METAL GEAR SOLID: THE TWIN SNAKES

METAL GEAR SOLID: THE TWIN SNAKES
D R A G O N

Final Tweaking of Polygon Demos
by Film Director Ryuhei Kitamura

"METAL GEAR SOLID: THE TWIN SNAKES" has finally been released, and we believe many people have played it.

Film director Ryuhei Kitamura has visited Konami JPN towards the end of the year 2003. After greeted by his friend Hideo Kojima, Mr. Kitamura focuses on the monitor to begin his checking, while emitting a special kind of tension that filled the room. Konami JPN staff make adjustments based on his comments and requests. While Hideo Kojima watches, the quiet battle between Ryuhei Kitamura and the Konami JPN staff in the booth.


Konami JPN's polygon demo team incorporate in the game Mr. Kitamura's extreme directions, and the sound team add special effects.

Mr. Kitamura visits our office, and Hideo Kojima greets him.	He checks the demo sequences.

Holding the controller in his hand, Mr. Kitamura gives instructions to the staff.	Hideo Kojima throws his ideas over the wall.

No compromise does Mr. Kitamura show to sound either. After several hours of checking the demos, he checks the sound in Konami JPN's studio. He showed tremendous vitality checking a total of 4 hours worth of polygon demos with no breaks in between.


He checks the polygon demos in the sound studio.	Things he noticed, he checks with the actual game.

4 hours later... After completing the checking in the studio, Mr. Kitamura notifies the staff of what to fix and keep in mind and then left the building. This process was repeated over and over, and "the best story of the 20th Century" was re-imagined to make its global appearance in March.

D R A G O N -- Special Feature

L i k e s & D i s l i k e s
Let us examine Ryuhei Kitamura through his likes and dislikes.

We have conducted an interview with "fighter" Ryuhei Kitamura that you cannot read anywhere else.
These questions on his tastes shall give those who know and do not know him well a thorough idea of what film director Ryuhei Kitamura is all about.

Name Ryuhei Kitamura	Occupation film director
age 34 (as March 2004)	Bloodtype O
Horoscope Gemini	Chinese zodiac Year of the Chicken
Place of Birth Osaka	Specialty directing
Personal Motto "Where there is a purpose, there is a way."	One Word to Describe Ryuhei Kitamura crazy

Favorite Film Fandango	Least Favorite Film C---- Cuori A-----------
Favorite Game Western games	Least Favorite Game cheap, movie-like games
Favorite Book books by Kotaro Sawaki	Least Favorite Book spineless bestsellers
Favorite Sports martial arts	Least Favorite Sports team sports
Favorite Manga manga by Tsutomu Takahashi, Yu Koyama, Tetsuya Chiba	Least Favorite Manga spineless bestsellers

Favorite Music U2, ELP, Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi	Least Favorite Music spineless music, project-oriented music
Favorite instrument organ, drum, bass	Least Favorite instrument ‚È‚µ
Favorite Food beef	Least Favorite Food pork, internal organs
Favorite Drink fresh squeezed melon juice	Least Favorite Drink Dr. Pepper
Favorite Animal dogs, UMAs in general	Least Favorite Animal none

Favorite Insect drangonfly, cicada	Least Favorite Insect bugs in "Indiana Jones -- Temple of Doom"
Favorite Marine Organism dolphins, whales	Least Favorite Marine Organism jellyfish
Favorite Bird hawk	Least Favorite Bird none
Favorite Stellar Body sun, blackhole	Least Favorite Stellar Body none
Favorite Horoscope none	Least Favorite Horoscope none

Favorite Flower sunflower	Least Favorite Flower none
Favorite Plant weeds (Konami JPN: not the illegal one)	Least Favorite Plant none
Favorite Color black	Least Favorite Color none
Favorite Historical Figure Nobunaga Oda, Musashi Miyamoto	Least Favorite Historical Figure none
Favorite 4-Kanji Words "barehanded" ("penniless"), "one and only", "boat-swallowing fish" (Konami JPN: a big shot in both good and bad terms)	Least Favorite 4-Kanji Words "with one accord", "oldstyle and makeshift"

Favorite Quote "All's well that ends well." William Shakespeare	Least Favorite Quote none
Favorite Creature Alien Queen magician in Hell Raiser	Least Favorite Creature none
Favorite Hero Snake Pliskin 'Mad' Max Rockatansky	Least Favorite Hero none
Favorite Place spaciou wilderness	Least Favorite Place narrow, cramped places dark places humid places
Favorite Word FIGHTER	Least Favorite Word LOSER

Where is the enemy?
"The enemy is within myself."

If the bird does not sing, what will you do to it (to make it sing)?
"If the bird does not sign, let the bird be."

If there is a wall in front of you, what will you do?
"I will break through the wall."

If there were a small treasure box and a big treasure box, which will you take?
"The bigger one."

If you are in captive, what will you do?
"I will wait for the opportunity to escape, but if there is no opportunity, I will take down as many enemies as possible."

Questions for Mr. Kitamura

The reuniting of separated twins... Are you the superior one or the inferior one? Why?
Inferior. If I were superior, I wouldn't have faced the many hardships that I have faced.

Who in MGSTTS is the closest to you? Why?
Liquid. We both pick up wild fights regardless of who might win.

Who in MGSTTS do you adore? Why?
Vulcan Raven. He has no second thoughts whatsoever.

Who in MGSTTS is your favorite? Why?
Solid Snake, of course. He is with no doubt a cool guy.

Who in MGSTTS do you dislike?
Nobody.

What was working on MGSTTS like?
It was extremely fun. I did feel pressured because it was a remake of a masterpiece. But being able to work with Mr. Hideo Kojima -- a creator that I respect the most -- was such a happy experience. His infinite ideas, speed at the forefront, and his lovable personality all taught me so much. I would like to work with him again.

Anything you have done for the first time with MGSTTS?
Game development, polygon demo directing, and motion capturing were all things I have never done in the past, but nothing seemed awkward. Actually, I might have dealt with all this with more seriously than when working on a film. I never draw storyboards when doing a film.

Tell us what in MGSTTS to keep an eye on.
Needless to say the game itself is great, the polygon demos I think are the best in the world. I wanted to do things that you could not do with real life films -- ultra action, camerawork-oriented directing, etc. I felt like I shot a new film while being allowed to do absolutely anything. I would like fans to feel for themselves the new Metal Gear world accompanied by the overwhelming volume of a Hollywood blockbuster action film.

How are film creating and game-footage creating different?
With the wonderful backup from the Konami team, I was able to concentrate on the creation itself. Since I was able to work on the game footage just like when creating a film, I could do everything intuitively. Thanks to the great operating software (i.e. Konami JPN) regardless of the change in platform (film to game).

Allow us to ask this question. Which is more fun? Working on a film or working on a game?
That's a tough question. But "I can't answer that one." is a NO FUN answer, so I am going to answer this one. If working with Mr. Kojima, working on a game is more fun! I have not yet met a creator in the film industry who can stimulate as much as he can and someone who shares my sensitivity. I am in love with his unlimited talents that made me have so much fun although I was not working on a film. It would be great if Mr. Kojima and myself could work on a totally new series that surpasses the MGS series.

Would you like to work on a game again?
YES. But since what I worked on for the first time was of such high quality, I cannot work on something that does not reach this level.

Please make any announcements if you wish.
I will be adding new footage to "VERSUS" -- the film that brought Mr. Kojima and myself together -- re-edit it, and release it as "THE ULTIMATE VERSUS" with better footage, sound, and bonuses.
And now I am preparing a new film. This will be the last film in Japan for a while. After this, I will be working full throttle in Hollywood. In about 2 years, I will probably be able to show you all my Hollywood-debut film.

Words for fans who visit the official MGSTTS site.
Before starting working on this project, I asked myself why Mr. Kojima chose myself. This project was not something I could accept just because it is of great honor as a fan. I said to myself that I was chosen to do whatever I wished to do -- go out of control. I decided that I had to be a virus -- a hitman that Mr. Kojima has sent to himself in order to break the chains "Metal Gear Solid" and "Hideo Kojima" -- binding the now-huge series -- and going beyond the bounds. How much could I stimulate Mr. Kojima? It was a battle against the still-not-visible "MGS3" that Mr. Kojima is creating himself. I pray that my decision was not wrong. It is you fans that decide whether or not I was wrong. A totally new Metal Gear Solid... Please enjoy The Twin Snakes.

*From an interview in December, 2003.

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