History VisualNovel / Snatcher

* DeathByOriginStory / OffWithHisHead: [[spoiler: Jean Jack Gibson.]]

* OneSteveLimit: Averted, since there are two Bensons working for JUNKER.[[spoiler:Which becomes an important plot point.]]

A graphic-adventure game written and directed by HideoKojima, set in a Cyberpunk universe (with clear ''BladeRunner'' overtones), with all of the quirkiness the game designer is known for, and more than a couple {{Shout Out}}s to other Konami games and the ''Franchise/MetalGear'' series. In Japan, ''Snatcher'' was originally released for the {{PC88}} and {{MSX}}2 computer platforms in 1988 and then remade for the [[TurbografxSixteen PC Engine]] in Super CD-ROM-ROM format in 1992, followed by another set of re-releases in 1996 for the {{PlayStation}} and SegaSaturn. The only English version produced is the 1994 [[SegaGenesis Sega CD]] version, which regularly sells on eBay for about $200, thanks to the game's limited distribution of a quarter million copies (due to the decline of the Sega CD add-on at the time of its release).

Highly recommended for anyone with old Sega equipment (or [[{{Emulation}} KEGA Fusion]]); everyone else can follow along with the LetsPlay[='=]s of both the original (in both [[http://lparchive.org/LetsPlay/Snatcher/ screenshot]] and [[http://lparchive.org/LetsPlay/Snatcher_vlp/ video formats]]) and ''[[http://lparchive.org/LetsPlay/SDSnatcher/ SD Snatcher]]'' by SomethingAwful's LetsPlay/{{Slowbeef}} [[spoiler: and Snatcher counterpart [=0xBEEF=]]].

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!!Snatcher provides examples of:

* AfterTheEnd

* BadassBiker: Random Hajile, a BadAss Billy Idol/[[{{Dune}} Sting]]/[[ZetaGundam Yazan Gable]]/[[BladeRunner Roy Batty]] look-alike.

* CoolCar: Gillian's turbocycle. Contrary to the name, its actually a 3-wheeled hover car, with joysticks instead of a steering wheel.

* CrusadingWidower: Jean is out to avenge his wife, who was slain by the Snatchers.

* DroolHello: [[spoiler: Blood drips from the ceiling in Cunningham's office. Upon glancing up, you see his Snatcher grimacing back at you.]]

* FanDisservice: [[spoiler: Following the shoot-out with Snatcher-Lisa, she falls backward onto the floor with her breast exposed... An image which is juxtaposed with her [[YourHeadAsplode exploded head]] and metallic skull. The nudity was removed from the CD-ROM release.]]

* FlashbackEffects: [[spoiler: Elijah Modnar's]] flashbacks are shown in a blood-red negative exposure, like an undeveloped roll of film.

* ForgottenPhlebotinum: There's an easy, portable test to determine if someone is a Snatcher or not. It requires a search warrant to use on civilians, but in true ''BladeRunner'' fashion, [[spoiler: apparently no one thought to regularly test the people who are in charge of destroying Snatchers.]]

* {{Heroic Sacrifice}}: [[spoiler: Random and Metal Gear. The latter gets better though, and the former gets to do it twice.]]

* HoverBoard: While inspecting the board in SurferDude Ivan Rodriguez's apartment, Gillian comments that he must be a recreational "air surfer".
* HumanPopsicle: [[spoiler: Gillian and Jamie were put into suspended animation during the 90s, and haven't aged since]].

* LawyerFriendlyCameo: The original [=PC88=]/[=MSX2=] version features people dressed up as {{Kamen Rider}}, [[StarWars C3PO]], a [[Film/{{Alien}} Xenomorph]], [[PlanetOfTheApes Cornelius]] and [[UltraQ Kanegon]] at the Outer Heaven costume party, along with a bartender dressed as a [[ThisIslandEarth Metaluna Mutant]]. The PC Engine version adds {{Guyver}} to the mix. They were all replaced by Konami characters in subsequent versions (including the bartender, who dresses up as the Golem from ''Salamander'' in the 32-bit versions), avoiding this trope altogether.

* {{Love Makes You Evil}}: [[spoiler: The reason Elijah Modnar continues the Snatcher project long after it was suppose to be discontinued. When he grows too old though, it later replaced by delusions of World Domination.]]

* ANaziByAnyOtherName: Not exactly subtle. [[spoiler: Chin Shu Oh]] expressly compares the Snatcher's fear-mongering tactics to that of the Nazis.

* NightmareFace: A recurring theme with the Snatchers, whose faces usually end up in bad shape.

* NotMyDriver: [[spoiler: Gillian hops into a taxicab, only to discover that the NotQuiteDead Chin Shu Oh is the cabbie.]]

* ProductionThrowback: Since this was Kojima's first game after the original ''VideoGame/{{Metal Gear}}'', there's quite a few references throw in. Most notably Gillian's robotic partner, who was built after the "Metal Gear menace from the late [=20th=] century" and whose leitmotif theme is the "Theme of Tara" from the original MSX game. Other references includes Benson Cunningham's former membership within FOXHOUND, the Outer Heaven nightclub, and the inclusion of Dr. Pettrovich as one of the developers behind the Frankenstein Project that created the Snatchers.

* ReplicantSnatching: The [[TropeNamer Trope Half-Namer]]. Fittingly enough, ''BladeRunner'' is the other half.

* ShoutOutVideoGames: In the Sega CD version, the Outer Heaven bar is filled with clients dressed in Konami costumes, with characters dressed as [[LegendOfTheMysticalNinja Goemon]], {{Sparkster}}, [[{{Castlevania}} Simon and Dracula]], [[{{Contra}} Bill and Lance]], and [[LethalEnforcers Mr. Ueda]]. The {{PlayStation}} and SegaSaturn versions replaces Bill and Lance with [[VideoGame/{{Twinbee}} Light and Pastel]], Sparkster with [[LivePowerfulProBaseball Pawapuro-kun]], and Mr. Ueda with "Designman". The bartender was also redesigned to resemble the Golem boss from ''[[{{Gradius}} Salamander]]''.

* TranslationCorrection: [-JUNKER-] originally stood for "Judgment Uninfected Naked Kind & Execution Ranger", a random string of English words that doesn't have any coherent meaning together. In the Sega CD version, it was changed to the (slightly) more sensible "Japanese Undercover Neuro-Kinetic Elimination Ranger".

-->''This story is dedicated to all those cyberpunks who fight against injustice and corruption every day of their lives.''
-->''All controversy begins with DOUBT''

Highly recommended for anyone with old Sega equipment (or [[{{Emulation}} KEGA Fusion]]); everyone else can follow along with the LetsPlay[='=]s of both the original (in both [[http://lparchive.org/LetsPlay/Snatcher/ screenshot]] and [[http://lparchive.org/LetsPlay/Snatcher_vlp/ video formats]]) and ''[[http://lparchive.org/LetsPlay/SDSnatcher/ SD Snatcher]]'' by SomethingAwful's {{Slowbeef}} [[spoiler: and Snatcher counterpart [=0xBEEF=]]].

Though no sequel to ''Snatcher'' was ever made, the game was remade on the {{MSX}}2 as a SuperDeformed RPG titled ''VideoGame/SDSnatcher'', and a SpiritualSuccessor titled ''{{Policenauts}}'' was released for various platforms.

* LetsPlay: Done by {{Slowbeef}} twice.

* ProductionThrowback: Since this was Kojima's first game after the original ''VideoGame/{{Metal Gear|1987}}'', there's quite a few references throw in. Most notably Gillian's robotic partner, who was built after the "Metal Gear menace from the late [=20th=] century" and whose leitmotif theme is the "Theme of Tara" from the original MSX game. Other references includes Benson Cunningham's former membership within FOXHOUND, the Outer Heaven nightclub, and the inclusion of Dr. Pettrovich as one of the developers behind the Frankenstein Project that created the Snatchers.

* BadassLongcoat: This seems to be standard [-JUNKER-] attire. Both Gillian and his predecessor Jean wear one.

* EasterEgg: Try entering the names of Konami staff (Such as HideoKojima) in the JORDAN database at Junker HQ.

* EvilLaugh: [[spoiler: Chi Shu Oh]].

* FortuneTeller

* JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: Gillian shoving his gun barrel into Ivan's mouth.

* NoEnding: In the 8-bit releases, the planned ending was actually left out due to time constrains. This was fixed for the CD-ROM versions.

A graphic-adventure game written and directed by HideoKojima, set in a Cyberpunk universe (with clear ''BladeRunner'' overtones), with all of the quirkiness the game designer is known for, and more than a couple {{Shout Out}}s to other Konami games and the ''MetalGear'' series. In Japan, ''Snatcher'' was originally released for the {{PC88}} and {{MSX}}2 computer platforms in 1988 and then remade for the [[TurbografxSixteen PC Engine]] in Super CD-ROM-ROM format in 1992, followed by another set of re-releases in 1996 for the {{PlayStation}} and SegaSaturn. The only English version produced is the 1994 [[SegaGenesis Sega CD]] version, which regularly sells on eBay for about $200, thanks to the game's limited distribution of a quarter million copies (due to the decline of the Sega CD add-on at the time of its release).

* ExpositionBreak: The finale is one comparable in length and impact to most ''MetalGear'' games.

* RobotBuddy: MetalGear, Gillian's partner in his investigation.

* {{Transplant}}: Metal Gear Mk. II eventually found work as Old Snake's ItemCaddy in ''MetalGear Solid 4'', while Cunningham got a RaceLift and was turned into a ScaryBlackMan in ''MetalGearSolidPortableOps''. Half of everyone else, though, couldn't score anything bigger than their own cards in the ''Metal Gear Acid'' series.

** PaintingTheMedium: At one point, the player is asked to turn up the volume to listen for a faint noise. When a loud explosion occurs shortly therafter, Gillian complains his ears are ringing. "That's because you turned up the volume," Metal cheerfully replies. To which Gillian blames the Snatchers.

* FauxSymbolism: [[CrowningMomentOfFunny "My Neo Kobe Pizza! It sank just like the rest of this city's gonna!"]]

* LetsPlay: Done by [[{{retsupurae}} slowbeef]] twice.

* ProductionThrowback: Since this was Kojima's first game after the original ''VideoGame/MetalGear1987'', there's quite a few references throw in. Most notably Gillian's robotic partner, who was built after the "Metal Gear menace from the late [=20th=] century" and whose leitmotif theme is the "Theme of Tara" from the original MSX game. Other references includes Benson Cunningham's former membership within FOXHOUND, the Outer Heaven nightclub, and the inclusion of Dr. Pettrovich as one of the developers behind the Frankenstein Project that created the Snatchers.

Highly recommended for anyone with old Sega equipment (or [[{{Emulation}} KEGA Fusion]]); everyone else can follow along with the [=~Let's Play~=]s of both the original (in both [[http://lparchive.org/LetsPlay/Snatcher/ screenshot]] and [[http://lparchive.org/LetsPlay/Snatcher_vlp/ video formats]]) and ''[[http://lparchive.org/LetsPlay/SDSnatcher/ SD Snatcher]]'' by SomethingAwful's {{Slowbeef}} [[spoiler: and Snatcher counterpart [=0xBEEF=]]].

* PatrickStewartSpeech: "[=~You're Insane!~=] Humanity won't be so easily dominated! You underestimate the strength of the human spirit!" - Gillian.

* ProductionThrowback: Since this was Kojima's first game after the original ''VideoGame/MetalGear'', there's quite a few references throw in. Most notably Gillian's robotic partner, who was built after the "Metal Gear menace from the late [=20th=] century" and whose leitmotif theme is the "Theme of Tara" from the original MSX game. Other references includes Benson Cunningham's former membership within FOXHOUND, the Outer Heaven nightclub, and the inclusion of Dr. Pettrovich as one of the developers behind the Frankenstein Project that created the Snatchers.

** PaintingTheFourthWall: At one point, the player is asked to turn up the volume to listen for a faint noise. When a loud explosion occurs shortly therafter, Gillian complains his ears are ringing. "That's because you turned up the volume," Metal cheerfully replies. To which Gillian blames the Snatchers.

** In the early versions of ''Snatcher'', the computer used by Jean-Jack Gibson is either, a [=PC-88=] or [=MSX2=] depending on the platform the game is running. In later versions, Gibson uses a [=PC-68=], which is a completely fictional model.

** In the end of the CD-ROM versions, [[spoiler:Metal Gear Mk. II is rebuilt into]] the console the game is running on depending on the version (i.e. a PC Engine Duo, a Genesis 2 with Sega CD attachment, a [=PlayStation=], or a Sega Saturn).

* RemovedFromThePicture: Harry's childhood photograph of himself cuts out the portion showing his parents. [[spoiler: It turns out that his parents are none other than Gillian and Jaime themselves, who were kept in cryogenic stasis for decades, causing them to be physically younger than their own 55-year-old son.]]

* RemovedFromThePicture: Harry's childhood photograph of himself cuts out the portion showing his parents. [[spoiler: It turns out that his parents are none other than Gillian and Jaime themselves, who were kept in cryogenic for decades, causing them to be physically younger than their own 55-year-old son.]]

* AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs

* TechnologyMarchesOn: Jean's [[MacGuffin floppy disk]]. Partially justified in that Jean is shown to have old-fashioned tastes, as shown by the antiquated Sega CD console he keeps in his living room.

** [[spoiler:The localised spelling actually breaks a ShoutOut- in the Japanese version, Petrovitch Madnar shares his name with the creator of the first MetalGear in Kojima's other series. This was changed in the English version to give his 'son' a cooler SdrawkcabName]]

* ConsoleCameo: In the end of the CD-ROM versions, [[spoiler:Metal Gear Mk. II is rebuilt into]] the console the game is running on depending on the version (i.e. a PC Engine Duo, a Genesis 2 with Sega CD attachment, a [=PlayStation=], or a Sega Saturn).

* AndTheAdventureContinues: In the ending, [[spoiler: Gillian and the [-JUNKER-] team depart to destroy more Snatcher factories around the world, starting with Moscow]]. "THIS CONFLICT HAS JUST BEGUN."

* ShoutOutVideoGames: In the Sega CD version, the Outer Heaven bar is filled with clients dressed in Konami costumes, with characters dressed as [[LegendOfTheMysticalNinja Goemon]], {{Sparkster}}, [[{{Castlevania}} Simon and Dracula]], [[{{Contra}} Bill and Lance]], and [[LethalEnforcers Mr. Ueda]]. The {{PlayStation}} and SegaSaturn versions replaces Bill and Lance with [[VideoGame/{{Twinbee}} Light and Pastel]], Sparkster with [[PowerPros Pawapuro-kun]], and Mr. Ueda with "Designman". The bartender was also redesigned to resemble the Golem boss from ''[[{{Gradius}} Salamander]]''.

* ShoutOutVideoGames: In the Sega CD version, the Outer Heaven bar is filled with clients dressed in Konami costumes, with characters dressed as [[LegendOfTheMysticalNinja Goemon]], {{Sparkster}}, [[{{Castlevania}} Simon and Dracula]], [[{{Contra}} Bill and Lance]], and [[LethalEnforcers Mr. Ueda]]. The {{PlayStation}} and SegaSaturn versions replaces Bill and Lance with [[{{Twinbee}} Light and Pastel]], Sparkster with [[PowerPros Pawapuro-kun]], and Mr. Ueda with "Designman". The bartender was also redesigned to resemble the Golem boss from ''[[{{Gradius}} Salamander]]''.

* MissFanservice / TokenLoli: Katrina.

A graphic-adventure game written and directed by HideoKojima, set in a Cyberpunk universe (with clear ''BladeRunner'' overtones), with all of the quirkiness the game designer is known for, and more than a couple {{Shout Out}}s to other Konami games and the ''MetalGear'' series. In Japan, ''Snatcher'' was originally released for the {{PC88}} and {{MSX}}2 computer platforms in 1988 and then remade for the [[TurbografxSixteen PC Engine]] in Super CD-ROM-ROM format in 1992, followed by another set of re-releases in 1996 for the {{PlayStation}} and SegaSaturn. The only English version produced is the 1994 [[SegaGenesis Sega CD]] version, which regularly sells on eBay for about $200, thanks to the game's limited distribution of a quarter million copies (due to the decline of the Sega CD add-on at the time of its release). Though mainly a VisualNovel, there are a couple [[UnexpectedGameplayChange shooting segments]].