Radio

The Codifying Satellite Communication System, or Codec, is a communication device used by many special forces operatives. Invented by Mei Ling, it incorporates anti-wiring coding, digital real-time burst communication, sonar and radar. A normal communication, over ten seconds is instantly codified, compressed, and transmitted in a burst one microsecond in length. It is received in real-time, unscrambled, and decoded. It is incomparably more innovative than the conventional anti-wiring frequency scrambler. The 24-hour system that is unaffected by weather is made possible by integrating information from high-altitude reconnaissance satellites and low-altitude reconnaissance planes. However, environmental harmonic resonance, enemy discovery and very low structures over an operative have caused substantial interference in past testing.

It allowed operatives such as Solid Snake and Raiden to keep in contact with members of their support teams or people they have encountered who also share Codec devices or radios. It is not just a two-way radio as more than two people can hear/talk in the conversation. It functions by directly manipulating the small bones in the ears, such as the stapes, so it appears as if a user is talking to his/herself. g

Gameplay
To make the Codec more interesting, different features have been added in different games. For example, in Metal Gear Solid 2 by pressing R1 or R2, the player can hear the main characters thoughts. In Metal Gear Solid 3, the Codec was replaced by a Radio, which has similar features of the Codec such as its use of frequencies, but it also allows Naked Snake to view information about his contacts (more detailed information can be unlocked by frequent calling his support team). Comical conversations are also a staple for the series, and occur in different situations in progress.

The Codec was revamped for Metal Gear Solid 4, featuring a new screen layout and fully, realistically animated 3D models. In addition, the player can now not only fast forward conversations (a feature added in Metal Gear Solid 2) but can skip them entirely. The player can also now resume the conversation at any time during a fast forward.

The Codec is also used for saving the game (except in Metal Gear Solid 4) and in Metal Gear Solid 3, the Radio can be used to remove the alert status when phoning special hidden frequencies, discovered by interrogating guards. Metal Gear Solid 3 technically features a Radio rather than the Codec due to the setting (1964), as Mei Ling wasn't born yet. The basic principle is, however, very much the same, and the Radio was used again in Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops.

The Codec also appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, but can only be accessed by Snake while fighting on Shadow Moses. To initiate the Codec, the player must press the taunt button for a split-second. Roy Campbell, Mei Ling, Otacon, and Slippy Toad from the Star Fox series can talk to the player about one of Snake's opponents.

Metal Gear 2 and Metal Gear Solid both featured unique sequences where the player needed to look on the back of the game's packaging to discover a crucial Codec frequency, and, in the case of Metal Gear Solid, was required to advance the game's story.

This minor twist would become infamous among players who had rented the game; since many video game rental outlets such as Blockbuster do not provide the original packaging along with the game, the only option for these players was to use an online guide to discover the frequency. At the same time, however, for the designers it was vital to show players early in the game that Metal Gear Solid was a very different gaming experience than they were used to.

Codec frequencies
The following are the frequencies the player can use to contact people in the Metal Gear series.



Metal Gear

 * Big Boss - 120.85 - (later 120.13)
 * Schneider - 120.79 - (later 120.26)
 * Diane - 120.33 - (later 120.91)
 * Jennifer - 120.48
 * KNK Radio - 120.77 (ending)

Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake

 * Music - 140.07 (only when the cigarettes are equipped)
 * Colonel Campbell - 140.85 - (later 140.66 and then 140.24)
 * Master Miller - 140.38 Metal_gear_2.png
 * Johan Jacobsen - 140.40
 * Kio Marv - 140.51
 * Holly White - 140.15 (later 140.76)
 * Drago Pettrovich Madnar - 140.82
 * George Kasler - 140.93
 * Your #1 Fan/Charlie - 140.00
 * Gray Fox - 140.27 (Gray Fox will call Snake with this frequency as Snake is going up in the elevator that leads to the 20th floor.)

Metal Gear Solid

 * Staff Message - 102.11 (Japan only)
 * Meryl Silverburgh - 140.15
 * Deepthroat - 140.48
 * Staff Message - 192.66 (Japan only)
 * Colonel Campbell - 140.85
 * Mei Ling (save) - 140.96
 * Otacon - 141.12
 * Nastasha Romaneko - 141.52
 * Master Miller - 141.80
 * The Staff Message frequency has different effects varying in language. In Japanese, it displays a message. In English, it plays a remix of three different songs: "Discovery", "Zanzibar Breeze", and "Theme of Solid Snake." Keep in mind that both versions are only on the Integral version of the game.



Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Tanker chapter
 * Otacon - 141.12
 * Otacon (save) - 140.96

Plant chapter
 * Richard Ames - 140.72
 * Colonel - 140.85
 * Rosemary (save) - 140.96
 * President Johnson - 141.37
 * Iroquois Pliskin/Solid Snake - 141.80
 * Peter Stillman - 140.25
 * Mr. X/Olga Gurlukovich - 140.48
 * Emma Emmerich - 141.52
 * Otacon - 141.12



Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

 * Major Tom/Major Zero - 140.85
 * Para-Medic - 145.73
 * The Boss - 141.80 (only during the Virtuous Mission)
 * Para-Medic (save) - 140.96
 * Sigint - 148.41
 * EVA - 142.52
 * The Sorrow (Groznyj Grad cell door) - 144.75


 * Healin' Tracks
 * 140.01 - Salty Catfish / 66 Boys
 * 140.52 - Rock Me Baby / 66 Boys
 * 141.24 - Sea Breeze / Sergei Mantis
 * 142.94 - Pillow Talk / Starry.K
 * 144.06 - Jumpin' Johnny / Chunk Raspberry
 * 147.08 - Surfing Guitar / 66 Boys
 * 147.59 - Sailor / Starry.K
 * 149.53 - Don't Be Afraid / Rika Muranaka

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops

 * 140.85 - Roy Campbell
 * 143.15 - Prisoner Evacuation
 * 145.73 - Para-Medic
 * 148.41 - Sigint
 * 144.73 - Ghost
 * 145.75 - Frequency lock key
 * 147.42 - Frequency lock key
 * 148.51 - Frequency lock key
 * 145.62 - Frequency lock key (Saturn V documents)
 * 141.23 - Ocelot (note: Snake only contacts Ocelot during a secret, non-canon recruiting mission.)
 * 145.25 - EVA (note: Snake only contacts EVA during a secret, non-canon recruiting mission.)

Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker
The Radio is used but it is called Codec in the menu screen.
 * 000.00 The End

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

 * Otacon - 141.12
 * Rosemary - 147.79
 * Rat Patrol 01 - 140.15
 * Roy Campbell - 140.85
 * Raiden - 141.80
 * Drebin - 148.93

Note: While the player can call Otacon and Rosemary almost whenever they please, the rest of the contacts will only call them at certain points of the storyline.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

 * Colonel Campbell - 140.85
 * Mei Ling - 140.96
 * Otacon - 141.12
 * Slippy Toad - 140.85 (Slippy hacks into the Codec system and gives Snake information about Falco, for the sake of friendly competition)

A full list of the Codec conversations from Super Smash Bros. Brawl can be found here.

Behind the Scenes

 * In Metal Gear Solid, when Solid Snake confronted Liquid Snake after learning that he impersonated Master Miller, Liquid asked Snake if he "liked his sunglasses" (in reference to his disguise as Miller). Although the novelization kept this line, this is likely just a moment of fourth wall breaking, at least in the game.
 * In Metal Gear Solid 2, Emma Emmerich realized that Raiden was one of the good guys because he had Codec nanomachines. This implies that a large percentage of the Sons of Liberty members had lacked the Codec-enabling nanomachines (considering their goal of destroying the Patriots, this may have been deliberate).