Summary
Prior to leaving console game development behind in 2015,Konamiwas one of the most highly-respected developers in the industry. And this was never more evident than their run in the2000s, where they were able to produce some of the greatest games of the entire era. Through their roster of incredible IPs likeMetal GearandCastelvania, Konami cultivated a strong library of games that were consistently the best in the business during this period.
Whether itwas on the PlayStation 2, the Game Boy Advance, or the then-upcoming next-generation consoles, Konami continued their dominance in the industry from previous years on the PS1 and N64. Throughout a decade of innovation and technological advancement, Konami remained one of the most ambitious and trusted developers in the market, as these games remain just as fantastic today as they were upon release.
After the massive success ofMetal Gear Solidon the PS1 in 1998 and a direct sequel a year away, Konami wanted to expand the franchiseinto the handheld market. And with an install base of over 100 million units, the Game Boy Color was a perfect place for a portable stealth adventure. But despite some obvious similarities,Ghost Babelis actually a completely original game instead of an adaptation of the PS1 classic.
Positioned as a side story that is non-canon to the main story,Ghost Babeltakes place in an alternate universe where the events ofMetal Gear 2: Solid Snakenever took place. As it’s on less powerful hardware than the PS1,Ghost Babelevokes the older games in the series and is still a great bit of fun today. It’s a unique little detour in the canon that is able to stand on its own, with some fun stealth gameplay and a story that feels right at home in the crazy world ofMetal Gear.
The jump from PS1 to PS2 was a massive technological leap, one that Konami andMetal Gearcreator Hideo Kojima was keen to take advantage of. A direct sequel to the 1998 classic,Sons of Libertytakes place roughly two years after the events of Shadow Moses and begins with Snake’s mission to board a tanker in order to find a new model of Metal Gear. Roughly an hour into the game, Kojima turned everything upside down by introducing a brand-newplayable character in Raidenand making Snake a co-star.
It was a gamble, as Snake had become one of the industry’s most popular heroes, and replacing him in the sequel with a totally new character was an incredibly bold move. Thankfully, it paid off, as Kojima not only contextualized the character switch in a brilliant way, but crafted a fascinating story built around identity and passing things on to the future. It also heavily upgraded the series' systems, featuring a first-person view for weapons, new evasion techniques, and a tranquilizer gun to allow for non-lethal playthroughs.
8Contra: Shattered Soldier (2002)
A Return To Form For Iconic Shooter Series
Contrawas rather quiet in the early 2000s, as the last entry was a middling 3D entry on the PS1. Seeking to return theseries to its roots, Konami developedContra: Shattered Soldier,as a 2.5D game with 3D models played from a 2D perspective. It wasn’t just the visual aspect that Konami was looking to maintain from the older entries, asShattered Soldierwas a highly difficult and challenging game, just like its predecessors.
Enemies are fast and aggressive, filling the stages with seemingly unlimited numbers.Shattered Soldieris built on the player keeping their composure, staying calm, and surviving its deadly gauntlet of monsters and creatures. The bosses are also some of the most impressive on the platform, with some truly epic and large-scale encounters that rank up with some of the absolute best.
After the success of the firstSilent Hillgame on the PS1, Konami took the series in a different direction for the sequel. The Order and the ongoing cult storyline weren’t a factor inSilent Hill 2, but that all changed with the third game.Silent Hill 3brought the cult story back to the forefront in a big way, paying off many of the plot threads that the first game started.
Featuring one of the best stories in the entire franchise,Silent Hill 3was one of the most breathtakinggames on the PS2. The character models and texture work are top-tier, with some excellent music by Akira Yamaoka as well.Silent Hill 3is full of tremendous atmosphere, as it’s still one of the best horror games that one can play even today. It still feels remarkably contemporary.
After setting Snake and Raiden off on a quest to uncover the truth about the Patriots, it wasn’t entirely unfair to assume thatMetal Gear Solid 3would continue this story. But, like he usually does, Hideo Kojima took a left turn and decided to makeMGS3a prequel that covered the origins of Snake’s father, Big Boss.
Set in the year 1964at the height of the Cold War,Snake Eaterexplores the beginning of Big Boss' descent into darkness and how he became the villainous force that he would become later in the series. It’s an enticing offer, casting a new light on one of Metal Gear’s most interesting antagonists. A phenomenal performance by David Hayter as Big Boss is perfectly balanced by Lori Alan’s spectacular turn as The Boss, featuring a captivating and heart-wrenching story about loyalty and war that still resonates to this day.
Castlevaniamade quite a name for itself as one of the premiere 2D action-platform franchises by the time the early 2000s rolled around, having previously appeared on the NES and PS1. While numerous franchises were beginning an awkward transition from 2D to 3D,Castlevaniawasn’t looking to be left behind and had produced three 3D games already by 2005. But while the previous attempts had been very good,Curse of Darknessbested all of them and is still one of the best 3DCastlevaniagames to date.
Backed by one of Michuru Yamane’s best soundtracks for the franchise,Curse of Darknessis a terrific third-person action game that was keen to change some things that were starting to become a bit stale. The iconic whipknown as the Vampire Killeris gone, as lead character Hector is not a Belmont, and instead uses a range of weapons, from swords to axes. It was a fun, unique departure for the series that didn’t stick, but still managed to be one ofCastlevania’sbest 3D efforts.
Despite the success that 3DCastlevaniagames had seen on home consoles like the PS2 and Xbox, it was truly a dominant forcein the handheld market. And in 2006, Konami releasedPortrait of Ruinfor the Nintendo DS, the secondCastlevaniato be released on the platform afterDawn of Sorrowthe previous year. It is set during World War 2, as Dracula once again returns to torment the world, and features two playable characters.
One of them is Jonathan Morris, a descendant of a character of the same name fromCastlevania: Bloodlines, while the other is Charlotte Aulin, a member of the Belnades clan. It’s a complex adventure that ties deep into the early days ofCastlevanialore, as Jonathan’s quest to unlock the true power of the Vampire Killer in spite of not being a Belmont is one of its best assets, along with the same brilliant map design the series is known for.
By the time 2007 rolled around, the original development team behindSilent Hill, an internal team inside Konami known as Team Silent, was no more. Konami opted to hand the series over to Western developers, beginning withSilent Hill: Originsby Climax Studios. Although it wasn’t the same as it used to be, Climax managed to create one of the more overlooked entries in the franchise.
Originsis the tale of Travis Grady, a trucker who drives through the town of Silent Hill and gets pulled into a dangerous fight for survival. A prequel to the first game,Originsestablishes a large part of the lore that players came to knowin the original title. It’s still one of the best entries in the franchise not developed by Team Silent, showing a passion and appreciation for this unique horror universe. Originally released on the PSP, an upgraded PS2 version was released a year later.
Castlevaniawas rather active on handheld systems during this decade, as long-time series shepherd Koji Igarashi was releasing portable games in the franchise every couple years to rave reviews. In 2008,Order of Ecclesiabecame the final game in the series before it was rebooted in 2010 withLords of Shadow. Thankfully, it was a worthy conclusion that explored a dark period in the series where the Belmont clan had all but vanished.
In the wake of their disappearance, a group known as the Order of Ecclesia was founded, and players took control ofa member named Shanoalooking to uncover the truth about what happened to the vampire-slaying family. It features a fabulous score by Michiru Yamane and some of the best stages seen in the series.
When Konami was looking to develop a re-imagining of the very first game in the series known asSilent Hill: Shattered Memories, they brought in developers Climax Studios, a group who had familiarity with the franchise after having worked onSilent Hill:Originsin 2007. Originally released as a Wii exclusive,Shattered Memoriesre-tells the story of Harry Mason enteringthe creepy town of Silent Hillin order to find his daughter Cheryl.
Part of the game takes place inside a therapist’s office - that of Dr. Kaufman from the original game - while the other takes place within Silent Hill and the terrifying Otherworld. In-game,Shattered Memoriesuses a multitude of different techniques to scare the player. Whether it’s via the unique mobile phone that the developers use to keep the player off balance, or the frightening chase sequences, there are plenty of scares on offer.Shattered Memoriesis not often discussed these days, but it’s still one of the finest entries in the franchise.
