I found myself perplexed at the apparent break in Konami's line of sequels presented at this year's E3. While the recent sequel to Metal Gear Solid left many players wondering why they'd been left out of an apparent joke, the original has held up for years as an engaging and fun title worthy of endless replay. Apparently Konami agrees with this as they've decided to re-release the title for the GameCube in November 2003.

Teaming up with Silicon Knights, designers of Eternal Darkness and Blood Omen, Konami has stripped everything that was great about MGS2 and slammed it headlong into the original title. While some may see this as a bold attempt to repackage a game, I think it's a refreshing reminder that new technology can often make old games better.

According to the press release on the title, Twin Snakes will be "Delivering the essence of Metal Gear Solid? and Metal Gear Solid? 2: Sons of Liberty&153; into one unique experience, Metal Gear Solid? The Twin Snakes adds new elements to the gameplay that were not available with the original release of Metal Gear Solid?, such as aiming and shooting in first person view, hanging from ledges and opening lockers. Additionally, Metal Gear Solid? The Twin Snakes will feature all-new CG sequences led by Japanese film director and writer Ryuhei Kitamura as well as new character voiceovers, including the voice of the renowned screenwriter (X-Men) and actor, David Hayter as Solid Snake."

All of the same characters (SNAAAAAKE!), codec conversations ("In my stomach.") and weapons return in this rework. This means that you'll basically be enjoying the exact same game again, but with the full range of abilities offered by MGS2's movement, aiming, and full motion video gimmicks. Honestly, I felt right at home in the classic as I used the first person mode to dispatch the guards at the dock instead of sneaking around them.

In addition, the graphics have received quite the modification. The fantastic capabilities of the GameCube give a new shine to the game, providing much more convincing characters and backdrops. This can provide new challenges in some areas, such as searchlights that don't appear as mere giant ovals. A gaussian blurred light replaces this feature, providing a new level of difficulty when it's snowy. A few very simple, yet unanswered, questions remain in my mind after playing through the demo. I found myself curious as to how the old boss battles would play out given the new features offered. While I'm not quite sure how things will turn out, I'm looking forward to doing battle with Revolver Ocelot, The Tank, Sniper Wolf and all the rest.

I feel as if Konami has made a very bold statement by producing this game to begin with. Having the guts to admit that the original game was much better than its successor was a big step in healing the wound that MGS2 left in a lot of people. Taking the initiative to revamp everything about the original to give gamers what they really want is even better. I hope to see a lot of titles in the future that, while lacking in certain creativity and originality, still provide a great experience to gamers that know what they like.