Metal Gear (mecha): Difference between revisions

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==Metal Gear RAY==
==Metal Gear RAY==
[[Image:Mgs2 ray model.jpg|thumbnail|200px|left|Metal Gear RAY holding a downed [[Harrier]] aircraft, as seen in ''Sons of Liberty''.]]
[[Image:Mgs2 ray model.jpg|thumbnail|200px|left|Metal Gear RAY holding a downed [[Harrier]] aircraft, as seen in ''Sons of Liberty''.]]
'''Metal Gear RAY''', also designed by [[Yoji Shinkawa]], is introduced in ''[[Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty]]'', but was previewed in an unlockable image in ''[[Metal Gear Solid#Metal Gear Solid: Integral|Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions]]''. It comes in two variants: a manned prototype version, developed to combat derivatives of [[#Metal Gear REX|Metal Gear REX]], and an unmanned, computer-controlled version, refitted to defend [[#Arsenal Gear|Arsenal Gear]].
'''Metal Gear RAY''', also designed by [[Yoji Shinkawa]], is first seen in an [[easter egg (computing)|easter egg]] in ''[[Metal Gear Solid#Metal Gear Solid: Integral|Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions]]'' and is fully introduced in ''[[Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty]]''. It comes in two variants: a manned prototype version, developed to combat derivatives of [[#Metal Gear REX|Metal Gear REX]], and an unmanned, computer-controlled version, refitted to defend [[#Arsenal Gear|Arsenal Gear]].


RAY differs from previous Metal Gears in that it is not a nuclear launch platform, but instead a weapon of conventional warfare, originally designed to hunt down and destroy the many derivatives of [[#Metal Gear REX|Metal Gear REX]] that became common after the leak of the REX plans following the events of Shadow Moses. It is designed to be even more maneuverable and flexible in deployment than the REX, and can operate both on land and in the water. While RAY has a pair of machine guns and six missile tubes to defend itself from more conventional battlefield threats, its primary weapon is a powerful [[water jet cutter]], which can cut through heavily-armored foes, such as Metal Gear REX derivatives.
RAY differs from previous Metal Gears in that it is not a nuclear launch platform, but instead a weapon of conventional warfare, originally designed to hunt down and destroy the many derivatives of [[#Metal Gear REX|Metal Gear REX]] that became common after the leak of the REX plans following the events of Shadow Moses. It is designed to be even more maneuverable and flexible in deployment than the REX, and can operate both on land and in the water. While RAY has a pair of machine guns and six missile tubes to defend itself from more conventional battlefield threats, its primary weapon is a powerful [[water jet cutter]], which can cut through heavily-armored foes, such as Metal Gear REX derivatives.
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Metal Gear RAY was originally developed by the [[United States Marine Corps|US Marines]] to locate and eliminate [[#Metal Gear REX|Metal Gear REX]] derivatives. In the prologue of ''Metal Gear Solid 2'' (the Tanker chapter), however, it is captured by [[Revolver Ocelot]] while being transported in a disguised OIL Tanker. This version is labeled "MARINES", has a cockpit (accommodating a single pilot) and a long tail. The RAY is an amphibious craft which allows for maneuverability in land and at sea: the long tail is intended for balance while making leaps or operating underwater. The entirety of the forward interior of the cockpit is a [[Heads-Up Display|heads-up display]], allowing the pilot to look around as if there were no obstruction between him and the battlefield.
Metal Gear RAY was originally developed by the [[United States Marine Corps|US Marines]] to locate and eliminate [[#Metal Gear REX|Metal Gear REX]] derivatives. In the prologue of ''Metal Gear Solid 2'' (the Tanker chapter), however, it is captured by [[Revolver Ocelot]] while being transported in a disguised OIL Tanker. This version is labeled "MARINES", has a cockpit (accommodating a single pilot) and a long tail. The RAY is an amphibious craft which allows for maneuverability in land and at sea: the long tail is intended for balance while making leaps or operating underwater. The entirety of the forward interior of the cockpit is a [[Heads-Up Display|heads-up display]], allowing the pilot to look around as if there were no obstruction between him and the battlefield.


Later during the Plant chapter of ''Metal Gear Solid 2'', Revolver Ocelot delivers the stolen prototype RAY to [[Patriots (Metal Gear)|the Patriots]], an [[Illuminati]]-esque organization secretly running the [[United States]]. Under their direction, the unit is redesigned for control by the AI known as "GW" in defense of [[#Arsenal Gear|Arsenal Gear]]. The Arsenal Gear has a force of these slave RAYs ready for immediate deployment against any possible threats. The mass-production RAYs lack the tail of the prototype, have rounded knees and have only one sensory input or "eye" instead of two like the prototype version, and are labeled "US NAVY". They are also painted in an olive-drab [[camouflage]] pattern.
After the events of the Tanker chapter in ''Metal Gear Solid 2'', Revolver Ocelot delivers the stolen prototype RAY to [[Patriots (Metal Gear)|the Patriots]], an [[Illuminati]]-esque organization secretly running the [[United States]]. Under their direction, the unit is redesigned for control by the AI known as "GW" in defense of [[#Arsenal Gear|Arsenal Gear]], which player confronts as Raiden during the Plant chapter. The Arsenal Gear has a force of these slave RAYs ready for immediate deployment against any possible threats. The mass-production RAYs lack the tail of the prototype, have rounded knees and have only one sensory input or "eye" instead of two like the prototype version, and are labeled "US NAVY". They are also painted in an olive-drab [[camouflage]] pattern.


In ''[[Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots]]'', Liquid Ocelot pilots a modified version of the stolen Metal Gear RAY prototype, which exhibits a combination of both the prototype and mass-production models' characteristics: It now has rounded knees and lacks a tail, similar to the mass-production model, but retain RAY's two "eyes", a cockpit for manual control, and greyish-blue coloring. It is labeled "OUTER HAVEN". Despite being an anti-REX Metal Gear, it was immobilized during a battle with a handicapped REX.
In ''[[Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots]]'', Liquid Ocelot pilots a modified version of the stolen Metal Gear RAY prototype, which exhibits a combination of both the prototype and mass-production models' characteristics: It now has rounded knees and lacks a tail, similar to the mass-production model, but retain RAY's two "eyes", a cockpit for manual control, and greyish-blue coloring. It is labeled "OUTER HAVEN". Despite being an anti-REX Metal Gear, it was immobilized during a battle with a handicapped REX.

Revision as of 17:29, 27 June 2008

File:MGear mecha history.jpg
From left to right: Metal Gear TX-55, D, and REX.

Metal Gear is the name for a series of fictional mecha in the Metal Gear series.[1] While each game has a new Metal Gear with a different role, they are typically autonomous nuclear launch platforms which the player must destroy in order to save the world and complete the game. Often (but not always), confronting the latest model of Metal Gear is one of the final challenges of each game.

Concept and Creation

According to Kojima, he conceived the idea of the fictional "Metal Gear" weapon, a nuclear-capable walking tank, was conceived in response to the nuclear war hysteria during the mid-1980's that resulted from the Cold War, as the U.S. military had no mobile nuclear weapons delivery system at the time.[2]

Overview

The Metal Gear weapon has been consistently described since the original Metal Gear as an all-terrain, nuclear-equipped, walking battle tank capable of launching a nuclear warhead from anywhere on the planet. In the first Metal Gear, the fortified military state of Outer Heaven, secretly led by Big Boss, attempts to achieve military dominance over the West and East through the use of Metal Gear. The original Metal Gear was built by Dr. Pettrovich (Dr. Madnar in subsequent sequels and re-releases), an Eastern scientist who was forced to build the weapon against his will. In Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, another hostile nation, Zanzibar Land (once again led by Big Boss), uses an improved model (Metal Gear D) to raid nuclear disposal sites. This model was also built by Dr. Madnar, who built it willingly this time after his radical ideas were rejected by the Western scientific community.

In Metal Gear Solid, a third model, Metal Gear REX, is introduced, this time designed by Dr. Hal Emmerich who thought he was building something for "good" rather than evil and was produced by the U.S. Army on Shadow Moses island, Alaska. After the events of Metal Gear Solid, the data for REX is sold on the black market, leading to the proliferation of Metal Gear-like weapons and the creation of the Marines' Metal Gear RAY in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater fills in the origin of Metal Gear. According to that game, the idea for Metal Gear originates with Aleksandr Leonovitch Granin, a Soviet weapons designer, who compares it to the theory of the missing link between apes and men. He shows Naked Snake his design drawings, which appear quite similar to Metal Gear REX, calling it the missing link between infantry and artillery. Infantry can go anywhere but are easily destroyed and carry limited firepower. Artillery can inflict and sustain far more damage, but are at the mercy of terrain. In short, for a tank to be perfect, it needs legs. At the end of Metal Gear Solid 3, Ocelot reveals he stole these designs from Granin. The first built model, the ICBMG, appears in Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, which is a quadrupedal design.

TX-55 Metal Gear

A comparison of Metal Gear designs from the early MSX2 games. From left to right: Metal Gear D (Metal Gear 2), Metal Gear (Metal Gear), Mk. II (Snatcher), and Petit (SD Snatcher).

The model in the first Metal Gear is designated the "TX-55 Metal Gear" in the manual for the MSX2 version[3], although it is simply referred as "Metal Gear" in the game. No particular meaning is given behind this codename. The Bloody Brad/Arnold androids, Dr. Pettrovich's other creation in the game, are designated TX-11.

Metal Gear's weak spot can only be learned from Dr. Pettrovich, its creator, after the player has rescued his daughter, Ellen. This Metal Gear is stored in a room guarded by two laser cams and never actually becomes operational; the final challenge in Metal Gear is instead a battle with Big Boss and a race against time to escape the self-destructing base.

The Metal Gear mecha does not appear in the NES version of the game. Instead, the player has to take out a Super Computer which controls Metal Gear prior to the final battle with Big Boss. In Snake's Revenge, the non-canonical sequel to Metal Gear, mass-produced versions of the original Metal Gear (dubbed "Metal Gear 1" in the game) are stored in an enemy cargo ship. The wreckage of the original Metal Gear makes a cameo in Metal Gear: Ghost Babel, an alternate sequel to the first game set in a rebuilt Outer Heaven.

Metal Gear D

File:Metal Gear D specs.png
A technical diagram of Metal Gear D, from the manual of the MSX2 version of Metal Gear 2.

The Metal Gear D in Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake is a revision of the original Metal Gear from the first game, which is revealed to had only been a prototype. Metal Gear D is equipped with a Vulcan gun and a six-missile pod. It is piloted by Gray Fox in the game and can only be destroyed by the player by throwing grenades over its feet. The mecha design of Metal Gear D was chosen through an internal contest between Konami's artists, with the primary criteria being realism.[4] The final design is credited to Tomohiro Nishio.

A smaller, non-nuclear-armed mass-produced model dubbed Metal Gear G (or Metal Gear Gustav), was designed for Metal Gear 2, but rejected for the final game.[5] They are mentioned in the game by Dr. Pettrovich as being under development.

The original blueprints for Metal Gear D are visible on Granin's desk in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater along with the REX blueprints. The design makes an appearance in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots in a flashback.

Metal Gear REX

File:Metal Gear Rex line art.png
Metal Gear Rex design drawings; by Yoji Shinkawa, from The Art of Metal Gear Solid. Shinkawa said that much of REX's design was based around technical limitations of the PlayStation system; hence the large, flat panels which make up its structure [6].

Metal Gear REX, designed by Yoji Shinkawa, is the model of Metal Gear that appears in Metal Gear Solid. REX differs from the preceding Metal Gear D in that its legs are heavily armored and reinforced, not vulnerable like its predecessors'.

The Metal Gear REX has near-impenetrable compound armor, a pair of vulcan cannons, anti-tank missiles, and a free-electron laser, to protect itself from conventional forces. Its primary weapon, however, is a magnetic railgun capable of delivering an untraceable nuclear warhead anywhere in the world, without the propellant trail or launch flare that gives away the launch position of a traditional ballistic missile. Because of its sealed, one-man cockpit and thick armor, its sensors are concentrated in a radome on the left side of its body; this radome is very vulnerable to attack, and destroying it effectively blinds the REX, forcing the cockpit to open. In this state, the REX is vulnerable as its controls can be easily destroyed (In Metal Gear Solid, Otacon states that this was intentional, declaring that nothing can be complete without a "character flaw").

Solid Snake battling REX

In the story of Metal Gear Solid, weapons company ArmsTech bribes DARPA chief Donald Anderson to get covert US government funding for development of Metal Gear REX for the US Army, and sends a single prototype to be tested at a nuclear weapons disposal facility on Shadow Moses Island. However, the Shadow Moses facility is taken over by the rogue special forces unit FOXHOUND, who then attempt to use it as leverage to extort the US government. Solid Snake comes out of retirement, infiltrates the Shadow Moses facility and, with the help of Hal "Otacon" Emmerich, REX's engineer, and Gray Fox, a Cyborg Ninja and mysterious infiltrator, eliminates FOXHOUND and destroys the robot.

It is revealed in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty that Revolver Ocelot, the sole FOXHOUND survivor, escaped with the blueprints for REX and sells them on the black market. As a result, variants of REX spread worldwide. The Metal Gear RAY is designed in response, to combat these variants of REX, and render them useless.

In Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Solid Snake is sent back to Shadow Moses Island to re-acquire REX, which has become Liquid Ocelot's newest target. Liquid plans to remove REX's railgun to launch nuclear weapons; since REX predates the SOP system, it has no ID lockout mechanism (with the exception of the PAL interface). Arriving at the old hangar, Snake finds the damaged Metal Gear but discovers that Liquid has already removed the railgun. After Raiden fights and kills Vamp, Solid Snake and Raiden uses REX to escape the base from a swarm of suicidal Gekkos. Raiden stays behind to hold off the Gekkos, and is trapped under rubble when part of the base collapses. Outside, Snake confronts Liquid who is piloting Metal Gear RAY. Even though RAY was developed as an anti-Metal Gear weapon, and REX being handicapped (its radome was still damaged and its railgun gone), Snake and REX manage to destroy RAY (Otacon credits this to his assistance).[7]

Metal Gear REX, RAY, and Gekko make cameo appearances in Super Smash Bros. Brawl's Shadow Moses Island stage.

Metal Gear RAY

Metal Gear RAY holding a downed Harrier aircraft, as seen in Sons of Liberty.

Metal Gear RAY, also designed by Yoji Shinkawa, is first seen in an easter egg in Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions and is fully introduced in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. It comes in two variants: a manned prototype version, developed to combat derivatives of Metal Gear REX, and an unmanned, computer-controlled version, refitted to defend Arsenal Gear.

RAY differs from previous Metal Gears in that it is not a nuclear launch platform, but instead a weapon of conventional warfare, originally designed to hunt down and destroy the many derivatives of Metal Gear REX that became common after the leak of the REX plans following the events of Shadow Moses. It is designed to be even more maneuverable and flexible in deployment than the REX, and can operate both on land and in the water. While RAY has a pair of machine guns and six missile tubes to defend itself from more conventional battlefield threats, its primary weapon is a powerful water jet cutter, which can cut through heavily-armored foes, such as Metal Gear REX derivatives.

File:MGS2 Ray.jpg
Drawings of RAY's design by Yoji Shinkawa, displaying sections of its structure

The Metal Gear RAY is more organic than previous models, both in appearance and in function. Its streamlined shape helps to deflect enemy fire and allows for greater maneuverability both on land and in water. Its interior workings are also somewhat organic, as it has artificial fibers that contract when electricity is applied, much like natural muscle, instead of typical hydraulics; this pseudo-muscle tissue makes it very maneuverable. It also has a nervous-system-like network of conductive nanotubes, which connect the widely dispersed sensor systems and relay commands from the cockpit to the various parts of RAY's body, automatically bypassing damaged systems and rerouting to auxiliary systems when needed. Another feature is its blood-like armor-repair nanopaste, which is secreted from valves and coagulates wherever the exterior surface is damaged. Particularly unusual is its "face", with two "eyes" and a gaping "mouth", only seen when the head armor is removed. The steel armor on Metal Gear RAY's exterior is made of a highly advanced Ceramic-Titanium Alloy.

Metal Gear RAY was originally developed by the US Marines to locate and eliminate Metal Gear REX derivatives. In the prologue of Metal Gear Solid 2 (the Tanker chapter), however, it is captured by Revolver Ocelot while being transported in a disguised OIL Tanker. This version is labeled "MARINES", has a cockpit (accommodating a single pilot) and a long tail. The RAY is an amphibious craft which allows for maneuverability in land and at sea: the long tail is intended for balance while making leaps or operating underwater. The entirety of the forward interior of the cockpit is a heads-up display, allowing the pilot to look around as if there were no obstruction between him and the battlefield.

After the events of the Tanker chapter in Metal Gear Solid 2, Revolver Ocelot delivers the stolen prototype RAY to the Patriots, an Illuminati-esque organization secretly running the United States. Under their direction, the unit is redesigned for control by the AI known as "GW" in defense of Arsenal Gear, which player confronts as Raiden during the Plant chapter. The Arsenal Gear has a force of these slave RAYs ready for immediate deployment against any possible threats. The mass-production RAYs lack the tail of the prototype, have rounded knees and have only one sensory input or "eye" instead of two like the prototype version, and are labeled "US NAVY". They are also painted in an olive-drab camouflage pattern.

In Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Liquid Ocelot pilots a modified version of the stolen Metal Gear RAY prototype, which exhibits a combination of both the prototype and mass-production models' characteristics: It now has rounded knees and lacks a tail, similar to the mass-production model, but retain RAY's two "eyes", a cockpit for manual control, and greyish-blue coloring. It is labeled "OUTER HAVEN". Despite being an anti-REX Metal Gear, it was immobilized during a battle with a handicapped REX.

Arsenal Gear

Arsenal Gear (appearing in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty) is a submersible, mobile fortress developed by the Patriots, with the ability to monitor, block, and tamper with internet communications in order to further the goals of the Patriots. It is a metaphor for the change of warfare in the last decades of the 20th century, from nuclear war to a war of culture, information, and espionage.

Arsenal Gear is hidden under the Big Shell, and is controlled by an AI named "GW", which was designed by Emma Emmerich. (There are other AIs besides GW, as GW stands for George Washington, as Raiden speaks with another AI named "JFK", which stands for John F. Kennedy prior to his battle with Solidus, but they are unrelated to this Arsenal Gear.) The Document of Metal Gear Solid 2 actually reveals that the Arsenal below the Big Shell is not the only one, and each Arsenal is run by its own Patriots AI system.

Arsenal Gear is massive, large enough to house - and also require - a significant force for its defense. The exterior is shown when Raiden and Solidus are heading for Federal Hall and see it speeding under many bridges before it crashes. The Arsenal Gear hidden under the Big Shell has an unspecified number of "Tengu Commandos", soldiers clad in powered armor and armed with P90 submachine guns and high-frequency blades. It also has a squadron of 25 mass-production Metal Gear RAYs, each of which is under the direct control of GW, the AI controlling Arsenal Gear.

During the Big Shell incident, Raiden is actually being manipulated by GW, Arsenal Gear's AI, but, as Emma Emmerich's virus slowly destroys GW, Raiden is able to enter Arsenal Gear (from the Big Shell, the facility Arsenal Gear is hidden under) and uncover the many layers of deception concealing the true meaning behind his mission to the Big Shell. Revolver Ocelot, being controlled by Liquid Snake via his transplanted arm, directs Arsenal Gear to crash into Manhattan Island at the end of Raiden's mission, but its ultimate fate is yet to be revealed.

A scene which was cut from the final version of Metal Gear Solid 2 shows Arsenal Gear crashing through and destroying several buildings in Manhattan Island. This scene was later removed due to the attacks on September 11th.[8]

Outer Haven, a submarine under control from Liquid Ocelot is a converted Arsenal Gear stolen from The Patriots.

Shagohod

File:Shagohod.jpg
The Shagohod, as depicted in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.

The Shagohod (Russian Шагоход, "step-walker", occasionally referred to in English as "The Treading Behemoth") featured in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, is not a true Metal Gear (being a parallel design instead), but has a similar design and role.[9] Rather than a bipedal mecha, it is an unconventional tank, armed with an intermediate-range ballistic missile it can propel to intercontinental ranges. Like the various Metal Gear variants, it can be crewed by a single pilot, although it has a station for a copilot.

The Shagohod has an articulated body, split into two parts. The front part has a pair of Archimedes screws on hydraulic legs, which pull the bulky rear portion, suspended on a hovercraft-style air cushion. While this is an unusual mechanism for propulsion, far more unusual are the Shagohod's rocket boosters. With a sufficiently large flat piece of land (such as a highway or landing strip), the Shagohod can fire its rocket boosters to build up speed (up to more than 480 km/h or 300 mph) before firing its primary weapon, a nuclear-armed intermediate-range ballistic missile. In doing so, it serves as an additional stage for the rocket, allowing it to strike at targets nearly anywhere in the world (a range of over 6,000 miles [9,600 km]). The Shagohod also has parachutes in the back to help in slowing it down after a rocket-boosted missile-launch.

Besides its single SS-20 "Saber" IRBM (which has to be reloaded after firing), the Shagohod has defensive weaponry, including three machine guns to defend against aircraft and infantry, six surface-to-air missiles to protect against aircraft, and a 100-barrel volley gun to defend against armor.

The Shagohod has its most evident weakness in its propulsive screws; when they are blocked or damaged, the tank becomes nearly useless. Also, its need for a long, flat, surface to accelerate seriously impairs its versatility.

While Snake talks with Sokolov in the west wing of the weapons lab in Groznyj Grad, Sokolov mentions that Volgin was planning to mass-produce the Shagohod and ship it to all the countries of the Eastern Bloc. At that same point, Sokolov also mentioned that Volgin also was planning to use the Shagohod as bait to foment armed uprisings among dictators, ethnic insurgents and revolutionary groups throughout the Third World.

The Shagohod is not a precursor to the Metal Gear series of mecha, but instead a parallel development; it is developed by Dr. Sokolov at a secret base in Tselinoyarsk. His peer, and self-proclaimed rival, Director Granin, conceives of the Metal Gear at approximately the same time, but Colonel Volgin favors Sokolov's design over Granin's, and funds the production of a prototype. This is possibly due to the fact that, though a walker like Metal Gear would ultimately prove to be a far more versatile system, the Shagohod was only an unusual combination of technologies that already existed at the time (tanks, ground effects, IRBMs, and booster rockets), as opposed to an unrealized idea requiring years or even decades of research.

ICBMG and RAXA

The Metal Gear RAXA from Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, as shown in an original conceptual artwork.

The Intercontinental Ballistic Launch Capable Metal Gear, or ICBMG as it is referred[10], is the featured mecha in Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. In the fictional chronology of the series, the ICBMG is the first built Metal Gear prototype, predating the TX-55 from the first game. Its design, completed by Dr. Sokolov, is based on the original blueprints created by Granin (as seen in MGS3). Unlike the future bipedal models, ICBMG's design is quadrupedal. Its nuclear function is to act as a mobile launching device for MIRVs. While therefore capable of making nuclear strikes against several targets at once, its range is limited, and unlike the Shagohod, is unable to compensate for it with speed. Thus, it must be physically transported to a point within range of the target(s) first. This is accomplished by having the ICBMG itself attached to the top of a rocket, launching it, detaching the unit at 3000 ft above the intended landing point, and having it parachute back down to the ground, launching its nuclear payload afterwards.

Snake encounters two models in the game. The first is actually a non-nuclear equipped test model called Metal Gear RAXA, which the player destroys as a boss. The actual model appears attached to a nuclear warhead in the game's ending, which Snake destroys in the cut-scene with the help of his Russian comrades.

Gekko

A GEKKO from Metal Gear Solid 4.

Gekko (月光, Gekkō, meaning "moonlight") is the new mecha featured in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. The Gekko is a mass-produced unmanned bipedal unit manufactured by ArmsTech Corp, and designated "Irving" by the U.S. Military; their frequent use by PMCs has caused it to be a replacement for tanks as a means of conducting armored warfare in Urban areas. The Gekko is used particularly by the Praying Mantis company, although the Gekko have widespread use within the PMC community.

Although not a literal Metal Gear, the top half of this mecha is reminiscent of the Metal Gear REX design while the organic legs are somewhat similar to that of Metal Gear RAY. It is unmanned and uses two large cameras as its "eyes", one mounted on its head, the other at the front of its hip assembly. These are backed up by other sensors, mostly passive. New features include a small robotic tentacle used to pick up small objects or grab targets. The Gekko is incredibly agile and maneuverable, thanks to a pair of flexible limbs that can act as either legs or arms. The legs are made from artificial muscle tissue cloned from embryonic stem cells of ungulate embryos. With these legs, the Gekko can pick up a man and throw him hard enough to penetrate a brick wall, deliver a kick that can overturn a 6x6 truck, dodge an RPG and kill its shooter, climb walls, crouch to enter buildings, run at speeds equivalent to a motor vehicle, and leap huge distances through the air. This model comes in multiple variants. Two of these variants are designed for standard combat; both carrying anti-personnel machine guns mounted inside the "nose", while one carries heavier machine guns and missile launchers. A third variant is the special purpose "Suicide Gekko", designed to invade enemy facilities in groups before self-destructing en masse.

Similar in combat terms when compared with traditional Metal Gear models, relatively little firepower is needed to actually destroy one. A quick blast with an assault rifle may cause one to trip if shot in the legs. Corresponding shots to the "neck" can destroy a Gekko with small arms such as a M4 Carbine or FN P90. However when a Gekko falls it can quickly regain its footing even if tripped onto its head. The Gekko makes use of sound in psychological warfare, particularly animal noises (such as cicadas while on the prowl to create an atmosphere of unease, and bull sounds in direct combat as a means of unnerving the enemy). They feature characteristics that are biomechanoid to some degree, as they have been shown to "bleed" when sliced at the legs (understandably as the machine could use a blood-like self-repairing nanopaste like the RAY), though severe wounds on seemingly mechanical components have been known to "bleed" as well. In addition, they expel a green liquid while roaring in certain situations.

In a pre-release interview, Metal Gear director Hideo Kojima stated that the Gekkos are not the game's titular Metal Gears, stating that they are more like a jeep or a tank compared to the conventional Metal Gears such as REX and RAY.[11]

Metal Gear Mk. II and Mk. III

A robotic companion to Snake called Metal Gear Mk. II appears in Metal Gear Solid 4. This Metal Gear Mk. II is similar (albeit a bit more angular in appearance) to the Snatcher version (see below) and is controlled by Otacon, who uses it to deliver ammunition and advice to Solid Snake. The Metal Gear Mk. II can also be used as a recon device, turn invisible, and shock enemies knocking them unconscious. However, it also runs on batteries which run out of juice due to consumption while in operation. The Metal Gear Mk. II is automated in the game, but can be controlled by the player if needed. After the Eastern Europe mission, the Metal Gear Mk.II is destroyed by Vamp, and replaced by the similar Metal Gear Mk.III, which accompanies Snake at Shadow Moses and Outer Haven. The Mk. III has the same body as the Mk. II, but with a red-colored exterior.

Other models

These models are not part of the mainstream Metal Gear series continuity, either because they appear in a non-canonical game (Snake's Revenge, Metal Gear: Ghost Babel and Metal Gear Acid) or because the game in which they appear is not a Metal Gear game at all (Snatcher).

Metal Gear Mk. II (Snatcher)

The Metal Gear Mk. II in Snatcher is the robotic sidekick of the game's protagonist, Gillian Seed, a JUNKER agent. He is a navigator built by JUNKER engineer Harry Benson to assist Gillian and facilitate his investigation. According to Harry, he was designed after the "Metal Gear menace from the 20th century." He is equipped with a forensic analyzer, as well as a videophone Gillian uses to communicate with his wife and other characters. The Metal Gear is voiced by Mami Koyama in the Japanese versions and by Lucy Childs in the English-language Sega CD version. A hand-size model appears in the spinoff SD Snatcher named Petit Metal, its function in the game is to display statistical data during battle.

Metal Gear 2

The Metal Gear 2 from Snake's Revenge is the Metal Gear successor in that game. Its specifications are never revealed in the game, although it is described as "seven times more powerful than Metal Gear 1" by one of the prisoners Snake rescues. In the game's end sequence, Metal Gear 2 becomes active and initiates a countdown sequence, announcing to launch a series of nuclear missiles around the globe, starting with New York, Tokyo and Moscow. The path to Metal Gear 2 is blocked by a fence and the player can only destroy the mech by firing guided missiles into the air duct.

Metal Gear GANDER

Metal Gear GANDER's concept art as shown on the offical website.

The Metal Gear model in Metal Gear: Ghost Babel. Metal Gear GANDER is the result of the U.S. Army's "Project Babel" after the U.S. Government procured the data from the original prototype in Outer Heaven. It is stolen by the Gindra Liberation Front and taken to their fortress of Galuade (the former Outer Heaven). Its armament consists of two nuclear warhead-launching rail guns (similar to Metal Gear REX), two vulcan cannons, six guided missile pods, two automated flying attack pods, a pair of spread fire cannons, and a close range flamethrower. While GANDER had a railgun similar to REX, it required an entire power plant to operate. Secretly, its most powerful weapon was a satellite-based data link system that allows it to launch nuclear missiles anywhere in the world, though, likewise, it took the same amount of power to function. The design is based on one of Shinkawa's unused Metal Gear REX concepts.[citation needed]

Metal Gear KODOQUE

Metal Gear KODOQUE is the Metal Gear model featured in Metal Gear Ac!d. Its name is derived from the Japanese word "Kodoku" or "Isolation". One of the larger Metal Gear models, Kodoque has two armor-like plates on each of its arms that come equipped with a remote control missile launcher. There are four slots for missiles on each arm, coming to a total of 8 missiles at one time. When not being used, these arms can form a protective cocoon around the Metal Gear. It also comes with a beam cannon near the legs, and can fire a plasma shot from its head when both arms are destroyed. This beam can be interrupted if 4 rods in a control room are destroyed.

The inside is also different from Metal Gears: It comes equipped with a control room, and has sentry bots for security. It also has multiple controls when compared to previous Metal Gears having a cockpit.

In Metal Gear Ac!d², Kodoque's wreck was salvaged and brought to the SaintLogic facility. It is kept in the 4-story Metal Gear Prototype building, which is destroyed by Snake and Venus.

Chaioth Ha Qadesh

Chaioth Ha Qadesh is the Metal Gear model which appears in Metal Gear Ac!d². The name Chaioth Ha Qadesh is derived from the Keter, a high level in the Kabbalah, a mystical system often confused with Judaism. The name refers to a group of angels, called The Holy Living Creatures (Chayot Ha Qadesh - "חיות הקדש" in Hebrew). Originally designed as a way to control Model 3 test subjects, Chaioth Ha Qadesh uses the EGO (Enhanced Governing Organization) Operating System to control various modified soldiers and guard robots. SaintLogic developed the Metal Gear for that purpose, but Dr. Thomas Koppelthorn stole Chaioth Ha Qadesh as a means to get revenge for his wife Lucinda and kill all involved in the Praulia Massacre.

Like other Metal Gears, Chaioth Ha Qadesh can fire a nuclear missile from any area of the world to its target. However, one difference is that it mainly uses Neutron Bombs as its main weapon, and also contains the data on all test subjects in the SaintLogic institute. It has a missile launcher on its back, and can fire bullets from the Vulcan Cannons on each of its arms. It also has a slot on the top for launching energy that can cause any equipped cards to be destroyed. Metal Gear Chaioth Ha Qadesh uses nano chip expansions so the player can see what cards the Metal Gear has and will use. The cockpit, located in the upper zone of Metal Gear's head, can be ejected, which Lucy uses to kill Koppelthorn by launching him out of Chaioth Ha Qadesh and then destroying the cockpit (and what was inside it) with a missile. At the end of the game, Snake empties its equipped nuclear warhead, hides inside the casing, and launches himself into the ocean to escape US soldiers.

References

  1. ^ Jeremy Parish, “Metal Gear,” Electronic Gaming Monthly 225 (January 2008): 93.
  2. ^ Metal Gear Saga Vol. 1.
  3. ^ "Metal Gear - Character Profiles" (in Japanese).
  4. ^ Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake instruction manual, pg. 54
  5. ^ Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake instruction manual, pg. 53
  6. ^ Revealed in Making of the Hollywood Game a DVD released with Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty in Europe
  7. ^ Otacon: RAY might have been designed as a REX-killer, but you've got me on your side. Crush RAY, and Liquid with it.
  8. ^ Hideo Kojima (2002). The Document of Metal Gear Solid 2 (PlayStation 2). Konami.
  9. ^ Jeremy Parish, “Shagohod,” Electronic Gaming Monthly 225 (January 2008): 92.
  10. ^ Kojima Productions. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. Campbell: From what this guy "Ghost" has been saying, the weapon we're chasing is a Metal Gear with intercontinental ballistic-launch capabilities. An ICBMG, if you will. {{cite book}}: line feed character in |quote= at position 72 (help)
  11. ^ "EGM Magazine E3 2006 Hideo Kojima Interview Scan". Metal Gear Solid The Unofficial Site. 2006. Retrieved 10 November. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)