Policenauts - Sega Saturn / PS1/ 3DO / PC-98

 Homage to Blade Runner = Good Idea / Homage to Lethal Weapon = Bad Idea

If there's one thing the Japanese love above all other things in the universe its a special police unit: not a normal police unit remember, but a special division seperate to the conventional force; one perhaps involved in the piloting of an experimental flotilla of combat Wanzers or the covert investigation of an insipid attempt by alien deamons to controll neo-tokyo by winning a highschool fashion show. Within said unit there will be a fat character, a naive female hotshot, a butch (or attractive ice-cow), a straight character (who is actually insane) and a charcter with shades: garnished with a smattering of mysterious pasts and witheringly inane childhood memories.

From the same team that brought you the cult Mega-CD classic Snatcher (concerning a special Junker division of the Neo-Kobe policeforce used to combat the snatcher menace) comes Policenauts: concerning a special division of the terrestrial police force sent to inforce traffic regulations onboard "Beyond Coast" mankinds first fully functioning(?) space colony. Despite the usual anime bunkum this game exudes quality with a sensational space jazz soundtrack and some classy direction from everyones favorite bioroid: Hideo Kojima.

Hideo Kojima's Blog in English

U.K Fansite

Policenauts Shrine and Walkthrough

Download Fully Patched PS1 ISO from Underground Gamer

Download OST (fantastic space cyber sax soundtrack madness)

Recently a full English PS1 translation patch was released by Policenauts.net to coincide with Hideo Kojimas 46th birthday (24th of August). This ranks as perhaps the most anticipated English game translation since Secret of Mana 2 and having taken some three years to accomplish the script is of a high quality and the patch bug free. There has never been a better time to forsake your conventional police unit!

Cosmology of Kyoto - PC / Mac

"A Visual Mindscape of Old Japan"

Imagine a Google Street Map of 10th century Kyoto imbued with the myths and legends of a millenia old civilization: oblique, obtuse and relentlessly low key: the Cosmology of Kyoto panders only to travellers with an open mind and no sense of direction. After barely a few clicks you will be hopelessly lost in some medieval backwater: riled by daemon folk and obfuscated by existential peasants! The game is rich in genuine history and folklore, encouraging the traveller to learn by participation, the mythology of feudal Japan; or failing that to consult the copious documentation: which acts as your trusty dog-eared Lonely Planet. The ancient Imperial Capital Kyoto (or Heiankyo) and the legendary Heian period are brought to life with unnerving ethereal soundscapes, a litany of wails, yelps and mumbled mantras emanate from dubious side streets and a distinctive graphic style: part traditional, part modern manga depicts scenes of strange depravity, alluring mysticism and quotidian detail.














Times are tough for the peons of Heiankyo...














...and they don't get much better.














Although high in protein the brain is
perhaps not the most sensible of your
own organs to consume initialy?!














This is the future of interaction with the past.

Download from Classic PC Games
Roger Ebert's (yes...old goggle eyes himself) review for Wired
Journal of Early Modern Japan
Event List at GameFAQ's
MobyGames Screenshots

I greatly enjoy this program and have lost much time and gained much erratic knowledge plodding its labyrinthine, hallucinatory pavements: ignoring the witheringly prosaic format offered by most adventure games or edutainment titles; Cosmology of Kyoto successfully simulates the experience of entering an unfamiliar place, time and dimension (ok...not that I'd know). This game can be quite hard to find even for download (there used to be a full version at HoTU), if nothing else works I would try Underground Gamer.

"In my old home
which I forsook, the cherries
are in bloom."

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!