SD Snatcher (MSX2) Playthrough [Part 1 of 2] - NintendoComplete
341A playthrough of Konami's 1990 cyberpunk role-playing game for the MSX2, SD Snatcher.
The game was only ever officially released in Japanese - this playthrough was recorded using the Project Melancholia translation, released back in 2014.
*This is part 1 of a two-part video. The second part can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wasR-HkgWOw
SD Snatcher is a complete remake of the original Hideo Kojima classic Snatcher that first released in 1988 for the PC88 and MSX2, though it's popularity in the US is directly attributable to the 1994 English release on the Sega CD. Either way, this isn't just any old remake - they completely changed the genre.
Instead of a visual novel, SD Snatcher (Super Deformed Snatcher) is essentially an expanded retelling of the original Snatcher as a JRPG. And as crazy as that sounds, it works beautifully.
The new big-head art style works surprisingly well for such a serious story, and it makes for a few opportune moments to lighten the mood. The overall tone is still fairly heavy, but this version definitely has a unique vibe to it.
It reminds me in many ways of Phantasy Star II on the Sega Genesis. The gritty looking graphics, the blue grid on the battle screen, and the cutscenes with big cut-away panels all are familiar - though I suppose it should be that Phantasy Star II reminds me of SD Snatcher since this is the older game.
I really, really enjoyed this one. It's got some flaws to it - there a few points where consecutive dungeons really start to drag the pacing out and the encounter rate can be absolutely ridiculous at times - but overall, it does a fantastic job of creating something new and unique out of its source material. It also is the first game to include Act 3, which was completely missing from the original releases, leaving them to end on huge cliffhangers.
Gotta say, I really loved Metal Gear Petit, too.
The graphics are excellent despite the MSX's ropey scrolling, and the soundtrack is classic Konami, making use of the included SCC+ sound module cartridge. It makes an amazing difference to the MSX's sound capabilities.
The translation is pretty good, too. Much better than the old Oasis one, certainly. But still, they want you to pay for this patch. I did, and I don't regret it, but for something that you have to pay $15 for, there are a few too many errors and awkward phrasings for my liking. Spending that sum on *just* a translation patch with no actual software included, I was expecting much better writing and more polish to justify the price. I would've happily donated more than that and been satisfied. But after being charged, I'm not terribly impressed.
Anyway, that's besides the point. SD Snatcher is an excellent RPG, and it's a lavishly-produced Konami title from the middle of their "golden years." Great stuff, truly.
If you'd like to see the original Snatcher, you can find my video of that here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sohZLaemTI
And if you're interested in its follow-up, Policenauts, you can find my video of that here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ1KuD1Gw00
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No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
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