Snatcher
From the Metal Gear Wiki
| Snatcher | |
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| Developer(s) | Konami |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Designer(s) | Hideo Kojima |
| Platform(s) | NEC PC-8801, MSX 2, PC-Engine, Sega CD, PlayStation, Sega Saturn |
| Release date(s) | NEC PC-8801 November 26, 1988MSX2 December 13, 1988PC-Engine Super CD-ROM² October 23, 1992Pilot Disk August 7, 1992Sega CD/Mega CD  /  December 15, 1994 December 15, 1994Sony PlayStation February 12, 1996Sega Saturn March 29, 1996
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| Genre(s) | Adventure (digital comic) |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: T ELSPA: 18+ |
| Media | 5¼-inch DD floppy disk x5 (PC-88) Sound Cartridge + 3½-inch DD floppy disk x 3 (MSX) CD-ROM (PCE, SCD, PS, SS) |
| Input methods | Keyboard, gamepad, light gun |
Snatcher is a cyberpunk-themed adventure game. It has gained a small cult following due to its mature storytelling, adult themes and, in later versions, voice acting. It was heavily influenced by various sci-fi and noir films, especially Blade Runner.
Snatcher was written and directed by Hideo Kojima. It was developed and published by Konami. Originally released in Japan for the NEC PC-8801 and MSX 2 in 1988, it was remade for the PC-Engine in 1992 and ported to the PlayStation and Sega Saturn in 1996. A Sega CD version was also produced specifically for English localization in North America, which was also released in the PAL region for European counterpart, the Mega CD.
A series of projects yet to be announced are currently in production and are tentatively titled Project 'S'; for now only a radio drama has been confirmed.
Contents |
[edit] Plot overview
[edit] Prologue
On June 6, 1991 (1996 in the English version), 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 and Eastern European 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.
[edit] Act 1: Snatch
The first act of the game deals with Gillian's first day on the job as a JUNKER (Judgement Uninfected Naked Kind and Execute Ranger in the Japanese version; Japanese Undercover Neuro Kinetic Elimination Ranger in the English version), trying to solve the murder of a fellow JUNKER operative and learns some information about the Snatchers.
[edit] Act 2: Cure
The second act is a continuation of the investigation from the first act. In this act, Gillian learns the true motives of the Snatcher menace and also learns a shocking truth about JUNKER headquarters. The PC-88 and MSX2 versions end the game at this point.
[edit] Act 3: Junk
The third act, which is first introduced in the PC Engine version and included in every subsequent version, reveals the truth about Gillian's past and his relationship to the Snatcher menace.
[edit] Cast of characters
[edit] JUNKER
- 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.
- Mika Slayton - The receptionist at JUNKER HQ. A young attractive woman of Japanese and Jewish descent.
- Benson Cunningham (Cunningum in Japanese versions) - JUNKER's commanding chief. A veteran in the special forces.
- Harry Benson- JUNKER's mechanic. A survivor of the Catastrophe. Designer of the robotic navigators "Little John" and "Metal Gear Mk. II".
- Metal Gear Mk. II - Gillian's robotic sidekick. A "navigator" who serves as an on-site forensic analizer and has a built-in videophone. He is modelled after the Metal Gear mecha which appears in the video game of the same name. A similar robot appears in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.
- Jean Jack Gibson - 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.
[edit] Other main characters
- 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 is after the snatchers himself. Rides a one-wheeled motorcycle known as the "Road Runner".
- Napoleon - Gibson's informant. A Chinese immigrant who suffers from a constant allergy.
- Katrina Gibson - Jean Jack's young daughter. Works as a model.
- Isabella Velvet - An award-winning film actress who also works as a dancer at the "Outer Heaven" night club.
- Freddy Nielsen - A freelance Taxi Driver suspected of being a snatcher.
- Lisa Nielsen - Freddy's young wife.
- Ivan Rodriguez - An amateur air surfer also suspected of being a snatcher.
- Chin Shu Oh - The Director of Queens Hospital.
- Elijah Madnar - A Russian scientist involved in a top secret Soviet project prior to the events of the Catastrophe.
- Petrovich Madnar - Elijah's father, also a scientist. He fled from the Soviet Union alongside a young Harry Benson at the time of the Catastrophe. Shares his name with a character from the original Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake.
[edit] External links
- Hardcore Gaming 101 - Article on the game and regional differences with photos
