User:PhDedede/Sandbox/Crossovers with Metal Gear
| Metal Gear | |
|---|---|
 Wordmark for Metal Gear franchise used from 2025 onward | |
| First installment | Metal Gear (1987) |
| Latest installment | Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater (2025) |
Metal Gear is a series of stealth action video games developed and published by Konami. In the series, the player controls a Special Forces Operative who is sent on a military mission that usually involves the eponymous superweapon Metal Gear.
Metal Gear has occasionally referenced the Super Mario franchise, particularly in ports of the games to Nintendo systems. They have also interacted occasionally in crossover media.
Overview
The Metal Gear franchise takes place on Earth and is presented in a techno-thriller style, featuring elements of historical and science fiction. Most games in the Metal Gear series have the player take control of an elite, artificially-enhanced special forces operative codenamed Snake. Operating under the command of the highest orders of government, he sneaks into the compounds of militant forces that threaten Earth with revolutionary nuclear superweapons technology, which in most cases take the form of bipedal tanks known as Metal Gear. Snake uses his resources, skills, and wit to bypass enemy guards and sneak around behind enemy lines. When necessary, he can also neutralize guards, either with CQC (close-quarters combat) techniques or with weapons he has procured on site. He can also interrogate hostages and enemies to gather information.
The Metal Gear franchise has an incredibly intricate timeline, and is grounded in real-world politics from the Cold War era onward. The games explore many different themes, including those of nuclear weapons, artificial intelligence, social engineering, and information control, among others. The stories are fraught with drama, conspiracy theories, betrayals, and other twists that may span over many games. Each subsequent game in the Metal Gear franchise adds to the series' chronology and lore. Most canonical games can be categorized in two groups - games that feature Solid Snake that take place in the postmodern era, and games that feature his father Big Boss set during the Cold War era when he operated under the codename Naked Snake. In addition to the main games, the series also features more lower-stakes, non-canonical side games, such as Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance or Metal Gear: Ghost Babel.
The history and legacy of the Metal Gear series is deeply intertwined with its creator, Hideo Kojima. In 1987, while working at Konami, he was asked to take over a project that had been introduced as a wartime action game for the MSX2 home computer console. Technical limitations of the system pushed Kojima towards creating a game that was more focused on stealth rather than action and gunplay. The game released as Metal Gear later that year to critical acclaim, and it is credited today as the progenitor for the stealth action genre in the video game industry. The game also took heavy inspiration from movies such as Lethal Weapon and Escape from New York. The series' reputation for having dramatic, twist-filled narratives would be pioneered in the game's sequels, namely Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake and Metal Gear Solid. Metal Gear Solid in particular became a killer app for the PlayStation, and shot both the series and its creator into the mainstream. Nowadays, Metal Gear is often regarded as one of the best video game franchises of all time, inspiring many games in the stealth action genre and crossing over with several franchises.
Prominent crossover elements
Snake
- “Kept you waiting, huh?”
- —Snake, Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Solid Snake, whose real name is David, is the main character of the Metal Gear series. He is one of the three results of the "Les Enfants Terribles" project, a government project to create clones of the renowned soldier Big Boss. Throughout the series, players control Snake in solo missions to neutralize walking, bipedal, nuclear-armed war tanks known as Metal Gear. Like how the games themselves were inspired by action movies of the time, Snake himself was likewise inspired by the heroes of those movies, such as Kyle Reese from The Terminator.
In the first game, he is shown as a rookie sent on a mission to Outer Haven, where he destroys the Metal Gear there and unknowingly killed Venom Snake, who was acting as a decoy for Big Boss. He confronts the real Big Boss in Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake in Zanzibar Land, and seemingly kills him. In Metal Gear Solid, Snake is forced out of retirement to stop Liquid Snake, his twin brother and another clone of "Les Enfants Terribles," who has taken control of a nuclear facility on Shadow Moses Island. It is here that Snake learns about his clone heritage, and in the end, Snake triumphs over Liquid, who dies from a genetically-engineered virus.
In Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Snake is initially framed for the sinking of a tanker harboring a new Metal Gear model, and is presumed dead. He re-emerges under the alias "Ironquis Pliskin" to act as a mentor and support character for Raiden, the game's main protagonist. Throughout the game, he helps in uncovering the complex conspiracy involving the third clone of Big Boss, Solidus Snake, and the shadowy organization known as the Patriots.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots centers on a prematurely aged Solid Snake, now known as Old Snake, who is on one last mission. Snake's body is rapidly deteriorating due to the accelerated aging process as a result of his creation as a clone. His final mission is to assassinate Liquid Ocelot, the merged consciousness of Liquid Snake and Revolver Ocelot, who threatens to seize control of a global AI system that regulates military activities. Guns of the Patriots was intended to be the final chapter for Snake's character.
Snake's popularity has lead to him appearing in numerous games outside of the main Metal Gear series. In addition to non-canonical spin-offs such as Metal Gear: Ghost Babel and Metal Gear Acid, he has also crossed over into other franchises, such as appearing as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
History in the Metal Gear franchise
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
Mario and Yoshi make a cameo in the 2004 Nintendo GameCube remake of Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. They appear as figurines in the laboratory room where Dr. Hal Emmerich is found. If Snake shoots the Mario doll, a 1-Up sound effect will play, in addition to "1UP" text appearing over the doll briefly[1]. If Snake shoots the Yoshi doll, it plays a voice clip.
Later in the game, Snake encounters Psycho Mantis, who will read the player's memory card data and comment on other games the player has saved on it. Super Mario Sunshine one of the games he can mention by name ("You've been playing Super Mario Sunshine, haven't you?")[2].
Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D
Yoshi makes another cameo in Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D, a 2012 Nintendo 3DS port of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. In this game, Yoshi dolls are collectibles, replacing the Kerotan dolls that appeared in the original. Every unique area in the game contains one Yoshi doll, which is often hidden in a secret area, for a total of 64. Compared to the original Kerotan dolls, some of the locations for the Yoshi dolls have been shuffled. If a doll is nearby, the player can hear the voice clip for when Yoshi is sticking out his tongue, and if Snake shakes a doll, the sound effect for jumping on Yoshi's back in Super Mario World will play. Collecting all 64 Yoshi dolls will grant the player the Yoshi rank.
Snake Eater 3D also features an exclusive Fruits camouflage outfit, which replaces the GA-KO camouflage in the original game. It can be used to more easily detect the Yoshi dolls. It is patterned with fruit as a reference to the kinds of fruit Yoshi can eat in games like Super Mario World and Yoshi's Story. Similarly, the radio conversation with Para-Medic about Kerotan is replaced with one about Yoshi, which can play when Snake encounters a Yoshi doll for the first time and asks Para-Medic about it. Humorously, she speculates that the reason there are Yoshi dolls around is because he is becoming a popular character in the Soviet Union.
The Yoshi dolls were first teased at the very end of the trailer for Snake Eater 3D, where Snake, while scouting out Dolinovondo with a pair of binoculars, ends up finding Yoshi on a tree stump, much to his bewilderment.[3]
Super Smash Bros. series
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
The Metal Gear series made its Super Smash Bros. series debut in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, where Snake was revealed as a new character at the end of the game's reveal trailer at E3 2006. It is notable for being the first third-party series to be represented in the series. According to Masahiro Sakurai, Hideo Kojima originally asked him to include Snake in Super Smash Bros. Melee, but he couldn't be included as the game was too far in development.[4]
Select material is outlined below. For Metal Gear trophies, see List of SSBB trophies (Metal Gear series). For the equipable stickers, see List stickers (Metal Gear series). For music, see List of SSBB Music (Metal Gear series).
- Characters
- Snake—The main character of the Metal Gear series, considered a legendary mercenary. He is a tall heavyweight who fights with CQC (close quarters combat) tactics, and is armed with various weapons and explosives, as opposed to the firearms he usually uses in his home series. His design is based on his appearance in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, particularly with the Sneaking Suit he wears in said game. However, the beard that Naked Snake has in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is also incorporated into Solid Snake's design in Brawl, as opposed to the light stubble he has in his home series. Additionally, several of his alternate costumes make reference to different camouflage suits that can be worn in Snake Eater. He can be unlocked by playing 15 VS matches on Shadow Moses Island, playing 130 VS matches overall, or having him join the party in the Subspace Emissary.
- Stages
- Shadow Moses Island—A stage set on the helipad of a tank hangar connected to a nuclear weapons disposal facility, the first area of Metal Gear Solid. Uniquely, the stage has walls that prevent players from being KO'ed on the sides, meaning they can only be KO'ed of they're launched upward, though attacking the walls will destroy them. A spotlight may shine on a player, along with a red "!" appearing over them and the sound effect for being detected from Metal Gear Solid playing, though this has no effect on gameplay. The back wall of the stage can be destroyed to reveal different Metal Gears throughout the series, including Metal Gear REX from Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear RAY from Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and Gekko from Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Again, this has no effect on gameplay.
- Assist Trophies
- Gray Fox—The main antagonist of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, who later appears as a cyborg in Metal Gear Solid. Using his design from the latter, he will run around the stage and attack opponents with his sword when summoned. His sword strikes can also reflect projectiles. If he falls off the stage, he can reappear from the top. He may also teleport to the top from anywhere on the stage.
In addition to the above, Snake also has a Smash Taunt that can be performed on Shadow Moses Island. As Snake, if the player presses the input for down taunt for exactly one frame, he will pull out his codec and establish a communication with one of his allies (Roy Campbell, Mei Ling, or Otacon). After this, a conversation between the two will play where they discuss one of the other characters, based on the codec conversations in Metal Gear Solid. If Snake is KO'ed during this conversation, it will be cut short, and the person he's talking to will shout his name, a reference to the game over screens of the Metal Gear series. For a list of conversations Snake and his allies have about characters from the Super Mario franchise, see here.
Snake also plays a role in the game's single-player adventure mode, The Subspace Emissary. He is first shown hiding in a cardboard box aboard the Halberd after completing The Forest, before finally revealing himself in Battleship Halberd Interior. While on the Halberd, he rescues Peach and Zelda alongside Meta Knight and Lucario. Later during Battleship Halberd Bridge, he joins Peach, among others, in the fight against Duon.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
After being completely absent in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, the Metal Gear series returns in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Snake was revealed to return alongside every other returning character during the game's reveal trailer at E3 2018. Notably, Snake's appearance exclaimed "Everyone is Here!" This makes Metal Gear to be the first series with a playable character to appear in one game, be completely absent in the next game, and return in the game after.
Snake's design and moveset are mostly the same as they were in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, though he has a new down smash and a new Final Smash. Additionally, he has two more alternate costumes that reference more camouflage suits. He is once again unlockable, where he is the fifth character in Link's unlock tree, and can also be unlocked by playing VS matches (being the 39th character unlocked) or by having him join the party in World of Light. Additionally, the Shadow Moses Island stage returns, as does the Gray Fox Assist Trophy. The codec conversations from Super Smash Bros. Brawl are also present and can be activated in the same way. However, unlike Palutena's Guidance, there are no new conversations for the characters that weren't in Brawl. This is likely a result of the Japanese voice actor for Roy Campbell, Takeshi Aono, passing away in 2012, and the Metal Gear series retiring the character out of respect.
Snake also appears in the single-player mode World of Light. During the opening cutscene, he and the other playable characters confront Galeem and a hoard of Master Hands before they transform into beams of light that vaporize all of the fighters. Snake is shown hiding inside a cardboard box just before he gets hit by one of the beams. Kirby is the only one who manages to escape, and he must rescue the other characters. Snake is found in the Base area of The Light Realm, which is also where the 9-Volt & 18-Volt spirit is found. The Base bears a resemblance to the compounds that Snake infiltrates in the Metal Gear series.
Select material new to the Super Smash Bros. series is described below. For Metal Gear spirits, see List of spirits in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (501–1000). For music, see List of SSBU Music (Metal Gear series).
- Classic Mode routes
| Round | Opponent(s) | Rule | Stage | Song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snake: Weapons and Equipment OSP | ||||
| 1 | Inkling (x2) | N/A | Moray Towers | Encounter |
| 2 | Diddy Kong | Kongo Falls | Theme of Tara | |
| 3 | Pit | Shadow Moses Island | Theme of Solid Snake | |
| 4 | Link | Jungle Japes | Snake Eater | |
| 5 | Samus (x2) and R.O.B. (x2) | Norfair | Main Theme - METAL GEAR SOLID PEACE WALKER | |
| 6 | Snake | Shadow Moses Island | MGS4 ~Theme of Love~ | |
| Final | Galleom | Boss Battle - Super Smash Bros. Brawl | ||
Wreck-It Ralph
Both the Super Mario franchise and Metal Gear series are referenced in the video game-inspired animated film Wreck-It Ralph. While Ralph is digging through the Lost & Found bin, he finds both a Super Mushroom and a red "!" symbol from the Metal Gear series, but discards both. The "!" also makes the sound effect for being found in Metal Gear Solid when Ralph pulls it out.[5]
References
- ^ "Shooting Mario with a gun plays the classic 1-Up Mushroom sound from Super Mario Bros., while making a “1UP” indicator appear above Mario." – Supper Mario Broth (November 11, 2018). https://www.suppermariobroth.com/post/180001731510/in-metal-gear-solid-the-twin-snakes-for-gamecube. American English. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
- ^ Carlito N.S.P. (April 12, 2021). The hidden layers to Psycho Mantis in Twin Snakes. American English. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
- ^ KONAMI公式 (June 2, 2011). METAL GEAR SOLID SNAKE EATER 3D - E3 2011 Trailer. American English. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
- ^ "When I was developing Super Smash Bros. Melee for GameCube, Hideo Kojima contacted me and practically begged me to put him there, but at the time we were deep in dev and it was too late." – Masahiro Sakurai (2006). Thank Kojima's Son for Getting Snake into Smash Bros. Brawl. engadget.com (American English). Retrieved October 27, 2025.
- ^ Disney (November 2, 2012). Wreck-It Ralph - Metal Gear/StarCraft/Super Mario (Call Of Duty). American English. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
