The Snatcher Mission
June 21, 2007 by Tim · 4 Comments
While the main purpose of this site is to give me a forum to review the games I’ve already collected and played over the years, I can’t quite stop myself there. I can’t avoid the fact that I’m going to buy more games. That’s just the way it is for me! But sometimes a game deserves a little more attention than “Oh hey, I picked this game up cheap, it’s pretty cool, give it a look.” If that’s the case, then I want to properly document my experience with it. So every once in a while, I will embark on a mission… The first one begins now.
The Snatcher Mission:
I know, virtually for a fact, that I will like Snatcher. First of all, it’s an adventure game. Second of all, it has a gorgeous 2D graphical style. Third of all, it’s not only for a retro system, but a failed retro system. What can I say? I have a serious soft spot for failed retro systems. Oh yeah, and it has cyber-punk themes. And it’s created by Hideo Kojima! (I think I need a longer list…)
So if I know I’d love the game, why haven’t I played it? It’s been a matter of access, really. Sure, I could download the game and play it on an emulator, but that wouldn’t be doing it justice. I want to play the real thing. And therein lies the problem.
You see, back in the 16-bit days, I was an SNES fan. All my friends had the Genesis, but I decided to buck the trend and go the Nintendo route. That means I got to play fantastic games like a plethora of wonderful Mario games (World, Kart, RPG), Chrono Trigger, Zelda, StarFox, Tetris Attack, and plenty more. But it also means I picked up on the Genesis extremely late in the game. So the only Genesis I have is a Genesis 3. Which is incompatible with the Sega CD. And Snatcher is a Sega CD game. And on top of that, it’s best played with the Justifier light gun. Beginning to understand where I’m coming from?
So my mission is clear. I want to play Snatcher, but in order to do so, I must first obtain the necessary setup. These are the objectives:
- Purchase a model 1 or model 2 Sega Genesis
- Purchase a model 1 or model 2 Sega CD
- Purchase a Justifier light gun
- Purchase a copy of Snatcher
- Play and review the above
Objectives #1 and #2 may be combined in the form of a JVC X’Eye or CDX. I’m tempted to go with a Japanese X’Eye (a Wondermega) because it has S-video and stereo output, but then I would have to region mod it. Then again, I could get S-video and stereo mods on a domestic X’Eye and be in similar shape. Obviously, I have some research to do and decisions to make.
Maybe I’m a geek, but I’m already finding the process of researching these parts fun and interesting. Hopefully, by documenting and sharing what I learn, you will, too. Stick around!
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Nice piece. You’re right, you’ll buy more games, why limit yourself to the 115 you already own (and plan to review)? I think as you’ll find out (and surely this Snatcher thing is an example of discovery already on your part) that as the weeks and months go on, you find more things you’d like to cover/speak on for your site. A great site is all about progress and yours seems to be heading in the right direction.
I love little “side-trips/stories” like this article. It’s the kind of thing that helps establish a voice and website owner persona visitors can relate to moreso than the common anonymous web-man. Keep up the good work.
I really like the Sega CD so I guarantee you’ll find other great games on it besides Snatcher.
You don’t need the light gun though. About 95% of the game is a graphic adventure. The other 5% is when you shoot crap. Much of that takes place in the final 10 minutes of the game.
The shooting sections are few and far between and pretty short too. They really don’t warrant the purchase of a light gun.
I’m a little bit of an enthusiast for Genesis hardware. This information might be helpful: You can connect a model 1 Genesis to a model 2 Sega CD or vice-versa. The only problem is aesthetic. Since the base of the Genesis 1 is wider than the Genesis 2, mixing models looks somewhat ugly and unbalanced.
The Sega CD 2 is less prone to failure than the original model, so I recommend picking up that model along with a model 2 Genesis.
Make sure when you buy your new hardware that you get the 9-pin mini-DIN connectors that came with them. They can be hard to find, but if you’re missing one, you can use the one that came with your Majesco model 3 Genesis. A/V Connectors from a Model 1 Sega Genesis won’t work with a Model 2 Genesis.
Email me if I can help you with anything. samsonlonghair@gmail.com
Cool, great info! Have any recommendations or caveats to look out for with the all-in-one SegaCD/Genesis units like the X’Eye, Wondermega, and CDX? I’m leaning towards getting one of those.