The Metal Gear Solid series is one of the few franchises to keep the same continuity from the beginning until the end. There have been retcons, but it is all one story players can follow from 1987's Metal Gear to 2015's Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
All the same, there are plenty of spin-offs, both canon and non-canon, even hardcore fans forget about. Not all of these are worth playing – and some of them are impossible to access today – but any fan of the series should at least know about these. Maybe the series has no future, but its past sure is rich.
10 Metal Gear: Ghost Babel (2000)
The franchise's handheld entries have always been surprisingly solid. Metal Gear: Ghost Babel for the Game Boy Color most closely resembles Metal Gear 2 in its gameplay, though the aesthetic feels like Metal Gear Solid's art brought to the small handheld platform.
The title received rave reviews on par with the best entries in the mainline series. As if a full campaign was not enough for a portable game, there are also VR missions and a versus mode.
9 Portable Ops Plus (2007)
True to the series' traditions, Portable Ops on the PSP received an expansion in the form of Portable Ops Plus. It differs from other re-releases by focusing mainly on expanding the multiplayer options.
The single-player campaign is absent from this release, though there is a mode for players who wish to go solo. Portable Ops' multiplayer was ambitious for the PSP, with actions in the mode affecting the single-player experience.
8 Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions (1999)
Metal Gear Solid: Integral only came out in Japan. The bonus disc offering about 300 VR missions came out as a separate game in the west known as Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions.
While the idea of more top-notch Metal Gear Solid gameplay is enticing, VR Missions itself is fairly lackluster. It starts off great for those who want more Metal Gear, but pure gameplay without any story reveals some of the cracks in the mechanics such as aiming.
7 Snake's Revenge (1990)
Before Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, there was an unofficial sequel called Snake's Revenge. The gameplay largely resembles the debut entry with the addition of side-scrolling segments. The game was done without Hideo Kojima's involvement, and its creation was the impetus for the true sequel.
Some have a soft spot for Snake's Revenge, but it is hard to even call it a part of the Metal Gear franchise at all. This entry was never released in Japan, only coming out in North America and Europe.
6 Metal Gear Survive (2018)
Maybe not everyone has forgotten about Metal Gear Survive, but it is definitely a game many fans would like to erase from their memories. Hideo Kojima was already out of the picture and hard at work on the open-world science fiction epic Death Stranding when Konami tried to wring more money out of the series and the Fox Engine.
The story follows soldiers from Mother Base who are transported to another dimension where they are hunted by zombies. Other than this setup, Survive might as well not be a Metal Gear game at all.
5 Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops (2012)
This mobile game only came out in Japan and lasted just over a year before shutting down permanently. Little is known about Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops in the west at all, and it is completely inconsequential to the canon.
There's really not much of a reason to play this one and it barely even existed in the first place. Its release was not too controversial because in 2012 fans were still excited for the future of Metal Gear.
4 Digital Graphic Novel (2006)
Fans who want a more creative way to experience Metal Gear Solid can purchase the digital graphic novel for the PSP. It is more than just reading the adaptation; players can interact with the story and learn more about the lore through zooming in on certain panels. There is also music and sound effects.
Japan received a similar version of the sequel called Metal Gear Solid 2: Bande Dessinée. It came on a DVD and had voice acting.
3 Metal Gear Solid Mobile (2008)
Whether Metal Gear Solid Mobile is canon or not is up for debate. All the same, it is interesting to know a mobile entry from 2008 covers the space between Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2 while Otacon and Snake were operating as Philanthropy.
In addition to Mobile Phones, this entry also came out on N-Gage. Mobile gaming was in its infancy in 2008, so it is wild to think a Metal Gear game came out during this time.
2 Metal Gear Solid Touch (2009)
This mobile game for the ios turns Metal Gear Solid 4 into a basic rail shooter. Metal Gear Solid Touch is definitely not a replacement for playing the full PS3 game from 2008, as the mobile game is more of a silly diversion.
Touch screen technology was still such a novelty in 2009, it was even included in the name of the game. Unlike Metal Gear Solid Mobile which is a genuinely interesting creation, Metal Gear Solid Touch is only worth playing to satisfy someone's curiosity.
1 Metal Gear AC!D (2005)
Released in 2004 in Japan and 2005 in the west, Metal Gear AC!D is the first PSP installment of the franchise. It is a non-canon spin-off that replaces the real-time stealth gameplay with turn-based strategy.
Players use cards to move and attack. A sequel came out in 2005 that even added 3D support through the use of glasses. Not all Metal Gear fan loves strategy games, so AC!D is hard to recommend to everyone.