Raiden's replacement of fan favorite Solid Snake in "Metal Gear Solid 2" proved controversial; GamesRadar considered the replacement a reason to dislike the series. The same site criticized Raiden's role in "Metal Gear Solid 2" several times and called his inclusion one of the worst aspects of the game. Snake's voice actor, David Hayter, was also surprised by the inclusion of Raiden in "Sons of Liberty" believing his character was meant to be the returning protagonist. In 2004, "GameAxis Unwired" published a fake interview in which Hideo Kojima expressed regret for creating the character. While calling "Metal Gear Solid 2" one of the biggest disappointments in video-game history, UGO Networks' Marissa Meli cited Raiden's debut as a key problem with the game. The book "Playing with Videogames" states that Raiden's inclusion was intended to surprise "Metal Gear" fans who, instead of playing as Snake, played as his opposite. Writer James Newman commented that fans' reactions were highly negative; they acted as though Kojima had betrayed their expectations. He compared Raiden to the controversial "Star Wars" character Jar Jar Binks. Newman considered trailers for "Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater" in which Raiden is mocked to be Konami's comic response to fans' disapproval.