History YMMV / MetalGearGhostBabel

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Lots of fitting and catchy tunes, including some remixes from the UsefulNotes/{{MSX}}2 games and ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid''.

* FridgeLogic: Solid Snake's sneaking suit looking blue made sense in ''Metal Gear Solid'': the landscape was bluish-gray, after all. But why is he wearing the same suit in the very green jungle?

** Somewhat justified as dark blue actually blends in with shadows and darkness like you’d find in the depths of the jungle better than solid black would. The only reason ninjas are depicted as wearing black in modern media is because they were traditionally depicted like that in stage performances in Japan, but ironically this was done precisely BECAUSE the black made their silhouette stand out against the stage backgrounds. Unfortunately that explanation for Snake’s blue outfit falls apart when you take into account the game takes place during the middle of DAY and as such green camouflage would actually be much better. The only plausible explanation then is that it’s so the players can recognize Snake easier.
* GameBreaker: Unlike ''VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake'', when Snake enters a building or the back of a truck, every enemy on the radar automatically resets to their first position once you exit, so when you need a {{Mook}} out of your way and you're near a door or a truck, you can enter them and all enemies on screen will reset to their first positions.

* MagnificentBastard: [[NobleDemon General Augustine Eguabon]] is a [[AffablyEvil charming and polite]] leader of Gindra Liberation Front, who uses new Metal Gear GANDER to threaten the U.S. into withdrawing their forces from Gindra and declare it independent. In reality, he was a field controller of Project Babel, sent to Gindra by United States Army Chief of Staff John Parker to help establish the U.S. as the sole superpower in Africa, by creating a climate of hostility to discourage organized alliance, which would lead to the arrival of U.S.-dominated peacekeeping troops for an indefinite stay, who then could exercise control over the entire region. However, Augustine grew to care for people of Gindra and decided to betray Parker by actually [[IGaveMyWord following his promises]] and deliver Gindra independence and then he hired and manipulated Black Chamber unit to help him wipe out the soldier team, which was sent to kill him. As Solid Snake tries to stop him, Augustine continues to prove that [[CrazyPrepared he always has a backup plan]], rendering all Snake's victories hollow. When Solid Snake manages to defeat him, Augustine honorably follows his promise to reveal all truth to Snake and give him the data proving everything he said was true before dying.

* OlderThanTheyThink: The canonical sequels of the original ''Metal Gear Solid'' offered up more details as to the "truth" of Outer Heaven, most notably detailing Big Boss' [[spoiler:own involvement with the Patriots/Cipher as a founding member gone rogue; the explanation became increasingly convoluted with each game, however, as more and more layers were added to the saga]]. ''Ghost Babel'', by contrast, offers a much more simple explanation, detailing that Big Boss was a CIA asset used in Outer Heaven to create disruption and a need for American intervention outside the United States, who then went rogue with incredibly dangerous technology. Surprisingly, the canonical sequels [[spoiler:show that Big Boss and his own mentor, The Boss, had a similarly strained relationship with the CIA.]]

* HarsherInHindsight: As of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain'', there's a slim chance that in this universe it was still [[spoiler:Venom Snake and not Big Boss who died in Outer Heaven]]. It's likely that while Solid Snake is piddling around in Galuade and going to war against the manipulative parts of the U.S. government, [[spoiler:Big Boss is still out there, building his own Outer Heaven]].
* MagnificentBastard: [[NobleDemon General Augustine Eguabon]] is a [[AffablyEvil charming and polite]] leader of Gindra Liberation Front, who uses new Metal Gear GANDER to threaten US in to withdrawing their forces from Gindra and declare it independent. In reality, he was a field controller of Project Babel, sent to Gindra by United States Army Chief of Staff John Parker to help establish the U.S. as the sole superpower in Africa, by creating a climate of hostility to discourage organized alliance, which would lead to the arrival of U.S.-dominated peacekeeping troops for an indefinite stay, who then could exercise control over the entire region. However, Augustine grew to care for people of Gindra and decided to betray Parker by actually [[IGaveMyWord following his promises]] and deliver Gindra independence and then he hired and manipulated Black Chamber unit to help him wipe out the soldier team, which was sent to kill him. As Solid Snake tries to stop him, Augustine continues to prove that [[CrazyPrepared he always has a backup plan]], rendering all Snake's victories hollow. When Solid Snake manages to defeat him, Augustine honorably follows his promise to reveal all truth to Snake and give him the data proving everything he said was true before dying.

* OlderThanTheyThink: The canonical sequels of the original ''Metal Gear Solid'' offered up more details as to the "truth" of Outer Heaven, most notably detailing Big Boss' [[spoiler:own involvement with the Patriots/Cipher as a founding member gone rogue; the explanation became increasingly convoluted with each game, however, as more and more layers were added to the saga]]. ''Ghost Babel'', by contrast, offers a much more simple explanation, detailing that Big Boss was a CIA asset used in Outer Heaven to create disruption and a need for American intervention outside the United States, who then went rogue with incredibly dangerous technology. Surprisingly, the canonical sequels [[spoiler:show that Big Boss and his own mentor, The Boss, had a similarly strained relationship with the CIA]].
* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: ''Ghost Babel'' was rated E, the only ''Metal Gear'' game to have received less than a T rating during the lifetime of ESRB. The only visible sign of this rating is switching Snake's ubiquitous cigarettes to a "fogger" gadget. Aside from that, this is very much a ''Metal Gear'' game with its gamut of DarkAndTroubledPast and AxCrazy antagonists. To list a few:
** The backstory for the entire setting of the game includes ethnic cleansing.
** Weasel tells the story of how he (likely) killed his own brother, which resulted in his mother committing suicide and his father attacking him with a knife, which in turn landed the father in a wheelchair due to a case of excessive self-defense.

** Snake and Colonel Campbell [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking discuss liquor preparation in the prologue and there are numerous instances in which Christ and the Lord's name are taken in vain.]]

* MagnificentBastard: General Augustine Eguabon is a charming and polite leader of Gindra Liberation Front, who uses new Metal Gear GANDER to threaten US in to withdrawing their forces from Gindra and declare it independent. While in reality he was a field controller of Project Babel, sended to Gindra by United States Army Chief of Staff John Parker to help establish the U.S. as the sole superpower in Africa, by creating a climate of hostility to discourage organized alliance, which would lead to the arrival of U.S.-dominated peacekeeping troops for an indefinite stay, who then could exercise control over the entire region, Augustine grew to care for people of Gindra and decided to betray Parker by actually following his promises and deliver Gindra independence and then he hired and manipulated Black Chamber unit to help him wipe out the soldier team, which was send to kill him. As Solid Snake tries to stop him, Augustine continues to prove that he always have a backup plans, rendering all Snake's victories hollow. When Solid Snake managed to defeat him, Augustine honorably follows his promise to reveal all truth to Snake and gives him all data, that proved everything he said was true, before dying.

** Marionette Owl's dolls. They are made out of various body parts of his victims. According to him, Snake's clavicle and femur bones would be good to use. After he's defeated, he reveals to Snake that when he was 12, he found the remains of a friend of his named Laura, dismembered, disemboweled, and spread into a field. The event gradually turned him insane and he re-lived the moment of discovery every night in his dreams. Finally, before he dies, Owl realizes he's ''going to hell'':

* MagnificentBastard: General Augustine Eguabon is a charming and polite leader of Gindra Liberation Front, who uses new Metal Gear GANDER to threaten US in to withdrawing their forces from Gindra and declare it independent. While in reality he was a field controller of Project Babel, sended to Gindra by United States Army Chief of Staff John Parker to help establish the U.S. as the sole superpower in Africa, by creating a climate of hostility to discourage organized alliance, which would lead to the arrival of U.S.-dominated peacekeeping troops for an indefinite stay, who then could exercise control over the entire region, Augustine grew to care for people of Gindra and decided to betray Parker by actually following his promises and deliver Gindra independence and then he hired and manipulated Black Chamber unit to help him wipe out the soldier team, which was send to kill him. As Solid Snake tries to stop him, Augustine continues to prove that he always have a backup plans, rendering all Snake's victories hollow. When Solid Snake managed to defeat him, Augustine honorably follows his promise to reveal all truth to Snake and gived him all data, that proved everything he said was true, before dying.

* OlderThanTheyThink: The canonical sequels of the original ''Metal Gear Solid'' offered up more details as to the "truth" of Outer Heaven, most notably detailing Big Boss' [[spoiler:own involvement with the Patriots/Cipher as a founding member gone rogue; the explanation became increasingly convoluted with each game however, as more and more layers were added to the saga]]. ''Ghost Babel'', by contrast, offers a much more simple explanation, detailing that Big Boss was a CIA asset used in Outer Heaven to create disruption and a need for American intervention outside the United States, who then went rogue with incredibly dangerous technology. Surprisingly, the canonical sequels [[spoiler:show that Big Boss and his own mentor, The Boss, had a similarly strained relationship with the CIA]].
* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: ''Ghost Babel'' was rated E, the only ''Franchise/MetalGear'' game to have received less than a T rating during the lifetime of ESRB. The only visible sign of this rating is switching Snake's ubiquitous cigarettes to a "fogger" gadget. Aside from that, this is very much a ''Metal Gear'' game with its gamut of DarkAndTroubledPast and AxCrazy antagonists. To list a few:

* * CultClassic: With everyone focusing their attention towards the pre-release hype of ''VideoGame/{{Metal Gear Solid 2|SonsOfLiberty}}'' at the time, most weren't even aware that another ''Metal Gear'' sequel was being released, let alone the fact that it was on the Game Boy Color. Despite this, ''Ghost Babel'' is widely considered to be one of the best games in the ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' series.