I remember when MGS Touch came out. Numerous gaming websites revealed a vague announcement made by Konami and speculated on what this meant for fans of the franchise. It was an elusive green circle with the trademark exclamation point in the center (pictured above)...and that was it. What could it be? Was this a new console Metal Gear game? Who knew! Well, less than a year after MGS4, Metal Gear Solid Touch was officially known to the public. I was very much intruigued by such a game, as who wouldn't want a portable version of one of the best games ever made? Unfortunately, it did not live up to such hype and anticipation.

     While MGS Touch does a lot of things right, the core gameplay is where the game ultimately suffers. Of course on the iPod, a game can live or die based on how intuitive the control is. Loosely based on the events of MGS4, Touch allows players to visit various locations from the aforementioned PS3 title - but you won't get to fully experience the environments as the game is a rail shooter. There is nothing wrong with a rail shooter, but when Konami plays coy with a vague announcement and then dares to boast a $7.99 price tag for this Metal Gear app, you'd expect a much more involved gaming experience. And for 8 dollars, that's a mighty steep investment considering that many incredible iPod app games are under 2 dollars.

     The graphics are quite stunning in MGS Touch, and you could say it is the best looking iPod game out there - just like its PS3 counterpart, as it is the best looking console video game out there to date. The game also contains many little different bonus features such as Drebin's Shop where it has a slew of wallpapers and such available, but some of the content is blocked until you complete certain portions of the game - you must also have enough Drebin Points to purchase them - so there is incentive to carry on with the game. In addition, there is also a bonus section entitled "Special" that explains the history of the entire franchise game by game and I must say that is a nice touch.

     As I mentioned earlier, the gameplay is subpar. When the PMC soldiers you are shooting at pop out from different cover areas, you have to drag Snake's gun across the screen to fire at him. It is a rather slow drag and the gameplay isn't just quick paced, you just feel stressed trying to drag your weapon from one side of the screen to another. The aiming must also be very precise, you have to be directly centered on the enemy if you want to take it down and that can be a nuisance considering how difficult it is to drag the weapon all about.

     MGS Touch is a decent game. But it is colassally overpriced, and if you can adjust and live with the fairly rigid and stiff controls, then you may have some fun. Otherwise, you may just be frustrated and disappointed. I also recall at the origin of its release, there was no "Lite" version available, which is for free. Now I check back and a free Lite version is indeed available. If I were able to screen this game ahead of time, I likely would have declined spending 8 dollars on this product. If it were cheaper, it'd be worth the time.

-Kurt L.

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