Though it's not as good as the original version of Metal Gear Solid in certain areas, The Twin Snakes is great overall.
User Rating: 8.9 | Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes GC
Over six years after its release on the PlayStation, Metal Gear Solid returns, this time with a new coat of paint on the GameCube as Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. The point of remaking a game is to update its graphics -- at least, that's the major part of a remake. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes' graphics are much, much better than its PlayStation counterpart's. However, that doesn't mean that the graphics are without flaw. The characters and areas looks really good, but compared to other GameCube titles like Resident Evil 4, for example, Metal gear Solid: The Twin Snakes simply doesn't look as good. The textures in some areas can look much better, but I won't bash Silicon Knights too much because, honestly, just being able to play a truly phenomenal game with next-generation graphics is more than you can ask for, even if the graphics aren't "best-looking game ever"-quality. Also, the lighting in the game is good. When I first started the game and was actually in control of Snake, the game looked darker than the PlayStation version. The camera angles in this game are improved as well. Still, even though this isn't the best-looking game on the GameCube, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes is the best-looking Metal Gear Solid game yet. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes combines the gameplay of the original Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. Metal Gear Solid 2, for instance, introduced the ability to hide in lockers, hang from rails, and fire your weapon from first-person mode. It'll take you a bit of time to get adjusted to the GameCube controller for this game if you are a PlayStation Metal Gear Solid veteran like I am, but you'll get used to the controls rather quickly. An interesting feature of the controls is that you actually can't pause the game; you'll find that nothing happens when you push the Start button. However, by holding Start and pushing A the codec will pop-up and by pushing B instead of A a map of the area you are currently in will appear on-screen. Interesting to say the least, and it may frustrate you at first when you discover that you can't pause the game, but you'll get used to it. Another thing you can do that was added from Metal Gear Solid 2 is the ability to collect various dogtags from a large portion of the game's many enemies. Needless to say, it'll take you quite a bit of time to find every last one of them. Most of the music in the game has changed so, basically, what that means is that if you liked one of the tunes in the original version of Metal Gear Solid you probably won't find it in here. In its place is a new soundtrack which sounds good, but I'm not completely sure yet if I like it over the original soundtrack. I do like the tune that plays when you are fighting a boss, though. The voice acting has been completely redone in Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. At times, you may not be able to tell the difference from the PlayStation and GameCube versions, but there are times where you know that he or she didn't say that in the original game. The quality of the acting also isn't as tremendously good as it was in the PlayStation version, but it's still solid nonetheless. In terms of length, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, unfortunately, is a pretty short game. However, that doesn't mean that once you're done with it there's nothing else to do. If you surrendered at the torture chamber and completed the game you get the stealth camouflage which, predictably, makes you invisible to nearly everything in the game. If you didn't give in you get a bandana which gives you unlimited ammo. Both are great items, although, to be honest, I prefer the stealth camouflage. Throughout my first playthrough of Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, I completed the title in just over 8 hours on the game's normal mode. If you know what you are doing, are playing on very easy mode and have the stealth camouflage unlocked, I'd assume that you can beat this game in two to three hours... maybe less. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes is a great remake of a classic game. Even though it doesn't add anything new in terms of items (with the obvious exception being the dogtag, although that isn't new to the series as a whole), being able to play through one of the best games of all-time with updated graphics, new gameplay elements added from Metal Gear Solid 2, and new cut-scenes is a real treat for gamers. Even if you have completed the original Metal Gear Solid so many times that you're sick of it, I strongly urge you to get this game if you have a GameCube. If you don't have a GameCube, but are a big stealth and Metal Gear fan, get a GameCube and a copy of Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. You simply will not be disappointed. 
