Metal Gear a short history complete

1987 Metal Gear is released for the MSX2 (see comments) computer system. Selling points were graphics and stealth gameplay. The game was later ported to the NES and made available to the Western market. The game was designed by a young Konami employee called Hideo Kojima.
note:The NES version of the game was later ported to the IBM PC and commodore 64.

1990 Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake released for the MSX2 (but only for the Japanese market), with improved graphics and the introduction of a radar system.

1997 Konami announce a sequel at E3 for a new gaming system called playstation

1998 Metal Gear Solid playable demo available at E3, walks away with best game of the show. Game released in September for playstation to critical acclaim earning it's designer celebrity status in the gaming world.

1999 Metal Gear Integral/VR missions for ps2 added value VR mission disc, photo shoot and 3 missions playable as ninja character.

2000 Metal Gear Solid/Ghost Babel released for Gameboy colour, with a different storyline to the earlier playstation release.

Konami screen a 10 minute Metal Gear Solid 2 "trailer" for playstation 2 at E3, gaming media frenzy.

2001 Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty released for Playstation 2, new features include cinematic graphics, a tranquiliser option to take out guards and aiming in first person view. New principal character Raiden created some dissention amongst gamers. Europeans who received the game 3 months after the US and Japanese releases had the big surprise ruined thanks to media reviews.

2002 Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance released for xbox, improved graphics, extras such as boss survival, casting theatre, extreme difficulty, FHM posters replaced. Pricipally the edition featured 700 (yes some of you are still playing) VR missions, playable characters and costumes, extra missions, and snake tales

The Document of Metal Gear Solid 2 an interactive making of documentary for playstation 2, featuring interactive 3d models of all characters, all the ingame music, all the interactive cutscenes and storyboards.

2003 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater released for ps2, introduction of "camouflage index" and subsequent chageable uniforms, Snake vs Monkey mini game, secret mini-game called Guy Savage. Fans attested to a return to form for the game.

2004 Metal Gear Solid: Twin snakes released for gamecube. Enhanced 1998 playstation game to include features in Metal Gear solid 2.

Metal Gear Acid(also known as acid metal) released for psp. A card based simulation, gameplay similar to a board game or RTS

2005 Metal Gear Solid: Subsistence
for ps2, an expanded version of Snake Eater. First disc "subsistence" has the updated game, Second disc "persistence"contains supplemental game modes and materials including online multiplayer called Metal Gear Online (duh!). Limited editions include a third disc "existence" includes the ingame fmv edited to a 3.5 hour film.

Metal Gear Saga Volume 1 DVD bundled with US pre-orders of subsistence, features a 30 minute overview of the Metal Gear series, interviews with hideo kojima and various game trailers. Official website just in case you lost out.

Metal Gear Acid (english version) for psp includes wireless multiplayer in the VR realm for two-player battles, a feature not found in the original Japanese game released in 2004

Metal Gear Acid 2 (japanese release) for psp, upgraded card system and a total of 500 cards, new visual effects, an innovative 3d mode and trailers viewable with 3d glasses.

2006 Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphical Novel released for the psp and interactive game described as "an involved interactive experience as players investigate the MGS story, link together plot points, and complete the puzzle of the Metal Gear narrative through multiple play throughs."

Metal Gear Acid 2 (western release) for psp

2006+ Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriot for ps3, promising a new twist to the stealth mechanics, snake has aged and now wears an optical eye-patch. Trailer click here
Elderly gamer's mgs4 update

2007+ Untitled psp release
May 2006 Hideo Kojima announces a psp release, billed as a sequel to MGS3 and hoping to better bridge the gap in storyline between Mgs3 and Mgs4. Players will again play as Big Boss, and will take part in the formation of Fox Hound. Set for release 2007.

More information on any of the releases mentioned above is available on wikipedia.

Metal Gear Solid official website

Metal Gear Acid official website

Metal Gear Acid 2 official website

Hideo Kojima blog

elderly tags metal gear history series games solid snake metal gear solid sons of liberty substance snake eater twin snakes metal gear acid metal gear acid2 subsistence saga vol1 novel comic guns of the patriot persistence existence MGS2 MGS3MGS4