On the surface, Metal Gear Solid is a series that takes itself pretty seriously; a gruff, grizzled soldier saving the world from bipedal nuclear tanks isn't exactly a recipe for light-hearted fun. Solid Snake is a guy that splits his time between strangling genetically-engineered goons and chain-smoking cigarettes, which doesn't leave a lot of time for things that are out of the ordinary. And yet, beneath Metal Gear's hyper-realistic and gritty veneer is a cornucopia of weirdness. How many games have you played where the main character gets peed on while infiltrating a water treatment plant? Or where you have to fight a morbidly obese bomb expert on rollerblades? Hideo Kojima, the creator of the Metal Gear franchise, loves dropping little quirks like this into his games. It's not that he's trying to keep the player's attention, or just throwing in random bouts of weirdness for irony's sake - on the contrary. He takes what he does very seriously, yet even so, that doesn't mean he takes
himself seriously. Metal Gear Solid has a distinct flavour and style that might not appeal to everyone, but it's a hugely successful franchise for a reason, and that reason is because it maintains a perfect balance of visceral action with surreal humor, along with a wealth of sly references. I've compiled a comprehensive list of 50 weird things within the Metal Gear Solid universe; the entries range from broad themes to minor quirks, and while I did my best to cover everything, there are countless other instances of weirdness not included on this list. Nevertheless, the things I've listed are sure to cock an eyebrow or two. Note: I tried to make this list appealing to both fans of the series and people who have never played the games, so if the words "Metal Gear Solid" pique your interest at all, you'll definitely find this list worth reading. Also, I'll be referring to Naked Snake as Big Boss, to avoid confusion.
WARNING: General series spoilers will follow.