Metal Gear

Metal Gear is a 1987 action-adventure stealth game developed and published by Konami for the MSX2. Originally released in Japan and parts of Europe in July 1987, it is the first game in the Metal Gear series and the first video game developed by Hideo Kojima. Players control Solid Snake, an operative of the U.S. special forces unit FOXHOUND, who is sent on a solo infiltration mission into the fortified state of Outer Heaven to destroy Metal Gear, a bipedal mecha capable of launching nuclear missiles to anywhere in the world, as well as rescue a number of fellow agents who have been taken hostage by the enemy. Initially envisioned as a pure action game, Metal Gear was reworked under Kojima to focus on avoiding enemies, contrary to the then-popular shoot 'em up genre, with an emphasis on evasion similar to Pac-Man (1980). Numerous weapons and items are used in the game, including a portable radio transceiver used to convey dialogue and the narrative. A port of the game was later released internationally for the Famicom/NES; this version was developed without Kojima's involvement and features many changes, including drastically altered level designs. The MSX2 version of Metal Gear was released to positive reception, with praise directed towards the gameplay and graphics, while the Famicom/NES version received mixed reviews. The game was a commercial success, with the MSX2 version being a best-seller and the NES version selling 1 million units in the United States. Metal Gear is retrospectively recognized as the first mainstream stealth game, and is credited as a pioneer in stealth mechanics and complex storytelling via the radio transceiver. A direct sequel made by Kojima, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, and a sequel to the NES port, Snake's Revenge, were released in 1990.

Source: Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0 — Metal Gear (video game) · retrieved October 19, 2026

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Developer

Konami

Publisher

Konami, Ultra Games

First release

July 7, 1987

Series

Metal Gear

Cover

Official thumbnail

Record ID

Q6552947