Switched has a new home! Huffpost Tech.

Click here to visit the new home of Switched!

Hot on HuffPost Tech:

See More Stories
AOL Tech

Solid Snake Gets Jolly in 'Metal Gear'-Meets-Santa Series 'Merry Gear Solid'

by Ben Deitz on December 23, 2010 at 05:25 PM

Merry Gear Solid
Ah, Christmas. A time of year to come together, rejoice, and slink away from the family to drown yourself in gaming mania. Why should the holidays put a damper on our playing? If anything, this is the perfect time of year to hunker down with a mug of cocoa, a festive sweater, and our picks of great yuletide-themed games.

As you might guess, the 'Merry Gear Solid' series is a fantastically fun send-up of the console stealth action series 'Metal Gear Solid.' While it does echo the thrilling gameplay of 'Metal Gear,' 'Merry Gear' doesn't fail to mock its ridiculous characters and ludicrous plot machinations, either. If you have experience playing the 'Metal Gear' series, you might catch the abundant winks and nods contained within 'Merry Gear.' Either way, these indie gems sport high-production values and tense sneaking action that all gamers will love. Note: these are free downloads, not Flash games.

Merry Gear Solid



'Merry Gear Solid: Secret Santa' puts you in the shoes of St. Nick, who's been tasked with infiltrating a house full of children and depositing their presents without being caught. Sneaking past the plethora of patrolling tots means you'll have to memorize their movement patterns and scamper when they're not looking, using MGS tricks like hugging walls and making sounds to create diversions. You'll also get to call on several 'James Bond'-style gadgets, including a tranquilizer that will knock kids unconscious. We always thought there was something vaguely sinister about Santa, and 'Secret Santa' cements this fear.

'Merry Gear Solid 2: The Ghosts of Christmas Past' picks up directly after the events of the first game. It finds you infiltrating a mall in order to stop a plot so hilariously nonsensical, it does the original 'Metal Gear Solid' proud. The sequel packs in a whole lot more of what made its predecessor so good: awesome gadgets, great voice acting and tons of tricky gameplay. At the same time, 'Merry Gear Solid 2' adheres closely to its inspiration; if you aren't versed in 'Metal Gear' lore, prepare to be left out in the cold (and good luck beating the first boss).

Tags: christmas, flashgames, gamesonthego, merry gear solid, merry gear solid 2, MerryGearSolid, MerryGearSolid2, Metal Gear, Metal Gear Solid, MetalGear, MetalGearSolid, Solid Snake, SolidSnake, timewasters, top, videogames

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular