Hideo Kojima is one of gaming’s most recognizable names. Since the 1980s he has worked on numerous titles, the most legendary of which is the tactical espionage action franchise Metal Gear. Through his odd storytelling techniques and even more bizarre game play mechanics, he has become a polarizing figure.
Some eat up every ounce of his weirdness, while others find it unbearably ludicrous and nonsensical. He also gained more notoriety in 2015 for his highly publicized exodus from Konami, the publisher he worked with for almost thirty years. All of this and more has been encapsulated in memes, the ten funnies of which are showcased below.
10 The Drake Meme, Kojimafied
This parody of the Drake meme exemplifies what happened to Kojima these past few years. Despite all the great work he and his team did for Konami, they left him by the wayside once they decided to change their business plan and abandon AAA game development. This move left other landmark franchises like Castlevania and Contra on shaky ground as well.
Fortunately, the designer got back on his feet, founded a new studio, and recently released Death Stranding, one of the most unique AAA games of this generation. Getting fired is a bummer no matter what; it’s doubly painful when it’s from a company you worked with for a few decades.
9 Before Memes Were Cool
Meme didn’t always mean a picture with a funny caption spread across the internet, though the modern definition does have a connection with what it originally meant. A Meme, in the traditional sense, is something non genetic passed down from generations, including traditions, language, food, and other parts of culture.
Metal Gear titles dabbled in this theme long before the Internet’s ubiquity, and even longer before modern day memes started popping up. The Internet has just as much power to preserve and spread culture through its information highway as it does to destroy it and make the world generic.
8 It Eventually Turned Out To Be True
Since Metal Gear Solid 2, Kojima had always said the upcoming Metal Gear would be his last. People were in a frenzy with Metal Gear Solid 2 because of its cliffhanger ending.
While the plot has numerous open doors, The Sons of Liberty has a thematic finality to it. Of course, this wasn’t good enough for many, who demanded he return to make a more concrete conclusion. This continued until a few years ago, when Metal Gear Solid V turned out to be his last outing with the series due to his falling out with Konami.
7 Waiting Like A Good Doggy
Kojima’s games take a long time to make, and fans have no choice but to wait patiently for their completion. Thankfully, the creator has a big enough catalog for those to replay any of the hits, but that does little to make the wait any more bearable.
Metal Gear Solid V came out in September, 2015, making it more than a four year wait for Death Stranding. For most, the wait was well worth it. While it is no longer an action game, every facet of its design and story screams Hideo Kojima.
6 A Hideo Kojima Meme
The auteur loves to put his name on his creations, and why shouldn’t he? While games are always a team effort, a product like Death Stranding would not exist without his effort. Some say he goes a little too far, though. We wouldn’t be surprised if his children’s middle names are all “Created by Hideo Kojima.”
With this meme, his fans are getting in on the fun too. We don’t know who is a part of the Hideo Kojima gang, but they probably like making purposefully obtuse memes set to a killer licensed soundtrack.
5 Who Has The High Ground Now?
It’s hard to say if Ben Kenobi would be a Metal Gear or Death Stranding fan, but this meme tickles us either way. Many sympathized with this notion back in 2015, feeling heartbroken at Kojima’s departure from Konami.
Like a real trooper, however, the game designer marched on and gave the world Death Stranding four years later. Turns out the chosen one can survive getting fired by a corporation. If anything, it proved his resolve and dedication towards his craft.
4 Your Tears, His Sustenance
All of Kojima’s works have hard hitting emotional moments. If not sad like Sniper Wolf’s demise in Metal Gear Solid or listening to Paz’s interrogations in Ground Zeroes, then they are cathartic and glorious like watching Snake crawl through the microwave hallway in Metal Gear Solid 4.
He loves hitting fans right in the feels, and knows exactly how to do it. Death Stranding is no different. Numerous cut scenes climax with dramatic moments heightened by the stellar camerawork and score.
3 Time Moves Forward, Nothing Changes
Most became familiar with Hideo Kojima in 1998 when Metal Gear Solid came out on the PlayStation. Gamers who were around ten back then are in their early thirties now.
If they still invested in the medium, most of them probably have the same look of awe whenever the creator debuts a new trailer, announces a new game, or when they pop in the disc for the first time. His games never talk down to the player, so older fans continue to enjoy them.
2 But What A Prologue It Was
This one references Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, which was a standalone prologue to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. To be fair, it wasn’t the first time such a stunt was pulled. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue was also a preview title.
It’s not like Ground Zeroes was lacking content, either. While the main mission can be done in less than an hour, getting one hundred percent completion takes anywhere between fifteen and twenty hours.
1 Wow, We Thought You Were A Real Fan
So many people claim to love Metal Gear and all of Kojima’s projects, yet we bet they wouldn’t even recognize him in the above picture without the caption. Funnily enough, Kojima did have a small role in the development of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow.
He never had any input on Mario, however, though he makes a small cameo with Yoshi in Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. And in case anyone is confused, the man in the above picture is Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of such legendary franchises like Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda.
