David Hayter will return to voice both Solid Snake and Naked Snake in Super Bomberman R. Hayter came to define the voice of Solid Snake having the voiced the character in 1998’s Metal Gear Solid. Hayter could deliver both the humor and emotion of the role, and his gravelly line delivery made him a fan favorite. Hayter would go on to reprise Snake across numerous sequels and spinoffs, and would also play Naked Snake/Big Boss, the legendary soldier Solid Snake was cloned from.
To many, Hayter’s performance was irreplaceable - but creator Hideo Kojima apparently didn’t feel the same. He replaced Hayter with Kiefer Sutherland in both Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain. Hayter was upset at this decision, and more so that he wasn’t given an official reason. He also revealed Kojima had tried to replace him before, and he only returned for Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater after Kurt Russell - whose Snake Plissken from Escape From New York inspired the character - turned the role down.
Kojima himself has since left the Metal Gear Solid series after a bitter split with publisher Konami while making The Phantom Pain. The future of the franchise itself is up in the air, but fans can rejoice over news directly from Konami that David Hayter will reprise both Solid Snake and Naked Snake in a new update for Super Bomberman R, and that Mother Base will also be a playable stage. Hayter was recently rumored to appear in the PS4, Xbox One, PC and Switch title, but now it’s officially confirmed.
Of course, this isn’t quite the same as Hayter returning for a new Metal Gear Solid game, but it’s a step in the right direction. Super Bomberman R has also added characters from other dormant Konami franchises, including Pyramid Head from Silent Hill and Castlevania’s Simon Belmont. While these titles are iconic franchises in their own right, Konami’s business model in recent times has seen a focus on mobile-only titles and not on AAA games, which are more expensive to produce and market. Given the generous profits the publisher is enjoying with this approach, it seems unlikely new Metal Gear or Silent Hill games will be developed for consoles any time soon.
Konami also suffered a flop with recent spin-off game Metal Gear Survive, which was basically a mod of The Phantom Pain that added zombies. The game was the first post-Kojima title, and while it received good reviews with some outlets, it fell far below fan expectations. Still, Snake’s appearance in Super Bomberman R - and Hayter’s willing return - gives some hope Konami will keep the series alive, and director Jordan Vogt-Roberts is developing a live-action movie with Hideo Kojima’s total blessing.
More: Does Metal Gear Survive Mark The End Of The Franchise?
Source: Konami
