The worthy namesake of our recently and appropriately crowned resident ‘Boss’ here at TAGS - Aaron Mitchell – no discussion of the past two decades of gaming is complete without reference to the original Big Boss, Solid Snake.

But an utterance of the name ‘Hideo Kojima’ is apt to inspire respectful awe among the legion of millions touched by the stealth action genre he arguably created 25 years ago. ‘Metal Gear’ remains one of gaming’s best-selling and most critically acclaimed series, likewise its most prized intellectual properties (IP).

Recognizing this reality, Konami unleashes upon Kojima Army ‘Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection,’ a wonderful, homage to a man and series among the greatest in gaming history. The collection packs an appropriate array of Snake’s finest adventures, 2001’s ‘Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty,’ 2004’s  ‘Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater,’ and finally 2010’s PSP hit ‘Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.’ The trio is a solid encapsulation of the evolution of the Series, a terrific threading of storylines, characters and gameplay elements across three of the highest rated console games of all time.

Akin to other PS3 HD remakes before it, however, don’t expect Metal Gear’s go-round to light the world on fire via audio-visuals. What was originally PS2 and PSP graphics get a slight paintbrush/animation upgrade for re-release, likewise sound seemingly upscaled for better channel distribution. Peace Walker…a second analog stick. This is not to say said upgrades aren’t noticeable, rather nothing earth shattering by any means.

What is, noticeable, however, is the vast gaming packed onto a single disc. Every little extra minigame, bonus mission challenge, and unlockable is present and accounted for. In addition to three of Snake’s finest adventures, the HD Collection features NES originals Metal Gear 1 and 2 for those seeking to relive the Saga from the truly very beginning.

With such perspective, the genius of Kojima – plus daring steps he took with the Metal Gear Series – explode onto the screen. The complexity of storytelling, carry-overs spanning titles, finally gameplay cohesion within and across adventures is simply amazing. Some of these nuances translate better than others, as – in my humble opinion – Snake Eater (in its quest for more robust movement possibilities) loses the dynamic feel of Sons of Liberty. Related, Peace Walkers decision to eliminate crawl movement seems confounding. Still, what remains true – radio frequency communication, stealth detection versus attack decision making, roll and crouch, also inventory management - are top notch.

With this being said, Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection is not going to win over new fans nor PS2/PSP devotees to the originals expect anything extraordinary. Moreover – and while Metal Gear is ridiculously critically acclaimed – not everything about the Series will please all. For example, Kojima’s plotlines are preachy, his political beliefs crystal clear plus perspectives on how key periods in recent history should’ve gone. In turn, lead protagonists tend to be both engaging and stereotypical; robust plotlines do little to explain characters endlessly devoted to causes for limited reason. The dialog…it goes on forever.

Also – and gameplay speaking – Metal Gear has some long-standing warts, even when upgraded to HD. Interactive surfaces appear random and/or forced in many instances, plus the absence of a proper and constant map Heads Up Display (HUD) is confounding. Last – and for the life of me – don’t know why aiming seemingly precise instruments is so hard, ditto holstering a gun without firing it.

These criticisms, however, become forgivable under a premise of means to a genre defining end. Many have tried…and failed…to embody the stealth action dynamic of Metal Gear. The thrill of successful, sneaky conquest of a level area never gets old, also the satisfaction of doing so in efficient, record time. Metal Gear is an art form either embraced or dismissed…often to extremes.

Thus and in summation, it’s hard not to recommend Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection for the PS3. There’s literally dozens of hours of outstanding gameplay on a well-priced, single disc, and with it ways of experiencing three of the best video games of the past decade. Kojima veterans will no doubt welcome the repeat foray into two PS2 Snake triumphs, also enable non-PSP gamers to tackle a simply brilliant game with wonderful team management and artistic additions to the series.

Last and in closing, these HD Collections – even with them getting pumped out in droves these days –  are welcome comrades for what is often a mixed bag of new release recycled genres, engines, and failed online play promises. Studio and publisher investment into celebrating and selling these near-recent gaming conquests are wonderful reminders for old and new gamers alike on what ‘right’  looks like.