Original artwork, not a still
An enemy soldier waking up, in the NES version of Metal Gear (1988, North America)
I feel asleep!!
— Metal Gear • 1987
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is a mistake that became a monument: a guard woken up and, in the game's own words, announcing that he has fallen asleep. Together with the truck line it became shorthand for rough 8-bit localisations, a close cousin of the "All your base" kind of joke. It is also one of the first things people quote about a series now known for solemn, stylish storytelling.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Metal GearShow the scene
This is a famously garbled line of in-game text in the NES version of Metal Gear, the Konami port released in North America in June 1988 and not the original MSX2 game of 1987. It shows whenever a sleeping enemy soldier wakes up. The port was built quickly by a separate Konami team, given a three-month deadline, with changed level designs and rewritten text; its other well-known clunkers include "Uh-Oh! The truck have started to move!" Hideo Kojima later disowned the NES version.
Sources (3)
- Wikipedia: Metal Gear (video game)Gameplay, NES version sectionReference checked
- Wikipedia: Metal Gear (video game), development of the portNES port sectionReference checked
- Metal Gear Wiki: Elite Scum SquadB. A. Dozer entryReference checked
Context reviewed