Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D slithering out March 8 in Japan

Nintendo had originally planned for Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D to help launch the 3DS this year, but Konami had other plans. At this year's Tokyo Game Show, Hideo Kojima confirmed that the 3D update to the acclaimed PlayStation 2 title would arrive early in 2012. Now, Kojima has narrowed that release date to March 8 in Japan, according to Famitsu.

More than just a port of the PS2 classic, MGS: Snake Eater 3D includes a number of enhancements that cater to the 3DS's new technology. These include, of course, 3D visuals, which play up the game's jungle atmosphere, as well as touch pad and camera support.

Set in the 1960s, Snake Eater plays on the tensions between the US and Soviet Union during the Cold War. The story follows Naked Snake as he sets out to retrieve a kidnapped weapons designer and in the process destroy an experimental superweapon.

A Konami representative told GameSpot that there was nothing to announce by way of a North American release date at this time. For more information, check out GameSpot's previous coverage of Snake Eater 3D.