Metal Gear

Metal Gear is a series of stealth-based games created by Hideo Kojima and developed and published by Konami. The player takes control of an elite military operative (usually Solid Snake) repeatedly facing off against the latest incarnation of the eponymous superweapon, "Metal Gear", a bipedal walking tank with nuclear launching capabilities.

Storylines (Chronological Order)

'

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (commonly abbreviated MGS4) will be the latest iteration in the Metal Gear series of stealth-based games, as announced by Konami in March 2005.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Using the "No place to hide" motto and the theme of "Senses", the game is set to be produced by Kenichiro Imaizumi, with series creator Hideo Kojima co-directing the game with Shuyo Murata. It is being developed by Kojima Productions (a newly-formed subsidiary of Konami) for the PlayStation 3.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the recent trailer released by Kojima Productions, the phrase, "X YEARS SINCE BIG SHELL" is shown, both confirming that the game will take place after the events of MGS2 and sparking debate on how many years after the Big Shell Incident the game will be set.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Some fans speculate that the "X" is a use of the Roman Numeral for Ten, meaning that the game would take place in 2019 when Snake is 47 years old. It is thought that his old age is a side effect of advanced cell degeneration. However, this is disputed, as the Japanese captions displayed on the trailer read "???????????????..." (ano Big Shell jiken kara suunen go...), which translates to "Several years after the Big Shell incident" in English. This would indicate that the X is simply a variable, employed in an effort to retain a shrowd of secrecy over the game's details rather than the roman numeral.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Metal Gear

In 1995, 200km north of Galzburg, the South African nation of Outer Heaven is held by a mysterious mercenary. Word had gotten out to the western world that deep within the Outer Heaven stronghold, that a weapon of mass destruction was being constructed. Government officials orders the high-tech Special Forces squad, FOXHOUND, to infiltrate the fortress, access the situation and neutralize the threat. Known as operation "Intrude N313," FOXHOUND operative Gray Fox infiltrated the Outer Heaven stronghold. Days later, contact with Gray Fox is lost. His last transmission reads "METAL GEAR..."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Another operative, the rookie Solid Snake, is ordered by FOXHOUND leader Big Boss to find the missing operative Gray Fox, and carry out his mission. Upon infiltrating Outer Heaven, Snake discovers the advanced nuclear weapon system Metal Gear, and learns from its imprisoned creator how to destroy it. Snake succeeds after a series of gruelling battles with the mercenary forces which defend Outer Heaven and the sophisticated electronic defenses surrounding Metal Gear itself. It is then that he meets the man who rules Outer Heaven; FOXHOUND's own commander, Big Boss. Big Boss activates the destruct sequence for the fortress, but is defeated by Snake, who escapes as the base crumbles behind him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Metal Gear Solid

Sometime in February 2005, Solid Snake is called out of retirement by his old commanding officer Roy Campbell, and given a new mission. Apparently, the Special Forces unit FOXHOUND and the Next Generation Special Force was conducting a training exercise on Shadow Moses Island in Alaska's Fox Archipelago when the unit suddenly revolted against the U.S. government. Their demands include the remains of the legendary mercenary Big Boss, and they threaten a nuclear strike within twenty-four hours if their demands are not met. Snake is given two objectives: first, to infiltrate the nuclear weapons disposal facility and rescue DARPA Chief Donald Anderson and Kenneth Baker, the President of ArmsTech. Secondly, he must stop the terrorists from launching a nuclear strike.

Related Topics:
Solid Snake - Alaska - U.S. - DARPA

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Solid Snake defeats or otherwise neutralizes most of FOXHOUND and the other terrorists in battle while Decoy Octopus, Baker and Liquid Snake die from a specially engineered assassination virus called 'FOXDIE' (Solid Snake was the carrier of the virus). Snake also learns of his origins as a genetic son of Big Boss, and also as a genetic twin of Liquid Snake. Solid Snake, Meryl Silverburg, and Dr. Hal Emmerich are officially recorded as dead after the events on Shadow Moses Island; the recorded outcome of the only other physical survivor, Revolver Ocelot, is most likely unchanged due to his "Top Secret" status. Incidentally, the Metal Gear in this game is named Metal Gear REX, and resembles a Tyrannosaurus Rex in some respects.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This game was later remade as ' in 2004, as is noted above.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~