Three down; two to go. Bear in mind, this list focused on my top five favorite console games. At some point, I’ll offer up my favorite PC-based entertainments.

But, at heart, I’m a console kid. I was reared on the Atari 2600, and the Nintendo Entertainment System helped melt four years of high school. It was on the NES that I began to witness this medium’s ability to tell a story. While so many titles followed the familiar “Save the Princess” narrative, some brave titles took stabs at displacing celluloid as the parchment for inking a good yarn. Of note, the Ninja Gaiden series and Bionic Commando made impressive use of their primitive tools.

That’s why it was incredibly rewarding to witness technology catch up to the demands of Hideo Kojima’s vision for the Metal Gear series.

Without further adieu, here’s number two:

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

The Metal Gear series has been around since the 8-bit days, although it’s truly benefited from advancements in technology. I played Hideo Kojima’s original Metal Gear on the NES back in 1987 and realized then that his storytelling was hampered by the hardware.

In 1998, the elements settled nicely into place for Kojima, as he released the very cinematic Metal Gear Solid for the Sony Playstation. Released on the heels of Final Fantasy VII and Resident Evil, Metal Gear solidified the argument that the line between games and films was beginning to blur. The game also introduced full voice acting to the series, with David Hayter bringing our gruff hero Solid Snake to vibrant life.

For my money, the 2001 Playstation 2 sequel, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty goes down in history as one of the most engaging games I’ve ever played. That’s no small feat considering the numerous areas this game could have suffered a misstep — most notably in Kojima’s shocking twist to the game’s extended prologue that effectively removes Solid Snake from the majority of the game. Many fanboys whined that they were forced to play as Raiden (no doubt, the same crybabies who were all up in a tizzy over those Arbiter sequences in Halo 2). While I can somewhat empathize — if given the choice, wouldn’t every one choose Han over Luke — I thought the decision, from a pure storytelling perspective, was truly ballsy. By leaving Snake adrift, fate unknown, after the game’s initial oil tanker episode, the story gets infused with some compelling dramatic elements. As Raiden is being briefed before his incursion to the Big Shell (which terrorists have hijacked), rumors abound that Solid Snake is the leader of this revolt. That adds a good amount of dramatic tension for a large portion of the game.

Eventually, our beloved Snake does surface, in the persona of Iroquois Plissken (Kojima nicely playing homage to the original Snake from whom he got his inspiration). From there on out, the game twists and turns, opening a myriad of questions (Who are the Patriots? What the hell is the La-Li-Le-Lo-Lu?), offering some killer boss battles (the harrier jet is a fave of mine) and sprinkling a host of Easter Eggs (Kojima sure does love his FHM).

Like the best movies, MGS2 stays with you. It tickles that inquisitive bone in me that loves cliffhangers and conspiracy plots and intrigue. I’m a sucker for serial dramas (Lost, 24) and this game offers up an abundance of riches for my curious brain.

This year’s Metal Gear Solid IV: Guns of the Patriots promises to end the saga. As I wrote in a prior piece, it is my most anticipated game of the year.