Konami has allowed a group of independent modders to remake the original 1987 Metal Gear title.

Most people know that Metal Gear Solid debuted on the PlayStation in 1998, but hardcore Snake fans will know that this release was actually preceded by two Metal Gear games on the MSX/NES. If you never got the chance to play them, I've got some good news for you. Konami has given the green light to a group of independent modders, who are aiming to remake the original 1987 Metal Gear title. And best of all, when it is released, it will be 100% free.

The mod will be made in Valve's free-to-play Alien Swarm engine - meaning that the original 2D Metal Gear levels will be brought to life in 3D. They've already got some work-in-progress shots, which you can check out here:

The modding group - "Outer Heaven" - contacted Konami to ensure it wouldn't be getting any cease and desist letters in its mailbox. Konami gave it the thumbs up - giving it all-access rights to rebuild the game, but said it wasn't allowed to use any copyrighted materials for the purposes of marketing and promotion.

Outer Heaven is reaching out to anyone with a good grasp of C++ or gaming design that might want to get in on the action - feel free to contact them at [email protected] if you're interested.

Source: ModDB via Kotaku