Metal Gear (universe)

The Metal Gear universe (, Metal Gear) refers to the Smash Bros. series' collection of characters, stages, and properties that hail from the popular Metal Gear stealth-based video game franchise developed by third-party developer Konami. The long-running series is famous in the Smash Bros. community for being the first third-party game franchise to contribute characters and properties to the otherwise Nintendo-exclusive Smash Bros. series, mainly the series' main star, Solid Snake. The logo was formerly the logo for FOX, the unit that Naked Snake hailed from in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (also the former logo of Kojima Productions, the developer of the franchise). The current logo is the "!" Alert for when the player gets spotted in the Metal Gear Solid games.

Franchise description
The history and legacy of the Metal Gear franchise is deeply intertwined with its creator Hideo Kojima. In 1987, the then-unknown video game planner, working at Konami, was asked to take over a project that had been intended as a wartime action game for the MSX2 home computer. Technical limitations to the MSX2 prevented Kojima from creating a game that had many bullets and enemies onscreen at any given moment, though, so Kojima decided to design and direct a game that drew inspiration from the film The Great Escape, wherein the focus of the game was to avoid visual contact and direct confrontation with patrolling enemies. His bosses' questioning over this decision nearly prompted Kojima to leave Konami, but after one of his bosses encouraged him to continue, he proceeded to complete and release Metal Gear on July 12, 1987. It is credited by many today as the progenitor of the stealth action genre in the video game industry. The game was ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System without Kojima's involvement and published under the Ultra Games label in North America. This port was successful enough that Konami began development on a sequel, . Kojima was likewise not involved with the development of Snake's Revenge, and had no plans for a sequel, only changing his mind with encouragement of a colleague who was on the development staff of Snake's Revenge. Kojima's sequel, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, was released on July 20, 1990. This game pioneered the franchise’s reputation for twist-filled narratives and introduced many of the evolved stealth gameplay aspects that would be present in the rest of the series.

The series became dormant after Metal Gear 2, with Kojima working on a few unrelated projects in the meantime. But it was only with the release of the seminal third game in the series, Metal Gear Solid (for the original ), that brought the franchise and its creator into the mainstream on September 20th, 1998. Universal critical praise and chart-topping sales propelled the Metal Gear intellectual property into a flagship franchise for Konami, and it is often recognized as one of the key titles involved in popularizing the stealth-action game genre. As a result, Metal Gear Solid became a killer app for the console and Solid Snake became a de facto mascot for the system, like Squaresoft's Cloud Strife before him, with the choreography of Japanese voice actor and son of late, , and Canadian voice actor and screenwriter , cementing Snake as a symbol of character complexity in video games. In addition to featuring the gameplay style of the previous game, only now in three dimensions, Metal Gear Solid made extensive use of cinematic storytelling to tell a gritty, twist-filled narrative like a blockbuster film. It proved to be a tremendous success, and both it and its sequels have been regarded as being among the greatest video games of their respective platforms. The game was also noted for featuring for the first, and only time in the franchise, dubbed translation in its European release, with generally positive criticism when it was released.

The Metal Gear franchise, often referred to with the name Metal Gear Solid due to every subsequent game featuring "Solid" in its title, proceeded to release many sequels, prequels, interquels, expanded re-releases, and non-canonical side games on a regular basis. In most of the games, the player takes control of an elite, artificially enhanced special forces operative codenamed Snake - either it is Solid Snake (real name David) in games set in the postmodern present, or it is his father, Big Boss (real name John), back when he operated as Naked Snake in games set during the Cold War era. A younger secondary protagonist codenamed Raiden (real name Jack) is also sometimes featured in a leading role. The games have Snake, operating under the command of the highest orders of government, sneaking into the compounds of militant enemy forces that threaten Earth politically with revolutionary nuclear weapons technology, which in many cases take the form of a bipedal walking tank named "Metal Gear". Snake uses his stealth skills and cunning to bypass enemy guards when necessary, neutralize guards and elite enemies that stand in his way with weapons procured on site, and interrogate hostages and enemies alike to gather intel and gain access to where he needs to go to complete his mission to neutralize the war weapons and the villains that threaten to use them.

Each release in the central Metal Gear chronology adds to the series' ambitious lore, which is closely grounded in the politics of real-world Earth from the Cold War onward. Core themes explored include many issues about nuclear deterrence, social engineering, artificial intelligence, information control, conspiracy theories, questioning integrity, censorship, the manipulation of free will, and social taboos. This takes place throughout narratives that are rife with betrayal, revelations of identity and family, and other plot twists that span many games. Depictions of Snake and other Metal Gear characters and elements in a more lighthearted air are usually relegated to non-canonical side games and cameos, such as when Solid Snake became the first third-party character to be featured as a playable character in Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. series, revealed in 2006 to be playable in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Other than that, the franchise has crossed over other games throughout the years; in the ' series along with other characters from Konami's IPs, and Raiden being a guest fighter in the PlayStation counterpart of Super Smash Bros., ', along with Heihachi Mishima from, Dante from , and other characters from Sony's PlayStation consoles. Crossovers within the Metal Gear franchise has also occurred. 's series in Guns of the Patriots with Altaïr's costume and the latter's logo as an unlockable emblem, and Capcom's  series in Peace Walker as late content, featuring a unique monster named Gear REX, as a node to Metal Gear REX, along with known characters like Felyne and Rathalos, and gameplay elements ported from the series. The franchise also got its multiplayer series of games named '; the first edition released with Metal Gear Solid 3: Substance, the second edition released with Metal Gear Solid 4, and the third edition released with Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, and spin-offs such as the ' duology.

During the development of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, disputes were frequent between Hideo Kojima and publisher Konami over the game's development. The game, along with Kojima's other concurrent project,  (a return to form for the Silent Hill series), were coming at a time when Konami began their transition away from AAA studios like Kojima Productions and towards mobile and pachislot games. Kojima's name and studio would be removed from any Metal Gear Solid V promotional material, including the box art, and the much-anticipated Silent Hills would be cancelled and its playable demo removed from digital stores. The Phantom Pain would eventually be released to universal acclaim, though this was a bittersweet accomplishment as this would be Kojima's last project for Konami. The undisputed tension between Kojima and Konami culminated in him leaving the company in December 2015, thus giving him the opportunity to re-establish Kojima Productions as its own independent studio.

What follows is the release history of the canonical Metal Gear continuity:
 *  (1987), on the MSX2, then later on NES, depicts the rookie special forces operative Solid Snake, working for the U.S. special forces unit FOXHOUND in 1995, going on a solo infiltration mission into Outer Heaven, a compound in South Africa established by Big Boss and Venom Snake (his body double), to destroy the nuclear walking tank Metal Gear TX-55 being constructed there. Snake discovers that FOXHOUND's leader, Big Boss, however, is secretly the enemy ringleader, plotting to make Outer Heaven the world's greatest superpower, and was sent to the base in hopes that he would fail to give Venom Snake more time to develop its Metal Gear. Snake destroys Metal Gear TX-55 and kills Venom Snake (maintaining his role as Big Boss). After having his body double killed and Outer Heaven destroyed, the real Big Boss flees FOXHOUND to Central Asia and establishes Zanzibar Land.


 *  (1990), on the MSX2, has FOXHOUND's new commander, Roy Campbell, sending Solid Snake in 1999 on a mission into the Central Asian country of Zanzibar Land, which plots to hold the world hostage by controlling the newly discovered OILIX energy source as well as a stockpile of nuclear warheads. Snake discovers that Big Boss is the ringleader of this as well, and Snake almost kills him and destroys another Metal Gear being constructed named Metal Gear D, which was redesigned and improved from Metal Gear TX-55. Snake and Campbell retire from FOXHOUND after the events of the game.


 *  (1998), on the PlayStation, has FOXHOUND going renegade in February 2005 and threatening nuclear reprisal against the U.S. Government with another Metal Gear they acquired when they seized a nuclear weapons disposal facility on Shadow Moses Island, a remote island in Alaska. Led by the mercenary Liquid Snake, the terrorists' demands are the remains of Big Boss, whose genes can be used to mass-implant the traits of the legendary soldier into many other soldiers. Roy Campbell, now working for the U.S. military, forces Snake out of retirement to infiltrate Shadow Moses Island, kill all the elite members of the FOXHOUND unit, and destroy Metal Gear REX. The game was later remade for the Nintendo GameCube as  (2004).


 *  (2001), on the PlayStation 2, begins with Solid Snake, now operating for the non-governmental organization Philanthropy, infiltrating an oil tanker near New York in 2007 to investigate the development of the aquatic Metal Gear RAY, but one of Snake's enemies from the previous game, Revolver Ocelot - now possessed by Liquid Snake and having become "Liquid Ocelot" - steals it and sinks the ship. Two years later, in 2009, a reformed FOXHOUND sends a new operative, Raiden, on a mission into an offshore clean-up facility named Big Shell, wherein a terrorist group named the Sons of Liberty, backed up by the rogue anti-terror training unit Dead Cell, has kidnapped the U.S. president for monetary ransom and threatens to ignite the facility and Manhattan. Raiden's mission quickly reveals world-changing secrets about virtually everything around him.


 *  (2004), on the PlayStation 2, is the first prequel in the series, set in the Cold War in 1964, and stars Big Boss back when he was an elite operative of the CIA's FOX unit codenamed Naked Snake. An internal power struggle in the Soviet Union, instigated by the ruthless Colonel Volgin, threatens to prompt the Soviet Union and the United States to begin a nuclear World War III, and a spiritual precursor to modern Metal Gears, a rocket-propelled nuclear tank named the Shagohod, is part of his plans. The USSR asks the U.S. to assassinate Volgin before he takes over, so Naked Snake is sent to infiltrate the jungles of Tselinoyarsk in the USSR to battle Volgin, as well as his beloved mentor The Boss, who along with her elite Cobra Unit had previously defected from the U.S. to the Soviets. The game got multiple remakes over the years; Metal Gear Solid 3D: Snake Eater (2012) for the Nintendo 3DS, a pachislot adaptation in 2016, and  (2024) for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam.


 *  (2006), on the PlayStation Portable, has Naked Snake's former team, the FOX unit, breaking their allegiance with the CIA and going rogue six years after Snake Eater in 1970, and they target him as well. Naked Snake is captured and brought to Colombia, where he is interrogated for the location of part of the massive sum of money known as the Philosopher's Legacy. Naked Snake, with the help of a young Roy Campbell that had also been captured, must defeat the top members of the FOX unit and destroy an early Metal Gear model that is the backbone of their rebellion. The canonicity of this game is up for debate as Kojima himself regards it as a spinoff. The 25th Anniversary page also lists Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker as the first game in the canonical Metal Gear saga released for the PlayStation Portable further questioning this game's canonicity.


 *  (2008), on the PlayStation 3, depicts Solid Snake in 2014, much older than he was five years before due to genetic issues that resulted in accelerated aging. The world economy now relies on continuous war fought between private military companies, and the soldiers' performance in combat is enhanced by nanomachines. Liquid Ocelot now plans to hijack the control network created through these nanomachines, so Solid Snake, with less than a year to live, is sent by Campbell on one last mission to tail Liquid across the world. Snake does battle with the all-female PTSD-afflicted Beauty and the Beast unit before taking part in a climactic final showdown that culminates the primary series' timeline.


 *  (2010), on the PlayStation Portable, is another interquel starring Naked Snake in his Big Boss persona, four years after Portable Ops in 1974. Now running his own mercenary group after having broken away from the CIA, Naked Snake is hired by the country of Costa Rica when a mysterious militant group, the Peace Sentinels, deploy themselves within its borders. Though they are merely the size of a land army, they threaten to endanger the balance of power between the East and West because Costa Rica does not have an armed force of its own to do anything about them. The resolution of this incident solidifies Big Boss' perspective and decision to construct a nation entirely for his own group of mercenaries, which would become known as Outer Heaven.


 *  (2013), on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, is a spinoff that takes place four years after Guns of the Patriots in 2018. Originally conceived as Metal Gear Solid: Rising and taking place between Sons of Liberty and Guns of the Patriots, this side story would eventually be retooled and rebranded by action game veteran PlatinumGames to its current form. The different title reflects that it is not like the previous stealth-oriented installments in the series, instead featuring Raiden as a cyborg ninja taking part in a more up-front action game with a sword-based combat system. Raiden takes jobs for a variety of private military companies until he is forced to contend with other cyborg enemies from the self-proclaimed private military company Desperado Enterprises.


 *  (2015) for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and their console predecessors is the first title in the series slated to have an open-world gameplay structure. It is yet another interquel starring Big Boss, and is set after Peace Walker; in a separately sold prologue segment named  (2014), taking place one year later in 1975, Big Boss decides to infiltrate the maximum security prison facility Camp Omega in southern Cuba to, among other things, rescue an agent he previously fought, who carries an important link to the mysterious "Cipher" group. But Big Boss falls into a nine-year-long injury-induced coma at the same time his company is destroyed. In The Phantom Pain itself, after he awakens in 1984, Big Boss forms a new mercenary group, the Diamond Dogs, and assumes the codename "Punished Snake" as he ventures into Afghanistan - amid the Soviet war taking place at the time - seeking revenge against those responsible. But an even more threatening plot by Cipher is soon unearthed.

After the departure of Hideo Kojima and his company from Konami, the series had slowed down in releases for nearly a decade.  (2018) for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows is the first title in the franchise to switch to the survival genre of video games. Though it is not canon from it, the plot is set months after the Ground Zeroes incident from the eponymous game. For celebrating the 35th anniversary of the franchise, during the PlayStation Showcase of 2023, a remake of Snake Eater titled Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater was revealed. Soon after, a collection from the franchise that would be released in volumes titled  was announced for modern hardware; the first volume ranges from MSX2's Metal Gear to Snake Eater. Later in the Nintendo Direct of June 21, 2023, further information were given to the collection, such as a Nintendo Switch release and the NES versions of the two Metal Gear games, and were released on October 24, 2023. This marks the first time other Metal Gear games, excluding the NES games, The Twin Snakes, Snake Eater, and Ghost Babel, are available on a Nintendo hardware, 15 years after the franchise's crossover in the Super Smash Bros. franchise with Brawl.

According to Masahiro Sakurai, Kojima "practically begged" him to include Snake in Super Smash Bros. Melee, but at that point the game was too far in development to allow adding any additional characters. When work on Brawl began several years later, Sakurai contacted Kojima about adding Snake, which led to his inclusion in the game.

Kojima developed Snake's stage, Shadow Moses Island. After losing a test match of Brawl against Sakurai, where he played as Snake and Sakurai played as Mario, he stated that he felt the game was "very complete" to the point that Nintendo could have put Brawl out on the shelves then and it would sell millions of copies. When asked about the inclusion of Snake in Brawl, Kojima remarked that he enjoys playing Super Smash Bros. with his son, who asked Kojima to put Snake in Brawl. Kojima also cited the lack of Metal Gear games on Nintendo consoles as a reason to include Snake in Brawl. During an interview with for Twitch on March 2014, Kojima was asked about the possibility of Snake reappearing in Super Smash Bros. 4, to which Kojima replied that he had no input on the game and felt Snake's return was unlikely, although he was supportive of Snake returning. Upon the release of Super Smash Bros. 4, it was confirmed that Snake does not make an appearance in the game, and indeed all elements of the Metal Gear universe from Brawl do not return. In late 2015, Kojima left Konami amidst rumors of disagreements with the company's management, and in December of that year reestablished himself as the head of the now independent Kojima Productions studio. In June 2018, with the formal announcement of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, it was revealed that Snake would again appear in the Smash roster. His series symbol, formerly the logo of Metal Gear's FOX Unit, was changed to an exclamation point, likely because the FOX logo was also the logo of Kojima Productions while Kojima worked for Konami. Kojima has not publicly commented on Snake's return in Ultimate.

In Super Smash Bros. Melee
A popular story tells that during development of the Nintendo fighting game, Metal Gear series creator Hideo Kojima "practically begged" Masahiro Sakurai to include Solid Snake in Super Smash Bros. Melee as a playable fighter, but the addition was not viable because development of the game was too far in with a tight deadline fast approaching. As a result, no mention of Metal Gear appears in the game whatsoever.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Metal Gear makes its official debut in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as the first third-party game series to feature in the Smash Bros. series, generating an outburst of excitement and speculation across the industry and broke the glass ceiling for third-party franchises appearing in the Super Smash Bros. series.

Fighter

 * SnakeIcon(SSBB).png (Unlockable): The legendary mercenary appears as a playable character, relying not on guns like in his games but a mix of CQC (close quarters combat, martial art co-created by Naked Snake in Snake Eater) and a variety of weapons and explosives such as a mortar launcher, RPG, Hand Grenades, Remote Missiles, and C4. Snake battles acrobatically and incorporates stealth techniques into his moveset, such as his signature choke-hold. He also sports a fantastic aerial recovery, thanks to the use of his flying camera, the Cypher. His Final Smash is the Grenade Launcher, which has him jump onto a passing helicopter and shooting players with up to twelve grenade missiles before the time runs out. David Hayter and Akio Otsuka, Snake’s English and Japanese voice actors since the original Metal Gear Solid, respectively, reprise their roles in Brawl.

On the final character select screen, Snake occupies the ninth column (miscellaneous characters) along with, , and the random option.

Stage

 * Icon-shadowmosesisland.gifShadow Moses Island (Starter): A stage set in the location where the first Metal Gear Solid takes place. It features searchlights, crumbling walls, and the appearance of three Metal Gear models, specifically Metal Gear REX, Metal Gear RAY, and the Gekkos from Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. The stage also includes a feature that allows Snake to talk to his allies using his Codec, and have conversations with them about his opponents. To activate this, the player must tap down on the directional pad very quickly and lightly. This easter egg is much like Fox and Falco's special taunts on the Corneria and Lylat Cruise stages.

Assist Trophy

 * Gray Fox: Gray Fox appears in his Cyborg Ninja form and attacks rapidly with a sword. His slices have the ability to reflect projectiles. His voice clips reuse lines from Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. Gray Fox is unlocked as an Assist Trophy after Snake has been been unlocked.

Original Tracks

 * : A completely redone version of the Theme of Tara from the very first Metal Gear game for the MSX2. It is used on the Shadow Moses Island stage. For those familiar with Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions, this is the theme played when Snake is on a VR Mission in the game. It reappears in Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance, as another VR Mission theme for secret character MGS1 Snake.
 * : A remix of the song from Metal Gear Solid when Snake is spotted by an enemy. It is used on the Shadow Moses Island stage.
 * : A fast-paced version of the Love Theme from Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots made for Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The arrangement was handled by staff from Konami's Metal Gear sound team. It is used on the Shadow Moses Island stage.

Source Tracks

 * : Taken directly from the PS2 game Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, this was the music track that played when Naked Snake was spotted by an enemy while indoors. It is used on the Shadow Moses Island stage.
 * : Taken directly from the PS2 game Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, this was the song that was used during the boss battles with Vamp, Fortune, and Fatman, who are part of the Dead Cell unit. It is used on the Shadow Moses Island stage.
 * : Also taken directly from a title, this was the cavern background music in Metal Gear Solid. It is used on the Shadow Moses Island stage.
 * : An instrumental version of the main theme to Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, this track is also taken directly from said game. It is used on the Shadow Moses Island stage.
 * : Taken directly from the MSX2 game Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, the second game in the series, this was the title screen theme to said game. It is used on the Shadow Moses Island stage.
 * : The vocal theme song of the PSP game and direct sequel to Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater- Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. It is taken directly from said game, and it is used on the Shadow Moses Island stage. This song also plays during Snake's credits.

Victory Theme

 * Victory! Snake: Snake's victory theme is a short sample from the main theme of Metal Gear Solid. It was used when the player would complete a VR Mission in said game, but is better remembered for its use as the Game Over theme.

In Super Smash Bros. 4
When Hideo Kojima was asked about the possibility of Snake reappearing in Smash 4 during an interview in March 2014, he replied: "I'm not working on that game, but I don't think it's likely [that Snake will return]. If Mr. Sakurai is watching this, hopefully we see Snake." Snake, along with the entire Metal Gear universe, would ultimately be cut in SSB4. In addition, Snake is the only cut veteran from Brawl who does not have a trophy in either version of Smash 4. Snake was also mentioned during the 50 Fact Extravaganza when Palutena's Guidance was being compared to the Codec Conversations.

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
The Metal Gear franchise makes its triumphant comeback in Ultimate after being dropped from Smash 4. The series logo has been changed from the FOX Unit logo to the iconic "!" exclamation point that appears when the player is spotted. On top of most of the content from Brawl, being one fighter, one stage, one Assist Trophy, and several music tracks, even more was brought in from across the franchise in the decade since the series was last featured, including two brand new remixes and a plethora of Spirits.

Fighter

 * 31. SnakeIcon(SSBU).png (Unlockable): After a decade-long absence and being cut from Smash 4, the legendary mercenary finally returns as an unlockable fighter, now with a new down smash and a new Final Smash called Covering Fire. This Final Smash has him lock onto targets with a crosshair and fire up to five homing missiles. His overall mobility has been buffed and he benefits the most from the universal frame-3 jumpsquat, now no longer being among the slowest in the series. However, his endurance was made slightly worse by the removal of momentum cancelling, weakened durability of his Cypher, and reduced weight. David Hayter and Akio Otsuka’s portrayals of Snake from Brawl were repurposed for Ultimate. Additionally, the former actor confirmed they were recording new lines for the character, before using only the voices from Brawl.

Stage

 * ShadowMosesIslandIconSSBU.pngShadow Moses Island (Starter): The primary setting of the first Metal Gear Solid game is returning as a retro stage in Ultimate after being cut from Smash 4. The accompanying Codec Conversations have all returned, but only those available for the fighters who appeared in Brawl.

Assist Trophy

 * Gray Fox: After missing out a game, this Cyborg Ninja returns and can now be KO’d. A key change during his transition is that he now has an invisible reflector in front of him at all times. His voice clips still reuse his lines from The Twin Snakes.

World of Light Sub-World

 * SSBUBaseMapGuide.jpgBase: Loosely based on the various bases found in the franchise, Base appears as sub-world in The Light Realm. can be unlocked here.

Original Tracks
Arrangements and remixes unique to Ultimate.
 * ': A remix of the song that plays during the opening of ', replacing the port from Super Smash Bros. Brawl''.
 * ''': A faster paced rock remix of the main theme of ', without any vocals.

Returning Tracks
Arrangements and remixes returning from Brawl.
 * ': A remix of the main theme from the original ', as well as the opening jingle, "Operation Intrude N313" . Returns from Brawl''.
 * ': A remix of the theme when Snake gets spotted by enemies from '. Returns from Brawl''.
 * ': A faster paced remix of "Love Theme" from '. Returns from Brawl''.

Source Tracks
Tracks sourced directly from the Metal Gear games.
 * : The theme played when Snake is in a cavernous area, sourced from Metal Gear Solid.
 * ''': A slightly altered version of the theme of certain bosses from '.
 * : An instrumental version of the main theme of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.
 * : The "Alert Phase" theme in indoor areas, sourced from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.
 * ''': The theme that plays during the credits, sourced from '.
 * ''': The opening theme, sourced from '.

Victory Theme

 * Victory! Snake: A remix of the game over theme from Metal Gear Solid. Remains unchanged from Brawl.

Games with elements appearing in the Super Smash Bros. series
The Metal Gear universe has games represented throughout the Super Smash Bros. series with a total of 13 games. The latest game represented in this universe is Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (Pachislot), released on October 17, 2016.


 * Playable character:
 * Solid Snake debuts in this game as the main playable character.
 * Remote Missile, C4, and Grenade Launcher first appear in this game.
 * Snake's taunts let him hide inside the Cardboard Box, which is a gameplay element used first in this game.
 * Assist Trophy:
 * Gray Fox appears as an assist trophy.
 * Trophies:
 * Cardboard Box appears as a trophy.
 * Stickers:
 * Big Boss and Gray Fox appear as stickers.
 * Spirits:
 * Solid Snake, Gray Fox, Big Boss, and Cardboard Box appear as spirits.
 * Music:
 * "": A completely redone version of the "Theme of Tara" from this game.


 * Playable character:
 * Hand Grenade first appears in this game.
 * Stickers:
 * Roy Campbell appears as a sticker.
 * Spirits:
 * Roy Campbell and Kazuhira Miller appear as spirits.
 * Music:
 * "": The title screen theme, sourced from this game.
 * "": A remix of the song that plays during the opening of this game.


 * Playable character:
 * David Hayter and Akio Ōtsuka, Snake's English and Japanese voice actors, reprise their role in all regions.
 * Most of Snake’s moveset were sourced from this game.
 * Stage:
 * Shadow Moses Island debuts in this game as the main explorable area.
 * Stage elements:
 * Colonel Roy Campbell, Otacon, and Mei Ling, appear in Codec transmissions in Snake's Smash Taunts. Their respective English and Japanese voice actors reprise their role in all regions.
 * Metal Gear REX makes an appearance as a part of the background.
 * World of Light:
 * Some rooms of the Base sub-world share the same architecture as the ones found in the base of Shadow Moses Island.
 * Stickers:
 * Meryl Silverburgh, Liquid Snake, Master Miller, Mei Ling, Otacon, and Naomi Hunter appear as stickers.
 * Spirits:
 * Liquid Snake, Meryl Silverburgh, Metal Gear REX, Hal Emmerich, and Mei Ling appear as spirits.
 * Music:
 * "": The cavern background music, sourced from the game.
 * "": A remix of the song when Snake is spotted by an enemy.
 * "Victory! Snake": Snake's victory theme is a short sample from the main theme of Metal Gear Solid. It was used when the player would complete a VR Mission in said game, but is better remembered for its use as the Game Over theme.


 * Playable character:
 * Snake's design is largely inspired by his appearance in this game.
 * Snake's intro animation resembles his appearance aboard the Discovery's aft deck, wherein his stealth camo system disengages and malfunctions due to landing impact.
 * Cypher first appears in this game.
 * Stage elements:
 * Metal Gear RAY makes an appearance as a part of the background.
 * Trophies:
 * Iroquois Pliskin and Metal Gear RAY appear as trophies.
 * Stickers:
 * Raiden and Solidus Snake appear as stickers.
 * Spirits:
 * Raiden, Rosemary, Solidus Snake, and Metal Gear RAY appear as spirits.
 * Music:
 * "": The main theme of the Dead Cell unit, which includes Vamp, Fortune, and Fatman, sourced from this game.


 * Playable character:
 * Snake's forward tilt, Knee Kick and Hammer Knuckle, is based on the same move of when he fights against Gray Fox from this game.
 * Assist Trophy:
 * Gray Fox's voice clips, voiced in English by Rob Paulsen and in Japanese by Kaneto Shiozawa, are lifted from this game.
 * Gray Fox's invisible reflector references his ability to deflects gunfire at high speed, which is shown in the remake's cutscenes.


 * Playable character:
 * Snake’s face is based on the appearance of Naked Snake from this game.
 * The RPG-7 (used in Snake's forward smash), first appeared in this game.
 * Snake's C4 may occasionally spawn a butterfly-shaped C3, in reference to a scene from this game.
 * Snake emits a voice line when eating a food item, in which a few voice clips were inspired by those from this game.
 * Snake's red to brown costumes resemble, in order, the Fire, Water, Tiger Stripe, Splitter, and Animals camouflage from this game.
 * Snake's chartreuse costume resembles the Leaf camouflage from this game.
 * Trophies:
 * Naked Snake and the Shagohod appear as trophies.
 * Stickers:
 * Naked Snake, EVA, and The Boss appear as stickers.
 * Spirits:
 * Naked Snake, The Boss, Revolver Ocelot (Metal Gear Solid 3), EVA, and Zero (Metal Gear Solid 3) appear as spirits.
 * Music:
 * "": The music track that played when Naked Snake was spotted by an enemy while indoors, sourced from this game.
 * "": The instrumental version of the main theme, sourced from this game.
 * "": A faster, instrumental arrangement of the main theme.


 * Music:
 * "": The vocal theme song, sourced from this game. This song also plays during Snake's credits.


 * Playable character:
 * The Mortar (used in Snake's up smash), first appeared in this game.
 * Snake's black costume resembles the Metal camouflage for his OctoCamo from this game.
 * His left victory pose references a CQC stance when fighting against Liquid Ocelot, seen in this game's final act.
 * Stage elements:
 * Gekkos make an appearance as parts of the background.
 * Trophies:
 * Gekko appears as a trophy.
 * Spirits:
 * Gekko appears as a spirit. Meryl Silverburgh, Metal Gear REX, Metal Gear RAY, Hal Emmerich, Roy Campbell, Mei Ling, and Rosemary use artwork from this game.
 * Music:
 * "": A fast-paced, instrumental version of the "Love Theme" from this game. The arrangement was handled by staff from Konami's Metal Gear sound team.


 * Spirits:
 * Paz Ortega Andrade, Dr. Strangelove, and Metal Gear ZEKE appear as spirits.
 * Music:
 * "": The opening theme, sourced from this game.


 * Spirits:
 * Raiden and Gray Fox use artwork from this game.


 * Playable character:
 * Snake’s updated model in Ultimate is inspired by his appearance in this compilation.
 * Spirits:
 * Snake’s fighter spirit uses artwork from this compilation.

/

 * Playable character:
 * Covering Fire resembles an air strike from these games.
 * Spirits:
 * Revolver Ocelot (Metal Gear Solid V) and Sahelanthropus appear as spirits. Cardboard Box, Big Boss, and Kazuhira Miller use artwork from these games.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (Pachislot)

 * Spirits:
 * Naked Snake, Revolver Ocelot (Metal Gear Solid 3), EVA, and Zero (Metal Gear Solid 3) use artwork from this machine.

Trivia

 * Metal Gear and are the only universes with sole playable characters to have their characters cut in a transition to a new game. However, the Metal Gear franchise was cut entirely in Smash 4 while Ice Climber is still represented by trophies, two music tracks and the Polar Bear's appearance in Smash Run.
 * Metal Gear, and  are also the only primary universes to be entirely dropped from a Smash game, with Metal Gear and Electroplankton having no content whatsoever in SSB4 and Miiverse having no content in Ultimate. However, both Metal Gear and Electroplankton made a return in Ultimate.
 * Additionally, Metal Gear is the only third-party universe to be cut entirely.
 * Metal Gear is also the only fighter-based universe to be cut entirely.
 * Metal Gear is the only universe to have more than one different logo within the franchise, with two. The logos of other universes were merely edited rather than changed entirely.
 * ,, Metal Gear, and are the only universes to not feature dubs other than English, in addition to , and  who do not have English dubs, in the Super Smash Bros. series. In this case, Metal Gear Solid for PlayStation introduced French, Spanish, German, and Italian dubs in its European localization.