Snatcher is a cyberpunk graphic adventure written and designed by Hideo Kojima. Konami released it in Japan for the PC-88 on 26 November 1988 and for the MSX2 on 13 December 1988. Its working title was Junker, and New Order was also considered.
Kojima planned five acts, but memory limits cut the story down to two, ending on a cliffhanger, and a sequel covering the rest was scrapped. The 1992 PC Engine CD version added recorded speech and a third act based on the 1990 MSX2 remake SD Snatcher.
The Sega CD version, released in Europe on 15 December 1994 and in North America in January 1995, is the only official Western release. PlayStation and Saturn versions followed in Japan in 1996; Kojima was not involved in the Sega CD version or the 1996 ports. In 1997 Electronic Gaming Monthly ranked the Sega CD version 69th among console games.1
Names and releases
| Region | Title on the box | Platform | Date | Publisher | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | Snatcher | Sega CD | January 1995 | Konami | 1 |
| JP | スナッチャーSunacchāPC-88 (PC-8801). | Other | Nov 26, 1988 | Konami | 1 |
| JP | スナッチャーSunacchāUses an expansion cartridge for extra sound and RAM. | MSX2 | Dec 13, 1988 | Konami | 1 |
| JP | スナッチャーSunacchāSuper CD-ROM². A trial Pilot Disk came out on 7 August 1992. | TurboGrafx-16 | Oct 23, 1992 | Konami | 1 |
| EU | SnatcherMega-CD; the only Western release. | Sega CD | Dec 15, 1994 | Konami | 1 |
| JP | スナッチャーSunacchā | Saturn | Mar 29, 1996 | Konami | 1 |
| JP | スナッチャーSunacchāWikipedia's infobox gives 12 February 1996 and its text 26 January 1996. | PlayStation | 1996 | Konami | 1 |
| JP | スナッチャーSunacchāPC Engine version included on the PC Engine Mini, Japanese only. | Other | 2020 | Konami | 1 |
Also known as: スナッチャー JP1Sunacchā JP1Junker JP1New Order JP1
Box art by region
JP スナッチャー
Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: Wikipedia.
Version differences
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ContentPC EngineSega CDPlayStationSaturn
The 1988 computer versions stop after two acts on a cliffhanger; the 1992 PC Engine CD version adds a third act based on SD Snatcher, plus recorded speech and better music.1
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CensorshipSega CD
The Western Sega CD version covers up nudity, obscures Katrina's shower scene, raises her age from 14 to 18 and tones down some sexual options.1
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ContentSega CD
The Sega CD version swaps bar patrons borrowed from Kamen Rider, Alien and other franchises for Konami characters, moves the story's dates five years forward and adds more choices and a detective grade in act three.1
Translations
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English Official
Konami1994Sega CD · PC Engine versionReleased · complete
Official English translation by Scott Hards, supervised by Jeremy Blaustein, with about two and a half hours of recorded dialogue for 26 characters.1
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English Fan
—MSX2 · MSX2 versionReleased
A fan English translation exists for the MSX2 version.1
Best version
The Sega CD version is the only official Western release and the only one in English, with a longer prologue and an extra ending scene; it is rare and expensive on the secondhand market.1
Reception
The PC-88 and MSX2 versions did not sell well but gained a cult following, and the PC Engine version reportedly sold well for the system. The Sega CD version received strong reviews, including 90% from Computer and Video Games, yet Jeremy Blaustein said it sold only a couple of thousand copies in the US.1
In lists
Sources
Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13
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