
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 presents five individual applications, each comprising one or two games and additional versions as well as its additional content. Metal Gear Solid and its two sequels each have their own application, while the MSX versions of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake are contained in one application. The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) games Metal Gear (1987) and Snake's Revenge (1990) have their own application, labeled as "Bonus Content", including extra content such as the music player and graphic novels. The additional content for each game consists of digital copies of the respective games' boxes and instruction manuals, associated Master Book dossiers that divulge details on characters, narrative, and their place in Metal Gear's in-universe canon, as well as the corresponding screenplays for each game. Metal Gear Solid and its sequels can be purchased individually, with Metal Gear Solid bundling Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake.

Metal Gear Solid (1998) in the Master Collection is primarily based on the game's original PlayStation version, while the standalone Metal Gear Solid VR Missions and Special Missions regional releases are accessible from its hub on the game selection screen, as well as the original Japanese release of Metal Gear Solid: Integral, which has been made available for the first time to North American players through its inclusion on the compilation. Due to the original Metal Gear Solid being presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio, an assortment of wallpapers can be selected both from the main menu and during gameplay, as well as adjustments to the game's display position. The collection includes the ability to create virtual save data for other Konami PlayStation titles and virtually swap controller ports from Player 1 to Player 2, which are both relevant to the boss fight against Psycho Mantis. A digital replica of the game's original retail packaging is included to aid players in obtaining Meryl Silverburgh's Codec frequency number to contact her later in the game, as alluded to in the game itself.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001) and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004) are both direct conversions of their HD Edition remasters previously developed by Bluepoint Games and distributed as part of the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection (2011) compilation for PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita and Xbox 360. Before release Konami announced that on PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S, all featured games are presented at a resolution of 1080p at a maximum performance of 60 frames-per-second (FPS). The Nintendo Switch version of the collection similarly retains a native 1080p resolution in TV Mode, but has a lower output of 720p in Handheld Mode, while both configurations run at 30 FPS. However, after release it was found that the games were actually locked to 720p on all platforms. The Switch version's 30 FPS cap was noted as "bizarre" since the Shield version, which the Switch version is derived from, manages to run at 60 FPS using the same Tegra X1 chip. The PC version lacks any graphics or audio options.

Each game in the collection supports Trophies and Achievements on all platforms excluding Switch, as well as language options. The vibration feedback from the DualShock and DualShock 2 controllers for certain in-game effects such as weapon fire and taking damage in action sequences, has been reimplemented for supported gamepads across each console platform and PC.

Additional content
Vol. 1 includes the motion comics Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel (originally released in 2006 for the PlayStation Portable) and Metal Gear Solid 2: Bande Dessinée (originally released exclusively in Japanese on DVD in 2008), which were previously included as extras with full English voice acting in the Metal Gear Solid Legacy Collection, released in 2013 for the PlayStation 3. Other extras include strategy guides, screenplay books, and an in-game sound selection of twenty tracks curated from each game in the collection. Remixes of the vocal tracks "The Best is Yet to Come" from Metal Gear Solid, "Can't Say Goodbye To Yesterday" from Sons of Liberty and the titular "Snake Eater" from Metal Gear Solid 3, was made available as pre-order bonuses.

Development
In November 2021, the digital downloads for Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater as well as the original Metal Gear Solid HD Collection were removed from digital storefronts, with Konami citing expired licenses as the reason. In July 2022, Konami announced their intentions to reinstate the games for the series' 35th anniversary.

During the development of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, Konami began the development of the Master Collection series to make "the most complete collection that celebrates the 35th anniversary of the series, allowing fans to play the games as they were, as first released on the latest platforms."

During the porting process, some minor changes had to be made for copyright reasons.

Close to the launch, M2, known for developing other video game compilations from Konami, confirmed that it worked in the compilation by providing emulation of Metal Gear (NES), Snake's Revenge, Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions, including their regional variants.

Marketing and release
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 was announced for the PlayStation 5 during a PlayStation Showcase in May 2023, immediately after the reveal of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater.

In the original announcement, it was revealed to contain the first three Metal Gear Solid games. The game's listing on the PlayStation Store posted later that day confirmed that the collection would also contain content from the Integral version of Metal Gear Solid, alongside the original Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake from the MSX. In June 2023, a Nintendo Direct revealed that the compilation would be released for Nintendo Switch, that it would include the Nintendo Entertainment System version of Metal Gear and its standalone sequel Snake's Revenge, and that it would include digital graphic novels for Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2. Releases for Windows via Steam and the Xbox Series X/S were confirmed later that day. In August 2023, a digital release for PlayStation 4 was confirmed to be in development, and was later announced as releasing the same day as on other platforms, with PS4 players entitled to a free PS5 upgrade.

Vol. 1 released on October 24, 2023, alongside standalone versions of the three Metal Gear Solid games for $19.99 each. Buying the standalone version of Metal Gear Solid grants access to Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. However, the NES version of Metal Gear, as well as Snake's Revenge, are exclusive to those who purchase the entire Collection. The Nintendo Switch physical release in North America and Europe only includes Metal Gear for MSX2, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Metal Gear for NES and Snake's Revenge on the Game Card, while the rest of the contents have to be separately downloaded and installed to the console. The Japanese physical version also includes the original Metal Gear Solid.

Additional volumes have been teased and may be announced in the future.

Reception
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 has received a mixed-to-positive reception among critics. The Nintendo Switch version of the complilation was scored the highest at 78/100 on review aggregator website Metacritic, while both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions garnered a comparatively lower aggregate score of 74/100. A common point of praise among reviewers was the comprehensive nature and overall presentation of the games and their associated contents. GameSpot writer Richard Wakeling praised the bonus contents included outside the core games, particularly drawing attention towards the inclusion of the Master Book dossiers and screenplays for each respective game.