Snatcher & Policenauts: Kojima's Sci‑Fi Classics

You've probably heard of the Metal Gear Solid saga and Death Stranding, but what about Hideo Kojima's earlier games? Come learn about the sci-fi adventure games Snatcher and Policenauts, how they connect to Kojima's later works, and why they're still worth playing today.

Panel held at:

• Kumoricon 2023
• Sakura-Con 2025

Bibliography & Supplemental Material

General sources

• JUNKER HQ fansite (covers Snatcher, Policenauts, and MGS)
• Hideo Kojima interview with Nice Games (1999)
• Snatcher and Policenauts artist and character designer Tomiharu Kinoshita on Twitter
• Translated interviews by Arkhound

Snatcher

Primary sources

• Snatcher PC manual (Archive.org scan)
• Statement about Snatcher by Hideo Kojima (1992), translated by Shmuplations
• "Kojima Reflects on Snatcher, Adventure Games", 1UP recap of Famitsu article (2009)

Contemporary coverage

• Various magazine articles about Snatcher via Sega Retro
• Snatcher preview in Gekkan PC Engine #49, pp. 118–121 (1992)
• Snatcher review in Mega Power #17 (1994)
• Interview with Konami and feature article about Snatcher in EGM #66 (1995)

Encyclopedic overviews

• Snatcher – Hardcore Gaming 101 (2011)
• SD Snatcher – Hardcore Gaming 101 (2011)

Retrospective articles and interviews

• Snatcher translator Jeremy Blaustein interview by Chris Barker (c. 2000, Archive.org link)
• "Snatcher: Hideo Kojima's Forgotten Masterpiece", interview with voice actors Jeff Lupetin (Gillian Seed) and Lucy Childs (Metal Gear mk.II), Hyper #165, pp. 40-44 (July 2007)
• "Kojima wanted game to emit blood smell" (2010)
• "Snatcher: 20th Anniversary Celebration" interviews by Chris "The Hoff" Hoffman (2014)
  1. Jeremy Blaustein (localization manager), Scott T. Hards (translator/localizer)
  2. Jeff Lupetin (voice actor, Gillian Seed)
• "Snatcher Is Cyberpunk Noir At Its Best", Peter Tieryas, Kotaku (2017)

Gameplay and LPs

• Snatcher Screenshot Let's Play by slowbeef (2007)
• Hideo Kojima's "Snatcher", Basement Brothers: PC-88 Paradise (2023)

Policenauts

• Policenauts.net fansite (includes English fan translation patch files for PlayStation and Saturn)

Primary sources

• "Notes of Policenauts" by Hideo Kojima, The PlayStation vol. 21 (1996)
• Policenauts discussion by Hideo Kojima (1996), translated by Shmuplations

Contemporary coverage

• Various magazine articles about Policenauts via SegaRetro
• Policenauts preview in GameFan vol. 4, #4 pp. 58-59 (1996)

Encyclopedic overview

• Policenauts – Hardcore Gaming 101 (2010)

Gameplay and LPs

• Policenauts (or, "How I Stopped Griping and Learned to Love the ROM") Let's Play by slowbeef, includes details of English translation and patching process (2012)
• Best Friends Play Policenauts, Super Best Friends Play (2017)
• Policenauts - Hideo Kojima's follow-up to Snatcher, Basement Brothers: PC-98 Paradise (2024)