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Welcome to Metal Gear General. The following is a list of Frequently Asked Questions meant to help newcomers familiarize themselves with the series.
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>What is Metal Gear?
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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.
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Metal Gear is a series of stealth action games produced by Kojima Productions (formerly Konami Computer Entertainment Japan). The series dates back to the 8-bit MSX2 home computer in 1987, simply titled Metal Gear, but it wasn't until the release of its third canonical installment, Metal Gear Solid, that the series managed to achieve mainstream success, leading to the rebranding of the series under the Metal Gear Solid title for future sequels.
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>Who is the lead designer of Metal Gear?
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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:
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Metal Gear is the creation of Hideo Kojima, who directed, wrote and designed almost all of the major games in the series since the MSX2 original. Outside the Metal Gear series, he directed two graphic adventure games (Snatcher and Policenauts) and served as producer for Zone of the Enders, Boktai and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. He is a massive cinephile whose love for movies has heavily influenced his work on the Metal Gear series and other projects.
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>How many games are there?
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Excluding spinoffs and rereleases, there are currently nine canonical games in the series, with a tenth entry in production. In order of release and platform of origin, they are:
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Metal Gear (1987, MSX2) - MG1
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Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (1990, MSX2) - MG2
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Metal Gear Solid (1998, PS) - MGS1
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Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001, PS2) - MGS2
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Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004, PS2) - MGS3
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Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (2006, PSP) - MPO
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Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (TBA, PS4/PS3/Xbox One/Xbox 360) - MGSV
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Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (2010, PSP) - MGS PW
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Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (2013, PS3/Xbox 360) - MGR
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Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (TBA, PS4/PS3/Xbox One/Xbox 360) - MGS V
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For a more comprehensive list, check out Kojima Productions' official lineup, which have the games listed from newest to oldest.
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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.
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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.
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For PlayStation 3 owners, they can get the Metal Gear Solid Legacy Collection, which will be release this July. It will include all the games in the series directed by Kojima, along with motion comic adaptations of the MGS graphic novels by Ashley Wood. 
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Xbox 360 owners on the other hand, have no choice but to settle with the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, which 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.
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>What's the chronological order of the series.
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1975/1984 - MGSV
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1970 - MPO
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1974 - MGS PW
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1975/1984 - MGS V
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1995 - MG1
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1999 - MG2
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2005 - MGS1
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2007/2009 - MGS2
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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.
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2018 - MGR
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>What's the deal with Portable Ops (MPO)? Why is it not included in the Legacy Collection? Is it canon or not?
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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.
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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 details or subtle references if you're a newcomer.
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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.
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>What's the deal with Portable Ops (MPO)? Why was it not included in the Legacy Collection? Is it canon or not?
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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 (http://www.konami.jp/mg/mgsaga.html), the "missing link" that tied up all the loose ends between the events of MGS3 and MG1 (PW did not exist at the time) and essential to understanding the plot of MGS4.
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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.
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However, Kojima Productions has since downplayed MPO's importance to the canon. The newest version of the official MGS timeline omits MPO completely (http://www.konami.jp/mg25th/truth/), while PW, the PSP Metal Gear game that Kojima later directed, barely acknowledges the events of MPO. Miller's line at the beginning of PW, where he tells Snake to "leave all that crap in San Hieronymo behind" (San Hieronymo being the setting of MPO), is commonly interpreted as an allusion of Kojima's feelings for MPO, essentially telling the player to ignore the events of that game.
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>What about Metal Gear Rising (MGR)?
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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.
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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 MGS V. The 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, Kojima personally considers MGR to a parallel sequel that branches off from MGS4.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6OGvhlKNzw
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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.
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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 game system has been updated with play mechanics previously introduced in 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 left largely 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 (or its PC port) for some reason.
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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.
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>What about the Game Boy COlor version of Metal Gear Solid?
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>The GBC version of MGS is actually an original game and not a port. Its Japanese title was Metal Gear: Ghost Babel and it served as an alternate 2D sequel to the original Metal Gear.
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>Are the two Metal Gear games on the NES the same ones that were released on the MSX2?
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No. The NES version of the first Metal Gear, while technically a port of the MSX2 original, is a very different game due to its drastically altered level designs, numerous bugs 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 shoddy product and too difficult for the wrong reasons.
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The other Metal Gear game on the NES, Snake's Revenge, is a non-canonical sequel that was developed by Konami for the western market without Kojima's involvement in response to the surprise success of the NES Metal Gear. Its development actually preceded Kojima's official Metal Gear 2 and was in fact his  inspiration for continuing the series.
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>What's the deal with Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain?
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Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain are the titles of the different portions of the upcomng Metal Gear Solid V, with Ground Zeroes serving as the prologue and The Phantom Pain being the main story. Kojima has yet clarified how these different portions will be distributed other than Ground Zeroes might be released by itself sometime before The Phantom Pain as a sort-of appetizer/demo for the main experience.