ROMhack
Member
Note: this is the first in a series of posts I’m going to be making about retro games. I guess they’re kinda like the LTTP threads but less about my experience and more about the game existing so we can get discussion going. I’m open to feedback/recommendations for future posts.
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Designer: Hideo Kojima ( MiyazakiHatesKojima )
Platforms: PC-8801, MSX2, PC Engine, Sega CD, PS1 and Sega Saturn
Background and Story
In June 1996, a biological weapon known as Lucifer-Alpha is released into the Earth’s atmosphere. The event, known as The Catastrophe, results in the death of over half of the world’s population. Fifty years later, a band of cybernetic artificial lifeforms known as ‘Snatchers’ begin to terrorise the man-made island of Neo Kobe City. Their origin is a mystery and an anti-Snatcher task force, J.U.N.K.E.R, is established to hunt them down. Thus enters the main character: Gillian Seed, an amnesiac dude tasked with finding out more information about them, as well as a hidden past that suggests involvement.
Snatcher is the brainchild from very brainy child Hideo Kojima. It was the third game he worked on, arriving one year after the first Metal Gear game. Partnering with Japanese developer Konami - who still made videogames at that time - Kojima set about designing a science-fiction game based on what I assume was his favourite movie, Blade Runner (1985). He took further inspiration from cyberpunk literature such as William Gibson’s novel Neuromancer (1984), as well as artwork by Jean Giraud (a.k.a. Moebius). Snatcher is widely regarded as one of the groundbreaking hits of the adventure game genre. It sold well inside of Japan but not out of it, which is presumably why it now costs a billion dollars on eBay. Interestingly, it arrived the same year as Katsuhiro Otomo’s, Akira (1988).
Gameplay
As noted, you play as Gillian Seed: a very Harrison Ford looking fella. Gameplay takes the form of reading information, watching cut-scenes and providing adequate responses. It takes a verb-style system which includes classic options such as “Look”, “Talk”, “Ask”, and “Move”. You get an inventory full of stuff that you pick up along the way. You can analyse it for more information You also have a quirky robotic companion called Metal Gear who lets you save the game and talk to other people via videophone (how futuristic is that!!). The game takes place across three separate Acts. There’s also a whole of bunch of shooting scenes that use a 3x3 grid, which gives the game a strong action element.
Interesting Facts
Your Thoughts
Did you play it?
Did you love it?
Did you always mean to play it but never did?
Will there ever be a remaster?
Did you, like me, get halfway through the game on your PSP before it refused to work meaning you’ve sadly never finished the game?
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Designer: Hideo Kojima ( MiyazakiHatesKojima )
Platforms: PC-8801, MSX2, PC Engine, Sega CD, PS1 and Sega Saturn
Background and Story
In June 1996, a biological weapon known as Lucifer-Alpha is released into the Earth’s atmosphere. The event, known as The Catastrophe, results in the death of over half of the world’s population. Fifty years later, a band of cybernetic artificial lifeforms known as ‘Snatchers’ begin to terrorise the man-made island of Neo Kobe City. Their origin is a mystery and an anti-Snatcher task force, J.U.N.K.E.R, is established to hunt them down. Thus enters the main character: Gillian Seed, an amnesiac dude tasked with finding out more information about them, as well as a hidden past that suggests involvement.
Snatcher is the brainchild from very brainy child Hideo Kojima. It was the third game he worked on, arriving one year after the first Metal Gear game. Partnering with Japanese developer Konami - who still made videogames at that time - Kojima set about designing a science-fiction game based on what I assume was his favourite movie, Blade Runner (1985). He took further inspiration from cyberpunk literature such as William Gibson’s novel Neuromancer (1984), as well as artwork by Jean Giraud (a.k.a. Moebius). Snatcher is widely regarded as one of the groundbreaking hits of the adventure game genre. It sold well inside of Japan but not out of it, which is presumably why it now costs a billion dollars on eBay. Interestingly, it arrived the same year as Katsuhiro Otomo’s, Akira (1988).
Gameplay
As noted, you play as Gillian Seed: a very Harrison Ford looking fella. Gameplay takes the form of reading information, watching cut-scenes and providing adequate responses. It takes a verb-style system which includes classic options such as “Look”, “Talk”, “Ask”, and “Move”. You get an inventory full of stuff that you pick up along the way. You can analyse it for more information You also have a quirky robotic companion called Metal Gear who lets you save the game and talk to other people via videophone (how futuristic is that!!). The game takes place across three separate Acts. There’s also a whole of bunch of shooting scenes that use a 3x3 grid, which gives the game a strong action element.
Interesting Facts
- Owing to constraints, the developers were forced to cut Act 2, meaning they had to change the original ending.
- The game spawned an audio drama in Japan, which has since been translated into English.
- It originally came out for the PC-8801 and did not have spoken audio. Instead, when a character spoke, a beep was emitted. This was later rectified for the MSX version release.
- There’s a spin-off RPG title called SD Snatcher featuring a bunch of chibi-looking characters, released for the MSX in April 1990.
- The PSX and Saturn versions came with updated graphics, a new CG animated opening and, much like Sony of today, censored some of the violent scenes.
- The English version was released in 1994. Changes included increasing the Katrina's age from 14 to 18; removing a scene where a dog lies twitching in agony before death; removal of parodies of popular sci-fi characters in the Outer Heaven nightclub; and changing Jean Jack Gibson’s last meal to buffalo meat rather than tasty whale meat.
Your Thoughts
Did you play it?
Did you love it?
Did you always mean to play it but never did?
Will there ever be a remaster?
Did you, like me, get halfway through the game on your PSP before it refused to work meaning you’ve sadly never finished the game?
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