Policenauts (Sega Saturn)

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Rev
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Policenauts (Sega Saturn)

Postby Rev » October 25th, 2016, 8:56 pm

I have been wanting to play this game for years, especially after I finished Snatcher; however, the game was never released in English. Some dedicated translators fan-translated the game years ago for the PSX but I didn't have a means to play it at the time. About 4 years ago I found out that a Saturn translation was in the works which is great because 1. the Saturn version is usually considered the definitive version of the game, and 2. I have a modded Saturn that can play burned discs. I have been following the translation all of these years and a few weeks ago a translation was completed, almost out of nowhere. I immediately ordered a copy of Policenauts off eBay and received my copy yesterday. After following all of the patching steps I got the ISOs burned to discs and have been playing the game off my Saturn.

Anyway, this game is great and the translation is top-notch. Like Snatcher, Policenauts hooked me right away with its excellent music, gripping story, and strong characters. If you've played Snatcher you know what to expect, as it is a menu-based game, but it has a bit more interaction due to the change from completely menu to a point-and-click mechanic. The gun sections also use a pointer feature (light gun is supported on this translation if you have one that works) compared to Snatcher's 3 x 3 box system. SO far, I'm highly impressed and I can't wait to finish this game. I've played about 3 hours thusfar and will probably put in a couple more hours tonight. It's been a while since I was this excited about a game so I'm glad I'm finally experiencing it. These are the types of games that really blow me away.

If you're interested in the translation patch you can find it here:

http://policenauts.net/english/patches.html

Great stuff.

matmico399
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Re: Policenauts (Sega Saturn)

Postby matmico399 » October 25th, 2016, 11:00 pm

I remember hearing about this title after I finished Snatcher on my Sega Cd back in the mid 90's. I will see if my Saturn can play the import.

JWK
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Re: Policenauts (Sega Saturn)

Postby JWK » October 28th, 2016, 12:18 pm

Hey Rev! Continue to post your thoughts on it as if be interested to hear what you think.

A couple years ago I bought a cheap PSP just to hack it. The very first thing I played I it was the translated version of Policenauts. I thought it was fantastic; amazing visuals, solid story and almost professional grade translation. The fan translators of this game (and all the other games I've enjoyed) are modern day heroes!!

That said, I still wouldn't put it at the top of the heap when it comes to visual novels. I believe Snatcher, The Walking Dead Season One (just played the definitive version on PS4-- far less glitchy/buggy, better colors, stable framerate) and Danganronpa 1&2 (coming early next year to PS4!) best Policenauts in story telling, but obviously that's subjective. Policenauts tends to fall prey to Kojima's excesses; overindulgent story and unnecessarily complex explainations for even the most simple scientific concepts. But this is also true of other Kohima games. It's also somewhat preachy, but he's pounding his fist on the table rather hard for a philosophy that's rather benign: Humans aren't meant to be in space. Well, duh. At least the "nuclear weapons are bad!" preachiness in Metal Gear felt like a discussion worth having.

Anyway, I still think you'll love the game all the way through. There's a twist in the story, but your mileage may vary with its effectiveness and predictability. You'll also have the benefit of using a real light gun and large screen, which I didn't. Either way, I'm pointing out the negatives because that's some of what I remember from the game. Don't let that deter you. I still loved the world and Lethal Weapon-esque characters. Enjoy!

Sut
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Re: Policenauts (Sega Saturn)

Postby Sut » October 28th, 2016, 2:01 pm

Brilliant news ! Thanks for the heads up Rev I've been waiting for this for ages.

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Rev
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Re: Policenauts (Sega Saturn)

Postby Rev » October 28th, 2016, 6:11 pm

Thanks you guys. I will definitely keep you posted. I think I'm about halfway through the game right now and am really digging it. I might have to play Walking Dead after this because I tend to enjoy these types of games.

One thing I did want to mention is how nice the packaging for the Saturn version is. The game comes with a black slip cover and an art book. Surprisingly, the text in the art book is completely in English... Didn't expect that but it's a nice thing to come with the game. The game comes on three discs although you switch off the first disc within the first hour of the game. I'm definitely liking the game. I'll keep you guys posted.

The people who translated this game did a top-notch job. I have clicked on every possible thing and there hasn't been a single mistake yet. I've heard their is a misspelling on the 3rd Act but haven't seen it yet.

Sut
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Re: Policenauts (Sega Saturn)

Postby Sut » October 30th, 2016, 5:20 am

The patching process seems complicated but is actually straightforward providing you take your time and follow the instructions slowly. Tested on the emulator will test on my real hardware tonight.

Rev are you aware of any other Saturn or Mega CD translations ?

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Rev
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Re: Policenauts (Sega Saturn)

Postby Rev » October 30th, 2016, 4:21 pm

Yeah, If I can follow the patching process it isn't too complicated. The main patches I've played are the Shining Force 3 Scenario 2 and 3, which was very easy as it did everything for you automatically. As for other Saturn translations I'm watching out for, Princess Crown has been in the works for a while as well. It seems to be going pretty well and the thread is updated pretty often. Here is a link:

http://www.romhacking.net/forum/index.p ... ibtgujet54

Dragon Force II also has a translation although if I remember correctly it isn't 100% complete.

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Rev
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Re: Policenauts (Sega Saturn)

Postby Rev » October 30th, 2016, 4:21 pm

If you need a copy of the translated ISO's let me know and I'll see if I can figure out how to send it to you.

Sut
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Re: Policenauts (Sega Saturn)

Postby Sut » October 30th, 2016, 5:33 pm

Thanks for the offer Rev. Ran it on my real Saturn tonight works a charm will have to look out for Shining Force 3 Scenarios 2&3 although I haven't played scenario 1 yet.

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Rev
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Re: Policenauts (Sega Saturn)

Postby Rev » October 31st, 2016, 1:24 am

I'm currently in the midst of Act 2. So far I've really been loving the atmosphere that the game has created. The story is engaging and the characters all have depth and personality. I also love the setting of the game and the music does a great job getting you into the right mood. I am a bit surprised that I haven't had another gun section since the first Act (6+ hours ago). In Snatcher, I had several shooting moments by this point and while they aren't that involving, it is a bit surprising that the game introduced this so early on yet hasn't done anything with it since. I'm anticipating that there will be a lot of shooting moments towards the end of Act 2 and into Act 3, as the tension builds.

If I had one complaint, the amount of knowledge that Ed (your partner) has over everything around him is way too much, a bit too technical. There is a lot of extra information that could have been skimmed as it isn't relevant to the plot. Not too many people are walking encyclopedias over every subject that you ask them. Still, I see why Kojima felt it was necessary to do so but it does bog down the story a bit.

Still, that minor complaint aside, I'm really enjoying this one. Not sure how much longer I have to go on this game but hopefully I'll finish it by the end of the week.


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