When you ask someone to guess what some of the longest-running gaming franchises are, you’re likely to get answers like Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Pokemon, Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid. These are just a few of the games that have been around for years. However, a franchise that often escapes notice is Metal Gear, and unfairly so, especially given how well the recent entries into the series have done.
To be completely honest the game has come a long way since its original MSX2 release in 1987. Most people are familiar with the series as a result of its various releases on the NES and subsequent Nintendo platforms in later years. Personally, I remember first dipping my toe into the franchise on a friends’ Playstation 1 as a child. I was amazed at the unique story and different play style. I remember asking “What is this?” and being green with envy as I didn’t have a console of my own at the time.
It seems I wasn’t the only one, as recently the series has been topping charts. There have been over 58 million copies sold since 1987, 1.2 million of which were last year alone.
All of this is despite the challenges that Konami has been facing surrounding licensing. This has made a multi-platform release difficult. Konami says that they are working to resolve the issues.
Fret not, there is a significant backlog to satisfy you in the meantime. If you can, start with the first Metal Gear Solid, that’s where I did.