[Trivial Psychic]

I have both of the McFarlane Snakes, as well as the Figma and Revol-Mini versions, and they all have their faults, some which bury the figure more than others.

The McFarlane Snake figures have great sculpts that largely hold up, but suffer greatly in the articulation department. The figure from the first Metal Gear line is pretty par for the course for a 90's action figure, but comes with a terrific bunch of accessories that can be used in other lines.

The McFarlane Snake from Son's of Liberty is a huge improvement on the sculpt when compared to it's predecessor, and while the articulation is there, it's hampered by Toddy Mac's decision to pre-pose the torso, head and neck areas. It can be worked a bit, but if you're looking to play with it, you're gonna be limited. If he's just going to sit on a shelf though, he does look great.

The Figma...I have a love/hate relationship with. He's a tad bit too small to fit with most 6 inch lines, and while the promo shots look terrific, in hand, something got lost in translation. The face sculpt is a bit darker and muted, and it's a bit fuzzy to look at. His articulation is fantastic like you would expect it to be, but being that he's a Figma...he's also a loose, floppy mess full of little bits that are fiddly. I received mine brand new when the figure came out, and straight out of the box, he became a loose mess after about 30 or 40 minutes of posing. I've only removed him from the box a few times since, as while I love the figure, I just hate handling him. If I can somehow replace all of the ball joints that he came with that hold his body together, I'm sure I'd probably love it much more.

I have never handled the Revoltech (Big Boss) Snake, but I do have the Solid Snake from the Revol-Mini line, and he's a delight. Definitely the best of the bunch. The only issue is that he comes in at only about 4 inches, so he's better off with your Joes. He's technically a Revoltech figure, so you know what you're getting into there when it comes to sculpt and articulation, but if there's a pose you want your Solid Snake to be in, he can pretty much hit it with some patience and work.

All that said...if you're gonna settle for one...despite my pains with the Figma, I'd honestly have to say that he's the best option out there, as long as you know what you're getting into. My figure could have just been a bad one out of the factory, but older Figma's were generally plagued with those sorts of issues, and Snake was no different. It just depends on your level of dedication to the franchise, as well as to what you're looking for.

If you're only looking though for some representation on your toy shelf though, the MGS2 Snake still holds up as a great looking figure...albeit just one you can't do a whole lot with.