I agree with Archatron. I played the demo of the original Splinter Cell, and besides the graphics, I wasn't all that impressed. I thought the game was pretty boring too. Most people seem to like it though.
I did however like Metal Gear Solid. But that's not really stealth is it? There's way more action going on in that game. You don't really have to "sneak around" as such, since you spend most of the time running, avoiding the little pyramids which represent the field of vision of an enemy.