SNATCHER (SS Let's Play)

[Superfrequency]

I do not recommend reading this thread with a clear head

I feel like I can't emphasize enough that I have not been expressing mock rage or agony. I genuinely hate this game, and that is why I am typing this instead of posting an update.

It's like impossible to play the game lightheartedly and not get mad at video games, especially when you make a point of looking at every possible response in the game for the purpose of entertainment.

The actual play sessions are 80% yelling at the game for being poorly designed and written, 10% wisecracking and 10% sobbing.

I still fail to understand why the confirm selection button is C and not A.

[Alycian]

I do not recommend reading this thread with a clear head

I feel like I can't emphasize enough that I have not been expressing mock rage or agony. I genuinely hate this game, and that is why I am typing this instead of posting an update.

It's like impossible to play the game lightheartedly and not get mad at video games, especially when you make a point of looking at every possible response in the game for the purpose of entertainment.

The actual play sessions are 80% yelling at the game for being poorly designed and written, 10% wisecracking and 10% sobbing.

I still fail to understand why the confirm selection button is C and not A.

It's a pretty dated game, in fact its an extended version of a game from the late 80's. The story isn't going to be presented very well, though admittedly there is better written games from that era. You can't really take it any other way then lightheartedly or you will be stopping yourself from enjoying the game which is obviously the case. It's a pretty decent game if you just overlook dated cliches and design flaws common to any older generation game. I dunno, this is probably pointless to type since you have a biased opinion anyway, but you should probably finish this since you started it.

TL;DR

[Superfrequency]

You are totally right, person with 16 posts who double posted in their zeal to correct me and referenced a webcomic I already made reference to, what was I thinking?! This shitty port that came out six years after the original and fails to actually improve on it or fix any of the design flaws totally blows games like The Secret of Monkey Island which came out four years earlier and is more competently produced in every possible way right out of the water!

[BRPXQZME]

> SF: enjoy vogon poetry

[Not The Author]

Y'know, you don't really have to do it if you really don't want to.

It's the whole making-an-adventure-for yourself argument all over again: Ultimately, if you're not enjoying it, and updating it is a hassle, then you are under no obligation to continue, no matter how much the fans whine and complain.

I mean, I'm enjoying it, but it's schadenfreude, innit?

[Rinoka]

You are totally right, person with 16 posts who double posted in their zeal to correct me and referenced a webcomic I already made reference to, what was I thinking?! This shitty port that came out six years after the original and fails to actually improve on it or fix any of the design flaws totally blows games like The Secret of Monkey Island which came out four years earlier and is more competently produced in every possible way right out of the water!

When you bring up someone's post count and a double post, as well as randomly lampshade them using a pretty popular image to summarize up their argument,
you only make yourself look silly.

It was a shitty port. Yes. They didn't really REMAKE the game.
(Thus, it's worth saying: Monkey Island came out two years before it. The extended version is just as shit as the original because no real time or effort was put into making the interface better, as far as I can tell.)
It's a horribly crafted nightmare as is, with its terrible handling of things (DO EVERY OPTION TO PROGRESS) and terrible localization (BUFFALO = WHALES). But if you aren't taking it lightheartedly, which is to say, in a way where it's just a dumb game, you really aren't going to have fun playing it and the rest of this possible LP (which I did enjoy) is just going to be you being angry at video games. Not to say that's a horrible thing, but you wouldn't be enjoying it and that's sort of the fun of an LP, isn't it? The game, as stated by the person with 16 posts who double posted most likely on accident whose opinion is just as valid as yours, is decently written. It's Kojima, so we aren't looking at miracles here, but it's decent. You'd probably be better off finishing it, even if that means REALLY VERY QUICK WRAP UP FROM THIS POINT TO THE CASE END THROUGH RUSHED CUTSCENES AND LARGE QUIPS ABOUT THE GAME'S INTEGRITY.

GETTIN' MAD ABOUT POST COUNTS SPOILER

show spoiler

hide spoiler

By the way, it is worth saying: someone with 16 posts has an opinion just as valid as you, even though you have 8,863 posts as I write. >:/ It isn't nice to make random notations about numbers that don't even matter as though they somehow invalidate points.

(Also, your aggressive reaction to her wasn't even really validated. Does this game really have you that frustrated that you take out your annoyance at it at random people who say the game is okay? If so just stop playing and go take like a whole bottle of chill pills. Don't even pick the game back up. It's obviously doing a number on your ability to tolerate other people.)

[Superfrequency]

Y'know, you don't really have to do it if you really don't want to.

It's the whole making-an-adventure-for yourself argument all over again: Ultimately, if you're not enjoying it, and updating it is a hassle, then you are under no obligation to continue, no matter how much the fans whine and complain.

I mean, I'm enjoying it, but it's schadenfreude, innit?

If I can finish Professor Layton and the Unwound Future, I can finish Snatcher.

It's like ... I have to see the end. Not even because I'm committed to a let's play, but I just have to now. This game has wronged me and I'm not going to let it win.

GETTIN' MAD AT INNERNETS

I brought up her post count because it's kind of rude for someone who joined the forum a few days ago to post in a thread written and read by long-established members telling all of them their opinions are wrong. It's not a great way to make friends.

[Rinoka]

GETTIN' MAD AT INNERNETS

I brought up her post count because it's kind of rude for someone who joined the forum a few days ago to post in a thread written and read by long-established members telling all of them their opinions are wrong. It's not a great way to make friends.

OH NO MY RAGE QUOTA HAS OFFICIALLY HIT 'MAD AT INNERNETS' I HAVE TO TAKE ALL YOU PUNKS DOWN RAAAGH.

Just kidding. :3c

Anyway, I just find it that a newbie's opinion (even if it's just "YOUR OPINIONS ARE WRONG", albeit her opinion was more of "THE GAME IS KIND OF OKAY? IT'S NOT GREAT AND OTHER GAMES PULLED IT OFF BETTER, BUT THE STORY IS AT LEAST PRESENTABLE.") is just as valid as a oldie's opinion. Overall, her opinion wasn't that offensive and I didn't think she was trying to say YOUR OPINIONS ARE WRONG. Admittedly, the "biased opinion" quip could have been left out, but the question is if you were about to actually change your opinion because she said the game was so-so rather than horrible?

Anyway, make your response if you want and then we're done, I guess. No need to derail the thread because ~oh no newbies~.

[Superfrequency]

I didn't say her opinion was invalid. I took issue with the way it was presented.

Had she said something like "Aww, I think this game is actually pretty good!" we could have left it at that.

[Wheeeeeeatthins]

show spoiler

hide spoiler

I brought up her post count because it's kind of rude for someone who joined the forum a few days ago to post in a thread written and read by long-established members telling all of them their opinions are wrong.

Post counts don't matter and have never mattered since there are no such things as "good posters." There's good posts and bad posts; people can make both. If you want to have opinions or make threads, just make them, but make sure they're supported well with evidence/material and you put effort into making them. I don't care how long you've been on this forum if you make a thread. For instance, if we were to base things on post counts and dates, I could just wholesale-say "BUT SUPERFREQUENCY MADE THE THREAD "BEING 20 SUCKS ASS" and miss out on how this is a good thread because you put effort into showing your soul being drained out of you by this game for all to watch. Someone who signed up yesterday has just as much chance of making a funny thread or a well-established argument about how SNATCHER is actually ahead of its time.

If you wanted to criticize something about that post, you should have just went straight for asking why someone would come into a thread out of the blue to assert "you can't really take it any other way then lightheartedly," when there is obviously an audience enjoying it, and then ending with a gunshow strip (those are popular!) that really didn't relate to what she was saying.
Always focus on attacking faulty ideas so that they can learn to fix the mistake and do stuff better in the future; don't attack things they can't help like the fact that they signed up on so-and-so a date. Ignore the red herring of when they signed up because they might focus on that instead of actually working on being kosherer.

[weirdguy]

all you have to tell yourself is

it's still not call of juarez

[Superfrequency]

I'm not debating this any further :I

I respectfully remind everybody that this is Snatcher: The Let's Play and not Snatcher: The Thread. If you want to debate the finer points of Hideo Kojima's masterful storytelling, please take it to the main game chat.

If you want to have an argument with me about having an argument, I'm afraid you're SOL.

[Superfrequency]

I honestly cannot remember if pets are supposed to be rare or I am thinking of something else

No, I was thinking of Big O.

Yet another concept never explained, substantiated or elaborated upon.

[littleHatter]

I honestly would have thought Blade Runner with the whole pets-are-for-the-rich business.

Considering the game being what it is I would have not been surprised if they decided to take inspiration on this subject as well.

Edit:
Also I would like to say that you are a most glorious individual for putting up with a 100% story driven Kojima production as well as you have, and whilst I doubt it will be the case I hope the game eventually decides to stop trying to kill you, mentally.

[Superfrequency]

Any Kojima story is a mish-mash of like 8 hollywood movies, so I'm sure there's some Blade Runner in here. You guys all saw how Jean-Jack is basically literally Mel Gibson. Then there is the obvious namesake. And as I have not-so-subtly hinted, Snatchers are the The Terminator.

I'll try to stomach an update tonight. I am assured my suffering is entertaining, but I want to write updates that are funny to me, too.

I probably missed my opportunity to make Mel Gibson jokes but I'm not a pop culture sort of gal.

[weirdguy]

Blade Runner is pretty much the blueprint for this game, so of course that is what they are referring to

somehow i think the movie might have been better if it had more references to tanning lotion

[Superfrequency]

I still haven't seen Blade Runner, so I'll take your word for it.

[weirdguy]

(note: movie is not actually better with tanning lotion, even considering how unintentionally silly it is)

(largely due to how things that were novel during that era look now)

[Superfrequency]

Blade Runner is streaming on Netflix, so I guess I have to watch it for Critical Let's Play Research.

[-Benedict]

superfrequency
oh my god
i can't breathe

I mean just robot face and investigating the sunscreen and the pointless revelations
and pwawty cloughb and biscuitdoughhandsman
managetendaiter
CREATE MONTAGE
does rick bakery have LASERS for hands
and like genetically engineered cat purse what

I feel like I can't emphasize enough that I have not been expressing mock rage or agony. I genuinely hate this game

...really? I can't tell if that makes this more hilarious or just tragic. I've never really experienced "gettin' mad at video games" (with the inexplicable exception of whenever I fight the Elite Four in a Pokemon game for some reason, mainly because it's an embarrassment to lose to something that looks like the ICP puked up an iguana). Maybe Snatcher is just that bad?

[Superfrequency]

I have played a few sessions with Norivia over skype, and he can testify to the fact that it is mostly me yelling at the game for making me exhaust every possibility, do things more than once unnecessarily, go through about 8 menu screens for what should be a simple or automatic action, and sob upon entering the animal hospital. I have found that the more I yell at the game the more the update is just internet rage and less jokes. So I need to cool it I think. It's just so bad though.

Music's good though. And the Sega CD port looks really nice.

I get mad at video games a lot, but that is because I have a short temper and getting your ass kicked by video games is frustrating. Snatcher is not difficult, it's just really poorly designed. And written. And acted. I don't get mad at Mega Man though so maybe it's just games that don't deserve to be beating me. Or in Snatcher's case, games that don't deserve to be wasting my time. I want to see the end because I guess for some reason I'm a Hideo Kojima fan, and partly because I just have to now that I'm a third of the way through. And I am making something apparently entertaining for the internet. That's just enough to keep me playing.

[Catbread]

Finally, I'm all caught up with this thread.

Truly, SNATCHERS are the most horrific of foes, with their flawless camouflage techniques such as "covering your face with your hand".

I can't help but picture Gilligan Gillian pretending to be a detective, crouched outside the door to the pet shop, gun drawn, holding Metal Gear up so it can see through the window.

[Superfrequency]

Well, he'll hold Metal Gear up to look at holographic titties, so.

Going back through the thread I guess I left that bit of dialog out. See all of the juicy hilarity you guys could be experiencing if you played the game for yourselves?*

*Not recommended

I guess I need to, like. Continue playing this game.

[SleepingOrange]

Yes

Yes do that

[Superfrequency]

Ok.

I'm a big girl. I can do this.

I can play this game without losing my will to live

show spoiler

hide spoiler

WHY KOJIMA WHY WHY WHY WHY















aaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA



We have to call Jamie and see what she knows about the two hospitals. Because there's nothing else we can do. I have cut out pages and pages of meaningless dialog. Moreso than usual.



Great well that was helpful.







I stopped having hopes and dreams a long, long time ago.

The long and short of this is she knows nothing and we were wasting our time.



Oh noooo Katrina Gibson is in some kind of ill-defined trouble and sent a distress signal or something



JUNKERS apparently have complete control over traffic signals. I'm sure there's no potential for abuse in that system.



I'd like to select the same three options in a dialog tree until you have decided I have selected them enough.

This game does that constantly. Even if you have actually learned what you needed to, unless you exhaust EVERY dialog option it will not let you leave the screen. It does this for every screen.



Why am I not surprised.



It has been previously established that you have trouble recognizing where shelves are and are not.



And although we knew to "Search the house!" ten minutes into the game, it is only now that we can search it.

And of course it is empty.



They've knocked Gibson's swag lava lamp to the floor and everything!



Not this again.

The SNATCHER translator lives in a fantasy land where you can just make shit up. They obviously redrew the room, and this is a low-res pixel background on a CD. There is absolutely no excuse for the descriptions of the room to not match the background. None.



Just look at those huge, visible gashes.



It could only have been Wolverine.



They're positively littering the floor.



It's a good thing you used technomagic to be backwards compatible with a 60 year old computer.



A 60 year old computer that is absurdly rare and uses a format unreadable by any other computer on the planet.

Man, it sure is fortunate you "have the data". Like, really, super fortunate.



Next you'll be telling me they don't want anyone to find out they're Snatchers, either.



She barely knew anything about her father's work. Why would she suddenly be interested now? Why would she know they had a secret hospital, and how could that possibly mean anything to her?



This game is like a pathological liar. Eventually you just say "sure, uh huh" and don't make eye contact.

Moving on.





Alice is gone.



I get it. Snatchers. Scary robotmin.



Some mysterious, tortured force that questions her sanity every time she shadows you and your idiot sidekick.

Well, I exhausted every single possibility. Many times. Let's go.



rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrghgagaghag



OH

NO

NO THAT'S WHY I COULDN'T LEAVE

I FORGOT TO FUCKING SNEEZE





Siiiiiiiiiiigh



My plot-convenient abilities make it possible!







DUR DUR LOOK AT ME I'M HIDEO KOJIMA I CAN INTRODUCE PLOT ELEMENTS AND THEN JUST HANDWAVE THEM AWAAAAYYY WHEN I WANT TO CHANGE THE RULES



Found Alice.



And Snatchers did this even though they are afraid of dogs because uh

no this doesn't actually seem to serve any purpose except to have gratuitous gore

Also this cutscene only triggers after you have done everything, left, come back in to sneeze, left again, and then returned to the study a third time. GAMEPLAY.

when we return: more bullshit