Metal Gear

Metal Gear (Japanese: メタルギア) is a Japanese franchise of action-adventure stealth games created by Hideo Kojima. Developed and published by Konami, the first game, Metal Gear, was released in 1987 for MSX home computers. The player often takes control of a special forces operative, usually Solid Snake, who is typically assigned the task of finding the titular superweapon, "Metal Gear", a bipedal walking tank (mecha) with the ability to launch nuclear weapons. Several sequels have been released for multiple consoles, which have expanded the original game's plot, adding characters opposing and supporting Snake, while several prequels have explored the origins of Metal Gear and recurring characters. The third game in the series, Metal Gear Solid for the PlayStation, marked a transition to 3D graphics and gained the series international fame. The series is credited for pioneering and popularizing stealth games, as well as "cinematic video games". Notable traits of the series include cinematic cutscenes, intricate storylines, offbeat and fourth-wall humor, and exploration of cyberpunk, dystopian, political and philosophical themes, as well as references to Hollywood films. Individual installments have been critically acclaimed, as well as receiving several awards. The series has sold 66.4 million units as of the end of June 2026. The franchise has also been adapted into other media, such as comics, novels, and drama CDs. Solid Snake has also gone on to appear in other games, such as the Super Smash Bros. series, Ape Escape 3, LittleBigPlanet, Fortnite, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, and Astrobot.