Cardboard box



A cardboard box is an industrially prefabricated box, primarily used for packaging goods and materials. Special forces operative Solid Snake was known to often use a corrugated cardboard box as an infiltration aid.

Use by Naked Snake/Big Boss
FOX agent Naked Snake managed to procure a cardboard box during Operation Snake Eater in Tselinoyarsk, and could use it to hide from enemy forces in urban environments. He also used variations of the cardboard box to disguise himself as cargo.

During the San Hieronymo Takeover, the Sneaking Unit within Big Boss's resistance group utilized cardboard boxes to evade enemy detection during missions.

During the Peace Walker Incident in 1974, Big Boss, after failing to stop Peace Walker, infiltrated the U.S. missile base near Lake Nicaragua, which Peace Walker was last headed towards, by posing as cargo onboard a truck. The MSF also used cardboard boxes for transporting goods.

Use by Solid Snake
"Cardboard box? Are you moving house or something?"

- Big Boss to Solid Snake, during Operation Intrude N313

In 1995, Solid Snake procured a cardboard box during his infiltration of the enemy fortress, Outer Heaven. By hiding himself within the box and remaining inconspicuous, Snake used it to escape the notice of enemy sentries and surveillance cameras.

During Snake's infiltration of Zanzibar Land in 1999, he located a cardboard box that was labelled as inbound for the military fortress. Snake used the box to infiltrate Zanzibar Land's tower building, after his commanding officer, Roy Campbell, suggested that he disguise himself as cargo and hide aboard an enemy truck.

During the 2005 Shadow Moses Incident, Solid Snake located several cardboard boxes, each addressed to a different location, allowing him the option of either hiding from enemies, or traversing the Shadow Moses disposal facility more quickly, via enemy cargo truck. Master Miller and Snake both reminisced on its use during the Zanzibar Land Disturbance, while Meryl Silverburgh was surprised to learn that the stories she had heard from her uncle, Roy Campbell, were true.

The cardboard box again came to Snake's aid during both the Tanker and Big Shell Incidents. Aboard the dummy tanker USS Discovery, Snake located "The Orange" box in a pantry, and later found a wet box on the ship's deck, which had become drenched in the rain. Aboard the Big Shell, Snake used the box to evade enemy detection, though he was spotted on one occasion by mercenary leader Olga Gurlukovich near the Shell 2 connecting bridge. Reporting the strange sight to her superior, Solidus Snake, he remarked that he had "seen someone use that box trick before." Raiden also located several cardboard boxes within the facility, allowing him the option of quickly travelling to different areas via a conveyer belt system. During a Codec conversation, Snake professed his affinity for the box to Raiden, informing him of its value during infiltration.

During Snake's assassination mission to the Middle East, a cardboard box filled with watermelons served as a distraction to two unmanned Gekko units, while Snake himself hid from them using his new OctoCamo suit.

Behind the scenes
The Cardboard Box is one of the trademark items of the Metal Gear series. It is used to help hide the main character from enemy sentries or surveillance cameras. Snake covering himself with a cardboard box is an homage to the titular character of Abe Koubou's novel Hako Otoko (Box Man), of which series director Hideo Kojima is a fan.

Gameplay
Wearing a cardboard box in the wrong place or running around while wearing a box will raise a guard's suspicions, while being in a guard's patrol route or being discovered by troops clearing an area can lead the soldiers to expose Snake. During modes of gameplay such as "Evasion" and "Alert", it is likely that a sentry coming into the path of the box will become inquisitive and investigate the cardboard box. In the "Evasion - Clearing" mode, soldiers are liable to fire directly at the box or remove the box from the ground for inspection. Sometimes, moving around in a cardboard box in front of a guard will make a guard shoot at it. If the player stops moving, the guard may lose interest and resume his patrols.

Cardboard boxes may be destroyed from too much gunfire or physical assault. Wet cardboard boxes will break apart faster.

Metal Gear series
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- Cardboard box description from Metal Gear

"An ordinary cardboard box. According to the label, it's bound for Zanzibar Land. Its use is unknown."

- Cardboard box description from Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake

In Metal Gear, the player can use the cardboard box to avoid detection from surveillance cameras and guards. Its use often being the only means of avoiding an Alert in certain areas. If Snake equips the box and remains motionless, he will remain unnoticed. However, the player risks taking health damage if positioned in the path of a patrolling guard, since enemy characters sprites that contact Snake's will reduce his health, as with normal gameplay.

In Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, the cardboard box can again be used to evade detection. Enemy soldiers, however, will fire their weapons at the box upon its discovery, resulting in Snake receiving some health damage. Snake can be transported around the enemy fortress by climbing aboard conveyor belt-loaded trucks, with the box equipped.

Metal Gear Solid
In Metal Gear Solid, climbing into the back of a cargo truck and then equipping one of the three boxes will cause a guard to arrive, who then drives the truck to the destination that is labelled on the box: Cardboard Box A goes to the Heliport; Carboard Box B goes to the Nuclear Warhead Storage Building; and Cardboard Box C goes to the Snowfield. The boxes can still function as a disguise, similar to previous games.

The box can also double as wolf repellent. Immediately prior to the boss fight with Sniper Wolf, attack Meryl Silverburgh in the wolf cave, then quickly equip a box. Meryl will whistle for the wolves to attack Snake. Instead, the wolf pup will urinate on the box. For the rest of the game, the wolves will recognize the scent and will not attack Snake as long as he has this specific box equipped.

"(Cardboard Box A) < To Heliport > written on it."

- Cardboard Box A description from Metal Gear Solid

"(Cardboard Box B) < To Nuclear Storage Building > written on it."

- Cardboard Box B description from Metal Gear Solid

"(Cardboard Box C) < To Snowfield > written on it."

- Cardboard Box C description from Metal Gear Solid

Metal Gear: Ghost Babel
In Metal Gear: Ghost Babel, the player must use three different colored boxes on a color-coded conveyor delivery system to access the different areas of a building.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
In the Tanker chapter of Metal Gear Solid 2, Snake can find a wet box on the hull of the ship. It falls apart more easily than other boxes and is generally less conspicuous.

In the Plant chapter, Raiden will witness a man hiding beneath a cardboard box if the player heads immediately to the CD connecting bridge, after the meeting with Peter Stillman in Strut C. As the player approaches, the man in the box will run away. The box itself can also be destroyed by shooting at it, something which is later mentioned in a conversation with Iroquois Pliskin. If Raiden finds his own cardboard box, Pliskin will tell him to "treat it with love"; he'll also comment, "Y'know, I've lost a couple thanks to you," if the player shot at him on the CD connecting bridge, prior to the conversation.

Climbing onto the conveyor belts in Strut E has a similar effect as the trucks in Metal Gear Solid, although there is no writing on the box; the player must make his/her best guess as to where the box will be sent, based on its appearance (for example, a box meant for holding food would be sent to Strut C).

Saving the game in the Plant chapter with a cardboard box equipped will result in a conversation with Rosemary, during which she ridicules Raiden for wearing "that stupid box."

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
In Metal Gear Solid 3, calling Sigint whilst having the box equipped will result in an amusing conversation from Naked Snake, saying that it was his destiny to be in the box, he also states that he finds true peace while inside the box. Equipping a box during the battle with Ocelot causes the Ocelot Unit to laugh at Snake. The box can be used to move aound the Groznyj Grad fortress via cargo truck, in a similar fashion to Metal Gear Solid. It also raises Snake's camo index when used indoors.

"Cardboard Box A: Equip to wear. Says "To the Weapons Lab: East Wing" on the side."

- Cardboard Box A description from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

"Cardboard Box B: Equip to wear. Says "To the Weapons Lab: Hangar" on the side."

- Cardboard Box B description from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

"Cardboard Box C: Equip to wear. Letters on the side cannot be read."

- Cardboard Box C description from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Metal Gear Online
In Metal Gear Online, the cardboard box can also be used for surprise attacks. If the player's stamina is low, getting in a cardboard box and staying still will replenish it. In the original version included in Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, the box served little purpose as the player's name would still appear above it. This was fixed in Metal Gear Online ' s latest incarnation, with the player names removed when in a box, and other boxes scattered around areas to give the camouflage some value. It is also used for "box dodging." This allows the player to dodge headshots if it is equipped very fast while running, then removed in less than a second after its been equipped; When the player catches fire, equip this nifty item to immediately extinguish it.

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
''"A cardboard box. Big enough for a grown man to fit inside."

- Cardboard Box item description from Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops  In Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops'', team-mates will hide in one while the selected character is in the field. Dragging an unconscious soldier over to one and phoning a certain frequency will instantly transport the fallen soldier to the truck to quicken recruitment efforts.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
In Metal Gear Solid 4, the cardboard box makes an appearance alongside a new, similar item, the Drum Can. In Act 1 of Metal Gear Solid 4, the new era of Metal Gear Solid is symbolized by Snake's usage of it as purely a distraction rather than a disguise, actually using his OctoCamo to hide elsewhere. Writing on the box reads "NO PLACE TO HIDE" and "NO PLACE FOR HIDEO." When hiding in the box, Snake's psyche will heal quicker than usual. Although regular Gekkos can detect Snake inspite of his cardboard disguise using thermal imagery, the scanning beam of a Dwarf Gekko is not so advanced: the smaller robots will only raise the alarm if the cardboard box is moving while being scanned. The purpose of the box also seems to have dwindled. As even when Snake is hiding inside a cardboard box indoors, a guard will ask "What's this box doing here?" and check it, thus leading to Snake's discovery.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Several different types of boxes are in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, such as a "Tank Box" and a "Love Box." Gameplay previews have suggested that these new boxes will accommodate two players at a time. On the second gameplay trailer of ten that are to be released before the Japanese release of Peace Walker, it is revealed that the Tank Box can be used as an offensive weapon against enemies by firing shells from the muzzle as if it were a real tank. Two additional boxes were revealed in the third gameplay trailer: One is the Bomb Box, which detonates in front of an enemy, and the other is the Rescue Box, a Box designed to resemble an Ambulance (complete with a siren) to revive fallen comrades in shorter time than using CPR.

During the story, an unimpressed Kazuhira Miller shows the tank box design to Big Boss, who proceeds to claim that the design is brilliant, with Paz Ortega Andrade in agreement.

Other appearances
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, in addition to appearing as a trophy, all of Snake's taunts involve him hiding underneath a Cardboard Box, which he removes after a few seconds. Other characters can remove the box while Snake hides under it. Hiding under the box will also cause the player number icon above Snake to disappear when in a multi-player match.The box also says Smash Bros and has a "!" on the front.

Snake also hides under the box twice during the course of The Subspace Emissary. The first time, Snake stows away on the Halberd by hiding within the Cardboard Box. The second time, Snake hides beneath his box upon seeing Lucario and Meta Knight approaching; however, Lucario uses his Aura powers to see Snake beneath the box and takes it off, surprising Snake (complete with an exclamation mark appearing above his head and Metal Gear's trademark alert sound).

Removing the cardboard box at the end of the taunt deals a minor amount of damage and knockback, making Snake's taunt one of the few that can double as an attack. Crazily enough, the damage dealt by the box this way will actually instantly break a smash ball if it manages to hit a Smash Ball as it flies by. Similarly, the box has enough knockback to instantly defeat an enemy on Super Sudden Death mode if Snake manages to hit them with the box.

The Cardboard Box also appears as a trophy in Brawl; its description is as follows:


 * A common, run-of-the-mill cardboard box that is somehow very effective at preventing detection by enemies. Hide inside it and enemies will walk on by. But put it somewhere too odd and you'll be discovered. You can move while in the box, but if anyone sees the box moving, you're in trouble. Both Liquid and Solid Snake have a deep affection for cardboard.
 * First Game: Metal Gear, 1987

In a trailer for Rayman Raving Rabbids, the Rabbids attempt to get inside a building inside a cardboard box, but they are spotted by a guard with the trademark alert sound. The guard then calls his superiors, accompanied by a Codec sound effect.

The cardboard box also appears in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood on a strange visitor mission by the wall and disappears if eagle vision is used and 216 dolllars is gained.

Types
"Cardboard box that explodes if damaged or if someone tries to see what's inside. Will inflict damage if you are inside. "DROP" to set."
 * Cardboard Box: (MG, MG2, MGS, MGS2, MGS3, MGS4)
 * Love Box: A box that fits two. Big Boss procured this for the MSF while sneaking through Puerto del Alba with the intent of investigating the CIA's suspicious activities in Costa Rica. (MGSPW)
 * Rescue Box: An ambulance that gives health. The MSF gained the blueprints for it from Zadornov after capturing him for the fifth time. (MGSPW)
 * Tank Box: A box shaped like a tank that in CO-OP shoots grenades. The MSF gained the blueprints for it from Zadornov after capturing him for the second time. (MGSPW)
 * Stun Tank Box: A tank box that fires stun grenades in CO-OP. The MSF gained the blueprints for it from Zadornov after capturing him for the second time. (MGSPW)
 * Smoke Tank Box: A tank box that fires smoke grenades in CO-OP. The MSF gained the blueprints for it from Zadornov after capturing him for the second time. (MGSPW)
 * Box Bomb: A love box that when damaged or looked under explodes. CAUTION: Also inflicts damage on user. The MSF gained design specs at Puerto del Alba while attempting to search for Zadornov who escaped for the second time. (MGSPW)
 * Stun Box: A love box that when looked under or damaged explodes and releases a blinding flash and loud bang. CAUTION: Also stuns the user. The MSF procured design specs for this while searching for Zadornov in the Miner's residence after he escaped for the sixth time. (MGSPW)
 * Smoke Box: A love box that when looked under or damaged explodes and releases a large cloud of smoke. CAUTION: Also affects the user if in close proximity. The MSF procured the design specs for it while searching for Zadornov after he escaped for the fifth time. (MGSPW)
 * Assassin's Straw Box: A love box designed to look like a bale of hay, can pull patrols into it instantly knocking them out. If a co-op partner in the box has fulton recoveries equipped, anybody brought into the box will be instantly fultoned away. (MGSPW)

- Box Bomb description from Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

"Cardboard box that explodes and stuns anyone nearby if damaged or if someone tries to see what's inside. Will inflict damage if you are inside. "DROP" to set."

- Stun Box description from Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

"Cardboard box that explodes and releases smoke if damaged or if someone tries to see what's inside. Will inflict damage if you are inside. "DROP" to set."

- Smoke Box description from Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

"A cardboard box made of straw. At first glance it may look like just an ordinary box, but if an unsuspecting enemy gets too close he might find himself dragged inside and knocked out cold. In addition, if you have a CO-OPs with the Fulton recovery system equipped, you can send the victim straight back to Mother Base."

- Assassin's Straw Box model viewer description from Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

"Miller: (Codec) Back in the time of the Crusades, members of the order of Assassins used what is called the Assassin's Straw Box to hide and get close to their enemies."

- Miller's description of the Assassin's Straw Box upon obtaining it in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

"Special box that speeds your LIFE recovery when you are inside or a teammate's when giving CPR.(Ranks 2-5)R&D has increased LIFE recovery. (all ranks) "DROP" to set."

- Rescue Box description from Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker