Part 49: Special Missions - The Callsign of the Reverse Running Man!

So we've finished Metal Gear: Ghost Babel. Solid Snake's mission to the fortress Galuade has come to an end. The GLF has been toppled. And the renegade Black Chamber has been wiped out. But that doesn't mean adventures in Gindra are quite over yet...


Theme of Solid Snake (Metal Gear 2)


Upon completing the game on any difficulty a new mode is unlocked for play: SPECIAL Missions.


From the Stage Select menu (by the way a Stage Select unlocked too) we can either replay any stage from the game on different difficulties. Or we can try our hand at the Special Missions. What are Special Missions, you ask?


Well, you're about to find out. There are three Special Missions per stage (39 Special Missions in all!) We have no way of knowing what is so special about 'em until we actually select one. So...let's take a look...

Special Missions - Session 1: The Callsign of the Reverse Running Man!


Stage 1 Theme


"...Solid Snake, 'The Legend'. Think of it as a sort of VR Training. But since that alone won't allow you to surpass him, we've taken the liberty of adding a few... conditions. You can call me... No. 4."
"My frequency is 141.62. If you have any questions about your orders, contact me."
"This will not be necessary if you merely pay attention to the following. But we are not interested in you for your ability to retain facts. Just following them once understood."
"These are your orders..."

Stage 1 - Mission 1!


"Clear this stage in under 45 seconds."
"...45 seconds? How far is the exit...?"
"Oh I don't know. Half a mile. Give or take a few hundred yards."
"....."
"...Even if I could run the three minute mile, that s still 90 seconds to make it that distance."
"Well, then you'd best get running. On your mark..."


So yeah. We have 45 seconds to dash through the entire stage. Stop to punch any guards? Fuck you. You aren't going to make it. Wait for a patrol to pass? Fuck you, you aren't going to make it. Get spotted and stun locked by gunfire/rifle butts? Fuck you, you aren't going to make it. Stop running for more than half a second? FUCK YOU! YOU AREN'T GOING TO MAKE IT!


Via the power of emulator savestates I managed this feat. After about nine tries including three complete restarts to shave off some time. I never stopped running toward the goal for a moment.


And I had three seconds to spare... But hey. Look at that! Excellent! The best rank in the game. Granted, it's literally impossible to finish this challenge and not gain the best ranking. But still. This is like seeing a unicorn.




"Disturbingly flatulent..."
"We did want to make the experience authentic."
"By experiencing all that he went through you should be able to reach even higher than he did. We have great hopes for you..."



Stage 1 - Mission 2!


"...means the difference between victory and defeat in extreme battle conditions. I've hidden 4 Fox-Hound patches in this stage; find them all."
"So what? I look for spinning Fox-Hound icons in the field?"
"...Something like that."




So there are four emblems hidden throughout the level. However, by "hidden" they mean "literally indistinguishable from normal item boxes until collected." Still, there's no other hidden parameters or bullshit stipulations. So this one is fairly simple. If tedious.




"It was Parker, the Army Chief of Staff, who forced through the deployment of the Delta Force team in Galuade. His immediate objective, as Sergeant Jenner revealed, was to silence the 'General' along with all he knew about Project Babel. However, what Parker really feared must have been to lose Project Babel and Metal Gear to Gardner. Driven by that fear, he attempted to salvage the situation with his pet Delta Force before the arrival of Solid Snake under Gardner's orders -- but Gardner leaked that piece of intelligence to McBride, and the Delta Force team and Parker's bid for control crumbled under an ambush."

"Gardner was always a step ahead; you have to give him that. "



Stage 1 - Mission 3!


"...become the best of the best. Taking the basic premise and inverting it is sometimes a necessary tactic. In this stage, you will begin at the goal and head for the starting point."
"...That's it? Just do the stage in reverse...?"
"It can be more disorienting than you think. Gotta go fast. Hold right to the goal. But suddenly you are jettisoned in the opposite direction and before you know it your carefully collected supply of rings is spilling across the floor."
"...What?"


So yeah. Just going through the level in reverse. No tricks. Don't expect that to persist...




"Keep on at the same pace..."
"Job selected: Farmer. Departure time: July. Pace: Grueling. Rations: Meager. Good luck..."