It's the game a lot of people, including me, have been waiting for. Getting a remake of the PlayStation original might seem like a bum deal to some, considering that MGS3 is a PS2 exclusive (for now). After playing through the game a bit, though, I've found that it’s turning out to be a classic game in a brand new package, and it's great.

The most obvious new feature of Twin Snakes is the graphics. The easiest way to illustrate how gorgeous the game looks is to compare it to the difference between the PlayStation and GameCube versions of Resident Evil, then take out all the static cameras and backgrounds. Everything looks very real, from the inside of the cargo dock where you start the game, the snowy helipad outside the base, and all the hangars, hallways and rooms inside. It's really amazing how well Silicon Knights put this thing together, but then again, they did port a somewhat similar game from the N64 to the GameCube (Eternal Darkness).

Props should also be given to the outstanding voice talent that Konami got for this one. Remember how everyone used to say that some PlayStation games were more like movies? Well, play this game for a while and you'll see why. The movies seem to drag on for a little longer than they should, but thankfully the cinematics and voices are great. They also look fantastic, with everything rendered by the game engine. It makes for no loading times and fluid transitions, which help incorporate them into the game perfectly.

The GameCube's controller seems to work alright with all the abilities Snake has at his disposal. While everything works just fine with the way it's setup, another button on the GC controller would have made it much easier to do things. For instance, to pause the game you need press Start+B, and to use the Codec you need to hit Start+A. There will be some occasions when you hit A first instead of start, causing you to fire a bullet from your gun, alerting the guards to your presence. Aside from the lack of buttons, the control scheme does take a little while to get used to, but once you do you'll be sneaking around like pro.

Sneaking is the name of the game. It's a little strange to have all this weaponry at your disposal, and not use it like you would in say, a first-person shooter, but you're going to have to keep the pistol in the pocket most of the time, relying instead on sneaking up behind guards and snapping their necks. The sentries are pretty smart in this game, noticing the slightest out-of-place sound, footprints left in the snow, or noticing that their patrols haven't done a radio check. For the same reasons the guards are smart, they're also a little stupid: Someone on the upper catwalks will run all the way downstairs to investigate a noise while the guy on that floor doesn't notice a thing, and when reinforcements go to investigate a missing guard, they go to the precise spot where you downed him, and usually won't notice that you dragged the body 15 feet away into an open corner, unless they walk over it. These two occurrences are just quirks in a system that overall makes for a pretty tough game. Thanks to those guards, you'll die a lot, even if you've played the original inside and out.

SK and Konami have done an excellent job bringing Metal Gear Solid to the GameCube. From what I've seen so far, this is going to be a welcome return for GameCube owners and Metal Gear fans alike. It's fairly safe to assume that this will be one of the Cube's best games to date, but you might want to hold judgment for when we have the full review for MGS: The Twin Snakes.