Highlights
- Hideo Kojima, creator of the Metal Gear Solid series, likes to make cameos in his own games and has appeared in various forms such as ghostly apparitions and pictures.
- Players can unlock secret recordings of Kojima in the Japanese version of Metal Gear Solid , where he provides commentary on the game's prologue, and thanks players for their support.
- Kojima's cameos include being featured in paintings on the walls of Psycho Mantis' boss room, and appearing as a spectral image in photos taken in specific areas of the game.
Hideo Kojima likes putting himself in his video games, especially his Metal Gear Solid series. As one of the most famous series of all time, Metal Gear Solid is beloved, and it's no surprise that Kojima wants to make a cameo or several in the famous stealth franchise.
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.
1 Kojima’s Ghost (Metal Gear Solid)
Kojima is not dead, and thank goodness for that. Still, his ghost can be caught on camera in the first Metal Gear Solid, provided that the player has completed 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 the Policenauts poster in 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.
2 Secret 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 of Policenauts and Snatcher on 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.
3 Laughing Painting (Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes)
Paintings of Kojima and some of the development team can be seen on the walls of Psycho Mantis’ boss room in Metal Gear Solid. His portrait, along with one of Liquid Snake, is even present in the expansion pack Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions during the final Mystery mission.
In the remake, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes on the GameCube, the encounter with Psycho Mantis had 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.
4 Ghost On The Projector (Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty)
During the Tanker chapter in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty with 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.
5 Cooking Show Cameos (Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots)
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
- Franchise
- Metal Gear
- Platform(s)
- PS3
- Released
- June 12, 2008
- Developer(s)
- Kojima Productions
The opening to Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots was a tad unconventional. It showcased various mock adverts and TV shows that 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!
6 Even 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 the Policenauts poster in the room where Otacon first 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.
7 Hiding In A Truck (Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker)
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
- Released
- June 8, 2010
- Developer(s)
- Kojima Productions
- Genre(s)
- Stealth
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 America during Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker will eventually lead to a search of some parked trucks. One of them has Kojima inside.
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 the Metal Gear series. 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.
9 Intel Operative Rescue (Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes)
To help pad out the length of Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes and 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.
10 Intel Agent Extraction (Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain)
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
- Franchise
- Metal Gear Solid
- Released
- September 1, 2015
- Developer(s)
- Kojima Productions
Side-Ops 112 in Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain is almost an exact recreation of the story mission involving rescuing Kazuhira Miller from an enemy camp. It may not 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.