Metal Gear
Solid Snake // Big Boss // Dr. Pettrovich Madnar
MISSION BRIEFING
Metal Gear is a 1987 action-adventure stealth game developed and published by Konami for the MSX2 home computer. Created by Hideo Kojima, the game established the foundation of the Metal Gear franchise and introduced players to the concept of a nuclear-armed bipedal tank—the Metal Gear itself. Set in 1995, the story follows FOXHOUND operative Solid Snake, who is infiltrated into the fortified nation of Outer Heaven in South Africa to destroy the TX-22 Metal Gear, a weapon capable of launching nuclear warheads from any terrain. The game pioneered the stealth genre, emphasizing avoidance and infiltration over direct combat. Players must navigate through top-down environments, use cardboard boxes for concealment, and defeat the legendary mercenary Gray Fox. The game's twist ending—revealing that the leader of Outer Heaven is none other than Big Boss—established the central father-son conflict that would define the series for decades. Originally released only in Japan on MSX, the game later gained international recognition through its inclusion in the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1.
SUMMARY
In 1995, Solid Snake is deployed to Outer Heaven in South Africa to destroy the Metal Gear TX-22. He infiltrates the fortress, defeats the Cobra Unit's precursor, and confronts Big Boss—the legendary soldier who founded Outer Heaven as a haven for mercenaries. The mission establishes Solid Snake as a legendary operative and begins the cycle of father-son conflict that will span the entire series. The game's twist ending redefined video game storytelling and set the stage for every subsequent Metal Gear title.
Original release: MSX2 (1987)