Summary
- Solid Snake is the iconic stealth hero whose missions shaped the Metal Gear series and the stealth genre.
- Metal Gear's timeline is tangled with clones, retcons, and shifting protagonists that complicate Snake's identity.
- The Snake vs. Big Boss rivalry and cloned legacy drive the series' moral, political, and narrative depth.
Few characters in gaming are as iconic as Solid Snake, the legendary soldier at the heart of Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear franchise. First introduced in 1987’s Metal Gear on the MSX2, Snake became the face of stealth-action gaming, defined by his gravelly voice, tactical expertise, and ongoing moral conflict. Across decades and multiple console generations, his missions and victories have cemented both his place in gaming history and the series’ as one of the best video game franchises ever created.
What is the Best Order to Play the Metal Gear Games?
Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear franchise is storied and complex, which may prompt newcomers to wonder what the best entry point is.
The Metal Gear franchise itself is renowned for pushing boundaries, blending stealth gameplay with complex political intrigue and philosophical themes that transcend the medium of gaming. From its humble 8-bit beginnings to fully voice-acted epics on modern hardware, Snake’s journey shaped not only the narrative of the series but also the identity of the stealth genre. Along the way, there has been a lot of confusion over who exactly Solid Snake is and which games he actually appears in. Thanks to the similarities in names and the addition of clones to make things even more convoluted, pinning down the real Solid Snake can be a tricky task, but over the years, things have become clearer thanks to new entries in the franchise and more information regarding the Snakes and their connections to one another.
Every Metal Gear Game That Solid Snake Appears In
From Protagonist To Hidden Easter Egg
|
Game |
Release Date |
Platform(s) |
Solid Snake's Role |
|
Metal Gear |
1987 |
MSX2 |
Protagonist, Solid Snake’s first mission, infiltrating Outer Heaven. |
|
Metal Gear (NES) |
1987 |
NES |
Port/remake of the original Metal Gear, with Solid Snake as the protagonist. |
|
Snake’s Revenge |
1990 |
NES |
Non-canon sequel, with Solid Snake as the protagonist. |
|
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake |
1990 |
MSX2, MSX, PC, PlayStation 2, Wii |
Protagonist, Snake infiltrates Zanzibar Land to destroy Metal Gear D. |
|
Metal Gear Solid |
1998 |
PlayStation, PlayStation 3, PC |
Protagonist, undertakes a mission on Shadow Moses Island. |
|
Metal Gear Solid: Integral |
1999 |
PlayStation |
Expanded version of MGS with VR missions, still starring Solid Snake. |
|
Metal Gear: Ghost Babel |
2000 |
Game Boy Color |
Non-canon side story, Solid Snake as the protagonist. |
|
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty |
2001 |
PlayStation 2, PC, Xbox 360, Xbox |
Playable in Tanker Chapter, later appears as “Iroquois Pliskin.” |
|
Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance |
2002 |
PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC |
Expanded version of MGS 2, includes VR/alternate missions starring Snake. |
|
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater |
2004 |
PlayStation 2, 3DS |
Bonus mini-game "Snake vs. Monkey" where Solid Snake replaces Naked Snake. |
|
Metal Gear Acid |
2004 |
PSP |
Non-canon, Snake is the protagonist in this card-based tactical RPG. |
|
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes |
2004 |
Game Cube |
Remake of MGS, with Solid Snake as the protagonist. |
|
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence |
2005 |
PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, |
Found in the secret theater, which features alternative cutscenes and alternative endings. |
|
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops |
2006 |
PSP |
Snake is playable in multiplayer/cameo; the main story follows Big Boss. |
|
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus |
2007 |
PSP |
Snake appears as a playable character in multiplayer and missions. |
|
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots |
2008 |
PlayStation 3 |
Protagonist (“Old Snake”), central to the story. |
|
Metal Gear Solid Mobile |
2008 |
Mobile |
Snake is the protagonist in an original mobile story. |
|
Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes |
2014 |
PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One |
Snake appears as an Easter Egg/skin in the special "Déjà Vu" mission. |
9 Biggest Metal Gear Retcons
As a long-standing & expansive franchise, Metal Gear has had a fair share of notable retcons since its debut in 1987, and these are the biggest.
Confusing Storylines And Retcons Galore
Where Do You Even Begin
While Solid Snake is the character most players recognize, Metal Gear’s canon is famously tangled thanks to its shifting protagonists and Kojima’s penchant for retcons. The franchise includes Big Boss, Snake’s genetic father and the man he was originally sent to defeat, and later titles introduce even more characters like Liquid Snake and Solidus Snake to make things even harder to piece together. However, the main focus has always been on Solid Snake and Big Boss and their endless entanglement that spans several decades, both in-game and in reality.
6 Best Metal Gear Games Not Directed By Hideo Kojima, Ranked
Metal Gear is Hideo Kojima's creative baby, but despite that, a few games in the series were directed by other people and are still worth a look.
The duality of Solid Snake versus Big Boss creates one of the most layered legacies in gaming, with Snake as the engineered son, a clone meant to surpass the man who inspired him, and Big Boss, who evolves into both mentor and nemesis. The constant revisiting of timelines, alternate versions, and contradictory details can make the series daunting for newcomers, but it also enriches the lore, with each new entry redefining the legacy of Solid Snake, keeping his role pivotal even when he isn’t the main protagonist.
Best Secrets In Metal Gear Solid
Hideo Kojima's works are known for their complexity, so it's no wonder that there are secrets hiding throughout the Metal Gear Solid franchise.