10 Iconic Video Game Character Debuts
4. Solid Snake - Metal Gear (1987)
It’s a common misconception that stealth action-hero Solid Snake made his debut in 1998’s fantastic Metal Gear Solid on PlayStation. However, Snake actually first crept into homes, under a cardboard box presumably, back in 1987 with Metal Gear. He even made a follow-up appearance in 1990’s Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake before blowing away PlayStation audiences in 1998.
The original Metal Gear first released on the MSX2 Computer in Japan and was later released globally for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The story sees Snake taking on his first mission as a rookie operative for FOXHOUND. This title also introduces the infamous Big Boss, who appears as both an antagonist and a playable character throughout the various games in the series.
It’s likely that Kojima got tips on which order to release his games in from George Lucas, given that the timeline makes about as much sense as that of Star Wars.
This debut solidified Snake (get it) as the ultimate secret agent. The stealth mechanic was actually introduced due to technical limitations of hardware at the time, meaning that Konami were unable to fit enough enemies on screen to make the action-shooter that they had originally intended on. Thankfully, archaic technology forced them to create one of the greatest series of all time instead.