/vg/ Metal Gear General FAQ 1.0

Welcome to Metal Gear General. The following is a list of Frequently Asked Questions meant to help newcomers familiarize themselves with the series.

>What is Metal Gear?
Metal Gear is a series of stealth action games produced by Kojima Productions (formerly Konami Computer Entertainment Japan). The first game was released for the MSX2 home computer in Japan and Europe in 1987 and was followed by a single sequel in 1990 (Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake). The series was rebranded "Metal Gear Solid" with the release of the 1998 PlayStation game of the same name, which revived the series, propelling its popularity, leading to many sequels and spinoffs. The newest game in the series, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, is scheduled to be released for current and next-gen platforms.

>How many games are there?
Excluding spinoffs and rereleases, there are currently nine canonical games in the series, with a tenth entry in the works. In order of release and platform of origin, they are:

Metal Gear (1987, MSX2) - MG1
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (1990, MSX2) - MG2
Metal Gear Solid (1998, PS) - MGS1
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001, PS2) - MGS2
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004, PS2) - MGS3
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (2006, PSP) - MPO
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008, PS3) - MGS4
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (2010, PSP) - MGS PW
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (2013, PS3/Xbox 360) - MGR
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (TBA, PS4/PS3/Xbox One/Xbox 360) - MGSV

For a more comprehensive list, check out Kojima Productions' official lineup, which have the games listed from newest to oldest.
http://www.konami.jp/kojima_pro/japanese/lineup_mg/

>What is the easiest way for newcomers to get into the whole Metal Gear series?
For PlayStation 3 owners, they can get the Metal Gear Solid Legacy Collection, which will be released this July. It will include all the games in the series directed by creator Hideo Kojima, along with motion comic adaptations of the MGS graphic novels by Ashley Wood.

For Xbox 360 owners, the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection includes MGS2, 3 and PW, as well as the early MSX2 games. MGS1 and MGS4 are the only essential games not available on the 360.

>What's the chronological order of the series.
1964 - MGS3
1970 - MPO
1974 - MGS PW
1975/1984 - MGSV
1995 - MG1
1999 - MG2
2005 - MGS1
2007/2009 - MGS2
2014 - MGS4
2018 - MGR

While it might seem tempting to play the games in chronological order, each new Metal Gear game builds over the established storyline of its predecessor and it's easy to miss out a few important plot points or subtle references if you're a newcomer.

>What's the deal with Portable Ops (MPO)? Why is it not included in the Legacy Collection? Is it canon or not?
Portable Ops (or MPO) was a PSP-exclusive game that was developed without the direct involvement of creator Hideo Kojima, who was busy working on MGS4 at the time. At the time of its release, Konami heavily promoted MPO as a full chapter of the Metal Gear canon, the "missing link" that tied up all the loose ends between the events of MGS3 and MG1 and essential to understanding the plot of MGS4.

However, Kojima Productions has downplayed MPO's importance since its release. The newest version of the official MGS timeline omits MPO completely (http://www.konami.jp/mg25th/truth/), while Peace Walker (PW), the succeeding PSP game in the series, barely acknowledges the events of MPO. It is believed that Miller's line at the beginning of PW, where he tells Snake to "leave all that crap in San Hieronymo behind", is a reflection of Kojima's feelings about MPO, essentially telling the player to ignore the events of that game.

>What about Metal Gear Rising (MGR)?
Metal Gear Rising is a spinoff developed by a different studios (PlatinumGames) under the supervision of Kojima Productions. Like MPO, Kojima had no direct involvement with the development of MGR, as he was busy working on MGSV. he game system is completely different from traditional Metal Gear titles, being a 3D hack 'n slash in the vein of Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden or Platinum's own Bayonetta, rather than a stealth shooter. The game is set after the events of MGS4 and stars MGS2's surprise protagonist Raiden, following his reinvention as the new Cyborg Ninja in MGS4, making it the latest game chronologically as of this writing. It is unknown if Kojima ever intends on developing any further MGS sequels set after the events of 4.

>Is Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (MGS TTS) a good substitute for MGS1?
TTS is a remake MGS1 for the Nintendo GameCube developed by the now-defunct Canadian studio Silicon Knights (of Eternal Darkness fame). While the storyline remains essentially the same, the soundtrack is different, the cutscenes were redone under the direction of filmmaker Ryuhei Kitamura (Versus) and the play mechanics are the same one used for MGS2. Some fans of the original feel that the added play mechanics from MGS2 ruined the game's balance thanks to the fact that the level designs and boss battles were unchanged and the controls didn't translate well to the GameCube controller (due to its lack of pressure sensitive buttons). TTS is recommended as a substitute only if you don't have access to the original PS version for some reason.

>Are the two Metal Gear games on the NES the same ones that were released on the MSX2?
No. The NES version of the first Metal Gear, while technically a port of the MSX2, is a very different game from the MSX2 version due to its altered level designs and the fact that the actual Metal Gear tank itself never appears in the game. Kojima has gone on record that he considers this version of MG1 to be a "crappy game" and not an accurate representation of his MSX2 original.

The other Metal Gear on the NES, Snake's Revenge, is an original sequel that is completely unrelated to the MSX2's Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. It was not developed by Kojima,  takes the plot to a different direction (with only a few superficial similarities) and for some reason it was never released in Japan. It's not a bad game (especially compared to the first NES game), but shouldn't be considered anything more than a side game.