So many Metal Gear Solid games...

there are like 8 metal gear solid games. but there are going to be 3 in the Essentails pack.
i dont get it.
there's:
Metal Gear Solid - PS1
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty PS2
Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance PS2
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater PS2
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistance PS2
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops PSP
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes GC

ive never played a metal gear solid game before so can someone explain this to me please? i would love to play the trilogy but should i also play the others as well?

While each game has a connection to others, I don't see why you need to play all of them, though the first Metal Gear is a great game. Wish they would release the MSX version on Wii, but if we do get Metal Gear on the VC, it'll be the NES version. I'd like to tell you how MGS3 and Metal Gear connect, but I'd spoil it for you. Even if you just start with MGS1, you'll get most of the back story to the whole mess. If you have a Wii, I would suggest that you keep an eye out for Metal Gear. As for Metal Gear 2: Snake's Revenge, well, while it was an OK game, I cannot suggest it.

Also, MGS1 and Twin Snakes is the same game story-wise, except that Twin Snakes got a face lift with the graphics by Silicon Knights (Eternal Darkness) with some extended and edited cut-scenes.

Well, Substance and Subsistance are just re-releases of MGS2 and 3 respectively, with little extra bits in them. So you can't really count them as different games.

Play MGS1, 2 and 3 in original formats if you want to play MGS games, incidentally the new pack will have all three, so theres your oppertunity.

I've got them all anyway, but I'd be sorely tempted by the pack because I adore the MGS series.

Well, Substance and Subsistance are just re-releases of MGS2 and 3 respectively, with little extra bits in them. So you can't really count them as different games.

Play MGS1, 2 and 3 in original formats if you want to play MGS games, incidentally the new pack will have all three, so theres your oppertunity.

I've got them all anyway, but I'd be sorely tempted by the pack because I adore the MGS series.

trmather

metal gear solid 1 -1998 very bad grafix by todays standards. no faces.shaky character models.still the story and presentation+plot twists + voice acting can give alot of tofays games a run for thier money

mgs 2 sons of liberty-great game .sequal to mgs1.loads of new gameplay options. grafix 20 times better than mgs1.crazy crazy story(in a good way) with such an engaging plot . mgs2 substance = mgs2 sons of liberty + some extra virtual training missions that have nothing to do with the games story.susbtance is mainly for the collectors.

mgs3 snake eater: bad camera angles in the previous mgs games was not that bad, because you were mainly playing in constricted hallways and stuff.no huge open spaces.in mgs3 it became a pain.boss fights were very irritating because of the stupid camera angle.this game your in jungles and spacious areas ,so i dunno why hideo kojima was adamant with keeping it.i returned the game after 2 1/2 hours when i heard mgs3 subsistence with better camera was coming out (havent got it yet.lol.)

mgs3 subsistence:this is the version of mgs3 you should buy.dont touch snake eater.susbistence is the exact game of snake eater,but, with a traditional behind point of view camera,which you find in most thirdperson perspective games.plus you get a demo theater,the 2d arcade game of metalgear 1 and metalgear2:solid snake(thier pretty old arcade games.i played them just to get the previous stories clear.not needed to play them b4 the mgs series),plus fun snake vs monkey arcade mode.

twin snakes:this is the playstation 1 version of mgs with mgs2 quality graphics and cutscenes with the the new moves of mgs2 as well(fps mode,climbing etc,but playable only on the cube.(i always wondered why didnt make the same remake for the ps2 in this collection because mgs 1 on the ps1 has not aged well at all.no faces!! but its still fun.) ive heard that though its the the same story,same voice actors mgs veterans prefer the original.never played it my self so no idea.

mgs portable ops: exclusive to the psp. i think its the prequal to mgs3 snake eater.not played this either though. based on the track record of psp games coming to the ps2 ,it could one day come on the ps2.im not betting on it though.

Ok, I'm gonna list each canon Metal Gear game here, the system(s) that they're on, and the year that it takes place.

Metal Gear for MSX (1987) and NES (1988 )-- original game, 1995. MSX version is better, although the NES version is the only one you can find in NA

Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake for MSX (1990)-- sequel, 1999. Never left Japan; NA got a game on the NES that was Metal Gear in name only.

Metal Gear Solid for PS1 (1998 ) and Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes for GC (2004)-- 2005. Same story in each, though Twin Snakes had a graphical, sound, and gameplay makeover. Both games have text recaps of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, so there's no reason to play the older games before this unless if you just want to play through the entire series in order (see the MGS3 entry later on how to do that). I personally enjoy Twin Snakes better than the original (gameplay has aged better), but it's mainly a matter of preference and console availability.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty for PS2 (2001) and Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance for Xbox and PS2 (2002/3)-- 2007 and 2009. Think of Sons of Liberty as the theatrical release, while Substance is like the DVD release complete with bonus features and extras. It adds only one cutscene to the game, and I believe lets you find a silencer that wasn't in the original.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater for PS2 (2004) and Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence for PS2 (2006)-- 1964. Prequel to the series (but they should be played in the order that they were released), Subsistence enhanced the original game by adding new camera controls, thus there is no reason to play Snake Eater. Also, Subsistence has a lot of extras, similar to Substance for MGS2, but it also has fully playable versions of the MSX versions of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops for PSP (2006)-- 1970. Continues the story of MGS3 and acts as a "bridge" to the rest of the series.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots for PS3 (2008 )-- 2014. Meant to bring the entire series full-circle and end every story arc to date. Characters from each game to date are supposed to show up.

So that's the order that the games should be played, and bear in mind that the upcoming Metal Gear Essentials is Metal Gear Solid (PS1), Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance (PS2), and Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (PS2). That has all 5 of the main Metal Gear games on it, excluding Portable Ops of course.

Non-canonical Metal Gear games include Snake's Revenge, Metal Gear Solid (or Ghost Babel) for Game Boy Color, Metal Gear Ac!d 1 and 2 for PSP, and Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops + for PSP (which is mostly a multiplayer expansion pack for Portable Ops). These games are not part of the storyline, so you don't have to play them to understand the series.

Ok, I'm gonna list each canon Metal Gear game here, the system(s) that they're on, and the year that it takes place.

MAILER_DAEMON

..an exceptionally succinct summary, and you beat me to it.