Summary
Hideo Kojima likes putting himself in his video games, especially hisMetal Gear Solidseries. As one of the most famous series of all time,Metal Gear Solidis beloved, and it’s no surprise that Kojima wants to make a cameo or several in thefamous stealth franchise.
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There’s a considerable amount of cameos that Kojima has made in his own games. Some of them are simply references by name, while others include pictures, ghostly apparitions, and so much more. It’s not too much of a stretch to say that he’s almost as recognizable as the characters he created.
Kojima is not dead, and thank goodness for that. Still, his ghost can be caught on camera in the firstMetal Gear Solid, provided that the player hascompleted the game and unlocked the camera. It’s not a particularly useful item, more of a novelty than anything, yet taking photos of certain places around the game will reveal a spectral version of the developers.
Should the player take a photo of thePolicenautsposterin the office where Snake defeats the cyborg ninja and meets Otacon, Kojima will appear in front of the image. It makes sense, as he worked on that game.
2Secret Messages (Metal Gear Solid, Japanese Version)
Japanese players are in for a bit of a treat, as that version actually contains two secret recordings of Kojima. One of them takes place in the Cavern at the beginning of the game. Calling a specific codec frequency will result in a brief call from Kojima sharing some commentary on the now-iconic prologue.
During the encounter with Psycho Mantis, should a player have a save file ofPolicenautsandSnatcheron their memory card, Psycho Mantis will say: “So, you like Kojima’s works?” The man himself can be heard shortly afterward, adding: “Thank you for your continuing support,” in Japanese.
Paintings of Kojima and some of the development team can be seen on the walls of Psycho Mantis’ boss room inMetal Gear Solid. His portrait, along with one ofLiquid Snake, is even present in the expansion packMetal Gear Solid: VR Missionsduring the final Mystery mission.
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In the remake,Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakeson the GameCube,the encounter with Psycho Mantishad more dynamic cutscenes to go alongside the updated visuals. The once-still images of Kojima and company will start giggling in high-pitched voices if the player moves the controller while Mantis is showcasing his evil laugh. While some criticize the over-the-top cutscenes in this remake, this one is quite the face-lift.
During the Tanker chapter inMetal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Libertywith Snake, photos of the US-owned Metal Gear RAY model must be taken and uploaded to a nearby computer to Otacon. Taking a photo of the vehicle appearing on the projectors won’t do. However, those who attempt this lazy method will be greeted by yet another spectral image of Kojima on their camera roll.
What sets this cameo apart from the first game, is that it can be sent to Otacon to scare him, with a humorous animation from his on-screen pixilated avatar as well.
The opening toMetal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriotswas a tad unconventional. Itshowcased various mock adverts and TV showsthat featured what TV shows of the future would supposedly be like, with tongue firmly placed in cheek. One of these is a post-apocalyptic cooking show called Bomb Shelter Buffet, where an aggressive male host haphazardly prepares a meaty meal in a dingy-looking kitchen while a female presenter drops some dry, sarcastic quips.
For just a few moments, an angular shot will reveal a figure previously off-screen in the shadows, watching the mess unfold. Yes, it’s Kojima once again!
6Even More Ghosts (Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots)
The developer’s spectral visage is present during the section where Snake returns to Shadow Moses. Whipping out the camera and taking photos of specific areas will result in, yet again, ghosts appearing in the snapshot. Taking another photo of thePolicenautsposter in the room whereOtaconfirst met Snake will result in a more updated image of Kojima appearing.
And that’s not all. Psycho Mantis makes an appearance yet again. During his howling screams, a static-filled image of Kojima will briefly appear on-screen as well, before the freaky psychic disappears from sight completely.
How on Earth did Kojima end up in a truck in Costa Rica? Perhaps it’s best not to question these things. Anyway, Big Boss’outing in South AmericaduringMetal Gear Solid: Peace Walkerwill eventually lead to a search of some parked trucks. One of them has Kojima inside.
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With a polite wave, Big Boss will exclaim his name in surprise (or just “Mr. Director!” in Japanese), and use a Fulton recovery on him to send him back to Mother Base to be recruited. He’s an excellent pick for the Medical and Intel teams, as his stats for those are at the maximum level. There’s even a little quote from him in his character biography, expressing his desire and passion for movies.
8“Kojima Is God” - Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
This one is anything but subtle, though maybe there’s a bit of a double-meaning going on here. Listening to a cassette tape about the French ornithologist Cécile Cosima Caminades and her name, Kazuhira Miller interjects and comments on how “Cosima” sounds like a popular surname in Japan: “Kojima”.
Unleashing his inner conspiracy theorist, Kaz mentions that it sounds like “Kojima, kaminandesu” in Japanese, which translates to what he thinks is a message: “Kojima is God.” It’s quite a grand statement for a developer to name himself that, though, he is the creator of theMetal Gearseries. Would he technically be God of that? Still, it’s funny how, in the Japanese version, Kaz and Cecile chant it aloud repeatedly excitedly, rather than repeating it in stunning awe.
To helppad out the lengthofMetal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroesand give it some replayability, a handful of Side-Ops were created. One of them is a bit more unique compared to the others, as it’s an on-rails shooter with Big Boss firing from a helicopter flying around Camp Omega. All the while, an allied Intel Operative is causing havoc, resulting in battalions of enemy guards swarming in.
Should the player successfully neutralize all enemies and get the target safely extracted, a brief cutscene will play, revealing the operative in question to be Kojima. After swapping his aviators for his signature glasses, he’ll comment in English about the player’s performance. And, with a data transfer, he can be recruited in the next game early.
Side-Ops 112 inMetal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Painis almost an exact recreation of the story mission involving rescuing Kazuhira Miller from an enemy camp. It maynot be as challenging as before, but players who didn’t get the chance to rescue Kojima via the Intel Operative Rescue will have their chance here.
In an almost-exact recreation of the rescue cutscene with Miller, Venom Snake hands the prisoner his signature glasses, and… yeah, it’s not surprising anymore, is it? Still, Kojima can yet again be recruited to help Mother Base, and is an excellent choice for the R&D team, alongside the Intel and Medical teams like before.
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