Metal Gear Solid is a very rewarding game to play, but there is just so much more to do and try out while you play rather than just racing through the storyline trying to get to the ending cutscene as fast as possible! Here is a long list of extra things to try out if you get the time! They are roughly arranged in the order you can do them in the game, so print them off and have a play!
On the main title screen, press the D-Pad for a change of colour in the background behind Snake. This is not possible in The Twin Snakes because the title screen is completely different.
During the breifing, sometimes it will say Camera Free or Camera Change on it. If it says Camera Change, by pressing O, you'll be able to see shots of Snake at different angles. On Camera Free, you can move up, down, left or right around the screen and by pressing O and Triangle, you can zoom in and out! You can move the cameras and have fun zooming at any part of the Briefing if you are playing The Twin Snakes.
After watching the first part of the briefing, you'll see a menu. The menu will say "Mission Description" (the one you've just watched), "Operation Outline", "Operation Member" and "Detailed Information". Go down to "Operation Outline" and rather than selecting "Infiltration Method" (to its right), press X on "Operation Outline". You'll see some hidden footage before being returned to the main menu. Also, after watching the whole of the Briefing, exit and you'll hear some more hidden footage!
By using a cheat cartridge or disk, (depending on which one it is) you can get codes for MGS, whether it be infinate health or walk through walls (or several more to choose from), they could all help you with MGS. A cheat such as "All weapons and items" can enable you to use the Snowfield box in the Heliport and skip most of the game - you will have the default ending of Meryl. However, some cheats can mess up the storyline big time. If you have all weapons and go into the Underground Passage, after the cutscene where Meryl gets shot down, you can fight Wolf while Meryl is in your sight. This is the only opportunity you will have to use the Sniper Rifle on Meryl! After the fight, Meryl will disappear... Hmm... And you can miss a huge chunk of the game with all items if you go into the Medi Room instead of going to rescue the DARPA Chief. You will find yourself halfway through the game, strapped to Ocelot's torture machine... yet unaware as to how you got there!
This is only possible on The Twin Snakes. During any cutscene, you can zoom in using the R button and then you can move the camera around using the C button.
This will only work on The Twin Snakes. While in a boring and long Codec conversation, skip it using the Y button. However, I warn against making a habit of this or doing it first time through the game - you could miss vital information!
In the Heliport, one of the guards walks along the snow a lot. Why don't you confuse him by going round a container in the snow several times? He'll spot your footprints and follow them round in circles. Don't let him see you making them though. This process can continue indefinitely!
If you've been spotted, grab the nearest guard and hold him in front of you (hold down square). Anyone who shoots at you will actually be killing him instead (they're not very bright those guards. They don't realise they're killing their friend... their brother). If he struggles, press and hold down square again. However, eventually the guard will die, so you can either waste some more time by using a new guard or you can run like hell! In later games, if you try this strategy, the guards will actually hesitate to shoot at all.
If you want to annoy Mei Ling, call her and don't save. The more times you so this, the angrier she'll get and eventually she won't talk to you and then after six goes she will stick her tongue out at you. Everything will return to normal when you save again.
If you call Mei Ling enough times (and save), Mei Ling will tell you that she is wearing contact lenses.
There are two ways into the Tank Hangar. The higher vent shaft and the lower vent shaft. If you go into the higher one, you'll crawl over two guards having a conversation which you can listen in to. If you go into the lower vent shafts, turn left at the first junction and you can hear a different conversation with the two guards when you get to the end of the tunnel.
If you're fed up with waiting ages for the elevator to come, there is a way of making it apppear at once! Just press the control pannel twice and the elevator will just appear. (This won't work if you're in alert or invasion mode).
When you're in First Person View mode, press L1 or R1 to take a side-step to the left or right. It can help you see round corners without being spotted. On The Twin Snakes, press L or R to achieve the same thing and press L and R together to stand on tiptoes.
If you're in need of a ration, there's one on the Cell B1. It's to the right of the ladder leading into the vent shafts. Crawl, and you'll be able to retrieve it.
There are two points in the game where you can see Meryl in her underwear. The first is when you're going to rescue the DARPA Chief. Go up into the air vent and look down at Meryl. Leave the shafts through the way you came and then go up again. This time she will be doing single arm push ups. Repeat this again, and she'll do stretches. Do all this a further three times, and she'll do those exercises again, but this time, just in her underwear. Next time you can see her in just her underwear is when you're following her to the restrooms. If you get to the end toilet in under five seconds after she has, when you talk to her, she will only have her underwear on.
Call Master Miller after the DARPA Chief has died of a "heart attack" - Master will almost be lost for words and sort of upset ("So", you're saying - "a death is sad. Big deal") Ha, he's not like Naomi and Campbell (who are also hiding something from you) because he genuinely sounds shocked at his death...the same goes after you've just heard Wolf yell and fall to the ground in the Snowfield - when you call Master he'll sound sort of shocked again.
When the DARPA Chief's just died, go to the wall right of the door and flatten against it. You'll be able to watch Meryl walk past before she unlocks your door.
Under the bed on Cell B1 where the DARPA Chief died, there will be a ration. Later on (after the torture) there will be some Chaff Grenades too.
If you see a ration you need, grab it! Then go to a point in the game where the screen goes black to load a new sequence. Then backtrack and the ration will be back again!
When you punch someone, after two punches, pause and then punch again. You won't have that kick between the punches.
Have you tried sticking some C4 onto a guard's back? You should do. They're so dense that they don't notice you doing so (unless you get in their way) and when they're at a safe distance, blow them up! NOTE: It might be easier to use stealth or stick C4 on the guards that are going to the toilet or sleeping.
To have really good fun with C4 you'll need the following ingredients: Bandanna and Turbo/Auto Fire controller. Well, first equip the bandana and C4 and make sure turbo or auto is off. Set loads and loads of C4 around a level (one of the best places is the Tank Hangar!) and keep away from them and then turn on turbo/auto then press and hold down the O button and watch them all go off one after another, blowing everyone up along the way!
There's a lot of fun stuff you can do whilst fighting Ocelot in the Armoury South! First, before you even enter the room but after you've blown the entrance open, you can kill Baker before you've even met Ocelot! - Big deal. Also, I'm not sure how I did it, but you can shoot Ocelot before you've entered the room!! Go into first person and make sure you're not directly facing Baker. Grab your Socom and fire - you may hit Ocelot. I don't think this decreases his health though, so you can't kill him, but you can shoot him before he's even introduced himself! Now, go into the room. If you shoot Baker during the fight, Ocelot will shout "You maniac!" and if you actually kill him by shooting him to death (his health bar isn't that long!) or running through the wire, when the Game Over screen comes up, you'll hear Ocelot shout "You idiot!" in something of an Italian accent - why he cares I'm not sure... Ever punched or strangled Ocelot? Who's to say you're just to use your gun?! Lob a Stun Grenade and Ocelot will yell "I can't see!" now's your chance to punch him or grab him (although don't try strangling him till his neck snaps or dragging or throwing him - this is a boss we're talking about, not a Genome Soldier!)
After Baker has died, you have to phone Meryl. Her code is on the back of the CD case... But if you can't find it, don't know it or can't be bothered to scan through the numbers in the Codec till you get to her code, don't bother! Call Campbell. He'll tell you to look on the back of the case. Ignore him. Call him a few times and he'll give in and add Meryl's code to your list of frequencies in the Codec's memory!
If you didn't get the Thermal Goggles, but need to see some infrared beams, use the cigarettes. Though don't take too long as you'll lose health by doing this.
If you don't have the mine detector, use thermal goggles or crawl. If you crawl, you'll be able to pick up the mines you crawl over! Also, when Meryl does that fancy walk around the mines in the Underground Passage, don't bother following her footsteps, you can always go to the right hand wall and walk past them or even better use your thermal goggles, crawl and retreive those mines for your own use!
Call Master Miller during boss battles...If you call him whilst fighting the tank, for some reason, you won't get a reply (I won't give away the game for you!) and when in Communications Tower B or fighting the Hind, you won't get a response either.
As well as Grenades, why not try using C4 or Claymore Mines to slow down the Tank's caterpillar tracks. Chaff will prevent it from using its main gun.
To hop and do a type of tapdance, equip any weapon (excluding the PSG1 and Nikita) and while running, keep pressing R1.
If you have a Bandanna, try this; select your FA-MAS and fire some bullets until the bullets go into the red part on the symbol (bottom right of the screen). Now, select your Bandanna and carry on firing. Whenever you fire, a red laser trail will come out of your FA-MAS. This serves no purpose, but looks good.
Rather than just standing on the spot whilst using your FA-MAS or Socom, run at the same time to get away from trouble! To do this, when using the Socom, press square and then hold down X and move using the D-Pad. Release square to fire. With the FA-MAS, hold down X and then press square whilst running (D-Pad). This can come in very handy!
If there's a room which you do not have a PAN card of high enough value to enter, sometimes you will be able to drag a guard to the door and his presence will open the door for you.
When you've equiped the Nikita and have fired a rocket, go into first person view mode and you'll be able to see what the rocket can see. This can really help you guide it to its destination! Another time when first person comes in handy is when you're in the jeep at the end of the game. While you're going along the tunnel to the surface, first person can help you aim at your targets along the way. Also, when you're fighting Mantis, if you go into first person, you can see what he sees, so that if he's invisible, you'll know where to find him!... Oh and not that it's useful, but you can also go into first person view mode during Ocelot's torture sesions!
In the gas filled room (with the electrified floor), go up to the door (near the gun camera) on the right on the map. Before opening the door, look at what it says on it; "Hal's Lab"! (This is not the case in The Twin Snakes).
During the fight with Gray Fox, tap on the cupboard that Otacon is hiding in. The reply will be a fearful moan!
If playing the PlayStation game, In the Lab, you'll see a poster on the north wall of some people and "Policenauts" underneath it. Policenauts was a game made by Hideo Kojima - the creator of MGS! Also, when Otacon's talking about why he got into science and robots, you'll see cut scenes of Policenauts! If playing The Twin Snakes, you will notice that there's a poster of Metal Gear Ghost Babel (the Game Boy game) on the north wall.
After Otacon's left the Lab (after your fight with the Ninja) go to the central desk in the room (facing north) and look at what's on it - a PlayStation/Gamecube and controller! (The console depends on whether you're playing the original or The Twin Snakes).
Whether it be the Ninja, Mantis or those four Genome soldiers in Communications Tower B, use your Thermal Goggles to spot where they are when they use their Stealth camouflage. It's also handy when it comes to fighting Wolf because she's always hiding (coward!)
None of your weapons are effective against the Ninja... none except the Chaff! Use your Chaff to temporarily stop him, while he's crouched down, recovering, you can give him two good punches and a kick!
When you get the chance, just stand and stare at Meryl in first person view mode. She will ask you what you're looking at with such keen interest and will get redder and redder the more you stare at her.
When you get the chance, punch, kick or grab Meryl. She will slap you in return. But you will lose a bit of health by doing this, OK?
If you're using a memory card with a Konami game (e.g. Silent Hill, ISS, Castlevania etc.), when you confront Mantis and he reads your mind at the beginning of the battle, he'll mention the saved Konami games on your memory card when he's talking to you! If you're playing The Twin Snakes, Mantis will do the same trick but mention well-known Gamecube games instead.
Mantis loves to control people and read their minds. When you're fighting him, you can prevent him from reading your mind and dodging your attacks by plugging your controller into port 2 of your PlayStation. He will not be able to predict your next moves and this gives you a great advantage! And another thing you can do is shoot the 2 busts (the statues of a bloke's head [Mantis' head] wrapped up in a cloth), this will really put Mantis off, because he hates the sight of his own face. Oh and when Mantis takes control of Meryl, try using Stun grenades rather than a gun. Oh, and just one more thing! Don't worry about the screen going black and "Hideo" appearing twice, it's just Mantis (or rather Hideo Kojima) showing off!
For someone who has been in retirement for years and is ignorant of the top-secret terrorist group of FOX-HOUND, Master Miller knows a huge amoung about its members. He also has vivid descriptions about some of its members. He describes Mantis as "pathetic", Wolf as "no use to anyone" and Ocelot as a "sick puppy". It's a good thing FOX-HOUND don't know he's saying those things!
If your rations ever freeze, you cannot eat them until they thaw. To make them thaw out, there are three things you can do. One is to go to the restrooms near the Commander's Room (where you fought Mantis) and stand next to the hand dryer. If you are closer to the Blast Furnace, they will quickly warm up there, but if neither are convenient, you can equip them to warm them up next to your body.
Before you get Sniper Wolf's handkerchief, the wolves will just love to try and tear you appart! But this might help you a bit - when you've got to Meryl, who's waiting for you by the door to the Underground Passage, select a cardboard box then deselect it using L1. Then punch, kick or grab Meryl and quickly select the box again by pressing L1. Meryl will call for a wolf to urinate on the box. When Meryl has been shot by Sniper Wolf and you go back to get the PSG1, if you select that box again, the wolves won't attack you! (Although you'll have to deselect it to crawl under two of the parts to get back to the Commander's Room). In The Twin Snakes, it is probably easier to just tranquilize the wolves! You won't need to do either after returning through the Cave after the torture, however, because you can use the handkerchief Otacon gave you to make the dogs love your scent instead (it smells of Sniper Wolf).
When Meryl's lying on the ground after Wolf has shot her, before you go back to get the PSG1, shoot Meryl (after all, she did ask you to shoot her - twice!) She will tell you to stop shooting her (what? After she wanted you to shoot her?!) and if you call Campbell, he'll get really cross with you! If you continue to shoot Meryl, she'll eventually die. Sorry my friend - it's game over if you do.
After getting the Sniper Rifle to take on Wolf, why not make your life a bit easier? After crossing the Canyon (where you fought the tank) go and lie down (where you go into the Nuke filled room). Although you can't use yor weapons while you're in the room, you can use them before hand. Select your newly acquired Sniper Rifle. Take out all three guards and then you can safely make it across the room without being spotted. (Unless you walk in front of a surveilance camera!) This hint is also useful after the escape from the torture room if you have a cold. You're likely to sneeze and get spotted, but if you take out the guards first, no one will spot you! (You can even snipe at the highly dangerous nuclear warheads and they won't even explode or leak radioactive chemicals!)
Steadying your hand with the Sniper Rifle is essential (well it's not, but it sounds dramatic, doesn't it?) Diazepam can steady your heart beat while using your PSG1, but if you run out, your cigarettes work too! Unfortunately, unlike the Diazepam, you have to have it selected (so you can't use rations, thermal goggles or body armour to help you) and it decreases your health, so you're likely to die if you're not careful (especially if someone like Wolf is shooting at you)!
If you want the bandanna, which gives you limitless ammo on all your weapons (providing they already have some ammo in them), you have to complete the game with Meryl. (Don't give in to Ocelot's torture sessions). At the end of the game, Meryl will find a bandanna and let you keep it. Just save the completed game and when you load it up, you'll be at the dock with the bandanna!
I haven't tried it, but apparently although Ocelot says that you can't use Auto-Fire (if you have an Auto-Fire controller) you can. This will help you to survive the torture inflicted. On the contrary, I have also heard that if you use Auto-Fire, Ocelot won't say or do anything, but the torture will be twice as damaging and your life will reduce rapidly. My own personal Auto-Fire controller did neither of these; the Auto-Fire function doesn't even appear to work!
I have tried this, so you can take my word for it. During the torture, if you use a Turbo-Fire controller, and make the O button "turborised" (that's a word I invented! Do you like it?) all you need to do is hold down the O button and your health will replenish itself! It's also useful for detonating C4 in a long chain of them to make a huge explosion!
If you want stealth camouflage like Mantis, the Ninja, and Otacon have, it's easy to get. You can't pick it up anywhere, but if you complete the gamewith Otacon (give in to Revolver Ocelot's torture sessions at any time and Meryl will be dead after your fight with Liquid. You'll exit the base with Otacon), he'll give you his stealth camo and all you need to do is save the completed game and when you load it up, you'll have the stealth. The stealth camo is effective against Genome soldiers, lasers, searchlights and surveillance/gun cameras. It does not work on the wolf-dogs seeing as they can smell you or the bosses, because they have highly trained sight and so can see through your disguise (or rather not see through it, depending on how you want to look at it!)
After the torture sessions with Revolver Ocelot, escape from the cell and DON'T punch, kick or grab the guard. Just run into the main room (where you were tortured) and the guard will follow. He will be about to shoot you when he has to dash off to the toilets once more. Go to the toilet door and tap on it. He will moan in reply.
After your torture sessions with Revolver Ocelot, escape from the cell and head back into the main room (where you were tortured). DON'T collect your equipment, but leave the room (don't mind the gun camera. If you go fast enough, it won't be able to shoot you) using the Level 6 card Otacon gave you. You'll be able to wander around the cells and that floor without a shirt or any of your equipment except the stuff Otacon gave you. However, the elevator will not work. Unfortunately, you can't have a change and complete the game like this; you have to go back and get your equipment before the elevator will work for you.
DON'T give in to the torture. Exit the cell and get your stuff back. A time bomb will be amongst your items. DON'T throw it away. Deepthroat, Campbell and Master Miller will all tell you to dispose of it. Ignore them. It will explode and you will die. You will hear Ocelot laughing at you. NOTE: There is absolutely no point in doing this!
Don't submit to the torture and then get your stuff back - there'll be a time bomb amongst your items. If you call Master now, he'll tell you to throw it away (just like Campbell and Deepthroat) but after you've chucked it away, call him again. Master will sound really angry and agitated saying stuff like "How dare he put a bomb amongst your items!?" and will be going on about how horrible that was when he suddenly shuts up - almost like someone has entered the same room he was in and didn't like what he was saying.
The body armour can be found in the gas filled room (with the electric floor) in a door numbered 6 in B2 of the Nuke Storage Building. It can also befound in the Blast Furnace.
Before you venture too far into the Snowfield and have to fight Wolf, go to the right of the Snowfield, near the wall (but not right up next to it) and go into First Person View mode. You will see a parachute caught up in a tree and Campbell will call. You will discuss what the parachute could mean.
When you're in the Snowfield fighting Wolf, don't just use your PSG1; use Stinger and Nikita missiles.
By using the three cardboard boxes which you can pick up at different areas on the base, you can use the trucks located in the Heliport, Nuke Storage Building and Snowfield. They will take you where it says on the box. To do this, climb into a truck and select the box to where you want to go. Make sure you stay absolutely still, don't be in First Person View mode and don't hide behind the box already in the truck. A guard will come along and drive you to where it says on the box.
The cardboard boxes have many uses: getting around the base in style (using the trucks), and getting past surveillance and gun cameras. But another great thing is if you've been spotted, hide in the box, but don't hide in the middle of a route where the guards walk because if you do, they'll kick the box off you shouting "Get out of the way" and you'll be spotted! However, if you hide amongst crates, other boxes or in a corner somewhere, using the box can be very effective!
In the Blast Furnace, you'll have to cross a narrow ledge over the molten metal. Make a slight wrong-footing, and you'll fall in! When the crane comes, be sure to crouch... but there is and easier way! Kill the guard near you on the top floor so he can't get in your way, then use two Stinger or Nikita missiles to destroy the crane and make it fall into the molten metal!
Well, to be honest, it isn't hidden at all. In the Blast Furnace on the lowest floor opposite the door leading to the cargo elevators, there is a steam room. Go into the steam room and go the the south-west part of it (be careful not to be blasted by that hot steam!) There will be a gap there. If you crawl, you can get through. When you get outside, there will be a gun camera, so be careful not to be shot and don't fall in to the hot molten metal! There will be some body armour for you to pick up there.
If you get the chance, shoot the ravens and mice that you sometimes see. It serves no purpose, but if you call Campbell, he will tell you to stop your childish antics. Also, if you shoot down any of the ravens on the second Cargo Elevator and then go to face Raven in the Warehouse, Raven will add an extra line into his speech of "how dare you kill my friends!"
Call Master Miller when you're fighting Raven. He'll go on about how you (Snake) and Raven are connected because you're both from a Japanese family. Snake will get suspicious and ask Master how he knew he was from a Japanese family as he never told him - Master Miller won't reply!
In the cold Warehouse where you fight Raven, you can use an array of your weapons -Stinger, Nikita, C4 and Claymores. Which do you find most effective?
After fighting Raven, go back to the Snowfield. A wolf cub will be dashing around happily and no matter what weapons you use, you won't be able to kill it.
After Ocelot has shot the PAL Key from your hand in the Underground Base, go down to the ground floor and select your mine detector. It will pick up the key, which is in the radioactive water, on your radar However it'll also pick up a time bomb which is located in the radioactive water as well. If you manage to pick up the time bomb, throw it away by holding open the item menu at the bomb and press O. If you've only been spotted 10 or fewer times in the game up 'til now, the key will have been eaten by a rat. Kill the rat with any weapon (yeah I know it's sad, but pull yourself together, the rat isn't real) and get that key back! Input it in the control room!
This only applies on The Twin Snakes, but if you drop down onto a gantry in the Underground Base in The Twin Snakes you will find two pipes labelled 'Liquid Nitrogen' and 'Steam' which, when shot at will help you quickly freeze and heat the Key respectively.
When you've heated up the third PAL key in the Blast Furnace, go back to the Cargo Elevators and before you go down, call Mater Miller. He will really be excited about you getting the last key heated up (who can blame him) and really encourage you to get back to the control room as fast as possible. Snake will ask him why he's so excited. He won't answer, but all will be revealed after you insert that key!
I haven't tried this, but I heard about it, so it might not work, but... apparently you can use Stun Grenades as well as Chaff, use cardboard boxes to hide in and run through REX's legs and fire at Liquid from behind.
This might sound a daft thing to do - while fighting Liquid on top of REX, deliberately die; no, it isn't favourism because I'd rather Liquid won the fight than Snake. It's because you only get two and a half minutes whilst fighting Liquid, but if you die, select "Continue" and start the fight again, you'll now have three minutes to do battle with Liquid.
Whilst fighting Liquid on top of REX, fall off the edge so that you're clinging on by your fingers. Liquid will stamp on them. Also, lie down in front of him. He will stamp on you, and if you go into first person while he's stamping on you, you can see your own blood! NOTE: If you're playing on Extreme, if you go near the edge of REX, you'll fall!
Whilst fighting Liquid on top of REX, wait for the time bomb to explode. You will die. You will hear Liquid laughing at you...even though he must have died in the explosion... This is completely pointless, by the way.
If you complete the game with Meryl, the shots of Liquid dying at the end from if you complete the game with Otacon.
After completing the game, you will get a score. In the score, you'll be given a codename depending on how well you did and the difficulty setting you played on. There are 48 in total. To see all the codenames, click here.
After completing the game at least once, go into 'Special' on the main menu and select "Demo Theatre". You will be able to see the cut scenes from the missions you've completed (Meryl, Otacon or both).
This is only an option for those who have completed The Twin Snakes. Just as once you had completed MGS2, you could fight all the bosses of the game, you can also do the same in The Twin Snakes. Fight your way through each boss in turn by selecting the Boss Survival Mode from the 'Special' menu once you have completed the game at least once.
Once you've got the camera, (which you'll still have after completing MGS when you start a new game) you'll find there are several ghosts to photograph in Metal Gear Solid, you just need to go to the right places in the game, and snap away! To see all the locations of all the ghosts, click here.
The tuxedo serves no purpose, but gives Snake a new appearance. To get the tuxedo you have to complete and save the game twice (once with Otacon and once with Meryl) on the same difficulty setting. When you load the new game (it'll be in red writing) and go up on the elevator in the Dock, Snake will not only have both the Steath Camo and the Bandanna, he will be wearing the tuxedo. Also, whenever you see the Ninja in the game, he will be in bright red and blue rather than pale pink and pale blue. This does not alter his behaviour in any way. If you don't like Snake or the Ninja's new appearance, just complete the game, save and start again. You will still have Stealth and the Bandana, but everything else will be back to normal.
After completing the game twice not only will you have the tuxedo and the Ninja will be red and blue, some other changes will be included in the game as well. At the Dock when Snake swims up out of the water, the shots of Snake will be at different angles. When you complete the game, rather than hearing 'The Best Is Yet To Come' during the credits, you'll hear the 'Metal Gear Solid Main Theme'.
Ghost Babel / MGS2 / MGS3
