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The best version of Snatcher?
Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2005 5:24 pm
by 8bitsonic
Here's my opinon, listed from best to worst:
1. Sega CD
2. PC-Engine
3. PC-8801
4. MSX2
5. Saturn
6. PlayStation
I can elaborate why if anyone wants me to. Tell me what you guys think.
Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2005 6:10 pm
by Johnny Undaunted
I prefer the PC Engine version myself. It might not have the extra scenes from the Sega CD version, but being somewhat of a purist myself, I prefer the original Japanese voices (I can't stand the chief's voice in the English version) and the storyline is more pure too.
The PC-88 version is one my favorites too, being the original and all. It's all about the FM sound chip.
Don't forget SD Snatcher, which introduced alot of things that were later used in Act 3 of the CD-ROM versions. I actually preferred its version of the ending over the one that was later used. The snatchers are way more menacing when potrayed as sentient beings following one of their own (Master Snatcher) as opposed to being puppets for a mad scientist (Elijah Madnar.)
The loading times in the MSX version really turned me off and I haven't actually played the PS/Saturn versions to make fair judgement of them.
Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2005 6:14 pm
by 8bitsonic
How's the storyline less "pure" in the Sega CD version? Is it because of the added scene at the beginning, and the fact that the ending scene went the way it was scripted, unlike the PC-Engine version, which had some changes due to the actors recording the voices before the script was finished? And I never liked either of the Chief's voices, though I prefer the English one, because the Chief sounded too much like an old man in the Japanese versions.
Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2005 6:30 pm
by Johnny Undaunted
8bitsonic wrote:How's the storyline less "pure" in the Sega CD version? Is it because of the added scene at the beginning, and the fact that the ending scene went the way it was scripted, unlike the PC-Engine version, which had some changes due to the actors recording the voices before the script was finished? And I never liked either of the Chief's voices, though I prefer the English one, because the Chief sounded too much like an old man in the Japanese versions.
Not really. I have nothing agaisnt the added scenes in the Sega CD version and you should've know that from reading my post.
I was referring to the fact that some aspects of the plot were changed during the localization to make the game more presentable outside Japan (such as moving the date of the catastrophe to keep the story fresh and changing several keywords). I can understand the reasoning behind most of these changes, but I also believe they kinda interfere with Kojima's original writing in my opinion.
Also, the Sega CD version's ending IS NOT the original proposed ending. It has nothing to do with Mika and Katherine appearing in the ending. The original proposed ending had Randam surviving along with Gillian and Jaime. The ending in SD Snatcher is much closer to the original screenplay than the other versions in this respect.
Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2005 7:21 pm
by 8bitsonic
Random was supposed to live? My God, that's cheap. He went through an explosion at Queens Hospital and suffered a strike from a phased particle beam, and he still didn't die? Robots aren't built that strong.
P.S. Did you whip that comparison up just for your post? Wow...you're fast.
Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2005 7:58 pm
by Modnar
Yea i like the whole rando/am surviving thing but in sega cd, gillian plays it likea pimp.
1. he gets back with jaimie
2.Katrina moves in with jamie.... we all know whats gona happen 1+1+1=very fun night for gillian
3.he still goes out with mika
Hes got the life, i envy him....

Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2005 8:15 pm
by Johnny Undaunted
8bitsonic wrote:Random was supposed to live? My God, that's cheap. He went through an explosion at Queens Hospital and survived a strike from a phased particle beam, and he still didn't die? Robots aren't built that strong.
P.S. Did you whip that comparison up just for your post? Wow...you're fast.
Not really. It was something I had lying around for quite awhile for another thread in another forum.
Here's another comparison shots between the first four versions.
Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2005 8:33 pm
by Modnar
I would love the other versions if i only knew japanese, plus the msx loading time was unbareable, i couldn't sit through it all.... and i loved the chiefs voice in the sega cd version, what was wrong with it?
Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2005 9:21 pm
by 8bitsonic
Hmm...wonder why they changed the angle of Gillian's blaster for the Sega CD version.
I agree with 8-Bit on this one
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 12:38 pm
by Arjak
Yeah, on the topic of Random surviving, I agree with 8-Bit. The idea of Random surviving an explosion, then a giant laser thingy, and another expolsion seems to me like a bit of a cop-out. When me and 8-Bit (Hi!) were working on a Snatcher 2 project (No flames please) that failed (no cheers please), there was a disscusion about whether Random should come back or not. We came to the same conclusion.
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 4:37 pm
by Jonathan Ingram
But if one were to moan about heroes making impossible survivals, pretty much all movies in the action genre would be rendered "a cop-out." Accepting that sort of thing comes with the territory I'm afraid.
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 8:21 pm
by Reborn from the Ashes
8bitsonic wrote:Random was supposed to live? My God, that's cheap. He went through an explosion at Queens Hospital and survived a strike from a phased particle beam, and he still didn't die? Robots aren't built that strong.
SD Snatcher Spoilers.
If I recall correctly though, neither of those events happened in SD Snatcher. Gillian was able to terminate Chin in Queen's Lab, so Random didn't need to blow himself up, and Random managed to escape from from the Snatcher base before that was blown up.
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 8:25 pm
by 8bitsonic
Ohhh....that explains it. I ought to play the English translation of SD someday...
Wow....Arjak and John Ingram...the Snatcher II gang's almost all here! (ducks) All we're missing is Terethian and Lebroz! (gets hit in the face with Snatcher Zoom Tracks CD, takes it and runs off)
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 9:45 pm
by Snake Plissken
My heart belongs to the PC Engine version, for it was the first actual pc engine game I bought along with Dracula X Chi No Rondo. Mmmm takes me back to nam....dog guts, titties, and Gillian looking like a chain smoker.
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 10:20 pm
by 8bitsonic
Hmm? How does Gillian look like a chain smoker in the PCE version?
snatcher versions
Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 6:55 pm
by el_ash
I have only gotten the chance to play through the ENTIRE GAME once, the Sega Cd version.
I have played the MSX, PC88, Saturn, PSX, and SD Snatcher games...
I got to fight the "cheif" in SD Snatcher and then my game was locked up.
I have played until the "Abandoned Factory" on the MSX and PC88 versions of Snatcher.....i just don't know the controls to bring up my gun and shoot! so i die against the insectors!
same goes for the PSX and Saturn versions....they LOCK-UP and i've never seen anything past Junker HQ or the Abandoned Factory so far!
Had a copy of the PC-Engine game, lost it...(damn).
I wish I could say wich was better, but I can't until I play them all!
Johnny Undaunted,
so then you either own or have copies of all the versions?
PM me man....I have policenauts running well!
I really like the "versions" screens, nice work!
Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 6:59 pm
by 8bitsonic
Yeah, the gun controls in the MSX and PC88 versions screwed me up too…it's "shift" to cock your blaster, not "space", as the "S" in the menu would lead you to believe. I also recommend saving before each shooting sequence and restarting the game in 50hz mode (MSX version only, if you play it in the original 60hz mode, that is) to slow down the baddies!
Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 11:19 pm
by ratperson665
Johnny Undaunted wrote:8bitsonic wrote:How's the storyline less "pure" in the Sega CD version? Is it because of the added scene at the beginning, and the fact that the ending scene went the way it was scripted, unlike the PC-Engine version, which had some changes due to the actors recording the voices before the script was finished? And I never liked either of the Chief's voices, though I prefer the English one, because the Chief sounded too much like an old man in the Japanese versions.
Not really. I have nothing agaisnt the added scenes in the Sega CD version and you should've know that from reading my post.
I was referring to the fact that some aspects of the plot were changed during the localization to make the game more presentable outside Japan (such as moving the date of the catastrophe to keep the story fresh and changing several keywords). I can understand the reasoning behind most of these changes, but I also believe they kinda interfere with Kojima's original writing in my opinion.
Also, the Sega CD version's ending IS NOT the original proposed ending. It has nothing to do with Mika and Katherine appearing in the ending. The original proposed ending had Randam surviving along with Gillian and Jaime. The ending in SD Snatcher is much closer to the original screenplay than the other versions in this respect.
8-Bit is right about the changes to the story. go to
http://junkerhq.net/Snatcher/pceimages.html and click on "version info” for more information.