by Dan “The Mega” Driver
When you think Mega CD, you think Sonic CD, Final Fight CD, Night Trap and a bunch of other games that either had “CD” in the title, had loads or FMV or both.
When you think Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear immediately springs to mind, and possibly the recent, but still exceptional, Death Stranding.
And when you think Christmas video games, there’s Christmas Nights into Dreams and Xmas Lemmings, and maybe James Pond 2.
But there is a Hideo Kojima game on Mega CD which is set and Christmas and is none of those things above, though it does feature a Metal Gear of sorts…
Welcome to Snatcher.
Originally a title on the PC88, Snatcher is the definition of a cult classic. This super stylish Bladerunner influenced graphic adventure was then ported to five other systems, but only once received a release outside of its native Japan.
The Mega CD port of Snatcher is both a cult classic and one of the most highly sought after games on the system. The unfortunate truth is that the game sold in small numbers on an add-on which itself isn’t considered a success. As such its nigh on unobtainable these days unless you’re willing to pay hundreds.
Fortunately, there are alternatives, from emulation, to flash carts such as the Mega SD and Everdrive Pro, or you can do as I did and get yourself a lovely looking reproduction.
I got my copy in the summer from Retro Game Lab here in the UK and stuck it in my Mega CD as soon as I’d freed it from its parcel shaped prison.
Like all Kojima games, there is a lot of dialogue and scene setting, so much so it pretty much curtailed my initial playthrough as I couldn’t even get to the first save point due to a lack of play time.
But as the kids returned to school in September and my wife started her new job, still working from home I decided to start the game during my lunch breaks and finally made it to the point where our hero, amnesiac “JUNKER” Gillian Seed obtains his robotic helper, called Metal Gear mk.2, and was able to save.
From there the game allows you to save very often, which afforded me to chip at it in the short moments of play time that I had.
But my goodness did I want to stay in that world as long as I could.
Snatcher’s story takes place in the mid-21st century (2047 in the Mega CD port, but the year differs between versions) where a cataclysmic event wiped out the majority of all life on Earth in the 1990’s.
50 years later, dangerous bioroids called Snatchers hide amongst the populace disguised as a humans are causing unrest in Neo Kobe. Gillian Seed is drafted as a JUNKER, a special agent tasked with tackling the Snatcher menace, a job he took to help re-discover his past after both he and his wife lost their memories.
If the set up has got you doing mental backflips already, don’t worry. This is standard Kojima fare and is as brilliant as it can be bonkers. All the hallmarks are there, from countless plot twists, heavy cold war era references and a frighteningly prescient commentary on human behaviour in a technologically advanced society.
Couple all of this with a setting that is 90% Bladerunner and 10% Terminator and you’ve got an utterly spellbinding world to revel in.
The game presents this highly cinematic and narratively rich experience as a graphic adventure. You traverse, interact with the environment and exchange dialogue via an on screen menu. You can move, investigate, look, interrogate, present your evidence to characters and much more.
I’d be lying if I said the gameplay was excellent, at a base level its functional and in step with the rest of the genre. What it tries to do is make the environment seem more alive at times by triggering events after certain actions or even after the same action has been repeated. This is a bit of a double edged sword though, as it will feel as if things happen at random rather than because of any logic on the players part.
But what elevates the game is the script, the setting, the music and the graphics, all of which are exceptional with the Mega CD hardware really delivering something that the main 16-bit consoles of the time couldn’t.
It got to the point where I was playing Snatcher at every opportunity, which somehow led into the winter months. As it happened this couldn’t have worked out any better.
The one thing not referenced in the early exposition of the story, is that Snatcher takes place during the Christmas period. As you enter one of the busy commercial districts, Gillian will investigate Christmas shoppers and even have to interrogate a suspicious looking Santa.
Suddenly it felt like the perfect game to be playing as I started opening the door of my advent calendar. Hearing the Snatcher rendition of jingle bells as you look around Alton Plaza offered a welcome break from the drama of the rest of the game.
Gillian observing Christmas shoppers felt like a nice touch too, given I, like many people, was doing all of my shopping online during the pandemic. Games offer escapism and I was experiencing the Christmas rush vicariously through Snatcher, even if the games world is a dystopia where murderous androids are stealing peoples skin.
I was compelled to reach then end of the game this month, and managed to do so early on. Snatcher is not a long game, which is ideal for someone like me. It’s perfect for playing in bursts to see to the end. Its a game I’ve grown to love so much I cant wait to play it again.
Much like Kevin McAllister outwitting the Wet Bandits, Hans Gruber being dropped out of the Nakatomi Plaza and unlocking all of the presents in Christmas Nights into Dreams, I can foresee Snatcher becoming something of a festive tradition for me, and I cant help but recommend it becomes one for you too.
Snatcher is a legendary game that lives up to its reputation. As an experience there is very little in the hobby that can match its mystique and drama, as well as its offbeat sense of humour. It oozes all of the wonderful things that Hideo Kojima is famous for and absolutely must be experienced by all.
And as a game set during the Christmas, its the perfect treat for the season. Make sure its part of your celebrations this year, however you can.
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