************************
* Metal Gear Solid 3: *
* Subsistence *
*Snake vs. Monkey Guide*
************************
Table of Contents:
1) Guide/Contact Information [abc]
2) Introduction to Snake vs. Monkey [acd]
3) Snake vs. Monkey Basics [ade]
3a) Your Goals [bcd]
3b) Your Tools [bde]
3c) Strategies [bef]
4) Walkthroughs [aef]
4a) Escape from the Jungle [bfg]
4b) Dragnet of the Apes [bgh]
4c) Dawn of the Apes [bhi]
4d) Ape Fear [bij]
4e) Gone with the Apes [bjk]
4f) Return of the Living Apes [bkl]
4g) The Apes of Wrath [blm]
5) Unlockables [afg]
6) Frequently Asked Questions [agh]
7) Thanks/Legal Info [ahi]
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence Snake vs. Monkey Guide/FAQ ver. 1.05
Created, edited, and maintained by Evil Dave (David Bernardo)
evil_dave_faqs \\at// yahoo \\dot// com
*Please include "MGS3 FAQ" in the subject line of any emails, and a handle to
be credited by if you do not want your email address posted. Also, all user
submissions that contain grammatical or spelling errors are subject to editing
before they are re-posted in this guide.*
To quickly navigate this FAQ, use your browser's 'Find' function (Ctrl+F in
Internet Explorer) to search for the three-letter key for each section.
Version History:
v0.25 - Began setting up guide. Framework, first section finished.
v0.75 - Major content additions. Several more sections completed.
v1.00 - Guide completed and reviewed. Submitted to GameFAQs 5/18/06.
v1.05 - A few grammatical edits, high score updates, added some information.
v1.10 - Added an extremely late user-submitted strategy, made a few edits.
So, you think you're all tough for having finished Metal Gear Solid 3:
Subsistence, huh? You think you're one tough commando just because you faced
off against some guys named Ocelot, the Cobras, Colonel Volgin, and The Boss,
and happened to come out on top? Well, think again. Your toughest challenge is
still to come. What is it, you say? You're thinking it's some giant Metal
Gear, capable of devastating an entire continent; or, maybe you're thinking
it's some vicious genetically enhanced super-army, poised to conquer the Earth
and subjugate the human race. Guess what? You're wrong. What you're about to
face is something more terrifying than those two pathetic examples. You'll
need more than just your soldierly skills to defeat this foe. You'll need a
cunning mind, lightning-quick reflexes, an impressive arsenal of tools, and a
high threshold for brutal combat. What demons are these that could require
such measures to overcome, you ask? I'll tell you.
Monkeys. That's right - monkeys. They're hiding, and your mission is to catch
them all. You need to ask yourself right now - are you a bad enough dude to
catch some monkeys?
Snake vs. Monkey is a simple minigame that Hideo Kojima included in MGS3:
Snake Eater as a diversion from the main storyline campaign. With the release
of MGS3: Subsistence, Snake vs. Monkey is back, and it also includes two new
levels that had previously only been included in the PAL version of Snake
Eater.
As its title states, you (as Snake) will be attempting to catch some monkeys.
The minigame includes seven levels total; each level is set in one of the
areas from the main MGS3 game, and features a timer that counts up from the
second you begin playing it. The goal of the game is to achieve a high score
in each area, which is done by catching all of the monkeys under a set time
limit. To catch a monkey, you must either shoot it with your Monkey Shaker gun
or stun it with a Stun Grenade, and then make contact with it to capture it.
Hand-to-hand attacks will NOT stun monkeys so that they may be captured.
3b) Your Tools [bde]
These descriptions are taken directly from the game's information windows.
--Weapons (R2 menu)--
Monkey Shaker: Special gun that knocks out monkeys. Press (square) button
to aim, release to fire. Equipping it puts you in a monkey-
catching mood.
**My Notes: Initial equipment. The same thing as the EZ Gun from Very
Easy difficulty. Your primary weapon.
Stun Grenade: Stuns enemy temporarily. Press (square) button to aim,
release to throw. How strong (square) button is pressed
varies distance.
**My Notes: Initial equipment. These work the same way as in the
regular game. Best tool to use on groups of monkeys
gathered together.
Directional: Microphone that can pick up small sounds. When equipped, it
Microphone picks up sounds in the pointed direction.
**My Notes: Acquired in level one. This guide will render this item
irrelevant.
--Items (L2 menu)--
Binoculars: Military binoculars allowing long-distance reconnaissance.
Zoom in with (triangle) button, zoom out with (square)
button.
**My Notes: Initial equipment. Another item that this guide will
eliminate the need for.
Active Sonar: Sonar that detects animals with sound waves. Press L3
button to emit waves.
**My Notes: Acquired in level two. Still another item that you will not
need with this guide.
Thermal Goggles: Visualizes heat source distribution. Allows one to see in
the dark.
**My Notes: Acquired in level three. These work in the same manner here
as they do in the regular game, with the exception that
they remain powered indefinitely, since there are no
batteries in Snake vs. Monkey. The only item that this
guide makes use of - and only very briefly.
Camera: Press (circle) button to take photos. Zoom in with
(triangle) button, zoom out with (square) button.
**My Notes: Acquired in level five. No uses in the game, unless you
feel like taking pictures while you're playing, for some
reason.
3c) Strategies [bef]
Snake vs. Monkey is a pretty simple game - after all, it was supposedly\
designed by Hideo Kojima so that kids could play it. (Not that there's
anything wrong with adult gamers enjoying it, of course.) While that may mean
that there really isn't much strategy involved in the gameplay, it doesn't
mean that there aren't a few basic methods that will help you get the high
scores you want. These are the key 'strategies' that you should use while
playing:
a) Roll-dives are your best friend. The roll-dive (achieved by tapping the X
Button while Snake is running) allows you to bypass obstacles that might be
impeding your path, as well as to quickly move up or down slanted surfaces
that cause Snake to slow down his movement speed. Learning to time these
right is a big step towards being able to reach every high score.
b) Before trying a high-score run, you should always scout your path first.
Taking the time to do a leisurely run-through before your high-score run
will allow you to understand exactly what steps you'll be performing under
the time limit, affording you that much more of an advantage when you're
actually racing the clock. It also helps to have acquired the items in each
level on a run previous to your record attempt, so you aren't wasting
precious seconds grabbing them on your speed run.
c) Know which weapon to use in which situation. The Monkey Shaker is best when
confronting single monkeys, and the stun grenades are the clear-cut
quickest way to catch groups of monkeys that congregate together. I'll
specify which weapon to use for each monkey in this guide, but it helps to
have the process internalized.
d) Don't be afraid to restart your try if you miss a jump or a shot. Some of
the levels require near-perfection to get the record, and restarting if you
make a mistake will save you time overall. The select button brings up the
pause menu, from which you can choose to retry.
This section will provide step-by step walkthroughs for each Snake vs. Monkey
level. The goal of these walkthroughs is to achieve the high score in each
level. I will also provide my personal best time for each level, for your
reference (or reverence, if you prefer).
4a) Escape from the Jungle [bfg]
Time to Beat: 01:00:36
My Record: 00:45:90
Total Monkeys: 9
Game Area: Dremuchij South
**The Directional Microphone is located to the left of your starting point.
--At the beginning, run to your left and shoot monkey #1 as paces on the
ground.
--Capture monkey #1, then immediately look up and shoot monkey #2 as he paces
on the log.
--Capture monkey #2 - either on the ground if he fell, or on top of the log if
he didn't. Regardless, climb up onto the log, and shoot monkey #3.
--Capture monkey #3, and then climb back over the log. You should see monkey
#4 sitting in the grass ahead of you. Run up to him, shoot him, and capture
him.
--Run to your left. Shoot monkey #5 as he paces near the top of the hill.
--Capture monkey #5. Move forward a bit, then shoot monkey #6. Capture him as
well.
--From the spot where you caught monkey #6, look left to the area with the
dead tree. Shoot monkeys #7 (on the very top of the tree), #8 (hanging off
of the branch on the bottom), and #9 (pacing on the ground to the left of
the tree).
--Roll-dive down the ledge, and capture all three monkeys. Level complete.
4b) Dragnet of the Apes [bgh]
Time to Beat: 01:45:36
My Record: 01:11:35
Total Monkeys: 15
Game Area: Dremuchij North
**The Active Sonar is located directly in front of your starting point.
--At the beginning, run around the corner to the right. Stop, look up/left,
and shoot monkey #1 as he swings from the branch. Immediately switch to your
stun grenades, and toss one at the feet of the three dancing monkeys.
--Capture monkey #1, and then run over and capture #2, #3, and #4. #5 should
have been stunned by the grenade, and be waiting a little further ahead; if
he's not stunned, shoot him. Either way, capture him.
--Run forward and slightly left. Shoot monkey #6 either in the grass or on the
log. Capture him.
--Run to the opening of the vertical hollowed-out tree. Shoot monkey #7 and
capture him.
--Run back left, halfway up the hill. Look up and shoot monkeys #8 (lying on
the inaccessible hill) and #9 (standing on the branch of the dead tree, to
the right of #8). Run up and capture both.
--Look forward from where #9 fell to see monkey #10 pacing around. Shoot and
capture him.
--Look towards the exit of this area. Monkeys #11 and #12 should be standing
together there. Toss a stun grenade between them. When they're stunned, run
up and capture them.
--Run left of the exit to see monkeys #13 (sitting on the tree stump) and #14
(pacing on the ground nearby). Shoot them in whichever order you please, and
then run up and capture them.
--Run back towards the entrance to the area. Stop at the first vertical
hollowed-out tree, and turn around. Shoot monkey #15 and capture him. Level
complete.
4c) Dawn of the Apes [bhi]
Time to Beat: 02:00:36
My Record: 01:50:08
Total Monkeys: 21
Game Area: Rassvet
**The Thermal Goggles are located directly in front of your starting point.
--At the beginning, run straight forward until you see monkey #1 hanging from
a metal rod directly to your right. Shoot and capture him.
--Run up the stairs that are directly to your left. As you go up, shoot monkey
#2 as he paces on the metal beam in front of you.
--When you've reach the top of the first flight of stairs, turn around to face
the second flight. Shoot monkey #3 where he is lying at the top of the
second flight.
--Turn back around and roll-dive off the landing you were on. Capture monkey
#2 where he fell, and then turn around and grab #3 when he lands on the
ground.
--Run right of the stairs onto the grass, and then turn right. Monkey #4 will
be sitting on the grass behind some boxes; shoot and capture him.
--Turn around, and approach the large group of monkeys dancing. Gently toss a
stun grenade into the middle of the pack, and then turn away from it before
it explodes.
--Once the grenade goes off, run in and grab monkeys #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10,
#11, #12, and #13. The order I've found best is to grab the three on the
white platform first, followed by the six on the ground. If you don't catch
all nine monkeys off of the first grenade, I suggest retrying until you do.
--Run back out of the warehouse onto the grass. Monkey #14 will be running in
circles around some trees in front of you. Shoot and capture him.
--From where you grabbed #14, turn back towards the warehouse. Monkey #15 will
be pacing around another tree by one of the outer walls. Shoot and capture
him as well.
--Head back to the area where the group of nine monkeys were dancing, and
roll-dive up the ledge into a room with a lot of boxes. You will see monkeys
#16 (sitting on some boxes) and #17 (pacing around said boxes on the
ground). Shoot and capture both.
--Run into next room of the warehouse. Bypass the monkey sitting in the window
ledge for now, and continue into the room where Sokolov was held in Virtuous
Mission. Shoot monkey #18 where he stands in front of the stove, and capture
him.
--Double back to the previously mentioned window. You may now shoot monkey
#19, who will fall out of the window. Roll-dive out the window as well,
capturing #19 as you land.
--Immediately turn left to spot monkey #20 pacing on the ground. Shoot and
capture him.
--Run up the ladder on the wall to your left. Monkey #21 will be lounging on
the roof in the corner directly opposite from your position. Shoot him, and
then run over to capture him. Level complete.
******************************************************************************
GameFAQs user 'benmonkeyz' submitted the following strategy more than two
years after my last update. Being that I haven't played Snake vs. Monkey at
all since that prior revision, I'm not about to whip the game out now to
verify his professed best time of 1:38:58 - and, in fact, I'm somewhat
incredulous that I'm even bothering to add his submission at such a belated
date. For the sake of science, however, here is his walkthrough for Dawn of
the Apes, as slightly edited by me:
--Start by going straight towards the hanging monkey #1. Throw a grenade into
the staircase - monkeys #2 and #3 should be hit by the stun. #2 will roll
off the staircase onto the ground by #3. Grab all three monkeys.
--Turn left and look right, behind the boxes to find monkey #4 sneezing. Shoot
him, and then snag him.
--Turn right and (without climbing onto the raised area) throw a grenade to
the right of the shelf - it will take out monkeys #5 and #6. Capture them.
--Look towards the partying monkeys and throw a grenade into their midst. Dive
over the ground onto the platform, and grab all of them (#7-#15) at once.
--Run into the room with the bed and throw a grenade at monkey #16's head.
This should alarm monkey #17 on the roof, causing him to jump down in the
same vicinity where monkeys #18 and #19 are walking around. Hit all three
with a grenade, and then jump out the window where #19 was sitting to
capture them.
--Run around towards the building's front, where monkey #20 is running circles
around the tree. Toss a grenade as you run towards him, and then catch him.
--Turn around and throw a grenade into Monkey #21's path, alarming him.
Capture him. Level complete.
******************************************************************************
4d) Ape Fear [bij]
Time to Beat: 03:00:36
My Record: 02:11:63
Total Monkeys: 18
Game Area: Bolshaya Past Base
--At the beginning, run forward and right a bit. Look up to see monkey #1
sitting on a branch of the dead tree. Shoot him.
--Immediately look down and to the left. Monkey #2 will be running towards
you. Shoot him, and then capture both stunned monkeys.
--Run forward to the opening in the fence on your left. Monkeys #3 (in the
trench) and #4 (in front of the door to the building) will be stopped in
front of you for a few seconds; shoot them both, and then capture them.
--Climb up the ladder that is on the wall to your right. Turn around and shoot
monkey #5 as he dances on top of the building. Run over and capture him.
--From where you shot #5, look down into the trench below. Monkey #6 will be
crawling through it; shoot him, roll-dive down, and capture him.
--Run back to the ladder, and look left into the doorway. Toss a stun grenade
into the room, and turn around to avoid the flash. When it goes off, run in
and grab monkeys #7, #8, and #9 when they fall off the table.
--Immediately look right to see monkey #10 running out the doorway. Shoot him
as quickly as you can - if he gets out the door, just chase him and shoot
him where he is. Either way, capture him as well.
--Run outside the doorway that #10 had tried to escape through; monkey #11
will be lounging on the wooden platform to your left. Shoot and capture him.
--From where you captured #11, look towards the exit of the area. Monkey #12
will pass in front of your view as he runs past the empty gun turret
embankment; shoot and capture him.
--Now, run outside the fence and to the left. Monkey #13 will be running
around in some trees in the distance. Shoot him, and then quickly run over
to capture him.
--Run back to the empty gun embankment. Monkey #14 will be sitting on the roof
of the building in front of you; shoot him. Monkey #15 will come into your
view as well, pacing around the building. Shoot him, and then run up to
capture both monkeys.
--Continue past the building. Monkey #16 will be examining the grass ahead of
you. Shoot and capture him.
--Continue further still, to the left of the building in the corner. Monkey
#17 will be sitting on the ground behind some boxes. Shoot and capture him.
--Now turn back, and run into the clearing. Spot monkey #18 climbing somewhere
on 'Mesal Gear.' Shoot him, and then run up and capture him. Level complete.
4e) Gone with the Apes [bjk]
Time to Beat: 02:30:36
My Record: 02:11:13
Total Monkeys: 18
Game Area: Graniny Gorky Lab
**The Camera is located in a locker on the top floor of the lab.
--At the beginning, run forward and turn right. Shoot monkey #1 behind the
desk in the reception area; then, look left, and shoot monkey #2, who is
lying on a bench. Capture both monkeys.
--From where you caught #2, look up the hallway. Monkey #3 will be walking
towards you. Shoot and capture him.
--Continue to the doorway near end of this hallway. Look through the door
(using R2 to lean in first person view) to spot monkey #4 sitting on another
bench. Shoot him, and then run in to capture him.
--Monkey #5 will have been alarmed, so quickly turn right and shoot him. Run
over to him and capture him.
--From where you grabbed #5, look forward, towards the stairs that lead to the
exit. Monkey #6 is sitting on the ground there; shoot and capture him.
--Now, turn around and run back where you grabbed #5. Look up and to the right
to see monkey #7 walking on the railing on the balcony above. Shoot him, and
then run over and grab him when he lands on the ground.
--Run back out the doorway, and turn left, and then turn left again down a new
hallway. Monkey #8 will walk in front of you on 'patrol.' Shoot and capture
him.
--Continue around this hallway, until you see monkey #9 either standing or
running in the middle of it. Shoot and capture him.
--Turn left. Look into the doorway closest to the stairwell; monkey #10 will
be walking in the courtyard. Shoot and capture him.
--Turn 180 degrees, and look at the roof above the doorway. Monkey #11 will be
lying there; shoot and capture him.
--Exit the courtyard, and go through the doorway to your right. Monkey #12
will be sitting on the desk in front of you. Shoot and capture him.
--Turn right from where you grabbed #12, and spy monkey #13 making a racket in
front of a poster. Shoot and capture him.
--Exit this room, turn left, and run up the stairs. When you reach the top,
continue around the corner. You will see monkey #14 staring at the wall.
Shoot and capture him.
--Continue down the path that you are on. Monkey #15 will eventually come into
view, as he 'patrols' down the hallway. Shoot and capture him.
--Look through the doorway to your left. Monkey #16 will be standing directly
to the left of the doorway, in the corner; shoot and capture him.
--Run all the way back to where you caught #14, and then go left. Turn right
into the bathroom. Monkey #17 will be sitting on the furthest toilet back;
shoot and capture him.
--Exit the bathroom, and continue down the hall. Monkey #18 will be running in
circles in a room with lockers; shoot and capture him. Level complete.
4f) Return of the Living Apes [bkl]
Time to Beat: 02:15:36
My Record: 02:02:25
Total Monkeys: 10
Game Area: Grozny Grad Weapons Lab: Main Wing
--At the beginning, run up the staircase to your right to spot monkey #1.
Shoot and capture him.
--Roll-dive over the banister forward off the platform - ignore the broken-leg
animation, which has no bearing on the gameplay here. Run forward up the
ramp until you see monkey #2 jump off a platform on the side of the room.
Shoot and capture him.
--From where you grabbed #2, turn right to see monkeys #3 and #4 on the
platform that #2 jumped off of. Toss a stun grenade up at them, and then run
forward to the ladder. You shouldn't get caught in the flash, so you will be
able to climb the ladder to capture both stunned monkeys at the top.
--Now, run down the platform until you spot another ladder on the left. Climb
it. Run along this new platform back the way you came until you see a the
yellow crane to your left. Run along the top of the crane to the other side
of the building. Monkey #5 will be pacing on the platform on this side;
shoot and capture him.
--Roll-dive off the platform to your right, again ignoring Snake's pitiful cry
when you land. Back on the ground now, you will see two trucks parked in
front of you. Run to the back of the truck on your right, and look inside to
see monkey #6 inside. Shoot him, roll-dive in to capture him, and roll-dive
back out.
--Now run right, and go up the stairs. Turn left and continue forward. You
will see monkey #7 enjoying a drink on top of some boxes; shoot him,
roll-dive onto the boxes, and capture him.
--Now climb the stairs to you left. When you reach the top, turn right to see
monkey #8 sitting on top of the Shagohod monkey thing. Shoot him, and wait
for him to fall into your lap to capture him.
--Continue around this platform. You will set off the Monkeyohod's alarms,
sending the remaining two monkeys running. Near the end of this platform,
you will see monkey #9 jumping off the platform. Roll-dive off to meet him;
if you are quick enough, you can reach him while he is jumping down off of
some boxes. Regardless, shoot and capture him as soon as you can.
--Now turn around and run down the ramp, bearing right towards the far corner
of the building. Equip your stun grenades, and hold down the square button
to have Snake ready one. You will soon see monkey #10 walk into view; when
you spot him, toss the grenade at him, and angle your face away from it. The
grenade should stun the monkey, allowing you to run over and capture him.
Level complete.
4g) The Apes of Wrath [blm]
Time to Beat: 02:00:36
My Record: 01:26:50
Total Monkeys: 16
Game Area: Rokovoj Bereg
--At the beginning, equip your stun grenades and thermal goggles. This level
is a real pain without the goggles, and so it's highly recommended that you
leave them on for the duration. Once you have them on, turn directly around
and drop a grenade in front of monkeys #1 and #2, who are having tea on a
log. Capture them when they fall from being stunned.
--From here on out, there's really no best path to follow to catch the
remaining 14 monkeys. With your thermal goggles on, you'll be able to spot
them all much easier. You basically just need to run around, tossing
grenades at whatever monkeys you see ahead of you, and trying to avoid
flashing yourself. Monkeys that are up in the trees will be stunned by any
grenades that go off on the ground below them, and will fall to the ground,
so you don't need to worry about looking above eye level for them.
--After a few tries, you should be able to beat the record time easily. Just
make sure not to flash yourself when you're tossing those grenades around.
--Once you've grabbed all sixteen monkeys, you're done with Snake vs. Monkey.
Level complete.
Your troubles in capturing the escaped simians will be rewarded when you exit
the mini-game. Once you've unlocked these two items, you'll have them
available every time you play the main storyline game from now on - as long as
you keep the System Data save file on your memory card.
These descriptions are also taken directly from the game's information
windows.
Monkey Mask: A mask that mimics a monkey.
**My Notes: Acquired upon completing all seven Snake vs. Monkey
levels, regardless of the time taken. This is an item (as
in, it goes in your backpack), and it does absolutely
nothing in-game. Only good for a laugh when you equip it.
Banana Camouflage: Banana pattern camo uniform.
**My Notes: Acquired upon beating the high score on all seven Snake
vs. Monkey levels. When equipped, this camo makes all
food items recover more stamina than normal (or so it
should, anyway - in practice, the difference is
negligible). Oh, and it's horrid for your camo index.
1. Why the heck should I play this lame mini-game?
-- A fair question. I look at it this way: for an hour or so of your time, you
unlock a couple of extras for the main game, and you get to beat up some
monkeys. It may not be worth it for everyone, but for completists like me, it
helps to extend the value of this game. At the very least, this mini-game is
something to let your kid play while you beat the real portion of the game.
2. Will you post my high score? Pretty please?
-- If you beat the record time I have listed, and include a walkthrough that
allows me to replicate that time, I have no problem giving you credit and
including your score here. Just make sure that you include instructions that
are detailed enough that anyone can repeat your method. Please be aware,
though, that unless your method cuts a significant (meaning, more than a few
seconds) amount of time off of the displayed score, I'm not likely to post it.
This guide is designed to help those who would like to obtain the bonus items,
not to function as a speed run walkthrough.
Oh, and if your submission isn't written in grammatically correct and properly
spelled English, I reserve the right to edit it down into something legible
enough to post here. And if it's so poorly written that I can't even tell what
the heck you're trying to say, I won't even bother with it.
Thanks go out to the following, in no particular order:
Konami, Hideo Kojima and his excellent Kojima Productions development team,
GameFAQs, Sony, everyone who has written in with suggestions or information,
and my good friend Matty, for getting me interested in the Metal Gear series
in the first place.
Thanks also go out to the following people, for submitting information that
led to revisions in this guide:
-GameFAQs user Super_Idiot (for reminding me to list the proper methods for
stunning monkeys)
This FAQ may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal,
private use. It may not be placed on any web site other than GameFAQs, or
otherwise distributed publicly, without advance written permission from the
author. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public
display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright.
All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their
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