Metal Gear (Japanese: METAL GEAR, Hepburn: Metaru Gia) is a Japanese series of action-adventure stealth games created by Hideo Kojima. Konami developed and published the games. The first game, Metal Gear, was released in 1987 for MSX home computers. Players often control a special forces operative, usually named Solid Snake, who is typically assigned to find the titular superweapon, "Metal Gear," a robot that walks on two legs and can launch nuclear weapons.
Several sequels were released for multiple consoles, expanding the original story with new characters who support or oppose Snake. Prequels explored the origins of Metal Gear and recurring characters. The third game, Metal Gear Solid for the PlayStation, introduced 3D graphics and brought the series to international attention.
The series is known for starting and popularizing stealth games and "cinematic video games," which use movie-like scenes. Key features include detailed storylines, humor that breaks the fourth wall, and themes related to cyberpunk, dystopian settings, politics, and philosophy. The games also include references to Hollywood films. Individual games have received critical praise and awards. As of December 2025, the series has sold 65.5 million copies. The franchise has also been adapted into comics, novels, and drama CDs. Solid Snake has appeared in other games, such as Super Smash Bros., Ape Escape 3, LittleBigPlanet, and Fortnite.
Games
Hideo Kojima designed the original Metal Gear game, which was first released in Japan and Europe in 1987 for the MSX2 computer. A different team made a significantly changed version of the game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). This version was released in Japan on December 22, 1987, in North America in June 1988, and in Europe and Australia sometime in 1989. Konami created an NES sequel called Snake's Revenge, which was released in North America and Europe in 1990. One of the designers of that game met Kojima and asked him to make a "real Metal Gear sequel." In response, Kojima began developing Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, which was released in Japan in 1990 for the MSX2.
After completing Metal Gear 2, Kojima worked on other projects before creating his third Metal Gear game, Metal Gear Solid, for the PlayStation. Development started in 1994, and the game was first shown at the 1996 Tokyo Game Show. It was released in 1998. The success of Metal Gear Solid led to many more games, including sequels, prequels, spin-offs, and remakes for platforms like Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Color, PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. A sequel called Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty was released in November 2001 for the PlayStation 2. A remake of the original Metal Gear Solid, titled Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, was released for the Nintendo GameCube in early 2004. Later that year, the third numbered game, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, was released for the PlayStation 2. This was the first prequel, set before all previously released Metal Gear games, and it introduced the origin of the franchise. A sequel to Snake Eater, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, was released in 2006 for the PlayStation Portable. The main story of the series ended with Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, released in 2008 for the PlayStation 3. This game included a multiplayer spin-off called Metal Gear Online.
In April 2010, another sequel to Snake Eater, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, was released for the PlayStation Portable. It was set shortly after the events of Portable Ops. A spin-off game, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, was released in 2013 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and in January 2014 for PC. The game was set after Guns of the Patriots and featured Raiden, the protagonist from Sons of Liberty who became a cyborg ninja.
Expanded versions of games in the series were also released, such as Integral (Metal Gear Solid), Substance (Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty), and Subsistence (Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater). Portable games in the series are usually set outside the main story. Metal Gear: Ghost Babel was released for the Game Boy Color, and several games were made for the PlayStation Portable. Unlike other games in the series, Metal Gear Acid and its sequel used turn-based strategy mechanics based on collectible cards.
On May 18, 2009, a teaser site for the next Metal Gear game was created by Kojima Production. The site included countdowns and images of two characters resembling a middle-aged Big Boss and a cyborg Raiden. An article in the July 2009 issue of Famitsu PSP + PS3 covered the site and included an interview with Hideo Kojima. The interview was heavily censored, as requested by Kojima, who was working on the new game. The article promised to publish the full interview in a later issue. The new game was later revealed to be Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, which was announced on June 1, 2009, at E3 during the Microsoft Press Conference.
At E3 2010, a demo called "Metal Gear Solid 3D: Snake Eater – The Naked Sample" was shown on the Nintendo 3DS. Screenshots and art for the demo were later released on the official Kojima site. Kojima stated that this was not a preview of a full game but a sample of what could be done on the 3DS hardware. At Sony's PlayStation Meeting on January 27, 2011, Kojima demonstrated a possible portable version of Metal Gear Solid
Storyline
In the Metal Gear universe, history changed after World War I with the creation of an imaginary agreement between the United States, China, and the Soviet Union. This group, called the philosophers, formed a fictional unit called Cobra, led by a character named The Boss. This unit helped defeat the Axis Powers during World War II. Cloning, AI, and robotics from the 1970s are more advanced than in real life. The 11 main Metal Gear games tell a story that spans over 55 years, from the Cold War to the near future. Big Boss is the most important character in the series. Of the 11 games, five are prequels that focus on his story, which happens decades before the first Metal Gear game. Solid Snake is still the main character of the series, as the prequels explain his purpose and how he is the opposite of his father.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is the first game in the series. It introduces a character named Naked Snake (or Snake for short), who works for a fictional group called FOX, part of the CIA during the Cold War. The game shows how Snake becomes a famous soldier and how his mentor, The Boss, falls from power. After The Boss joins the Soviet Union, Snake is sent to Russia to kill her and stop a Soviet colonel named Yevgeny Borisovitch Volgin, who plans to take over the Soviet government. Snake's bravery earns him the nickname "Big Boss" at the end of the game. The story also explains the beginnings of an organization called The Patriots, created by a character named Zero.
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops comes after
Development
The first Metal Gear game was designed to be an action game that showed modern military battles. However, the MSX2 computer's technology limited how many bullets and enemies could appear on the screen at once, which Hideo Kojima believed limited the combat experience. Inspired by the movie The Great Escape, he changed the gameplay to focus on a prisoner escaping. In articles for Official PlayStation 2 Magazine, Hideo Kojima stated that several Hollywood films influenced the story and gameplay of the Metal Gear series. He also mentioned that the James Bond movies had the greatest influence on the creation of Metal Gear Solid. The original game's plot included themes about fear of nuclear war during the 1980s, which came from the Cold War. Later games included ideas about nuclear weapon inspections in Iraq and Iran, but this idea was removed because of concerns about political issues in the Middle East. Other changes happened in Metal Gear Solid 2 because of the September 11 attacks.
After Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Kojima planned to release the third game for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer in 1994. However, the game was later moved to the PlayStation, renamed, and its sequels included the word "Solid" because the series began using 3D computer graphics. From then on, the games aimed to feel more realistic to improve the player experience. Metal Gear Solid 3 was originally planned for the PlayStation 3, but because the console took too long to release, the game was made for the PlayStation 2 instead. Earlier games had indoor settings because of console limitations, but Kojima wanted to change this despite the challenges. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty left some plot points unresolved, allowing players to discuss and form their own ideas. This caused problems in the English versions of Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2, as they mentioned story details later explored in Metal Gear Solid 4.
Related media
A book version of the original Metal Gear game was published in 1988 as part of Scholastic's Worlds of Power series. These books were based on games for the NES made by companies other than Konami. The book was written by Alexander Frost. It did not follow the official story of the game but instead used the version of the story made by Konami of America. The book changed the name of the main character, Solid Snake, to Justin Halley and renamed the group FOXHOUND to "Snake Men." In Japan, a gamebook version of Metal Gear was released on March 31, 1988, shortly after the game came out on the Famicom. This book was set two years after the original game and was part of Konami's Gamebook Series. A book version of Metal Gear Solid was published in 2008 by Raymond Benson, who also wrote nine James Bond novels. Benson also wrote a book version of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, which was published in 2009. Reviews of Benson's books were mostly positive, with some websites saying he did a good job turning the game into a story. A Japanese-language book version of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots was written by Project Itoh and released on June 12, 2008. It was translated into English by Viz Media and released on June 19, 2012.
A comic book version of the original Metal Gear Solid was published by IDW Publishing in 2004. It was written by Kris Oprisko and illustrated by Ashley Wood. A comic book version of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty was also published by IDW, written by Alex Garner and illustrated by Ashley Wood. The comic series had 24 issues and was collected into two trade paperbacks and one hardback book, which is no longer available. A paperback version of the entire comic series, called Metal Gear Solid Omnibus, was released in June 2010. A digital version of the first comic was released for the PlayStation Portable in 2006. A second digital version, Metal Gear Solid 2: Bande Dessinée, was released in Japan on DVD in 2008. This version included fully voiced versions of the comics, with the same voice actors from the games except for those who had passed away.
A radio drama based on the original Metal Gear Solid aired in Japan from 1998 to 1999 as part of Konami's CLUB db program. Directed by Shuyo Murata and written by Motosada Mori, the drama had 12 episodes divided into three story arcs. It was later collected into two volumes. The stories followed Solid Snake, Meryl Silverburgh, Mei Ling, and Roy Campbell on missions as FOXHOUND operatives. Mei Ling and Meryl wore uniforms from the game. These stories were not considered official parts of the Metal Gear series. The radio drama used the same voice actors from the game, and new characters were added.
Several DVDs have been made to explain the Metal Gear series. Metal Gear Saga vol. 1 was released in 2006 as a pre-order disc for MGS3: Subsistence. It had five chapters, each discussing one game in the series in order, starting with MGS3. Each chapter included comments from Hideo Kojima. Metal Gear Saga vol. 2 was shown at the 20th Metal Gear Anniversary Party and released as a pre-order disc for MGS4. This DVD was presented as a fake documentary about Solid Snake and had a prologue and four chapters. The chapters covered the stories of Naked Snake, Liquid Snake, Solidus Snake, and Solid Snake.
In 1999, McFarlane Toys, with help from Konami, made action figures of characters from Metal Gear Solid. In 2001, after the success of the first series and the release of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, McFarlane and Konami made more figures of characters from the second game. Each figure had a piece of the Metal Gear RAY robot, so collecting all the figures was needed to build the robot.
Konami also made small blind-box figures of characters from MGS2 in Japan, released in 2002, and another series called Substance in 2003. These were later sold in the United States and United Kingdom in card packages instead of blind boxes. During the release of MGS3, Medicom made 12-inch action figures of Snake as part of their Real Action Heroes line. Medicom later made figures of characters from Snake Eater and Guns of the Patriots.
In 2009, toy company ThreeA worked with Hideo Kojima to make products related to the series. In 2012, ThreeA released a large 1/48 scale model of Metal Gear REX with working lights. The model could be dressed to look like REX in Guns of the Patriots. ThreeA also worked with artist Ashley Wood to make a similar model of Metal Gear RAY. A prototype of this model was shown in Hong Kong in 2012.
Square Enix also made toys based on the series, starting with characters and vehicles from Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. These toys, from Square's Play Arts Kai line, were released in 2010. The line later expanded to include characters from Metal Gear Solid, Sons of Liberty, Ground Zeroes, and The Phantom Pain, with more detailed designs than earlier figures.
In 2012, Hot Toys released a 1/6th scale action figure of Naked Snake in his sneaking suit from MGS3, along with a figure of the Boss. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series, Kotobukiya made a 1/100 scale model of Metal Gear REX with small figures of Solid Snake, Liquid Snake, and Gray Fox in different poses. Kotobukiya later made a model of RAY. Kaiyodo's Revoltech line includes figures of Big Boss from Peace Walker and Raiden from Rising: Revengeance, as well as Venom Snake and a Soviet soldier from The Phantom Pain in smaller sizes.
The soundtracks for the first two Metal Gear games were made by Iku Mizutani, Shigehiro Takenouchi, and Motoaki Furukawa. For Metal Gear Solid, Hideo Kojima wanted a system that could change the music's tempo and texture in real time instead of switching to a new track. This was not possible at first but was added in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. Hideo Kojima's choice of Harry Gregson-Williams, a Hollywood composer, to make the music for Metal Gear Solid 2 was widely noticed before the game was released. Gregson-Williams later worked on Metal Gear Solid 3 and Metal Gear Solid 4. Starting with Metal Gear Solid, the games included theme songs by popular artists like Rika Muranaka. Soundtracks based on the games have also been published.
In May 2006, Hideo Kojima announced that an English-language movie based on Metal Gear Solid was being planned. Kojima also said at the Electronic Entertainment Expo that month that he had signed a contract with a company to develop the film.
Reception and legacy
As of December 2025, the Metal Gear franchise has sold more than 65.5 million copies. By February 2007, the series had earned over $1 billion (equivalent to $1.6–$2.8 billion when considering inflation) from 20 million copies sold. It also sold other products, including 3 million strategy guides, 1.5 million action figures, and 200,000 comic books. As of 2019, the franchise had earned about $2.5 billion worldwide.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty sold about 7 million copies worldwide. It is followed by Metal Gear Solid, which sold over 7 million copies, and then Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, each selling over 6 million copies. According to Chart-Track, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots was the second fastest-selling PlayStation 3 game in the United Kingdom after Grand Theft Auto IV. The Phantom Pain earned $179 million on its release day, more than the combined opening day box office of the films Avengers: Age of Ultron and Jurassic World. The PlayStation Portable games had much lower sales, but this was because the console was not selling well at the time. Metal Gear Survive, the first Metal Gear game developed after series creator Hideo Kojima left Konami, sold only a small fraction of the copies sold by Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
The series, especially the games directed by Hideo Kojima, is often considered one of the most influential in video game history and has received a lot of praise from critics and players. Most of the numbered games are considered among the greatest video games of all time. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty has a score of 95.09% on GameRankings and 96/100 on Metacritic, making it the highest-scoring game in the series. In 2002, Metal Gear Solid was named the best PlayStation game ever by IGN editors. Metal Gear Solid 2 ranked No. 50 on Game Informer Magazine’s list of the top 200 games of all time. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was voted the fifth greatest PlayStation game in a poll by PlayStation Official Magazine (UK). Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2 were displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s "The Art of Video Games" exhibition from March 16 to September 30, 2012. The games have won awards, such as Metal Gear Solid, which received the "Excellence Award for Interactive Art" from the Japan Media Arts Festival, and Metal Gear Solid 2, which was named Game of the Year by Game Informer.
Metal Gear was the first mainstream stealth game, and players started the game unarmed. It sold over a million copies in the United States. Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake improved the stealth gameplay of its predecessor and is considered one of the best 8-bit games ever made. Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 are credited with starting the use of stealth mechanics in games. Metal Gear Solid, which debuted at the 1996 Tokyo Game Show, was the first 3D stealth game and is credited with popularizing the stealth genre and the hiding-behind-cover mechanic. The series started using movie-like techniques in games, and Eurogamer considers Metal Gear Solid the "first modern video game."
Several boss fights in the series have been praised for their variety and the strategy needed to beat them. The series is known for scenes that break the fourth wall. The storyline has been noted for its strong character development and its exploration of controversial themes. Hideo Kojima’s script in Metal Gear Solid 2 has been praised, with some calling it an early example of a postmodern video game. Others say it anticipated ideas like post-truth politics, fake news, echo chambers, and alternative facts. The series’ storytelling has been praised for being among the most fascinating science fiction stories in any medium. The cutscenes are often praised for their graphics and the characters’ performances. However, some critics have noted that the cutscenes are too long and that parts of the storyline are confusing. The introduction of Raiden as the main character in Metal Gear Solid 2, after he was not shown in the game’s trailers and replaced fan-favorite Solid Snake, is considered one of the most controversial parts of the series. The game’s audio has been praised for its use of sound and music, earning awards for its quality.
The Metal Gear series inspired many video game developers. Clint Hocking, the designer of Splinter Cell and Far Cry 2, said that every stealth-action game "owes its existence to the success of Metal Gear" and that "without Metal Gear, there would be no stealth games." Mathieu Ferland, a producer for Splinter Cell, said Metal Gear Solid was a huge inspiration and "a pioneer for both the genre and the quality of directing." Denis Dyack, founder of Silicon Knights, said Metal Gear Solid’s "story, script, characters, voice acting, and cinemas" were "a landmark" and "guiding light to the future of video games." Cliff Bleszinski, creator of Unreal and Gears of War, cited the military themes and action gameplay of Metal Gear as a major influence on his work and named Gears of War in homage to Metal Gear. Takuma Endo, creator of Tenchu, said the early 2D Metal Gear games influenced his work. Tom Leonard, creator of Thief, said Metal Gear Solid’s success showed that experimental stealth gameplay could be marketable and "revitalized the team" during the final stages of their project. Emily Knox, a designer at Sumo Digital, said Metal Gear Solid was an early influence on her work. Luke Kelly, an animator for Crysis 2, said the game’s animations were inspired by Metal Gear Solid 4. Neil Druckmann cited the introduction of Raiden in Metal Gear Solid 2 as an influence on *The Last