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It's been two long years since we last heard from Mitchell Hammond, the artist behind the impressive, independently produced "Metal Gear Warhead Activate" animation from 2024. But Hammond has returned, bringing with them a recreation of a familiar scenario from Hideo Kojima's seminal stealth series.
The new clip, titled "Metal Gear Snake Returns", features a moment-to-moment adaptation of a sequence from the original Metal Gear, first released on MSX2 in 1987. The sequence follows Solid Snake in his efforts to escape military prison, including his unarmed encounter with the shotgun-wielding boss, Shotmaker, and subsequent procurement of his confiscated weaponry...
...And Snake is ready to take names and snap necks once again.
Hammond's animation proudly states - rightfully so - that the clip's work is "No AI. Only Human.", an unfortunate but necessary disclaimer in the modern timeline. While Hammond's art is impressive, it's the smaller details that make the clip so rewatchable.
The comic-book texture of the imagery, the recreation of Snake's cell and its surrounding areas, and even Snake's bustling bin liner of goodies. The ejection of the shotgun cartridge, the FOXHOUND patch, and even the packaged MSX2 console(!) It's the focus on these smaller details that makes Hammond's clip as exciting as one of my Japanese Animes.
The Metal Gear animation project promises neither continuation nor a timed rollout, but a Patreon account is available for those who'd like to contribute financially towards Hammond's studio. In the meantime, you can find all four parts of the Metal Gear series on Hammond's official YouTube channel.