MGS2 was a phenomenal game. 
Different, but very good. People need to go back and play it without their snake manlover eyes, it's very, very good.  

As far as I know. Lots of young kids in Japan use PSP, or other handhelds. I believe Kojima wants the young people in Japan to play Metal Gear Solid. So, my guess with all the monster hunter stuff, and funny ads in Peace Walker is geared towards them, the young people.

You missed a minigame sort of thing where you killed zombies in an action game. It was almost like a demo for another game altogether.

I'm saying that we can't make hasty assumptioins about the nature of these things.

Ah! Thanks for clarifying. I will be able to sleep tonight! 'sides, Kojima for life.

I admit it's been a while since someone told me my perceptions are "flawed" on this forum, I guess that's kind of refreshing. Like an old pair of sneakers.

And for the record, no, comedic relief was not hoped for nor expected as a matter of course in MGS1. The series didn't really receive a sense of humor until MGS2, and that wasn't capitalized until MGS3. MGS4 was almost a parody of itself.

"The fourth wall" is not limited to visual media, though you are right in claiming that expectations differ between pieces of media, and somewhat between genre. Breaking the fourth wall is certainly more expected in a piece of work wherein levity is one of the primary narrative tools (or focuses, even), but the complaint registered here was re: Metal Gear Solid as Serious Business. Immersion for a game like that would mean that one is able to suspend disbelief, which is to say that breaking the fourth wall would be breaking the immersion by definition.

The problem is not in how I view video games or immersion, it comes down to a disagreement between myself and SHMUPGuru concerning what constitutes immersion or appropriate content in Metal Gear Solid.

The most infuriating part of your post is that I think you actually agree with me.

Kojima began ruining MGS immediately after MGS2.

MGS 1 was ground breaking and one of the best games of the decade. MGS2 was a rare sequel that was even better than the original, making it's mark as a landmark title in VG history.

After the backlash by illiterate gamers over MGS2's deep, engaging storyline and inclusion of Raiden and Rose we got a watered down sequel in MGS3. Still a great game but nowhere near MGS1 or 2 in depth.

With MGS4 Kojima added more depth and layer to the story again, but the forced attempts at comedy with Meryl and Johnny undermined the serious tone of the final chapter in the series. The highs and lows were so drastic that the game contained both some of the best moments in the series history and many of the very worst.

MGS PO and MGS PW are a continuation of Kojima's decline into delirium. He has more than once described himself as a "chef" whose job is to satisfy his customers (the gamers) He has repeatedly said that he does not consider video games art and that he places his gamers/customers wants above his artistic desires. This is why we keep getting new chapters in the series that are increasingly watered down...

Instead of making an artistic statement like he did with MGS1 and especially MGS2 and not giving a flying crap about what complaints gamers give him he has lost touch and is only interested in providing whatever throwaway entertainment people demand from him.

Granted he's still miles above the next best developer, but he's lightyears away from his peak in 2001 and increasingly further and furthe away.

If it's for co-op it's not a big deal. We already had ape escape monkey's in MGS3 like someone else already said, so having monster from monster hunter co-op doesn't suprise me. 

MGS2 was Kojima giving the bird to gamers. This has been documented!

It makes me sad that I had to go all the way to the bottom of the first page before somebody said this 

Yes and he should have done that since then...but he hasn't. He's scared now and just a puppet of gamers demands. No longer an artist with statements.