While not a launch title, Metal Gear Solid 2: The Sons of Liberty was one of the first PS2 games to show off the impressive potential of Sony's second console. On top of its technical prowess, Hideo Kojima weaved an intricate tale discussing themes of identity, free will, and the implications of the then burgeoning internet.
Almost twenty years since its initial release, people are still talking about the landmark title and measuring its significance. When people write about something on the internet, one knows that memes are following close behind. For those interested in looking at the 2001 title through a humorous lens, the following ten memes should have them rolling on the floor.
10 Clubbing In A Box
Any Metal Gear fan worth their weight in nanomachines knows how valuable the box is when sneaking. It's the perfect tool for blending in with the environment. Nobody would believe someone is bold enough to hide inside one of them in plain sight, so they'll never look inside.
In this meme, though, Snake is trying his hand at the club scene donned in his signature sneaking attire. Would the bouncer let the soldier in with his cardboard accessory? If so, how would he fare on the dance floor?
9 A Darn Good Story
Metal Gear Solid 2's narrative is an undisputed masterpiece, but maybe not the best story telling material for children. It could be too much for them to chew, and the hanging threads and philosophical questions would cause them to worry and lose sleep at night.
At the same time, it certainly would let the child grow a little bit as they pondered the ending and what it meant to their own life. Maybe the Patriots are inevitable when a society grows so big; maybe they are unstoppable and the only thing one can do is be aware of it and resist the control whenever possible.
8 Badass Walking
Everybody has to have their walk down pat. One never knows when a dramatic moment will call for a cool stroll set to climactic music. Otacon, despite his harmless appearance, heeded the call with gusto.
Even after tragically losing his sister, he still mustered up the courage to walk like it was no one's business. He's tearing up inside, but he pulls it together because he has a job to do.
7 Blinded By The Light
The boss encounters are a series highlight. They feel like honest fights between two combatants and rarely rely on gimmicks. The 2001 game's first boss was a medium distance gunfight between Olga Gurlukovich and Snake on the deck of the tanker. During the encounter, the Russian soldier adjusts some lights to block Snake's vision. It's not exactly fair, but one has to remember that she was pregnant at the time, so she was fighting for two. It's all worth the extra hassle to see this image of Bart Simpson recreating the moment, though
6 Naked Raiden
This classic meme's use regarding Metal Gear Solid 2 is clever, but hardly one hundred percent accurate. Surely, hordes of people enjoyed running around as Raiden sans clothing for one reason or another. Some appreciated the game forcing the player to rely on fists and movement so late in the campaign, while others found pleasure in ogling the protagonist. It's fortunate he gets his clothes back eventually, though, since he already starts sneezing by the time Snake finds him.
5 Message
This one could be referring to the aesthetic similarities, or perhaps it is reaching for something deeper. Solidus's actions are a direct response to the modern state of the USA and the Patriot's control. The Enclave from Fallout are the surviving remnants of the country trying to unite the wasteland under the flag once again. While one's goal is freedom and the other's is control, they both try to accomplish their respective dream through violence. When hands get too red and ethics go out the window, you're a villain, regardless of initial intentions.
4 Halo And Metal Gear
Back in the early aughts, Metal Gear was heavily associated with Sony, despite MGS2's eventual release on the Xbox. Because of this, some ire materialized between the Halo and Metal Gear fandoms. At the end of the day, though, even the most brutal enemies have something in common. For these two groups, it was deciding if the second of third game was the best. Most couldn't make up their mind about the sterile architecture of the 2001 game versus the sequel's open jungle. For the other side, Halo 2 is a masterpiece, but some appreciate the third game's improvements over its predecessor.
3 Or He Couldn't Be Doing It Better
Were any kids devastated at a birthday or holiday when they received a cardboard box designed to transport oranges instead of the compilation consisting of five Valve games? If Big Boss and Eva misinterpreted the wish, Snake would still have been over the moon with his gift. Video games are all well and good for the clone, but fans know how much he loves sitting in his cardboard kingdom. Considering the first part of MGS2 takes place in 2007, the same year the compilation came out, he would also save a lot of money by not having to purchase a console or high end PC.
2 Fortune Teller Kojima
This one is more comedic in a "laugh to keep from crying," way. The final codec conversation Raiden has with the AI before fighting Solidus talks all about the potential dangers of the internet and the ability to transmit massive amounts of information in a moment.
With no filter as to what is real and not, people will start to make their own truth. Usually, it is one most convenient for them. If only Kojima could predict some good news about the future.
1 Classic Childhood Moment
Maybe it didn't happen with MGS2, but most people had a similar childhood experience. They are playing or watching something relatively innocent, but their parent or guardian walks in just as the risque part starts. Most parental figures would shrug it off, but a select few probably made a big stink about it. Those whose guardians were the latter have the Internet's collective sympathy . At least the character had the decency to consistently cover up his private parts.