SNATCHER (SS Let's Play)

[Superfrequency]

KONAMI PRESENTS



Snatcher, a cyberpunk adventure! For those not in the know, Snatcher is a sci-fi adventure game directed by Hideo Kojima of Metal Gear fame. Originally released on the MSX and PC-88 in Japan, it was later remade for the PC Engine (or the TurboGrafx-16 as it is known in the States), and ported to the Playstation and Sega Saturn. It was also released for the Sega CD with full English voice acting, which is the version I will be playing.

Let's get started!



You wouldn't want to confuse it with the catastrophic extinction event that actually happened in 1996.

Because I could not get the intro to work for some reason, here it is on youtube. Now I don't have to type up the plot for you!



BLUH BLUH.

It is the future. You are johnny-come-lately Junker recruit Gillian Seed. Junker is a kind of special police force specifically tasked with eliminating bio-terminator body snatchers. He's also one of the tomatoes or something. Memories, past, Paradigm City. Whatever! Let's get crackin'!




You nasty!





Ya sure can! Open the friggin' door!



Yes. Please tell me all about the job I have been "training extensively" for that I should logically know more about than you, a lowly desk jockey.

I'm new in town. What's city life like?



Good old xenophobic Japan.

Ok, enough dicking around/flirting with Mika. Let's hit the elevator.



We have to visit every location before we can move on(and often choose every action possible). It's just that kind of game. I will spare you the drudgery.

I've finally got a handle on this, so updates will come pretty fast. After I save a screencap I have to convert it to PNG because photobucket is an assbucket and won't host bitmaps.

As you can see above, I will be posting youtube vids with the BGMs for the part of the game I am currently in because the music in this game is incredibly good.

NEXT POST: We meet our boss and our new partner! FIND OUT NEXT TIME ON DRAGON BALL Z

[Superfrequency]

Let's talk to our boss, Cunningham.



BLUH BLUH EXPOSITION

There are five Junker bylaws. Because I guess that's all special police forces need. Because they aren't bound by civil law.

(1) Kill Terminators Snatchers
(2) Don't kill people
(3) No evidence, no shooty
(4) You gotta help out bounty hunters. Did someone at Junker lose a bet or something?
(5) YOU GET:
MEGA BUSTER
NAVI
RUSH CYCLE ROCKET CAR TURBOCYCLE

that's not really a bylaw so much as it is an inventory but who's counting.

Cunningham also gives you your ID card and your per diem. We need to go see Harry to get the hook-up with our other equipment.



You are a runner. You splo stuff up. Jean Jack Gibson is the only other one. We'll meet him later. There are only five Junker employees, counting you. If Snatchers were such a big menace don't you think they'd have, oh, six?



Layabout.

I suppose it ought to be mentioned that the poster on the wall is supposed to be Marilyn Monroe. It's really obvious in every other version of the game, but they changed it quite a bit for the Sega CD release. Legal issues?

show spoiler

hide spoiler

Unfortunately, the "English" fan translation of the original MSX release leaves something to be desired.

I tend to think that the PC Engine and Sega CD versions have the best looking and most faithful graphics.

I know if I was going to put myself in life-or-death situations with killer robots, I'd put my fate in the hands of a drunk.

Harry won't be here until we exhaust every possible action elsewhere. Whee. Let's check out the detective room.



NOW I AM SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT OF THE CENTER OF THE SCREEN.

In the MSX version you could look at a different part of Mika's anatomy. Repeatedly. In nearly every room. Gillian Seed is one classy man.

This room is extremely boring, and there is nothing you can interact with in any meaningful way. Let's try somewhere else.



My trigger finger is itchy. Since Harry is nowhere to be found, you don't have a gun yet. But after pestering Mika she lets you borrow hers. Why a secretary should have what is described as a standard issue side arm is beyond me.



BLAMBLAMBLAM

It's pretty straightforward, but if you fuck up in the MSX version against real enemies it's instant game over. Hopefully the Sega CD version is a little more forgiving. At least I don't have to aim with a numpad!

Mika is harrassing me to go see Harry, so I guess he must be there now.



It's about time your sorry ass showed up.

Harry is convinced he has seen amnesia-riddled Gillian before. FOOOORESHADOWING? There is also a mysteeeeeriously cropped photo of Harry when he was a kid. But who cares? Gimme my dang stuff!

"I know, I know! All right, allow me to introduce the navigator which I designed especially for you. Hey, Metal Gear, get out here!"




METAL GEAR?!



W- oh.



Meet Metal Gear Mk. II. You may recognize him from La-Mulana or Metal Gear Solid 4. He will be acting as your personal robot assistant and comic relief.



Saving, flashlight, inventory, video phone. This little guy's got it all! Speaking of which, an incoming call from Jean Jack! Even though they pronounce it Jean Jacque! But let's not get hung up on details.




He's cornered a possible Snatcher in an abandoned warehouse. You've gotta jet out there and back him up, pronto! But not before some pointless filibustering and




A GUN. LET'S ROLL.



Now that Mini Metal has joined our party, we can save.

NEXT TIME ON DRAGON BALL Z: We go to the factory

[Iridium]

It is so great that they would dedicate an old Sega game to all the real-life cyberpunks who fight against injustice and corruption every day of their lives. I love those guys.

[Superfrequency]

It is so great that they would dedicate an old Sega game to all the real-life cyberpunks who fight against injustice and corruption every day of their lives. I love those guys.

I would complain about that not making any sense, but as far as outlandish bullshit goes for Hideo Kojima, this is pretty tame. If you haven't played it though it does get kind of stupid as it goes on. And very violent!

Snatcher can take refuge in being science fiction, where pretty much anything flies. MGS is just a complete mess. But then I think I might just be desensitized to the sort of ridiculosity in Snatcher because it borrows so heavily from Blade Runner, The Terminator ... and Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, natch.

[Dacen]

I haven't read through the whole thing yet, but I stopped to congratulate you on a Big O reference.

[LegoTechnic]

I would just like to point out that ever since the initial meeting with Mika at her desk where Gillian gets an obvious eyefull down her blouse she makes it her habit to always keep a stack of files held up protectively in front of her when walking around.

Mika has you pegged, Gillian.

[Superfrequency]

I hear this whenever I think of poorly-written amnesia. Or the words "memories", "40 years ago" or "the city of amnesia".

I love how they make a big deal of Mika being sealed behind glass, and yet there is no assurance that Gillian himself is not a Snatcher. And, presumably, anyone could just walk in with her having left her post.

As you might expect, as an adventure game, Snatcher has a lot of dialog. I cut most of it out for two reasons. The first being that I really don't need it to do this and it would take twice as long, and the second being that if you see this and are inspired to play it yourself I haven't completely spoiled the game.

[Norivia]

I dunno how close to cliche Hideo Kojima is goin' with this, maybe it wasn't even cliche then (hint: it was.), but maybe

show spoiler

hide spoiler

GILLIAN SEED IS THE MONSTERS MR. HYDE SNATCHER!

... But after you ask "well, he didn't cuz that's cliche" then you get into the whole "well maybe he did because people weren't expecting cliche" thing.

Aw man spoilers here are going to be used as spoilers here. SO WEIRD.

Also: "As they steal their victims bodies and replace them, these beings are known as... fsnatchers"

[Iridium]

I hate your way don't quit harassing me.

[BitVyper]

Oh man, Snatcher! I loved this game. Best thing Kojima did by far.

Roy Batty Random Hajile was my favourite character.

[Superfrequency]

I haven't actually played it all the way through yet don't spoil it you guys.

"As they steal their victims bodies and replace them, these beings are known as... fsnatchers"

Nuh uh, dude. The sibilance just sounds harsh because the voice samples are low-fi.

[Norivia]

I suppose it's more just the way the guy sounded like he almost forgot the word, or was rushing a bit.

[Superfrequency]

Apologies. I'm having emulator difficulties. I think I need to find a new ISO.

The game hangs or skips certain parts because there are supposed to be regular CD audio tracks indexed at certain points that aren't there. I've tried generating a cue file with my current ISO but it just skips the scenes instead of playing them.

EDIT: All fixed. The intro plays now and everything!

[Superfrequency]

Gillian rushing to...
ABANDONED FACTORY






This place gives me the creeps. Maybe we should call the actually real police.


Nope. SNOW-9.


What?


It's an artificial pollen that jams radio signals.


Ok, you just made that up. How could Jean Jack have possibly called us from here, then?


SEMANTIC ERROR

Suddenly, this fascinating conversation is interrupted by a bloodcurdling scream from inside the factory.


WHOOPS. Sounds like you were too slow, dummy. Also, there are killer robot spiders.


WHAT

I suppose we'd better go inside



Pff. I don't see what the big deal is. There's n




LITTLE JOHN NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Little John was Jean Jack's navigator. How could that bastard leave his cute robot companion behind?!


Dibs on his memory chip.

YOU GOT:
The above

That's about all you can get out of poor Little John's corpse. Let's move on.



W- oh dear.

show spoiler

hide spoiler

Oof. Looks like Jean Jack got the worst of it.


Stay calm, Gillian. Let's not lose our heads.


Why couldn't I have got Little John instead ...


Auuuuhhhm, I'm gonna need you to go ahead uuuse the same command on the corpse five or six times before I allow you to collect all of the evidence, mmkaaay? That'd be greaaat.


;-;


Fine, meatbag. I'll analyze the hair and skin samples on his person and shake him down for not gross clues.




GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE

The attackers were male and female caucasian Snatchers.

YOU GOT:
An old key
A slip of paper that reads "Search the house!" (subtle!)


I'm just gonna go ahead and perform an autopsy right here if that's cool with you.


W-



Analysis of stomach contents reveals Gibson was eating whale buffalo meat three hours ago. SHUT UP JAPAN DOES NOT POACH WHALES IT IS ALL IN THE NAME OF SCIENCE.

Now we can find out what his favorite restaurant was. This is incredibly pertinent!



OHSHIT THERE THEY GO



Looks like they got away.


Dead ends give me hay fever.



Well, no matter. Let's just go.



No

LITTLE JOHN NO



SOMEBODY SET UP US THE DATED MEME

We need to make like the Snatchers and GTFO.



Thanks, mom.

Well I suppose we will just calmly walk outside and



OHGODOHGODOHGOD



YES. SUCK IT YOU NONSENSICAL PLOT CONTRIVANCES!



The spiders in this building are dead.

LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO JUMP



NEXT TIME: Metal and Gillian get splode up

To learn more about highly scientific poaching whaling research in Japan, visit your local library

[Iridium]

show spoiler

hide spoiler

That'll teach him to... head off on his own

[Dentrala]

I'm still laughing at the "NEXT TIME: ON DRAGONBALL Z" from the first post and couldn't pay attention to much of the rest.

[Superfrequency]

NEXT TIME: ON DRAGON BALL Z

Son Goku and some alien fight for 8 episodes

DO NOT MISS THE EXCITING CONCLUSION

Also

I haven't read through the whole thing yet, but I stopped to congratulate you on a Big O reference.

I'm still laughing from the first post and couldn't pay attention to much of the rest.

I'm not sure if these are compliments.

[Dentrala]

NEXT TIME: ON DRAGON BALL Z

Son Goku and some alien fight for 8 episodes

DO NOT MISS THE EXCITING CONCLUSION

Also

I haven't read through the whole thing yet, but I stopped to congratulate you on a Big O reference.

I'm still laughing from the first post and couldn't pay attention to much of the rest.

I'm not sure if these are compliments.

ALIEN BECOMES INEXPLICABLY MORE POWERFUL AS PROTAGONIST DISCOVERS MORE ABOUT HIS POWERS

[Norivia]

NEXT TIME is a time honored tradition and it shall not not be mocked

[Superfrequency]

Yes sir sorry sir

[cyber95]

I'm enjoying this.

[Superfrequency]

I guess the character dialog is a success, then.

[weirdguy]

I am disappointed in your lack of Blade Runner jokes. Is that strange?

Either way, thumbs up.

If you folks played La Mulana to the extreme end you would know about the ridiculous Snatcher reference in it.

But of course that was already mentioned.

EDIT: OH MAN I MISS HAVING MY BIG O AND COWBOY BEBOP SOUNDTRACKS EVER SINCE SEEQPOD WENT UNDER

[Superfrequency]

You looked, JUNKER!

I've never actually seen Blade Runner

[MXMissles]

You really really really should! Like tonight probably!