In 1987, the world was introduced to a rookie special agent named Solid Snake. Produced by Hideo Kojima and developed by Konami, Metal Gear was born. Metal Gear is a game where players need tons of patience, skill, and stealth to enjoy it. This game often gets to its players because of the toughness that this game brings. Some who have played have often said that the game was too hard to play. However, the story line of Metal Gear is what made this franchise so famous in the later years of the franchise's existence.

         In 1990, Konami with a different team went and made a sequel for Metal Gear called Snake's Revenge. Kojima had nothing to do with the production of Snake's Revenge, however, a person from the team that created Snake's Revenge contacted Kojima to make a "True" sequel for Metal Gear. Kojima, being intrigued then produced Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, which was released in Japan for the MSX2. Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake would not be released in English until Metal Gear Solid 3: Substance, which was released 16 years later in 2006 for the Playstation 2.

         After Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Kojima was part of other projects before finally in 1998 he produced Metal Gear Solid for the Playstation. Metal Gear Solid is believed to have been the game that made the Stealth Genre popular. The unique game play and cut scenes are what makes this game so addicting to most players. This game has it all, sabotage, betrayal, and enough twists to make your head spin.

         The next game to be released is Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty for the Playstation 2 in 2001. This game takes place on an oil tanker, where your mission is to save the kidnapped President of the United States. Who was taken prisoner but a group who call themselves “Son’s of Liberty” and whose leader said he was Solid Snake. Later in the game the player would find out that it was actually a third twin of Naked Snake named Solidus Snake. This game would also go through some changes before it was finally released as well. Originally the game was to take place around a nuclear inspection in Iraq and Iran. Which would put Solid Snake on an air carrier trying to stop Liquid Snake and his group. However, while in production of the game things started to get a little hairy in the Middle East and Kojima decided it wouldn't’t be a good idea to have that kind of plot in the game. The Oil Tanker in the game that was released was based on this plot.

         Another thing that was changed in Metal Gear Solid 2: Son’s of Liberty was the ending. Originally the ending had Arsenal Gear destroying the Statue of Liberty and crash landing taking out most of Manhattan. However, with the attack of the Twin Towers in 2001 that ending was taken out. Also a brief cut scene where the Statue of Liberty was moved to Ellis Island and where Solidus Snake died was taken out as well.

         In 2004 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was released this would be Kojima’s fifth installment to the Metal Gear Franchise. The early 2000’s were know as the prequel age where most games and movies would bring out prequels to movies and games that were already made. This game followed suit as the prequel to all the Metal Gear games. This game would take place during the Cold War era and in the Soviet UNION where the player would play as Naked Snake. The goal was to save a weapons scientist and sabotage an experimental super weapon.

         The game play of Snake Eater stayed the same as the previous Metal Gear Solid games. Where the Player controlling Naked Snake has to make it through hostile environment without being detected. Even though the player can be equipped with different weapons. The whole point of the game is to avoid having to use those weapons. The player is also given different gadgets as well to help avoid confrontation. The Metal Gear Solid trademark is also in this game, which features the cardboard box from other Metal Gear Solid games that the player can hide under for cover.

         Another interesting thing about Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is the way Kojima directed the “Boss” battles. Kojima wanted the “Boss” battles to be totally different then the other Metal Gear Solid games. He stated that the best example is the battle with the sniper “The End”. This battle best shows free, open game play. The battle takes place in a large area of the jungle, where the player must search for this sniper. Kojima explains that this battle can last for hours, because it is not like other “Boss” fights where the “Boss” is in front of the player and in clear view. Also what is clever about this “Boss” battle is the player can avoid this battle all together by killing “The End” earlier in the game, or by saving and quitting, waiting a week and then reload the game to find out that the sniper “The End” had died from old age, something that does not happen in other games.

         Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater would not end up being the only prequel in the Metal Gear Solid series. The next game, which would end up being a sequel to Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is called Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. Which was released for the Playstation Portable in 2006. This would end up being the third Metal Gear game for the PSP, but the first to continue the storyline from where Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater left off. This game would take place six years after the events of Snake Eater, and would also explain the beginnings of FOXHOUND, The Patriots, and Outer Heaven.

         The next game for the PSP and to continue the Metal Gear Solid storyline is Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Peace Walker was released for the PSP in 2010. Peace Walker takes place in 1974 in South America. Peace walker would end up being the sequel to Portable Ops, and be the first Metal Gear game to receive a “Teen” rating from ESRB. Peace Walker’s storyline explains more about outer heaven and out it was established.

         The next installment of this series was deemed flawless to many major gaming publishers. In 2008 Metal Gear Solid: Guns of Patriots was released for the Playstation 3. Guns of Patriots would help the Metal Gear franchise reach 5 million units for the financial 2009 year. Unlike the past Metal Gear games that use the overhead camera look, Metal Gear Solid: Guns of Patriots used a 3^rd person view with and optional first person view. The next thing that was added to the game play of Metal Gear Solid: Guns of Patriots was the Psyche gage. Psyche would decrease with different things that happen to Solid Snake. As psyche lowered it would be harder to do certain things like aim a gun or if psyche were low enough Solid Snake would pass out if he were hit by an attack. There were ways to raise or regain psyche as well, things like smoking, eating, drinking, and reading adult magazines.

            Guns of Patriots would take place 5 years after Metal Gear Solid 2: Son’s of Liberty. The storyline has it that the world’s economy relies continuous war, which is fought by the PMC’s.  The PMC soldiers are enhanced by Nano machines where they are controlled by a network call Son’s of Liberty. This network is what Liquid Ocelot aims to hijack. To make things worst Solid Snake is experiencing age acceleration and only has a year to live. Wanting to stop Liquid Ocelot Snake goes after him and tries to stop him. While doing this Snake runs in to Naomi Hunter, she is the one who injected Solid Snake with the FOXDIE virus in Metal Gear Solid. They find out that Solid Snake has about six months to live. However, the virus before killing Solid Snake will mutate making Solid Snake a living Bio-weapon. In the end Snake gets a new FOXDIE virus, which destroys the old FOXDIE virus and lives the rest of his day in peace.

         However, coming out later this year (2012) Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. This storyline takes place years after the events of Metal Gear Solid: Guns of Patriots, and focuses on the character of Raiden. Raiden will be encountering cyborg type enemies while trying to help rebuild an unknown country. Also it is said that the game play will not be about stealth but all action-based. The game play is to be based on sword fighting and a cutting system that will allow players to execute 3^rd person melee attacks at will. Kojima has stated that Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is not part of the Metal Gear series but a spin off that takes place after Guns of Patriots. Anticipation grows, as the days get closer for this new edition to the Metal Gear franchise to finally be available.