Fuck, you beat me to it.
Yeah, Metal Gear has been around since 1987. I can't remember the name of the system that it was first released on, but the very first game was ported to the NES, as well as a sequel which wasn't worked on by Kojima.
As for how much I love the series: Yeah, they're --- nope, sorry, couldn't keep a straight face. I really don't give a shit about them.They're entertaining, but not the holy grail of gaming for me.