Editor's Note: This is a review of the regular edition of MGS3: Subsistence. The Limited Edition, which is hard to come by, contains a third disc, Existence, which features a special 200 plus minute MGS3 movie comprised of the game's cut scenes.

Even though Sony insists that its PlayStation 2 will have a ten year life cycle, the system will soon bow to its successor, the PlayStation 3, and with that being said, we're probably going to see numerous compilations and special editions of older games, Konami's Metal Gear Solid 3 being one of the first. This repackaged multi disc set, dubbed Subsistence, retells the fantastic story that details the origins of Solid Snake, but Kojima Productions has packed it full of outstanding extra features and bonus additions that make it one of the best games of 2006.

This version of MGS3 comes with two discs that are titled Subsistence and Persistence, respectively. Subsistence contains MGS3 in all its glory, except this time it comes with six degrees of difficulty, a new behind the pack third person view that allows for better camera angles, and new face paint and outfits for Snake to wear. But aside from these features, it's pretty much the same game, though the new perspective does add a whole new dimension to the gameplay, and the difficulty levels, some of which make the game almost impossible to beat, provide lots of replay value.

The second disc, Persistence, is full of lots of great stuff, the most significant being the original MSX titles, Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, both of which have been perfectly translated to the PlayStation 2 hardware. I'm all for bonus games, especially if they're classics, so being able to play these gems (Metal Gear 2 especially) is just wonderful.

Next up is Duel Mode, a game where you can battle against any of MGS3's bosses, except in this case, you're gunning for a record time and a high score. It's cool because it gives you the opportunity to kill the same old bad guys several times over as well as experiment with different strategies that may prove helpful while playing MGS3.

Then there's Demo Theater, a special mode that allows the user to view all of the game's cut scenes one at a time, and what's especially neat about it the ability to change Snake's costumes, so it's possible to create some truly ridiculous looking scenes, but nothing that's crazier looking than Snake Vs. Monkey, the mode from the original MGS3 that challenges you to catch the primates from Sony's Ape Escape titles, except there's a bunch of new maps to explore.

Finally, and for the first time ever in the Metal Gear franchise, there is an online mode. Up to eight people can slaughter one another across several game types. Death Match and Team Death Match are just kill everyone affairs, but the last three, Sneaking, Capture, and Rescue, are somewhat unique and at times incredibly entertaining. In the Sneaking game, it's Snake against the world as one player, as Snake, must sneak past the guards (the other players) to steal microfilm. It's quite intense for both sides, especially since Snake can use his camouflage to make himself invisible.

Capture is pretty much Capture the Flag except you're trying to snag a frog. It's cute, but not original. Lastly, in Rescue, one side is holding a rubber duck hostage and it's up to the other team to get it back by any means necessary.

The online mode is cool, no question, and I like how I can keep a buddy list and view all of my stats, but the third person perspective isn't perfect because it's at times difficult to get a good view of the environments. It's just not as user friendly as the cameras in most first person shooters, where it's a hell of a lot easier to quickly maneuver the camera to get a good view from behind.

All of these special features make MGS3: Subsistence a phenomenal game, but its most attractive aspect is its $29.99 MSRP, and that's what really makes this title a must buy regardless of whether or not you played the original. Snake Eater can be found at most stores for $20, but I strongly urge you to fork over the extra $10 for Subsistence. You won't regret it.

Our Final ScoreExcellent

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