I'll weigh in. The entire franchise was incredible, IMO, but if I was forced to choose a fave it has got to be the original. FOXHHOUND is a cool unit, even if the characters in it were slightly nuts- but I guess that's what made them so cool. It was also the first game I'd ever played that worked like it did, and I actually got nervous several times while playing. Almost equal footing with 2, but Raiden was... well, not easy to relate to. 3 was cool because of the thick-ass plot , and I enjoyed the survival aspects, but I thought some of the characters, like Volgin, were over the top. Choosing a favorite is like choosing a favorite child, but there it is.