Snatcher - Mega CD

A glorious paean to the film Blade Runner and the cyberpunk animes of the 80's; Snatcher still manages to articulate what is a very familiar story in a manner both fresh and extremely enjoyable. Play switches from standard point and click adventure to Virtual Cop style shoot outs, helping maintain a sense of real danger and urgency throughout (unsurprisingly rare in point and click adventures). The graphics and characters are in the anime style of the late 1980's, reminiscent of cyberpunk shows such as Bubblegum Crisis and Cybercity OEDO 808. Developed by Hideo Kojima who would later continue his cyberpunk trend with the incredibly successful Metal Gear Solid. The game is also noticeable for one of the best computer game soundtracks ever scored; swirling bistro sax solos followed by ominous downtempo electronica: the track Old L.A. 2040 is simply a masterpiece. The level of detail is superb, the pace and humour are spot-on (the best lines go to your robot sidekick: Metal Gear), the voice acting is excellent (how many times do you hear that sentence!) and the whole game just feels like a labour of love.

Download fromROMNation
The Kremlin: Snatcher Fansite
Hideo Kojima's Blog

First released for the NEC PC-8801 there are numerous versions of this game. There was even a ludicrous SD (super deformed) version of Snatcher released for the MSX2 which I personally havent played but fear the worst. For a western audience the Mega-CD edition is by far the best with enhanced features and expertly translated script. This is one of the quintessential cyberpunk experiances and one of the greatest point'n'click('n'blast) adventures of all time!