Snatcher is a cyberpunk-themed graphic adventure game produced by Konami, originally released in Japan for the NEC PC-8801 and MSX 2 computer platforms in 1988. It was followed by a CD-ROM-based remake released for the PC Engine video game console in 1992, which was subsequently ported and localized into English for the Mega-CD/Sega CD in 1994. Snatcher was the second video game written and directed by Hideo Kojima, following the original Metal Gear for the MSX2. The game's story centers around an investigator named Gillian Seed, who is assigned to investigate a breed of bioroids known as "Snatchers", who are killing humans and taking their place in society. The game borrowed elements from the cult film Blade Runner.
GAMEPLAY:
The game is set in a primarily first person perspective and uses a menu-based interface that allows the protagonist (Gillian Seed) to interact with his environment. The player can choose to "Look", "Investigate", "Talk", "Ask" and "Move" (in addition to other options) to acquire key items or receive vital information from other characters. The player can analyze items in Gillian's belongings or show it to other characters. The player uses Metal Gear (Gillian's robotic assistant) to communicate with other characters via a videophone or save their current progress. During key points of the game's story, the player must pass shooting sequences to defend Gillian from assailants. These shooting segments uses a 3x3 grid which the player can target to fire at enemies. A shooting trainer, called "Junker's Eyes", is accessible at Junker HQ that allows the player to measure their accuracy.
STORY:
On June 6, 1996 (1991 in the Japanese versions), a chemical weapon known as Lucifer-Alpha under development in Chernoton, Russia, is released into the atmosphere, resulting in the death of 80% of the Eurasian population which in turn results in the death of half of the world's population. The contaminated area becomes uninhabitable for a decade, when Lucifer-Alpha mutates into a non-lethal form. This tragic event later becomes known as "the Catastrophe".
Fifty years later, a breed of artificial life-forms or bioroids known as "snatchers" began appearing in the artificial island of Neo Kobe City, killing their victims and taking their place in society. Nobody knows exactly what they are or where they come from. As Gillian Seed, an amnesiac working for an Anti-Snatcher task force called J.U.N.K.E.R., the player's goal is to track down the source of the snatchers and discover Gillian's mysterious connections with them.
CHARACTERS:
- Gillian Seed: The protagonist. An amnesiac with mysterious ties to the "Snatcher" menace. He joins JUNKER as its newest "Runner" (a type of field operative).
- Metal Gear Mk. II: Gillian's robotic sidekick. A "navigator" who serves as an on-site forensic analizer and has a built-in videophone. His designer Harry Benson claims that he designed Metal after the "Metal Gear threat from the late 20th century" (a bipedal tank from the eponymous video game).
- Jamie Seed: Gillian's estranged wife, who was found alongside him, with no recollection of her past. Employed at Neo Kobe Pharmaceuticals at the start of the game.
- Random Hajile: A mysterious bounty hunter who assists Gillian during the course of the story. Rides a one-wheeled motorcycle known as the "Road Runner", and bears a strong resemblance to the character Roy Batty from the film Blade Runner.
- Mika Slayton: The receptionist at JUNKER HQ. A young attractive woman of Japanese and Jewish descent.
- Katrina Gibson: The young daughter of a JUNKER agent, who works as a model.
- Harry Benson: JUNKER's mechanic. He survived the Catastrophe when he was a child. Designer of the robotic navigators "Little John" and "Metal Gear Mk. II".
- Benson Cunningham: JUNKER's commanding chief. A special forces veteran.
- Jean Jack Gibson: Katrina's father and the only other living field operative of JUNKER at the start of the story. He has a robotic navigator of his own called Little John, which unlike Metal Gear, was not programmed with a voice.
- Napoleon: An informant who suffers from allergies.
- Chin Shu Oh: The Director of Queens Hospital.
- Elijah Modnar: A Russian scientist who was involved in a top secret Soviet project prior to the events of the Catastrophe.
PLAYSTATION:
In 1996, Snatcher was ported to the PlayStation (February 12) and Sega Saturn (March 29). These two 32-bit versions added slightly redone graphics, a CG animated opening and other subtle changes (most of them derived from the English Mega-CD version). Most of the graphic violence were censored, the talking heads (when a character spoke) were completely redrawn, and the music was completely remixed.
Manufacturer's description:
A.D. 2047
Neo Kobe City, Japan, a place of madness and decadence...
A mysterious Bio-roid life form has appeared. Its true nature and purpose are unknown. Is it some country's secret weapon, or an alien from another world?
They slay their victims and take their place, earning them the nickname "SNATCHERS".
A new police division - J.U.N.K.E.R.S - has been formed. They are trained specifically to combat the SNATCHERS.
The fate of mankind hangs in the balance. The war between the SNATCHERS and the J.U.N.K.E.R.s has begun!
Enter the cyberpunk world of SNATCHER as Gillian Seed - a new J.U.N.K.E.R. recruit. Use your military Special Forces training, the latest high-tech weapons, and your android sidekick, Metal Gear, to hunt down and destroy the Snatchers. This role-playing game brings you a thrilling mystery with beautiful women, cold landscape and deadly adversaries. Think carefully, and watch your back!
Features:
- First person perspective.
- 2D graphics
- Cartoon graphics
- SCI-FI & Futuristic themes.
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