There was no localization for the 3DO version because it was a weak format. I remember hearing of plans to port it but maybe the sales of Snatcher made them think twice (another weak format). If they had decided to go ahead with it, it might have gone the way of the Saturn attempt (see below).
There was no localization for the PS because of the cigarette issue (my best guess). Hard to imagine this was ever an issue after games like San Andreas!
Now for the Saturn version, Kojima's department had some talks about localizing the game, and while these were going on, KoA decided to start distributing press materials in anticipation for its release. When it was decided there wasn't going to be one (apparently because of timing problems with dubbing the anime scenes), KoA just stopped talking about it. If these were only internal, preliminary discussions, this would explain why Jeremy Blaustein (who worked at KoJ at the time) said he never heard of any plans to fully release the game.
Anyone who says the game was X% translated is simply citing a rumor that has never been substantiated and probably isn't true. Same goes for the "[Insert magazine here] ran an English-language preview of the game in an issue." So where are the scans?? All it takes is 1 person to start a rumor and to tell 2 people he heard it from someone else, and it starts spreading.
Anyway, comments are welcome.
