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Snatcher Hunt 2005

Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 9:41 am
by Mr. Seed
Well not actually a hunt for Snatchers, but you may know that on my trip to Japan this year, I visited Kobe. Whilst there (after doing my research) I took a look around some of the districts that are referred to in Snatcher.

Of course some areas are noted as CX DISTRICT, for example and therefore are untraceable and probably were not based on any particular location - HOWEVER, areas such as the Sannoyima shopping arcade (Joy Division) and Kitano-cho (Gibson's) are there to be explored, the parts based in old Kobe.

Although do bare in mind that I'm over 40 years too early, the 1995 earthquake probably totalled most areas and NEO Kobe in actually based in the present ocean.

SO HERE ARE SOME SNAPS, TAKEN FOR YOU GUYS!!!

Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 10:02 am
by Artemio
hehehe thanks for the pictures pal! they are great. I was really amazed by them, and the one with the "satellite shot" was something I didn't expect at all ^^

Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 2:01 pm
by Modnar
I have a few questions...

How old are you? Im dieing to go to japan, i need to go and i was just wondering how old you were.

Was it extremely expensive? Have to know this...

My aunt is japanese and her son is going to japan to teach english in college, you think if i tagged along for about a week would it be worth it.

Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 4:32 pm
by 8bitsonic
Modnar wrote:My aunt is japanese and her son is going to japan to teach english in college, you think if i tagged along for about a week would it be worth it.
Hell yeah! I want to go too...any trip of any length would be worth it! Jump at the chance! Pull punches! Ask favors! Bribe people! Do whatever it takes!

Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2005 3:27 am
by Mr. Seed
Hey, I'm 22 and went to Japan for 3 weeks - I have been annually for the last 2 years also - so 3 times in total. (My brother was teaching English at a hig school - so there was no accommodation fee for me ) I recommend at least 2 weeks in Japan really, and a lot of home work too if you want to know what to see and how to get there. Trust me, there is more to Japan than Akihabara - which is overrated these days in terms of rarities - for the sheer amount of games though - it cant be beat.

I've travelled to Tokyo's Akihabara, Ueno, Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, Yoyogi, Ginza and many others - I've also visited Osaka's Nippombashi, and Dotonburi (UMEDA and NAMBA), and Japan's Yokohama, Kamakura, Shizuoka, Fuji, Nara, Matsumoto, Nagoya, Himeji, and Kobe and more..... plus loads of local places in Shizuoka-ken where I was based.

Really it depends on what you want to do there and what area you will be based - It may well be worth you waiting till you can afford to stay longer as the plane ride alone will cost you a bit - so you'd want to make the cost worth it. ALSO, if you are planning to travel on the Shinkansen (Bullet train) a lot, then it's worth you investing in a JAPAN RAIL PASS - try http://www.japanrailpass.net/ .

If you need any other questions or recommendations - let me know because my trips were 100% packed to the brim with Technology, Videogames and neon AS WELL AS the culture and tradition - depends on what your tastes are.

Ta.

Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2005 11:35 am
by Modnar
Damn...thanks man, im 17 and im def going within the next 2 years, the main problem is money, and the fact that i dont know Japanese. If i have any questions it would seem you have the knowledge to answer them, so in the mean time...thanks.

Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2005 11:47 am
by Marc
I've lived in Japan for a year now - whatever you do, bring plenty of money. The prices here are a joke. $4 for 2 apples! $20 for 1 canteloupe... The record for fruit I saw was $100 for 2 melons.

Summers are hot and crowded with tourists, so you're best going another time of year. Winter is pretty nice.

Your lack of Japanese knowledge shouldn't be that much of a problem in a big city like Tokyo or Kyoto (just don't expect everyone to chat politics with you in English). If you can, go with someone who knows the language, you'll enjoy it more, but it's not a necessity.

You could also look into exchange programs. I know someone who did a 6 month exchange when he was in high school even. He stayed with a Japanese family.

Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2005 12:30 pm
by Modnar
I was thinking of doing that cause my friend rightnow is in taiwan as a foreign exchange student, but i dont know how comfortable i would feel with some strangers. I was also thinking of going to japan in the fall around november, i heard thats a good time...but i wont be able to see the cherry blossoms.

Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 8:41 am
by Marc
The cherry blossoms bloom in early April, so if you want to see those you should get there around March. They're very pretty and worth seeing if you can. November is also a good time, nice and quiet. Just be sure to leave extra room when you pack your suitcases for all the stuff you're going to buy! :smile:

About staying with a host family, the thing is, no matter how well you get to know them, you'll always have to be "on", you know what I mean? When you're in your own house, you can do as you want and be "off" (depending on your parents, I guess), but when you stay with someone else, there'll always be this social barrier between you, and you can't really just put your feet up on the table, or take food as you please, and feel totally comfortable about it. Just keep that in mind. Don't let that put you off considering it though! It might be good if you can find a family with a kid your age.

Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 11:52 am
by Modnar
I might try going to college in japan, isnt it really cheap accomadations(in a matter of speaking) But one way or another im going.

Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 6:58 pm
by Marc
Modnar wrote:I might try going to college in japan, isnt it really cheap accomadations(in a matter of speaking)
Cheap? Not any more than America is. Staying in a dorm will be cheaper than an apartment, yes. But...your daily expenses will be much more expensive than any other Westernized country in the world, I'd wager.

Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 7:22 pm
by Modnar
My cousin said something about student housing, nothing fancy just a place to sleep not like a dorm, and i checked it out and it was 15 to 30 dollars. But im mostly likely wrong.

Please sign! For the love of God, please sign!!!

Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 5:07 am
by Junker_05
Yeah I know this has nothing to do with the dude going to Japan, but here's a Snatcher petition set up by me a couple of days ago... So please sign and hopefully we can get Konami to bring Snatcher out to the US and Australia... Stupid, desperate, and it probably won't work, but worth a shot, right? Here's the site:

http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/S ... s_petition

Thanks.

Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 7:33 am
by Rick Deckard
Write them a letter instead, for Christ's sake! And if you really want to play Snatcher, just buy a Sega CD. 'I've heard they're kick-ass' is a pretty poor basis for a petition. And why just Australia and the US? It's too specific. Your introduction is also too informal. And why not just revive older, more popular petitions such as the one backed by IGN (which didn't work)? And also why bother at all? Online petitions don't work. Contact Konami directly. I'm also quite sure there's a thread about this sort of petition on this forum somewhere, which you clearly didn't spot. Send Konami a letter or an email asking them whether there are any plans to re-release these games. If they say no, just buy a Sega CD and Snatcher, and import the Japanese Policenauts like a lot of other Kojima fans do.

Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 11:01 am
by Mr. Seed
Hmmm - off the topic a bit..... nevertheless - any questions, just drop me a line as I've travelled quite a bit - basically solid over around 8 weeks... and my brothers lived there for 3 years. :)

Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 11:01 am
by Marc
I have to agree with everything Rick Deckard said.

Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 11:44 am
by 8bitsonic
Why didn't you just start a new thread? Weird...

Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 9:45 pm
by Junker_05
Huh... I didn't think of that... Plus, I have now idea how to... Sounds a bit blonde, but I don't really know my way around this site, but I'll keep that in mind... Thanks.

Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 9:58 pm
by Marc
Just so you know, at the top right of every board is a tab called New Topic.

Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 10:10 pm
by Junker_05
Lolz, just saw that then! Thanks for the heads-up.