Battle of the Ports - Snatcher (スナチャー) Show
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ส.ค. 2024
- It's the 300th show of Battle of the Ports!! That's right, the show has now been going for 300 weeks or 5 years and 7 months.
To celebrate this grand number we are going to take a look at one of the most iconic scifi adventure games to come out of Japan. this in Snatcher.
NOTE: The Saturn footage is darker and has audio buzzing due to a poor RGB cable.
Please think about supporting the show by subscribing to the channel or becoming my patron. Thank you so much!
/ retrocore
Email at mes1975jp@gmail.com
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Twitter - @RetroCoreYakumo
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Time Code
00:28 - NCE PC-8801
03:53 - MSX 2
06:18 - PC Engine CDROM2
08:31 - Mega CD
14:23 - PlayStation
16:33 - Saturn
19:49 - All versions side by side
Enjoy!
Truly an excellent achievement in gaming. I’ll gladly take the 16-Bit versions over the 32-Bit. Call me crazy but the sprite work and art just seems vibrant and appropriate for this game.
Instablaster...
300 episodes is one hell of an achievement. Well done Mark! I have only seen the last year’s worth, so maybe my New Year’s Resolution should be to start at the beginning and watch every one.
Thanks Colin. The shows do get worse the older you go back.
Have this on PC Engine CD, Mega CD and Sega Saturn. The best game ever created by Hideo Kojima by far.
I'd agree. maybe the first PlayStation Metal Gear may come close though.
If only Policenauts, another Hideo Kojima game was re-released in the US for next-gen systems.
Which version you own, do you think is the best?
@@maverickbtx Mega CD version by far, although the PC Engine CD version is pretty good too if you know the language. Those are definitely the top ones for sure, but the Mega CD one is my favourite (not just because of the language, content wise I also think it has the edge). Sega Saturn version is not as bad as most people point out, but definitely below these two, but it's the best 32 bit version for sure. Avoid the PlayStation version if you can get the Sega Saturn version (or any of the 16 bit versions) and only get either of the 8 bit versions as a novelty if you wish too, as they are somewhat primitive/slow and also incomplete.
Great video! One correction though -
The MSX2 version doesn't complete the story, it's unfinished just like the PC-88 version. The story was finished in SD Snatcher and then parts of that were re-tooled for the Act 3 in the PC Engine version.
There is however a fan-made Act 3 that backports the ending to the MSX2 version.
Love this game, still have my Mega CD copy, there was no way I was getting rid of it after playing it back on the day, one of my favorite games ever. Awesome vid, cool to see the different versions!
A friend of mine showed the SegaCD version to me and at first I was pretty hesitant towards it. But after some gaming moments it sank in and I was hooked - one of the all time greats.
It sure is. Snatcher is one of those games that just pulls you in.
The Sega CD version holds up so well. In scenes like 20:39 it has the best artwork.
Forget about Metal Gear... this is the real Hideo Kojima's masterpiece!!! Played the Mega CD version back in the day and it was one of the best games I've ever played.
I cant get past the dead body in the factory.
Metal Gear is totally original though, this just mostly the plot of Blade Runner but with more narrative.
"Metal gear is totally original"
Really? Because it seems like the videogame equivalent of "the rock" but they replaced sean connery with anime tropes.
@@halo3odst Metal Gear was a series before The Rock was even an idea in the writers mind. Are you this dense?
No, i just could have sworn beforehand you were talking about mgs specifically.
Your channel is one of my favourites. Absolutely brilliant stuff mate.
Thanks, MagisterHamid
Such an amazing game, a great choice for the 300th episode. Probably the best Kojima game of all time. A real scifi interactive movie, amazing plot, graphics, music... A milestone.
A truly master piece of game for a master piece of show. Best Mega CD game for most people. Great 300th BotP!
The MSX2 version is also lacking act 3 and has the long-ass ending sequence. It also got a fan translation version. I remember people said it was impossible to translate it, because it has a shitload of text, graphics that are written in japanese and its code it's a big mess (It seems it was made with some script-language, which usually results in confusing compiled code).
The first translation was actually made by brazilian mate Daniel Caetano to Brazilian Portuguese, I remember he had a diary detailing the HUGE work to make that translation and not break anything in game, and it took a few years to be finished. The later english and spanish translations that came were all based upon his work.
The MSX2 version won't boot without a SCC+ cartridge plugged, but of course there are versions of the game floating around that will work with a simple SCC cartridge or even without any SCC at all (With a normal SCC the difference on sound is very minimal... without any SCC cart you obviously will lose a LOT in the sound department), and those versions were around since back at the day, I can guarantee you ;)
I remember I waited so long to be able to play the MSX2 version in a language I could understand, I was very hyped for it...... but then found the game to be very boring and completely not my cup of tea.
I find funny how Kojima wasn't involved on so many of those ports.... I remember back im 98 or 99 Konami used to have a web forum on its site where uses could interact with Konami staff and a LOT OF PEOPLE were there asking for a Policenauts translation, and the excuse was always the same: "Mr. Kojima won't authorize a translation not under his supervision and he doesn't have the time to do it
The excuse of not doing an English translation of Policenauts was so lame. As anyone who could read Japanese would easily know he had nothing to do with most ports of Snatcher. Oh well.
Cool that your friend did the original Portuguese translation.
The final act was indeed released on MSX but with SD Snatcher (a super deformed rpg version of the same story).
Your battle of the ports videos are awesome!
Glad you like them!
Glad i didn't waste my time patching the PS version!
Congratulations on 300 episodes!
Wonderful!
I feel like Christmas has arrived earlier this year. Thank you so much for this episode.
You're very welcome. I may try and do policenauts for the new year.
Congratulations on the 300th show Mark! A great game to celebrate it with. I just wish they would put an English translation of Snatcher in the upcoming PC Engine Mini!
Some how I don't see them doing that. I also reckon they'll censor it so that the system will release in the West without a high age rating.
@@RetroCore A real shame. I've ordered a Core Grafx mini to go with the original European Turbografx I already have. For the effort it would take to have a text translation (if not audio) it would really increase the desirability of the mini amongst the retro community in the West (let's face it, the mini PC Engine/Turbografx/Core Grafx does not have the mainstream appeal of the SNES/NES/Megadrive/PS1 here). I'm not sure what difference the age rating would have in this case. Can't see many under 18's have much knowledge of the PC Engine or it's offspring in the West! I borrowed a MultiMega and Snatcher off a co-worker in the day, got right up to the last shooting stage but never finished it.
I absolutely love this game. I played it soo much and loved the story. I still have it to this day for my MegaCD. I dont normally play these sorts of games but this had me hooked. Defo a Blade Runner feel to it.
Great video mate. Snatcher is an excellent game
Definitely one of my favorite Kojima games ever, and I like playing this game frequently or regularly. Great video and great job 👍
Thanks for the visit. This is one of my favourites too.
@@RetroCore you're welcome, and Kojima and the team plus Konami have a very obscure classic. I also say that it is definitely underappreciated, definitely one for the books as a cult favorite and classic that is for sure
I love Snatcher. Its such a great story. Policenauts is just as good. These 2 are definitely Kojima's best work.
Have this on Saturn, given to me by a friend, it serves as just a centerpiece, or curiosity to the collection due to the language barrier.
Still, nice to have and another to shut up the PlayStation fanboys about how everything on their precious console isn't the best version.
@@RetroCore why you hate PlayStation brother
Great choice for a birthday episode. Congrats on 300 episodes.
Thanks, Hans.
Its offerings like Snatcher is why I enjoy narrative rich games. I know that Hideo Kojima is never lazy in his craft and still doing the damn thing all these years later.
Thanks for the video. was really helpful.
You're welcome.
Congrats on making it to show 300! Definitely a special game to mark the occasion too. I actually managed to pick up a copy of the game earlier this year, so it's particularly great to see. I'd say the intro is one of my all time favourites too. LOVE that opening credits theme!
Once again, congrats on the 300th episode, and here's hoping BotP keeps going for some time yet!
Congrats on your 300th video Mark!! Stumbling upon your channel has been one of the best online experiences I've come across so far. Thanks for doing what you do and here's to the next 300 videos!! Cheers buddy!
Thanks Kevin. Hope you'll stick around for the next 300 too 😁👍
happy 300th botp vid, now for the next 300 🎂
Will never forget those late nights playing SNATCHER on my sega cd! One of my best gaming experiences, i still have it unscratched on its box in my closet, a true treasure!
Nice man. Keep your games in good condition. All my originally bought games from the late 80s to modern times all still look new. I'm amazed at how some people treat their games.
@@RetroCore oh yeah, all of my games are like new and properly stored, i have some nice little gems among them, btw great work Sir! Very enjoyed 👌
Perfect for the 300th show!! congratulations man!!
Thanks, Leonardo.
A great video, thank you! I LOVE Snatcher, one of Kojimas' best work & I still have it for my PAL Mega CD
Can't get over that opening theme. Epic!
The sad thing about Snatcher is that it supposedly sold under 10,000 copies total. It’s an exceedingly rare game in the States.
Jeremy Blaustein headed localization for a few of Konami’s games in the ‘90s, and Snatcher I think was his first project. He was the first guy to show us what localization of games could be like. I personally love how he handled the fourth-wall busting that Kojima is notorious for.
Also, Neo Kobe Pizza. That’s a hilarious bit of localization scrambling.
I've been been trying to find a real US copy, but every time eBay pops up, and says one is for sale it's almost always at minimum $150 - $200 bid/buy it now. and that breaks my rule of not paying more than $50ish for a used game. 😥
Great video, this is such a great game. I even made a website for it: www.snatcher.co.uk. The Playstation game Speed Kings from Konami is based in Neo Kobe. I also once got an email from someone who explained how the USA sleeve was different to all the other sega-cd games which was by mistake. Unfortunately this got deleted when not using my email for some time. Are you going to do a battle of the ports for Policenauts? Love watching your videos, keep them coming.
He did good with the English version. Pretty good voice acting throughout and no stupid street talk crap or pop culture that only Americans would understand. Snatcher is how it should be done. One reason why I hate Working Design localisation games with a passion.
This is one game I wouldn't mind having a complete compilation containing all the different versions made of the same game on one disc/cart. If I had to pick one, Mega/Sega CD it is. Please re-release this on current gen already Konami!
Turbografx-16 mini will have Snatcher for the US version. Shame it will be in Japanese though.
May have to get this for my Japanese Saturn!
Fantastic video! OMG those delicious PC88/MSX pixel graphics.
Love the work you do Mr. Mark, i had dreams since 2016 of you, doing this Battle of the Ports, and finally it exists!!! 🖤💀
Thanks a lot.
Thanks man. It's been on the to do list for a long time but back until a few months ago I was only doing Arcade stuff. I'm glad I finally did this one. It was a lot of work and a lot of reading Japanese sites to get good info since English sites tend to rehash the same stuff
I regret selling my SEGA CDX and my Snatcher CD... oh the memories! BTW Gillian in Japanese sounds so MACHO and in English sounds... well twangy.
Haha, he does doesn't he. I do like the English voice though. Kind of fits his sleezy nature
The Mega CD is known as the Sega CD in the United States and it is definitely the best version especially for English speakers.
Even though I speak Japanese I also prefer the Mega CD version.
13:52 lolz that fourth wall break...
300 weeks, eh? Cool. Gratzos.
Sadly, this is a game I've never played. Ah, well, it is what it is.
This 13 year old sad act at the time drew a tear at the end on the mega cd version...ahh good times.
That's when you know a game is good.
Congrats on 300 Battle of the Ports! I've never played Snatcher; it's just not my type of game. I like the visual style and audio, but I've never had the urge to seek out a way to play it.
I was the same as you till back in the late 90's a friend of mine who had gotten a CD-R burner just before I had, gave me a copy of the game begging me that I needed to play asap!! So not having owned a SEGA CD, I ended up playing it via emulation on my PC GENS emulator if I remember correctly, and the story had me hooked right from the start, and I've since played it through several times over the years. It's a fantastic game you should experience at least once even if just by watching a full play through on YT.
It's nit for everyone but maybe give it a try. It more of a digital adventure than RPG but it does kind of drag you in. Make sure you play the Mega CD version. I think there may be an English patch for the PlayStation release but don't bother with that. It's the worst version of all.
Amazing video.I did not know that the MSX version started production first ,in a way it was like Ys IV (with the PC Engine version starting development way before the SFC version but was released after it).
One of the proofs that Konami used to be a beast back in the day... So sad that my age make me not able to live it when it was new.
I was playing the PS1 version on the Vita and oh my godness is precious, I really love when a game can be this "simple" in gameplay, but so deep in history and things like that, I'm becoming one of those cult fans!
Also, little curiosity (Because I like to make the theory of every Konami game being conected to each other), did you know the main city in Contra is called "Neo Kobe" too? That could mention Snatcher and some Contra games could be connected and probably happening at the same time!
Great video as always!
Yeah, Konami were an amazing company, especially in the 90s. The Konami name meant quality. Not like today 😒.
Interesting idea about the use of Neo Kobe. I think Konami just like that name though since they had an office (or may still do) in the actual city of Kobe.
If only this and policenauts were remade for US release.
I could see a switch release if the joycons could do the light gun part.
Just got my Mega SD in the mail yesterday, hells yea! Gonna finally try out sum Snatcher. Not that I haven't been using burned discs on my original Sega CD but just never did try out Snatcher believe it or not.
Be careful about the Snatcher rips on the net. Many of them have the CD audio synced up a second late. this make the opening section look odd as the audio is way off. It affects a few other sections in the game too.
Congrats for the 300th! never played any versions, but the hype is real around this game.Dont know if it is for my taste
It is a game of acquired taste for sure but if digital comic adventure games are your thing then is one of the best.
Nice one, thx for all your work! 👋🏻
And thank you for watching.
Excellent video! Great timing too since the Sega/Mega CD version is about to reach its 25th release anniversary in just a few days.
Cool, that's actually a coincidence. I had no idea.
The Mega CD version looks so clean, the colours pop, its not washed out or too dark - Shame its about £1000. Of all the rereleases that get made, why not this?
Congrats on the big 300!!! That’s a whole bunch of work my friend.
Thank you very much, Reagan Dow.
Thank you! Snatcher is still my most favorite game ever! When i bought it for my Mega-CD all those years back, i didn't know what to expect. I wasn't used to play games like this and it blew me away! Great graphics (for it's time) fantastic music, very good written characters and a great story. I remember that a gaming magazine at the time stated that "you can only play it once" (storywise) but i play the game every 2 years or so from start to finish, it is awesome!!!
Also, i don't understand Konami, this game would have been perfect on the Nintendo DS with touch controls. Maybe they could release it on the Switch? (probably won't happen, but i've heard stranger things!)
Sadly Konami of today is nothing like the Konami of the 90's.
I have not used my MSX computer for a while and it has been safely hiding in the closet for the last couple years, but I do remember it was also possible to install Snatcher to hard disk.
Good news will have to look into that, was there an English translation?
Sadly my MSX 2 has no hard disc :(
@@keithbeesting There is english translation. I never did really play Snatcher much, as SD Snatcher was much better game and I almost played it through.
Great video! I played the Sega CD/Mega CD version back around 1996, and was really impressed by it, despite knowing that it was heavily influenced by Bladerunner (one of my favorite 80s anime series, Bubblegum Crisis, was too). I didn't have a Justifier at the time; definitely could have beat those shooting sections easier.
I notice that, in the scene with the guy in the red cap, if you look at the poster on the wall, every version has Marilyin Monroe...except for the Mega CD version which has Madonna. Guess the creators thought Marilyn wasn't as well known to the cool early 90s kids in the US :) Later on int he late 90s I traded Snatcher off to a guy in Hong Kong, receiving in exchange Air Zonk for the TG-16 (PC Engine) and the Japanese Saturn version of Dark Legend.
Yeah, if I had known then what I know now, I'd have hung onto it :)
Ah, yes. I did read somewhere that the image was changed to Madonna to make it more relevant to the target audience. I kind of welcome that kind of change as it doesn't intrude on the game's atmosphere.
Shame you traded your snatcher. But isn't Air Zonk meant to be pricy as well?
@@RetroCore At the time I don't think it was going for very much (this would have been the late 90s), but even then, because of how few used game shops were selling TG-16 games, games were hard to find for me. It was a fun game, but (you know where I'm going with this :)) since I never had more than maybe 7 TG-16 Hu-cards I traded off my collection a few years later for around $75 worth of other games I wanted. In fact, I just looked up Air Zonk on Ebay after you meantioning it...yeah, BIG mistake.
Right now I have two PC-Engine-related things; one is a disc with two games on it, I think it may have been included with the PC-Engine but I found it for maybe a dollar, and the other is a PC-Engine magazine from Japan with an enclosed demo disc I picked up locally for $10. I can play them via emulation, but yeah. They would definitely feel better on an original console.
This is a timeless gem. Sega versions for the win. One of the best titles in the Mega-CD and Saturn library.
In fact, Game Sack has some skits about Mega CD version of Snatcher.
Hehe, a lot of them.
@@RetroCore, I honestly don't like some scenes from 5th gen version specifically its graphics.
When I was at the uni I did an internship at the Caribbean branch of NEC here in Puerto Rico and in the main lobby they had a huge poster of this game also I was lucky enough to get a sega cd as a hand me down with this game sadly either the time or the weather hasn't been kind to the CD and it developed some spots 😭
Cool that NEC had a poster to this. They must have been proud of it.
Shame about the CD.
Great video!
So sad the saturn version never came to the west, looks really cool too.
Would love Strictly Limited Games or similar to release the Mega CD version on the PS4 , I would be all over that
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! EPISODE 300!!!
Woah! Snatcher seems VERY interesting. It definitely is one of those games that was not only ahead of its time, but is an example of one of the games of its genre done right. I can easily see why this was a cult classic for everyone in Japan.
Now onto my opinions of the ports!
Very interesting the MSX2 version was designed first. Unfortunately the load times do get in the way with that port. It's almost Sonic 06 bad, by how you described them.
The PC Engine CD version really enhanced a lot of the graphics and I like the details they put into it as well.
The Mega CD version I MUST try for myself, especially since it's the only English version of the game and that it made a lot more cinematic additions. Quite surprising too since Kojima wasn't involved with it.
The PlayStation version.... just looks wrong. The censored graphics hurt a lot of what made the original interesting....
And of course, the Saturn version fixed it up (and gave us the added bonus of higher audio quality!)
It's amazing how far you have come since then, and I'm glad that this series is still going too!
And with that, I shall keep on gaming and take it easy ;)
Happy 300th episode, Mark.
Thanks man!
In the olden days the japanese where the best of the best when it comes to consoles and games! Lovely
They sure were . Western games mostly sucked but these days it's a different story. There are many great western made games.
Man, the PC8801 was kick ass.
Retro. Will Policenauts be next?
Snatcher's spiritual sequel.
I will be doing Policenauts, yes. Not next though. Probably in January since 'Ill have some extra free time over Christmas.
Wasnt policenauts a prequel though? Been looking for a good translated copy for a while.
Great 300th episode =D Love this game (despite the fact I've not played much into it)! Konami produced such great games!
It's about time Konami re-release this game for newer platforms, hopefully with better english voice acting!
I'm actually quite keen on the English voice acting in this game. Better than practically everything else tat was released at the time.
Awesome
300 Battle of the Ports. How time flows when your having fun doing so Mark. Well Done on your accomplishment for sure Mark. 8^)
Anthony..
Time does sure fly.
I tried out Snatcher a few years ago and discovered that it's not really the type of game for me. And that happens. I do like the overall style of the presentation. The music and visuals look quite nice. It's a stylish package and I can see the appeal. I'd like it if I could just sit back and watch the story play out. I didn't enjoy all the menu navigating and reading stuff that didn't seem important. But I have no negativity toward this game's fans. I do think the game makes for an interesting comparison video, though. There seems to be a good bit of difference between most of them. I can imagine the MSX version would be painful to play at such slow speeds. I know someone else mentioned the possibility of playing it from a hard drive. If so, that sounds like quite an improvement in speed if that's the case. I don't know enough about MSX to know how common a setup like that may have been, even if it was possible. Hard drives back in the day were not exactly common or large. I can also imagine that Snatcher would have been a cool game for those old home computers compared to the overall libraries, though MSX wasn't bad. Anyway, happy 300th!
For me the Sega CD version is the best!, I love this game, Great video!!
This is a well deserved 300Th episode!!
Metal Gear MK2, was actually considered cannon for a while...after Metal Gear 2. Making Snatcher like a later sequel if makes sense
Is even goes far, as being referenced in MGS4 (What is NOT referenced on MGS4 anyway?)
That's a great game. I'm glad the better version is the one that got officially translated English and that I got to play
Notice that in Harry's (the tech specialist) room, the poster in the Japanese versions was of Marilyn Monroe, while in the US/Euro versions it was a poster of Madonna.
Yep. I prefer the Madonna image.
💛 this game
Nice!
wish i still had my original mega cd copy
Wow the pc engine version looks and sounds incredible!!
Mark,you are amazing. This is one of the best things you could have done for a 300th episode. Could be Kojima's best game along with Policenaughts. I have the Sega CD one and want to replay it with my cousin I told you about. Thank you for your hard work. I'm sure all your viewers appreciate it. On a another note I told you that my niece was watching me play Civilization 6 for the PS4. The funny thing is since she plays Clash of Clans on her tablet she was kind of getting into watching me play since, superficially,they look kind of similar. Well the PS4 version has local multiplayer and I started showing her the basics as we play together. She's 10 and it's crazy how fast kids can pick up on things if you help them out.
Wow, I'm surprised a 10 year old could get in to that game.
For this episode in actually researched in Japanese to get the best info I could., 👍. Hopefully it's more informative than the English Wikipedia page 😁
@@RetroCore Well it's not exactly easy for her but watching your city grow and making choices that really matter in a game keep it pretty fun in spite of the difficulty. There are a lot of videos about Civilization for beginners. The fact that you can read Japanese at all is impressive. It's right up there with Hebrew for complex languages.
Forever mystery how is this game rated T
I wish we got the PC engine release because I love the colors on it but I play the Sega Cd emulated because it’s the only one in English and it’s sadly super expensive. I would love to see a fully animated remake like what was done with Policenauts
That would be very cool but if it was to be in English they'd need the original voice actors otherwise it wouldn't seem right.
I kind of like the 16 and 8bit non CD gfx more on the scenes and mood
Snatcher...? YEAH ... excellent choice
May even the gods praise Yakumo-sama for bringing us this glorious gift (hope he doesn't end up like Prometheus or Sysiphus or Tantalus ).
I hope so too :)
@@RetroCore
So pray the Missus has mercy on you (for whatever you have done this time to bring up her wrath) ;-)
Ooo this gonnanbe good ' grabs 🍿'
As poor as the voice acting for the Western Sega CD release may seem now it really was quite an achievement back then. I had never seen anything like this game before. I'm very partial to the PC Engine and own that version of the game now. It has a beautiful case and is still quite affordable. Although, unless you know Japanese you're out of luck finding your way with it. On a side note, despite the extra content in the Mega CD version a few scenes in it were censored which remain uncensored in the PCE version. The PS1 version looks like it doesn't have animated sprites because they're basically images in that version. the CG has also not aged well. As far as remaining true to Kojima's original vision the PCE CD version seems like the way to go.
I find it odd how the introduction of Metal Gear Mk. II in the PS1/Saturn ports, compared to the rest of the game, uses a recording of the FM music in the Sega CD version despite that one never being available in Japan.
A very good observation.
Very interesting game choice. I have the Sega CD, PC-Engine and Saturn versions of Snatcher, but as someone with limited Japanese comprehension (it was my minor in college, but that's not enough to become fluent) the Sega CD version is really the only choice for me to fully enjoy the game. It's very interesting to hear the pros and cons of all the other versions.
This is my game or games! 😎
I Heard that Konami ending up losing money on the English version because it sold poorly. Which is probably why they didn't bother bringing over Policenauts.
another top job Mark 👍
PS : *SD Snatcher* is also a great game.
That it is. Played that on my MSX2 when I had it set up.
Mega cd version is awesome & I totally agree with u! :)
I remember finding the Mega CD UK version boxed without a manual for literally a couple of quid ages ago in a crappy local 2nd hand shop. Many years later i sold it on for hundreds. I did play it when i bought it of course and thought it was bloody excellent.
Nice bit of investing there. Good thing you did get to play the game also.
Man, i never played the game but i do admit i would like to try it out. Some say the PC Engine CD version is the best one,but sadly,i can't quite play it because language barrier.
And this is one of the reasons I feel like we have been really lucky to have a port to Sega Mega. Otherwise it would have been yet another great game that would have been JDM only.
Im not really sure what purpose did it serve to keep such gems unobtainable for the most people over here. Especially during the times when Saturn and PS was widely avaiable. I guess other factors played a role too ...
It's very simple: developing games is a business and releasing games in different regions costs quite a lot of money. This means if the costs of doing this are higher than the expected profit, you just don't do it. And the western mainstream gamers aren't into anything "Japanese" except for anything Mario. They prefer to play Fifa, Madden or Call of Duty. Just like Japanese people think buying an XBox makes them sell their soul to the devil (which it actually does)
Just look at how badly the outstanding Yakuza series sold in the West (and Sega initially invested quite heavily into it, to make it work). As a result, Yakuza 5 didn't even appear at all in the west, only after several years of protest by some hard core fans, did we get a download-only version (unfortunately too late, as by then I already had my Japanese import).
@@frankschneider6156 well Im not really that sure about it. JRPGs are alive as ever, and I know many people who love them, and its clearly a japanese specialty. Even though I believe that only around 25% were localised outside Japan. Not even mentioning the Pokemon that became an international success, despite the originally weird concept.
I knew that Yakuza wasnt the bestseller but Im not really sure why. Its a great title.
The games you mentioned are mostly a multiplayer games, which kinda explains it. Maybe playing with other gamers is more common here than in Japan ?
@@KISSbestfan
But many JRPGs sell like hot cake outside of Japan, so there is absolutely a market for such games in the west, just think of Final Fantasy VII, VIII and IX and all the other major JRPG franchises that sold really big in the West.
I don't really know, why some games don't appeal to mainstream westerners, but I'm not necessarily a mainstream player, so I don't really have a clue. Maybe some don't get, that stuff like e.g. the Cho aniki series is just spoofing itself ? Don't know.
And yes, KISS is great (including their cooperation with Japanese group Momoiro clover Z to stay with the "Japanese" thing).
Frank Schneider ha, yeah. Bet your money when they'll finally retire :P
But back to the games I can get why some games arent appealing to the western players. I remember checking out one japanese game that turned out to be a dating simulator :P Maybe it wouldnt be that bad, if not the fact I couldnt understand a darn thing !
I think that many communities made some of the games popular with their hard work of fan translation, that later led into the official western releases on other platforms - take the Gyakuten Saiban for Gameboy Advance or Danganronpa for PSP. Well beats me, I'd probably never gotten into those games ever, if not the official translation. That is however a different case.
I am perhaps in the minority in finding this to be a pretty lousy game with a pretty impromprehensible plot when you get down to it but the music and graphics are top tier, especially on the mega-CD version. Atmosphere is great and easy to see why people are pulled in, it just so well combines a grungier palette with that cyberpunk aesthetic. I'm hoping Illusion City has a more meaty plot, though still waiting on a full translation for single language scrubs like me. T_T
For a modern game it is rather lacking but playing it back in the day, there really wasn't much in English quite like this.
@@RetroCore Yup! Agreed, Westwoods Blade Runner wouldn't happen for another few years. I wonder if they took any inspiration from Snatcher at all in return.
Hmm, possibly but then again Snatcher is easily heavily inspired by Blade Runner.
6:40 WHAT?! Now I love those graphics even more! That kinda surpass Mark Ferrari amazing art on Loom EGA
This happened quite a lot, and Policenauts is a really good example of it. The PC-98 version was, IIRC, 640x480 using 16 colours. When it got ported to the 3DO (and later Saturn and Playstation) the art was redrawn using a much bigger colour palette but only a quarter of the resolution (320x240). It makes for an interesting comparison between the versions.
With the MSX version of Snatcher, I'm never sure whether to keep the graphics displaying sharply, or whether to use my Framemeister to blur the output and sort of make the dithering merge into half tone solid colours.
I think I recognise the name Naoki Matsui, I believe he did a lot of Konami’s early GameBoy games including Nemesis and Ninja Turtles (and possibly Operation C). It’s good to know he wasn’t shackled to the humble GB for all of his work! ;)
Also, I noticed you said Kojima Hideo instead of Hideo Kojima and I have often noticed in the credits to some Japanese games they seem to switch the name order. Are Japanese first names and surnames normally reversed compared to the West?
Yep, in Japan the family name comes first with the given name coming second. So here I'm known as Smith Mark. Kind of odd for me. Funnily enough a few African countries use this system too and I believe possibly in France and Belgium when mailing stuff to a person.
Retro Core Thanks, that’s really interesting to know!
Great video. I think there's something wrong with your PS1 emulator tho? I've seen other playthroughs and the mouths DO move when characters talk.
Thank you so much for doing these! Gotta play this next year, shame that Konami didn't take the time to dub the PC Engine version releasing in 2020 on the mini.
Yeah that is a shame but then again I guess to them it wasn't worth the investment.
@@RetroCore To be somewhat fair to them, it would indeed have been an investment. Then again, it'd have been good PR to do so (which they need).
Deserve a remaster or remake.
Great video! !! :D
cheers!
Same to you, man!
Too bad this wasn’t included in the Sega Genesis Mini 2 cause I would exchange Night Trap or Sewer Shark for this and AND Road Avenger!
Good call. Sadly I think Konami would want yoo much money for this one to be included.