THE ART OF METAL GEAR

THE ART OF METAL GEAR 

Metal Gear artist Yoji Shinkawa has defined some of the most iconic characters in gaming history

ART AND PROCESS OF METAL GEAR

Before Shinkawa could get inside the studio, he had to undergo an entrance test to prove he had the necessary skills. It was a two-part evaluation that saw him submitting his art portfolio from his student days, and once his work was accepted he was then interviewed by Kojima. No pressure then, but he was quickly hired after pitching a game idea similar to the original Metal Gear.

“Once I entered the company and after my training period, I had another interview where I was asked what department I wanted to work for.

“The first interview was for an arcade shooting game that used modelled monsters. I was good at making models so I thought I might be interested.

“But the second interview was with Mr. Kojima again, and he told me he was thinking about starting Metal Gear, and I said I was very interested in it. So that was the beginning of how we started working together. But if that didn’t happen I might have been making something very different right now”.

Shinkawa was officially part of what would eventually become Kojima Productions, and together he and Kojima began working on designs for Metal Gear on MSX. Little did they know that they were planting the seeds of gaming’s most-cherished franchises to date.

But how did the duo create the memorable characters we know and love today? What are the golden rules for creating guises as identifiable and long-lasting as Cyborg Ninja, The Boss or Otacon? Shinkawa was more than happy to explainpart of his method with me, and confirmed that it hasn’t changed since the first game.

 

THE HISTORY OF METAL GEAR 

• From gaming consoles to comic books, Metal Gear Solid has captured the imagination of millions of fans worldwide. And it's little wonder why. In addition to showcasing art from Ashley Wood's graphic novel adaptations of Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid: Sons of Liberty, this revamped collection features the work Ash did for the Metal Gear Solid: Mobile Portable Ops video game and new, never-before-seen material.

THE ART ASHLEY WOODS 

What's cool about Wood's Metal Gear work is that it spans mediums. While men like Yoji Shinkawa (who we'll feature here in good time) were designing the actual Metal Gear games, Wood was working on comic books based on and around the series. Then, when Konami decided to make games that used his signature visual style, he got to make some Metal Geargames of his own.P

In 2006, Wood provided the artwork for the Metal Gear Solid digital comic on the PSP, and in the same year supplied the cutscenes for Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. Four years later, he would do the same thing for Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.

Wood's distinctive style has been with the franchise for so long and across so many formats that, in a rare feat, he's even got an art book based just on his Metal Gear stuff.