Snatcher Retrospective

[@PatrickMacCready]

I played this two years ago in an attempt to play some older Kojima stuff and it literally blew my mind and I think about it often. Didn’t seem like there were videos about it ANYWHERE at the time.

[@arkham666]

Especially when you think about the time it was made it's pretty mind blowing.

[@BubblegumCrash332]

I was lucky to have played this Christmas of 94. 13 year old me thought this was peak video game storytelling.

[@420haxx]

As already a fan of Blade Runner I played it at 12 in 1995 and it totally blew me the fuck away, the voice acting was leagues ahead of anything else at the time - and as a horny immature nearly teenager I really appreciated how creepy Gillian was, how many hot girls are in the game, and how much gore(for the time) it was such a memorable experience and I really felt like I was playing a game for adults at the time. In retrospect the story is pretty trite but still holds up with it's final reveal(I still find the ending pretty emotional even if it is rushed) , true the gameplay is not exactly riveting at points but it still has moments that grab you. Not to mention the soundtrack and art direction are ridiculously good.

[@MickeyD2012]

It WAS peak video game storytelling.

[@simondaniel4028]

subscribed. I scored a SegaCD version of this complete in box for $2.50 sometime shortly after 2000 at a used games store. I had some 3-1 Sega console (Cd, 32x, and Genesis in one) and played the hell out of this. Loved it. Thanks for the vid.

[@arkham666]

You are very welcome.

[@andersdenkend]

Love the music and overall atmosphere in Snatcher! Nice video, well done.

[@arkham666]

Thanks mate it was a good time and yeah I agree the music is a massive part of its charm.

[@thesummerofmark]

OMG I AM IN THIS

[@arkham666]

Surprise cameo!

[@ouaueaioh]

After the Divinity video, I was not expecting another one so fast. I was always curious about this game, but the age accessibility of the hardware kept me away. Great video, dude! Thanks.

[@arkham666]

It'll be a long time before I try anything as big as that again. For now I'll keep it to single game videos and maybe even on the shorter side if I can. Glad you liked the video.

[@Deadforge]

Really great video Arkham keep it up. It reminded me of Beneath and Beyond a steel sky. For some reason, I guess I still need to play those, and it reminds me I need to finish the city of Ghosts dlc for Cloudpunk and Tales of a Neon Sea.

[@arkham666]

They're all somewhat dystopian cyberpunk settings so I can see where you get the connection.

[@MonkeyKingsformerroomate]

Your channel is excellent, I'm glad I stumbled into it.

[@MidnightMedium]

Dude, i know nothing about these. Im excited to watch this!

[@arkham666]

It's way better than King Kong.

[@kimnorth7060]

I a, glad someone is giving an objective opinion on snatcher as opposed to kissing Kojima’s you know what all the time

[@TheBeird]

I was eight when this came out on the Mega CD. Read about it in a magazine which had the screenshot of Gibson with his head in his lap. That never left me. And neither has my desire to play this game one day. And Policenauts too for that matter

[@arkham666]

When I booted up Policenauts just to grab a little footage the music really hooked me in and I wound up spending a couple of hours with it in the end. Seems really cool.

[@lisacastro3899]

Another great video, Arkham! I was always curious about Kojima's early projects before he blew up into one of the best storyteller's in the industry. Imo, of course😊 Side note: 16:07 looks like Neo Tokyo straight out of Akira lol ❤

[@squidfartz]

That was amazing. I'm a late fan of Snatcher, and have depended on gameplay and review posts to see the really juicy tableaus -I completely agree with you about how intoxicating the art is. It definitely reaches beyond its limits and often succeeds. Your step-by-step review / overview / retrospective was a much needed tonic during this morning's sketching. Many screens were captured and your descriptions complimented them well. Keep up the good work. 10/10 -would watch again on loop.

[@arkham666]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@MoonSpiritChannel]

Speaking of Your Favorite Son, I found you b/c of him, and I do enjoy your retrospectives. And this one, man. I figured this game wouldn't be a hidden gem, but a great relic of the past, albeit not being super amazing. What can I say? The cyberpunk here is almost as timeless as Akira. I watched your other vids, but the minute you made this, I had to sub.

[@arkham666]

Thanks mate. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@InfoGuyGaming]

A buddy cop movie with Metal Gear, sounds like something Kojima would come up with lol. Great retrospective.

[@arkham666]

He wasn't making the most dangerous weapon known to man, he was bringing his imaginary best friend to life!

[@Personal_Chizo]

I know this is dumb, but it's been so long since I last watched one of your vids that I had completely forgotten what accent you had, lol.

[@TkyoSam]

Watched this all the way through. Fuck yeah. Great video. Subbed.

[@arkham666]

@@TkyoSam thank you!

[@thekillerkobra]

I adore this game, but it must be played with the controller/light gun combo for the full effect. A few times I was caught stumbling to grab my gun and arm it before firing. That really immersed me into the action.

[@ricksandstorm]

Your content is way too good for having less that 1000 views. This vid was a blast. Keep up the good work.

[@arkham666]

Thank you so much. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@OfficialColinRidgway]

Excellent video, but I do have some corrections about some parts. Snatcher was originally released on November 26th, 1988 on the NEC PC-8801, it came to the MSX2 a couple weeks later on December 16th. The first version of Snatcher to have the ending seen in the Mega CD version was SD Snatcher on the MSX2, a JRPG reimagining with some story differences but having an early version of what would become the 3rd act. The first version with the 3rd act we know of today was for the PC-Engine Super CD, or TurboGrafx CD, only released in Japan in October 1992, but pretty much it would be the base for the Mega CD port/localization in late 1994. It would also be the final version that Kojima had any involvement in, since by the time the Mega CD, PlayStation, and Saturn versions were in development, Kojima was already involved with Policenauts because of its original PC-9821 release and later console ports.

[@cyka_delik9537]

Sick channel dawg. Subbed

[@arkham666]

Thanks mate.

[@HansCast]

I agree with this review, especially regarding the storyline. I personally don't mind interactivity taking a backseat to the narrative, so long as it's good. However, few people point out how derivative and superficial the plot really is. After all, it just mashes up the storylines from films like Bladerunner, Terminator, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. However, I did enjoy my playthrough of the game and would still recommend Snatcher if only for its aesthetics and music.

[@charless607]

14:39 Mach TUAH on that thang

[@RaymondKarlVeasey75]

Snatcher Appreciation Day!

Interesting concept, cool characters, polished visuals and style, erotic undertones and kind of dumb plot. So about on par for 1980-1990 movies then ;) I get it's not perfect obviously, I never played it, but I can totally understand the niche following it has - I like my own share of dumb sci-fi b-movies from the era that I have fond memories of renting on VHS as a kid...

[@arkham666]

Yeah I can see why people are so attached to it. It really is one of a kind. Imagine going from Super Mario to some stylish sci fi detective story with decapitations. Makes sense that people rave about it.

[@Z-Mikes00]

regarding sales and reception of snatcher over the years the 8 bit versions were well received but didnt sell the greatest due to them being quite expensive at the time the PC engine remake (what the sega cd ver is based on) was also received well but unlike its 8 bit counterparts, sold quite well. well enough to warrant a localization the sega CD ver was also well received in the magazines that did review the game (with one saying its impressive how it manages to be more cinematic and better done than the FMV games the system was known for). however its poor sales can contributed to the fact it was a 1994 sega cd game. the saturn and ps1 were months away and public interest in the sega cd was practically done at that point.

[@arkham666]

Thanks for the info. The Sega CD is one of the most bizarre chapters in Sega's life. I had one myself and I loved it but it was so strange to launch a console upgrade that was almost dead on arrival.

[@RetroSegaDev]

I'm currently working on my own tribute to Snatcher on the Mega Drive 😅

[@arkham666]

@@RetroSegaDev good luck mate

[@Deadforge]

I really like this games style. I wonder if it was ever released on the Sega Saturn 🤔

[@arkham666]

It was yeah. Saturn and Dreamcast.

[@Deadforge]

@arkham666 If only an affordable copy was available, I could grab for my Saturn.

[@arkham666]

@@Deadforge good luck with that mate. It's something of a collectable.

[@DynomitePunch]

While I agree with the issue with the menu system and constantly being booted back to the front of the menu, a lot of graphic adventures games where like that, a lot of the issues you had with this game are quite literally products of their time, granted those games very rarely made it to consoles and where mostly on pc

[@noppamies3]

hey it's 4 guys f5ing violently now

[@arkham666]

Yes? Lol

[@DynomitePunch]

Um in reference to the fact that the MC hits on all the women, that was probably done in reference to other eighties anime characters specifically the MC of city hunter who was always hitting on any woman he came across because sex humor is a big part of Japanese comedy

[@Z-Mikes00]

snatcher was originally released back in 1988 kojima wasnt even at konami yet in 1983 nor was the msx2 out then lol

[@DergonQuert]

Enjoying the video, but I feel it's unfair to claim "style over substance" is a staple of the cyberpunk genre. Akira has lots of substance in story and characters if you're talking about the manga, and Ghost in the Shell the movie is a masterpiece. If having lots of substanceless media made while using specific trappings to sell product is the qualifier, that would make every genre guilty of being mostly style over substance.

[@arkham666]

That's not what I meant at all sorry. It's not the content of the story more the aesthetic. Cybernetic augmentation is completely impractical but looks cool for example. This is a big part of the cyberpunk look and vibe.

[@DergonQuert]

@@arkham666 Ah, gotcha. I think I'd still disagree though, lol. I believe works like the Ghost in the Shell film and Neuromancer were trying to be largely practical in the modifications they imagined. To be sure, a lot of more modern works focus on a cassette punk aesthetic that's no longer futuristic. Though I believe 2077 largely nailed it's near future/alternate timeline setting. That's a setting where mods aren't just for practicality, but status. Were I live lot's of people have giant fuck you trucks that are far from practical, and possibly carrying a big fuck you gun, so I feel people getting modded up to be a giant walking tank is very believable

[@DergonQuert]

Booting up Snatcher for the first time, BTW

[@RJBadman]

You don't have to remember to write "like comment subscribe" into your scripts as they are fundamental functions and features of the KZbin platform that everyone knows about.

[@Alice8000]

So inspiring to see a successful LGBTQ+ KZbinr 🏳‍🌈❤

[@arkham666]

I'm not successful.

[@Alice8000]

@@arkham666 oh sorry. Just gay?

[@arkham666]

@@Alice8000 I try not to put myself in a box. My labels change on a daily and sometimes hourly basis. But I'm not one to get offended so whatever makes you happy I guess.

[@Alice8000]

@@arkham666 you said you try not to put yourself in a box so that’s why I thought you don’t like women. But that’s OK.

[@DynomitePunch]

In all fairness being crazy is plenty of reason, and being driven mad because of one woman is plenty more reason just ask ted bundy and every other woman obsessed serial killer ever, good video but I do disagree with your over all opinion of the main plot personaly

[@johnboog4437]

Some politics are straight tarded. Politics are in games and it makes be feel like the devs have something wrong with them.