What is 'Metal Gear'?

Metal Gear first went on sale in Japan on July 7th 1987. That game was born with the notion: "Fighting alone does not make a game. Stealth is more important!!". Metal Gear had a huge impact on gamers and manufacturers alike. Not only was it a new and original game design, but its story, full of plot twists and intricate human drama, garnished praise from the critics and made it into a huge international hit. The sequel, "Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake" would mark the last time that "Metal Gear" appeared on any platform. Nevertheless, the "Metal Gear" series continued to be widely discussed as a visionary masterpiece. Today, the true vision of Metal Gear will be unveiled to fans across the world in the form of "METAL GEAR SOLID".

The History of Metal Gear

By Brad Shoemaker
Designed By: Collin Oguro

Silence. You stand guard as posted, occasionally shifting your weight from one foot to the other. Cradling your rifle, you lazily scan the surroundings for the enemy. Was that movement in the shadows? An intruder? No, probably just a rat, or perhaps your imagination. You resign yourself to an uneventful watch and begin to let your guard down. Suddenly, from behind, powerful arms close over your neck. In less than a second, your larynx is crushed, defeating your attempt to scream. Your head is jerked sideways. You vaguely hear the grisly snap of your own neck, and as your world fades to black, you realize he's as good as the legends say....

Solid Snake, badass superspy extraordinaire, has had the most illustrious career this side of 007. Averting global nuclear destruction is all in a day's work for Snake, who commands the starring role in Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear series, now one of the most popular franchise properties in video gaming. Metal Gear offsets the run-and-gun attitude of most action-adventure games by introducing an element of stealth; a full frontal assault with guns blazing means a quick "Game Over." Kojima combines this unique gameplay with stylish cinematic presentation and a fair dose of political intrigue, and the result is the closest thing available to a real spy movie on a video game console.

Solid Snake wasn't always so famous, though, nor, in the beginning, did he and his surroundings look quite so good. Join GameSpot as we take a look at Solid Snake's past exploits, from his humble beginnings on a little-known computer system, through his rise to stardom in Metal Gear Solid, and finally to his almost universally accepted role as the biggest deal at the 2000 Electronic Entertainment Expo.

GameSpot's History of Metal Gear

Soundtrack: "MG Password Screen"