“I wondered if this might be the system where I could realize my original, full vision of Metal Gear… and the game that has emerged from that is Metal Gear Solid.”
In 1997 Kojima explained that he had always liked Metal Gear but that almost everything he wanted to do in it had been impossible on the MSX hardware, so he kept having to cut material from his original planning document. After hearing rumours about the polygon performance of Sony’s new PlayStation he wondered if that system might be where he could realize his original, full vision of Metal Gear, and Metal Gear Solid emerged from that. He clarified that it was not a remake but a complete version taking advantage of contemporary hardware, and not a cheap sequel trying to cash in on polygon graphics.
“No, it's not a remake. It's more of a "complete version", a Metal Gear that takes advantage of today's hardware. [...] This isn't some cheap sequel that's trying to cash-in on the appeal of polygon graphics… just know that. (laughs)”