"Snaaaaaake!"
In 1987, a young Hideo Kojima developed Metal Gear for Konami. A hide-and-sneak 2D epic starring covert FOXHOUND operative Solid Snake, Metal Gear boasted double-crosses and tense stealth gameplay, selling a million units on the now-ancient NES.
The sequel, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, improved Metal Gear's infiltration, investigation and action. A stronger story saw Snake defeat his former friend, Grey Fox, stop the walking nuclear-equipped battle tank, Metal Gear, and kill his own Father, terrorist leader Big Boss, in a spectacular bitter-sweet finale.
This rich backstory and the burgeoning cinematic ambition of a flourishing Kojima saw 1999's PSone 3D tactical espionage action master-class Metal Gear Solid fly off the shelves. With subsequent re-releases, two successful sequels, and various handheld MGS spin-offs, the rest, as the say, is history.
Regarded alongside Mario and Halo as one of gaming's great franchises, the Metal Gear Solid series has consistently rewritten the rules of stealth action for almost a decade – and with Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Kojima promises to make Snake's final mission one of the PS3's most powerful, memorable releases.