So, I finally got a PS3 over Christmas, and beat MGS 4. I thought it was phenomenal, but I still think Metal Gear for the PSX is the best in the series. 
 
Which game in the series do you think is the best?

So, I finally got a PS3 over Christmas, and beat MGS 4. I thought it was phenomenal, but I still think Metal Gear for the PSX is the best in the series. 
 
Which game in the series do you think is the best?

Mgs3 subsistance, I really didn't enjoy mgs4 at all, it's my least favorite because it's too cutscene heavy and could focus more on the actual game which I finished rather quickly skipping all of the cutscenes. Subsistance has a good camera angle for a change and everything is so low tech which makes it very down to earth and plausible, it was realistic compared to octacamo where I think anyone could spot you if you were lying there on the ground next to them. Subsistance or snake eater also had less cutscenes until the end, it was a good way to start the series, like an orgins story, it played better than mgs1 imo, that's why it gets my vote.

MGS4. I didnt play the third, and I didnt really like the second (and not because of Raiden). The first was awesome in its day tho

I think MGS 1 is the best. It balanced everything properly and did everything it needed to do right. They fucked up things with MGS 2 with Raiden and I didn't care for all the extra little mechanics they added in in the third one. Also, I remember thinking the third MGS felt very dated in terms of game play back when I played it, but that was just the original release. I haven't played MGS 3 Subsistence, which I hear is THE version of MGS 3 to play. MGS 4 is awesome though. That's definitely my second favorite. All the things they had in that were epic.

I think MGS3 tells the best story of any of the main four MGS games, but I prefer the characters in 1,2, and 4.  The gameplay in 3 (specifically Subsistence) isn't as good as MGS4, but it still feels much more modern than the previous two games and the level design is more consistent in 3 than 4, and since the boss battles in 3 are better than 4, I guess my final answer is 3. 

I think the original was the best simply because you didn't know what to expect playing through the game the first time. With the later iterations, you knew how the game would play before you even put the disc in.

4, with 2 coming in next.

MG3 and then the Original. MG3 is probably my 1st or 2nd favorite game of all time. Either that or the original Half Life (I beat it at least twice a year.)

As I just got the MGS trilogy for christmas from a friend, I can say with some conviction that 3 is my favorite. 1 is good but there are some janky mechanics that betray its age, 2 has Raiden (which is an automatic fail in my book) and an obnoxiously long escort sequence. 3 has a survival aspect that I enjoy, not to mention it acts as some sort of bizarre period piece and has a better camera. 
 
I have yet to play 4, and am almost considering saving up for a PS3 to play it (as well as other things. Like Demon's Souls)

Metal Gear Solid 4>Metal Gear Solid 2>Metal Gear Solid>Metal Gear Solid 3

I have still only played the first, even though I own 2 and 3. I can't make an informed decision until I at least play the ones I own.

"I really didn't enjoy mgs4 at all, it's my least favorite because it's too cutscene heavy and could focus more on the actual game which I finished rather quickly skipping all of the cutscenes."

MGS 3. Mainly because it was my first going into this series. 

I played all the Metal Gear Solid games in order (the main ones anyways) and though I have very fond memories of the first Metal Gear Solid.. MGS4 is my favorite in the series by far. Its story, while perhaps the most complex in the series, explained a lot about the previous Metal Gear games to me and actually made me care about the story for once. MGS3 is another one that stands out to me, the story was so cool.. and I loved all the characters, the bosses especially.

MGS3, for me it had the most memorable characters and bosses; with a story that worked well on it's own as well as a prequel to the rest of the series.
 
Who can forget the hour+ long fight against the End? Or having to finish off The Boss by pulling the trigger yourself?

I loved MGS3. 

I've played all of the metal gear solid games for the playstation systems (ps1, ps2, ps3, but not psp)
MGS3 snake eater for ps2. My all time favorite game, great storyline very fun to play, and fun to play multiple times.

Metal Gear Solid 3 easily.  Every single character was awesome (and there were a lot of them).  No Raiden or Octacon.  Great story and ending.  Cutscenes were long but never felt needlessly long like some of the other MGS games (4's ending for example).  Jungle setting was the best.  Swapping camo was fun (not as kewl as the suit in MGS4 tho).
 
Now of course going back to MGS3...the controls feel a bit clunky.  But still, best in the series imo.

The first Metal Gear Solid by a wide margin. The only thing that is even in the same atmosphere as MGS1 would be the original Metal Gear for the NES. 
 
These two were trend-setting, genre-creating, mind-blowing games.
All others are merely sequels of varying production qualities.

I just picked up MGS4. Only played the PSX Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Snake Eater on PS2. I didn't really fall in love with Metal Gear on Playstation. I didn't like the indoor environments so much and there was too much back and forth banter over the codex.

Metal Gear 3 was fantastic! Everything about that game was excellent; the pacing, the character development, the boss fights were the most exciting and original of any game I ever played, each one was exceptional. The environments were right up my alley. Crawling through the tall grass, wading through swamps, climbing trees, moving through dense forest and jungle, I can't think of another game that made use of the natural outdoor environments as well as MGS3. And it was consistently great from beginning to end. The game never faltered, never a misstep, no section of the game I can point to and say, that could have been done better.

So for me that is what MGS4 has to follow up on. One of the reasons I haven't played it until now is not having the confidence it could be any better than MGS3. But I went out this evening and picked the game up.

MGS3 and 4 are tied for me. I love every game in the Solid series and even though I didn't really like 2 that much when I first played it, it has certainly grown on me and can't wait to play it again at some point Best franchise in gaming for me, without a doubt.

MGS4, it was just such an awesome way to put a close on this series. And it had great gameplay mechanics to boot.