This update’s completely accidental theme appears to be “Hideo Kojima,” kinda like how last time was “ducks.” Honestly, I didn’t mean to. I guess it’s just the momentum from all the Metal Gear stuff I’ve been doing at work… hard to break that kind of inertia. Unfortunately.
The (Almost) Making of Mythri, Part 2
Well, technically, Mythri has nothing whatsoever to do with Kojima. But the scenarist reveres him! Close enough? This lengthy update on the Game Boy RPG that never happened is the synopsis of a rather charming plot outline — a cheerful romp through Japanese RPG clichés, penned before they were in fact clichéd. It would never fly now, but ten years ago? Almost cutting-edge!
Metal Gear Solid
This one turned out a bit more straightforward than I usually prefer, with an almost alarmingly small amount of stupid jokes and digressions. Sorry. This is basically an expanded version of the 400-word blurb I wrote on MGS for the 1UP franchise retrospective that’ll be posted later this week, so that’s probably why the tone is less, uh, obnoxious than usual.
Snatcher
And, finally, one Mr. blitzchamp pens an ode to Kojima’s largely forgotten Sega CD adventure classic, Snatcher. Not that we want it to be forgotten. We’d collectively be very happy if Konami would take the trouble to reissue this (and Policenauts!) in the U.S. But no, it’s destined to command big, dumb money forever on eBay, on a system no one owns (or wants). Jerks.
I really have a soft spot for the Sega CD. Sure much of its and a significant chunks of its library are awful FMV games, but the system has some gems I just loves as well as great upgrades of 16-bit titles. I always see Sega CD games as so colorful and representing the best the Genesis can do.
Snatcher on DS, Kojima. Seriously, you know it’s a great idea.
Does anybody remember those MGS commercials that were on when it first came out? I went into that game thinking that it was going to be funny.
If I remember right, one of the MGS commercials had some army guy doing ridiculous things in someone’s backyard. When asked about what type of mission this training was for, the sergeant replied: “Suicide misson!”
As for Snatcher being on the DS… absolutely.
There actually was an MGS reference in Mythri, so… does that help?
Yes, now the circle is complete. Well done.
Lunar 1 and 2, Snatcher, and Sonic CD made the Sega CD more than worth owning. Heck, I got a Sega CD FOR Lunar: The Silver Star Story. That alone satisfied me back then, and it’s still shockingly fun. I own Policenauts on the Saturn, but that game is…….not import-friendly. Haha…
As far as sheer good fortune in game buying goes I don’t think I’ll ever be able to top finding Snatcher in a preowned rack for £8. It was so cheap I couldn’t believe it was THE Snatcher I had heard about at first. So I got to play it knowing pretty much nothing in advance and really enjoyed it. I wish it had become famous instead of MGS.
I also like saying the word ‘snatcher’ to myself. It’s menacing.
I hope someone writes about what is secretly the best game in the Metal Gear franchise: Metal Gear AC!D.*
*Absolutely not true. It’s currently frustrating the hell out of me.
Along with SHC’s list, I found Shining Force and Popful Mail forced me to spend a great deal of quality time with my Sega CD, back when it would still boot. Vay was one of my favorite JRPG’s ever, despite most people finding it dull and generic. I wish I could have gotten Snatcher as well, but unfortunately never got the chance.
Shining Force was incredible, too, but I never owned it (I’ve got SF1 and 2 on Genesis: amazing). Found it at a pawn shop and bought it for a friend who, perhaps, wanted it just slightly more than I. Weak moment.
You’re right, Popful Mail is also from the Working Designs hey-day, and I always loved it. I actually started playing it again fairly recently. The bosses are hard!! If you want a good strat, Dark Wizard was also very fine. I don’t think I’d have too hard a time coming up with twenty good-to-great games on the Sega CD, but I understand that’s perhaps not saying a lot in the context of any other system even if it’s about 18 more than most people typically give it credit for. Does Sewer Shark count? (I kid; but really, it’s all I had for a while since it was a pack-in and the system was so darned expensive.) Ahhh… Sega… you peripheral madmen.
I’m glad that someone has finally taken the time to explain what the hell Snatcher is to me. I have to admit, it looks like it could be fun to play on the DS, should that ever come to pass.
Well Hideo Kojima wont know you want Snatcher for the DS unless you start editing Wikipedia to say that it’s already being made.
I think Konami is better off just reissuing the Sega CD version of Snatcher on the Virtual Console. Are there any Sega CD games available on the Virtual Console?