40| Snatcher

Released: November 30th, 1994

Available On: Mega CD

You never know what obscure game could be worth big bucks in the future. Currently, if you want to play Snatcher in any form of the English language, you will have drop at minimum $250, just for essentially the disc. It is one of the most expensive video games to buy, and is only surpassed by an extremely small list of games. The reason why the game is such a collector's item isn't just because it is rare or that it is good, but because it was developed by none other than Hideo Kojima.Before he became the rockstar game developer he is today, he primarily made Japanese style adventure games. It was a genre that perfectly fit Kojima's cinematic style. Despite his adventure game titles being big hits in Japan, in the West they were not even released. This was primarily due to the fact that they were developed for hardware that wasn't common in the West. However, once his sleeper hit Snatcher was released on the Mega CD in Japan, Konami took the opportunity to release the game the game in North America.

The plot of Snatcher is Blade Runner meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Basically in a dystopian future intelligence cyborgs begin snatching human bodies and posing as them. This clearly being a problem detective Gillian Seed, who is an amnesiac, is brought on the case. The premise of the game is so similar Blade Runner, that I would expect Warner Brothers to sue Konami if the game had been more successful.

Snatcher is just like any other Japanese style adventure game. Rather than being point and click like Western style adventure games, the navigation in the game's all take place in an ever present menu. While the player can technically "move" around the screen, it is not done by having a character move bit by bit as one drags clicks a cursor around, but rather that the screen changes angles or entire scenes. There aren't many puzzles in the game, as most of the game progresses by talking to the correct individuals. These things are done to keep the game as cinematic as possible. The screen always has the cinematography of a feature film, while the dialogue almost always relates to the plot. People often state that Metal Gear Solid games feel more like watching a movie than playing a game at times, but Snatcher take things to a whole different level. In fact, almost all the interaction the player has is pressing the confirm button to continue the dialogue.

Snatcher does differ gameplay wise from other Japanese adventure games in some key areas though. The first is that the game contains light gun segments. The game can be used with a light gun in which parts of the game turn into a Lethal Enforces type shooting gallery. There are puzzles too, but while there aren't too many puzzles in the game, the ones that do exist often break the fourth wall. For example, there is a part of the game that requires the player to physically go to their local library (now use a device with internet) and look at a periodic table to solve a hidden code.These are brilliant moments in the game, but unfortunately they do not happen nearly enough.

Being honest, the gameplay isn't much to write home about. It isn't so much that the game play is bad, but more so that it is very thin. One could say that there is hardly any gameplay at all. Sure games like 999 aren't the most "gamey" games out there, but at least they regularly have intricate puzzles, as one could argue that they are half visual novels and half puzzle games. To be fair, it seemed that Snatcher was going for trying to be half visual novel and half shooting gallery, but it didn't bother as much with the latter as it should have.

What really sells Snatcher is its story and world. Its story is the usual twist and turn Hollywood affair one could expect from Kojima. The world is also fantastic. It is bright,blue, and neon. It feels like anime version of Blade Runner. Sure it is technically a rip off, but it is welcome as it presents the premise in a totally new way. This is a game that came out in the golden age of sci-fi anime and it really shows. Despite the world clearly being run down, it still looks vibrant and beautiful. Players taking screencaps of the game aren't uncommon.

It just isn't the visuals that are great though, the music also does a great job in setting up the atmosphere. It is the perfect blend of chip tunes and grunge synths that are tailored toward a Sci-Fi Spy Thriller Hollywood experience.It's a soundtrack that sounds by far the best on the Mega Drive. There are other versions of the game that do exist, even for higher end consoles, but they don't match the drummy bass feel of Sega's sound chip. The game comfortably sits on the top of the premiere Mega Drive soundtracks.

I feel that I can't leave out that the game had voice acting. Now that wasn't that uncommon at the time as CD based add-ons had been available for years. What made Snatcher stand out is that the voice acting was actually not that bad. Keep in mind that this was at a time that if Working Designs wasn't localizing the game, more often than not it would sound like this. While it may be average at best today, upon release Snatcher's voice acting was akin to hearing harp music.

Overall, Snatcher is a game where its whole is better than the sum of its parts. It doesn't have the most engaging story, doesn't have the deepest gameplay, the world isn't the most memorable, and the music, while great, isn't the best gaming has to offer. What makes the game is how all these things connect to create a highly enjoyable experience. There is a certain feeling one gets from playing a Hideo Kojima game, the same way one feels a certain way when watching a Quentin Tarantino film. They both have a specific style and tone that noone else can replicate. If you're a Kojima fan then you owe it to yourself to play this game. Just simply empty $250 from your piggy bank!

edgecrusher said:

Are they?

They aren't. Just pirate the game and play it via emulator.