(note: This is cross-posted, so obviously, an introduction to Policenauts is probably not necessary for this forum, but for completeness, this is what I posted over at the Something Awful LP Forum.)
Policenauts is a thrilling sci-fi story set in a huge space colony.
If you've played this game's predecessor, Snatcher, you probably have an idea of what expect. This is a story-heavy, detail-oriented adventure game with combat sequences, voice acting, and fucked up plot twists. I think.
If you haven't, then here's the deal. Before Kojima hit it big with the Metal Gear Solid series, he made two adventure games that sort of flew under the radar. The first was Snatcher, an homage to Blade Runner starring a goofy amnesiac named Gillian Seed, hunting cyborgs in a cyberpunk future environment. Snatcher sold abymssally in the West, most likely due to the fact that it was a limited release on a console that didn't sell that well to being with (the Sega CD). It did well enough in Japan to warrant a sequel; or a successor, at least. But gaijin like us weren't so lucky.
Policenauts is the successor in question - it's a murder mystery set in the year 2040 and it follows the story of Jonathan Ingram: a police officer chosen with four others from around the world to maintain law and order on mankind's first civilian space colony, "Beyond Coast." During a space-walk, Jonathan suffers an accident and is sent drifting into the void of space. His suit has a life pod equipped which puts him in cryogenic hibernation, where he sails through the cosmic abyss in frozen slumber...
For 25 years.
He is miraculously discovered and awakens to a new world. This is about where our story begins and I'll let the LP tell the rest.
Why This LP is marked "Prologue Only"
Due to the poor sales of Snatcher, Konami never made an official English release of Policenauts. However, Snatcher enjoys a cult following due to its rather compelling story (one of the very, very few video games stories that actually holds up about 15 years later) and it left a lot of us wondering: What of its "sequel," Policenauts?
If you're used to Hideo Kojima stories, you can probably appreciate why out-and-out fluency in Japanese is required to enjoy the game in its native language: Policenauts is detail-oriented, especially with regards to biology, space science, and history. Since it's text-heavy, it requires a pretty thorough knowledge of Kanji, not to mention colloquialisms and things your language books probably won't teach you. And since it's got soooo much text, there's one - and only one - complete fan translation.
Marc Laidlaw (not the Valve guy) spent months with the text dump, doing research to make sure he got everything right, localized it and attempted to ROM hack the Playstation version (the easiest system to reverse engineer at the time). Unfortunately, it requires a more intensive project than just your standard text replacement and alphabet tables. Marc suggested on the Junker HQ forums that he provide screenshots of the game in HTML format so that people could enjoy Policenauts in some form, if not the game. Impatient man that I am, I contacted Marc and proposed the following:
- Let's Play Policenauts: The Prologue
And if everything went well and he liked it, maybe the whole thing. Conginent to that...
Help Wanted: ROM Hackers, ASM Programmers, etc.
If you would like to play Policenauts as it was originally played, or help others to do the same, you can contact Marc at contact AT policenauts DOT net. He's a pretty friendly guy, I found, and he's being pretty generous letting us into something he spent a lot of time on. As you'll see in the next three updates, it's time well spent. Policenauts seems pretty fuckin' solid to me, and I can't really fathom why Konami never released it.
Konami has no announced plans to release an official translation and right now, Kojima is working on another game. And I will say that of fan translations that I've seen (notably Metal Gear 2 for the MSX and SD Snatcher), this is easily the most complete. So if you can contribute, or know people who can, link them to the thread and maybe we can all play Policenauts.
Policenauts: The LP
This is a hybrid, video-heavy LP. You won't hear any of my commentary over the video this time - I've done the work of capturing and subtitling the videos, though Marc deserves all of the credit because without him, I'm nowhere near able to understand this. The playthrough you'll see is me fumbling around the menus trying to figure out what the hell to do, and then using the translation after the fact.
Just a warning now, this is going to be a fairly slow-moving LP as in addition to capture and writing up the update, I have to subtitle all the video as well, and match up excerpts from the script to my playthrough.
So, ladies and gentlemen, as someone whose more of a Snatcher fan than they should be, it's my pleasure to introduce the Kojima game we never got to see. The one that, at the time, Konami's CEO even said was the best game the company had ever made.
This is not Snatcher.
This is not Metal Gear.
This is Policenauts...
This is the full intro to the game.
Table of Contents
Prologue: Home
Update 1 - In which we meet Jonathan
Last edited by slowbeef on Thu Jul 10, 2008 8:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The first thing I'm sure you're itching to point out is that it appears I made the Let's Play rookie mistake of leaving my cursor in the window during capture. Not so! Policenauts is a point and click adventure game, so that cursor is actually the new interface.
The original NEC PC-9821 version had a mouse, so navigation was simple. Here on the Playstation, though, you might not have a mouse, so you have to use the controller. Unfortunately, if you've ever played a console port of a game that originally had mouse control, you'll be familiar with the fact that navigation isn't the easiest thing in the world.
That's alright, though - we'll make do.
Like I said, this is a lot like a point and click adventure game, only you click on the item you want to act on first, and a sub-menu of verbs comes up. Like so:
In this case, I clicked on the gun and all I got was "Miru" - the verb to look. So:
Gun; Look
(In order to emulate Snatcher's menu-driven interface, I used "LOOK ] GUN" as a notation for what I was doing. Here, boldface denotes it.)
Jonathan: This is my gun, a Beretta 92F. I've used it since I was in the LAPD. It's a bona fide recoil gun, equipped with a laser sight. I use special 10-round magazines with armor-piercing bullets. I don't carry it so I can go around killing people, though - it's strictly for self-defense purposes.
When Laidlaw gave me the translation for most of the Prologue, I was shocked to see that it was about FIFTY PAGES in Microsoft Word. Yikes. Then I realized why. If there's one thing Kojima is, it's thorough. You can examine the gun no less than three times, and get a different response each time.
Jonathan: I doubt anybody else uses this kind of gun in the twenty-first century and everything. With the birth of the Space Age, nearly all guns have become lift guns. People don't use recoil guns in weightless environments, for obvious reasons. But this... This has become a part of me.
That's admittedly a nice touch about recoil guns in a zero-g environment. One more time:
Jonathan: These days I have to go all the way to the edge of town to order the bullets for it.
And not only that, but if you've examined a picture of one of Jonathan's friends elsewhere in the office first, he appends more to this item description! This is why it's no small feat to translate this game. This is the first item in the first room, and you need a freakin' pamphlet for it.
Everything in this room has a history. The beer can on the right is half-empty and the one on the left is completely empty - no copy and paste jobs for Hideo Kojima! Think that's crazy? Take a look at that pen - it's that long black thing partially obscured by the large green videophone on the right. Even that has a backstory! Here, I examined the cigarettes.
Jonathan: These are Moslems, the only cigarettes in the world that still give off secondary smoke. I don't like the pure bent cigarettes you get today. These are blend cigarettes - part conventional, part bent. Bent cigarettes are cigarettes that you light simply by bending the end. Well, I say "light", but there's no actual fire involved - they utilize a chemical reaction, and even the leaves are specially processed. They don't produce any smoke or ash, and certainly make a room more pleasant, but they're not my thing. The only brand I touch now are Moslems.
Like Snatcher, there are "gating sections" where you have to click on certain items in order to advance the story. There's actually eight things necessary to look at and the first is the green photo on the desk.
Jonathan: This is a photo of me and Lorraine at Lucas World.
Like the Snatcher LP, voice acted lines are italicized. (Marc points out that this is another Snatcher reference; one that I don't recognize. Lucas World is named after filmmaker George Lucas and is mentioned in both games.)
Fans of Metal Gear Solid may recognize this music.
Jonathan: Lorraine... My wife. No, that was a long time ago. I heard she remarried on Beyond after my accident. She's...somebody else's wife now. She's a Nisei - half-Japanese, half-American. There was something kinda mysterious about her.
Just to add to the level of detail, you can also examine specific parts of the picture, like Lorraine and Jonathan themselves. Even the date stamped on the photo.
Jonathan: December 24th, 2008. This was our first Christmas together. I've still got the watch she gave me. It's one of those radio-controlled types. It was state of the art for the time.
Clicking outside of whatever you're examining brings up the option to "Go back". Again, you'll get different things if you re-examine the picture - like the fact that they met because Jonathan was a rookie cop and arrived on the scene when Lorraine's house was broken into. They omitted the part where he was actually the one who broke in, thankfully. (I'm kidding. Then again, the way Kojima likes plot twists, it might turn out I'm accidentally serious.)
How about the picture to its right?
Jonathan: This is me and Lorraine on our wedding day. I was still a cop here in LA then. Lorraine dropped out of UCLA so we could get married.
Examining the picture further reveals that Jonathan was chosen to be a Policenaut exactly one year after the wedding day. It also reveals that Ed caught the bouquet at the wedding, which is more than a little odd. We'll be learning about Ed shortly.
Hey, chin up Jonny! Let's stop reminiscing and see what that blinking light on the videophone is all about.
Videophone; Look
Jonathan: This is a videophone complete with built-in printer. I've disabled the video on my end, though. Most of my case offers come in over the phone. Clients don't particularly like meeting up in person.
Now we unlock the option to:
Videophone; Play Messages
Jonathan: That's right, I should listen to my messages. Maybe there's a call from someone with a case.
(And if you didn't notice, in this update, I'm giving you the option to view all voice-acted stuff in video.)
Note: A couple of Jonathan's lines are text only, which is why you may not hear accompanying voice.
Man: Sorry! Wrong number! Jonathan: Thank you for wasting my time. When's someone gonna call with a case, for Christ's sake?
Jonathan: Let's see what else we got.
Woman: Hello, Mr. Ingram, this is the Department of Water and Power. Our records indicate you have an outstanding water charge. Please remit payment at your earliest convenience. Thank you. Jonathan: Maybe if you gave me something I could actually drink...
(Spoiler alert! Jonathan prefixes each message with "Let's see what else we got." Jonathan suffixes each message with "When's someone gonna call with a case, for Christ's sake?" or "Still nothing." I'm omitting that for brevity here, but it's still present in the video.)
Woman: Hey, Jon, it's me. What's up with you never coming out for a drink these days? Little change of scenery wouldn't kill you. Jonathan: Yeah, I know. I gotta get out of this rut.
Marc Laidlaw: Snatcher Reference #2 - Note the music playing in the background of her message is from Outer Heaven in Snatcher. This is a remixed version featured on a Japanese arrange album released in 1989.
Message four:
Man: You piece of shit detective! Remember me, you little punk? But I got news for you - this ain't over! Watch your back! Jonathan: Well, that wasn't very nice.
If it's not apparent from the voice acting, Jonathan takes that news pretty well.
Man: Yeah, name's Olson, we talked before. Listen, I'm not going to be needing your services after all. See ya. Jonathan: Lost another one, huh?
...I'm starting to get the impression Jonathan isn't a very good detective.
And lastly.
Man: That signboard... It's got an extra pair of legs! An extra pair of legs, goddamnit! [unintelligible gibberish] Jonathan: ...Some people really should not have kids...
Jonathan: That all of 'em?
Alright, I guess it's time to reminisce again. There's a bunch of newspaper clippings on the upper-right of Jonathan's office wall. Let's examine them!
Jonathan: This is an article from when I was rescued from the EMPS's emergency survival ball three years ago.
(You only need to examine the picture like this to advance to the next scene, but the article itself can also be examined.)
Jonathan: I'll read some of the article... "Astronaut Jonathan Ingram - presumed dead after an accident during a space walk in an EMPS prototype 25 years ago - has returned to Earth after being rescued by the unmanned exploration vessel Propagation. His miraculous survival is being attributed to the fact that he transferred himself to a self-equipped lifepod at the time of the accident and remained in cold sleep the entire time. He's gathering attention as a living example of the effects of 25 years of cold sleep on the human body." It took over a year for my muscles to regain their strength after I got back.
And the most interesting part about Jonathan can be attained from looking at the photo.
Jonathan fears space.
Picture; Look
Jonathan: I spent twenty-five years inside this tiny pod waiting to be rescued. I've had cosmophobia ever since. I just can't go back out there anymore.
Go Back
Jonathan: This was just a small article in a corner of the newspaper...
Alright. Next picture, on the upper-right.
Jonathan: This is an article reporting on the landing of the first manned mission to Mars. I took part in it while undergoing my Policenauts training. It was written...twenty-six years before the article about my rescue.
(That last line will differ depending on the order you read the articles in.)
Jonathan: The headline says... "Man Lands on Mars - Japanese-American-Russian Collaboration Makes History". I'll read some of the article... "The four astronauts - among them American Jonathan Ingram - of the collaborative Mars project between Japan, America and Russia, arrived at the Red Planet yesterday. This historic event comes forty years after man first set foot on the Moon."
Go back. Lower Left Clipping; Look
Jonathan: This is an article written at the time of Beyond Coast's completion. It was written about...two years before the article on the Mars landing. The headline says... "Long-Envisioned Space Colony Complete". I'll read some of the article... "Basic construction on mankind's first outer space colony, Beyond Coast - underway for several years near Lagrangian point L5 - has been completed. The first wave of immigration will be centered around scientists and engineers who will spend fourteen months performing checks and gathering data. Immigration is scheduled to be opened to the general public in three years' time."
Resident space science expert and ADTRW mod Zorak says: "Earth's Langrangian points are the five possible orbital configurations where a small object only affected by gravity can remain stationary relative to both the Earth and the Moon."
Furthermore: "An object placed in orbit around L5 (or L4) will remain there indefinitely without having to expend fuel to keep its position, whereas an object placed at L1, L2 or L3 (all points of unstable equilibrium) may have to expend fuel if it drifts off the point." (Source: Wikipedia)
Interestingly, examining the newspaper itself...
Jonathan: The newspaper is... The Neo Kobe Times, one of Japan's biggest papers.
And the last one.
Jonathan: This is an article about my accident that occurred during the EMPS space walk outside Beyond. It was written three years after the one about Beyond's completion. The headline says... "EMPS Prototype Malfunctions, Astronaut Ingram Missing". I'll read some of the article... "A malfunction occurred in the vernier thrusters of the Yuri EMPS prototype during a test space walk of the device yesterday. The Yuri had been scheduled to be used by the Policenauts outside the colony. The EMPS has since vanished without a trace. The Yuri is equipped with a basic survival ball, but because an SOS signal can't be isolated, the chances of test pilot Jonathan Ingram being found alive are thought to be slim. The official space walk had been scheduled for tomorrow."
Jonathan: I remember what Salvatore said... "Everyone back Home's gonna be watchin' this, Jonny boy. We can't afford no mistakes." Something along those lines. A lot of people were still opposed to space development back then. ...It all happened so fast. Before I knew it, the four of them were gone. Everything's a blur after that. When I came to, I was lying on a hospital bed...
That about does it for the newspaper clippings, but we've got two things left to examine.
These photos.
Left Photo; Look
Jonathan: This is a picture from when I was in LAPD. Me and my partner Ed were always together.
I guess Ed liked jazz.
Jonathan: Ed Brown... The one guy I'd trust with my life, my best friend...And a good partner.
Jonathan: The badge I've got on my desk is from those days. A replica of the one I had, anyway.
There's more backstory to be had if you examine the picture further - mainly how Jon and Ed got an award from the mayor, and this is most likely what led them to be chosen as Policenauts. If you examine the date, though...
Jonathan: March 12th, 2010... Me and Lorraine were a happy husband and wife.
Alright, alright, quit whining. The next photo over (and last one before the game moves on...)
Jonathan: This photo was taken to commemorate the selection of the Policenauts. Five officers out of all the world's police organizations were chosen and trained. We were called the "Original Cops", after the Mercury Program's Original Seven. We're all wearing ejection escape suits here. These are obsolete now. Back then, everyone thought the orange-colored suits were cool.
Indeed. The only thing you might be interested in this photo are which Policenauts are which. From left to right, it's Jonathan, Ed, Tokugawa, Salvatore, and Gates. Ed is still working in the space colony, Tokugawa is head of the "Tokugawa Group", Salvatore resigned over ten years ago, and Gates is a high ranking member of the BCPD. (Beyond Coast Police Dept. Duh.)
And suddenly... there's a knock at the door!
Jonathan: Not every day a client actually shows up on time...
Jonathan: Come in! Door's open.
And now to be a good LPer and end this on the only cliffhanger we could possibly have...
Woman: Hello, Jonathan. Jonathan: ...Lorraine?
Stay tuned next time for... well, talking to our estranged ex-wife! Hey Jon, if I were you, I'd put those photos in a drawer real quick.
Policenauts and Storytelling
From the game's glossary:
multi-process storytelling
A game development method that explores how to best combine a game's story with its interactivity. Previous adventure games have primarily used the concept of multiple endings to expand a game's interactivity, but this method does not ensure all players experience the best possible story structure the game has to offer. Policenauts takes the completely opposite approach, keeping the basic framework of the game unchanged, thereby allowing all players to appreciate the game's story and themes to their fullest, and instead changing small elements of the game's content in response to the player's pace and actions throughout the course of the game.
With this method, a player's individual actions, no matter how minute, are reflected in the game's dialogue and events, while the story and themes remain the same. This helps draw the player into the game and also frees the developers to fine-tune the story and ending in one fashion.
This method, previously found in Snatcher, has been advanced with Policenauts, offering one possibility for the future of interactive cinema.
SNATCHER SERIES Snatcher (Mega CD) [European] Snatcher (Saturn) [Japanese]
POLICENAUTS SERIES Policenauts Pilot Disk (3DO) [Japanese] Policenauts (3DO) [Japanese] Policenauts (PlayStation) [Japanese] Policenauts (Saturn) [Japanese] Policenauts (Saturn) [Japanese]
ZONE OF THE ENDERS SERIES Zone Of the Enders (PlayStation 2) [European] Zone Of the Enders: The Second Runner - Special Edition (PlayStation 2) [European]
BOKTAI SERIES boktai: The Sun Is In Your Hand! (Gameboy Advance) [European] boktai 2: Solar Boy Django (Gameboy Advance) [European]
OTHER SERIES Penguin Adventure (MSX) [European] Kabushiki Baibai Trainer Kabutore (DS) [Japanese]
KOJIMA-RELATED GAMES Konami Krazy Racers (Gameboy Advance) [European] Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii) [American]
This is really great. I love being able to finally get some understanding of the minor details mentioned in the game. Thanks a lot for all the work so far. I'm looking forward to the next part, already.
Oh, and if you wouldn't mind me asking; is the video of the current build of the patch, or is it just a video of the Japanese version with subtitles edited in with a video editing program? It's trivial stuff, I know, but I think it would be nice to know if this is what the text will look like in-game.
87th wrote:Oh, and if you wouldn't mind me asking; is the video of the current build of the patch, or is it just a video of the Japanese version with subtitles edited in with a video editing program? It's trivial stuff, I know, but I think it would be nice to know if this is what the text will look like in-game.
It's the latter case. If you want to know what the text will look like in the patch, think MGS1. Exact same font and everything.
SNATCHER SERIES Snatcher (Mega CD) [European] Snatcher (Saturn) [Japanese]
POLICENAUTS SERIES Policenauts Pilot Disk (3DO) [Japanese] Policenauts (3DO) [Japanese] Policenauts (PlayStation) [Japanese] Policenauts (Saturn) [Japanese] Policenauts (Saturn) [Japanese]
ZONE OF THE ENDERS SERIES Zone Of the Enders (PlayStation 2) [European] Zone Of the Enders: The Second Runner - Special Edition (PlayStation 2) [European]
BOKTAI SERIES boktai: The Sun Is In Your Hand! (Gameboy Advance) [European] boktai 2: Solar Boy Django (Gameboy Advance) [European]
OTHER SERIES Penguin Adventure (MSX) [European] Kabushiki Baibai Trainer Kabutore (DS) [Japanese]
KOJIMA-RELATED GAMES Konami Krazy Racers (Gameboy Advance) [European] Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii) [American]
I posted a topic requesting programmers for the patch on the Sonic Retro Message Board a couple of hours ago, by the way. There's plenty of talented hackers there, and a few Snatcher fans, so I thought it was worth asking over there.
Lorraine: Look at you... You haven't changed a bit. Me, I could probably pass for your mother now.
Jonathan: But...why? Why now?
Lorraine: I'm not expecting you to forgive me or anything. I know you must think I've got a lot of nerve coming here. But you're the only one who can help me.
Jonathan: What's wrong?
Lorraine: Something's happened to my husband.
Jonathan: ...I see. All right, well, come on in.
Lorraine: If it's okay with you, I'd rather not. You wouldn't recognize me... I just wouldn't feel comfortable. Jonathan: Fair enough, Lorraine. Or should it be "ma'am"? Anyway, why don't you fill me in on everything?
And now we get to play some more. Again, there's just a ton of detail here - you can examine everything from Lorraine's hair to her earrings to her... well body. (If you do, she asks you not to - she's an older woman now, after all.)
Lorraine's Hair; Look
Jonathan: You cut your hair, Lorraine?
Lorraine: Yeah, several years ago. I remember you liked my hair long.
Jonathan: Can't believe how long ago it actually was...
Lorraine; Talk
Jonathan: Lorraine?
Lorraine: Yes, Jonathan?
Oof. This is about where my Japanese-translating shuts off, my eyes glaze over and I start randomly clicking on things like a lab rat expecting a food pellet.
The options here are "Ask About/Talk About/Go Back". Let's try Ask About.
For the record, I did this playthrough without the translation, so if Jonathan seems to veer off-topic that's my fault for playing a text-heavy game while functionally illiterate.
Lorraine; Talk; Ask About
I won't show each and every menu in the tree, but it's really hard to play this game as an English speaker. There's huge lists that grow in options as you choose more and more things. To advance the game, you have to click some options twice, so the only suggestion I can make if you do want to attempt this is to try to remember one of the Kanji symbols in each choice for next time. Fortunately, Policenauts keeps your last choice selected, so it's at least not so bad, but it can get confusing.
Anyway, these options are "Her request," "Her family," and "Beyond."
Ask About; Her Request
Jonathan: So, you said something's happened to your husband?
Lorraine: Three weeks ago, my husband, Kenzo Hojo, left for work and simply never came home. I've been to his company and the police about it, but no one will talk to me.
Jonathan: And that's why you're trying Home?
Lorraine: I have a really bad feeling about the whole thing. I just know something's happened to him.
Jonathan: Maybe he wanted to disappear?
Lorraine: Yeah, right. This isn't Home we're talking about. How can someone just disappear on a space colony? It has to be connected with something.
Jonathan: Had he received any threats or anything?
Lorraine: No, nothing like that. It's like he just... vanished into thin air. Jonathan: It doesn't fit the profile of a ransom kidnapping, that's for sure.
Okay, so this is inappropriate and mood-killing, but I made the mistake of choosing this next:
Talk About; Yourself
Jonathan: All right, well, why don't I tell you about what's been going on with me? I've been working as a private investigator the past few years. As you've...probably guessed, finding clients can be a bit of a struggle, but I'm managing.
Lorraine: I see... That's good to hear.
I guess I got back on the ball here.
Ask About; Lorraine's Family
Jonathan: So do you have any kids, Lorraine?
Lorraine: I have a daughter. Her name's Karen.
Ask About; Her Daughter
Jonathan: Where does your daughter live?
Lorraine: Karen is a news anchor on Beyond.
Jonathan: A news anchor, huh?
Lorraine: Yeah, she's pretty famous there.
Ask About; Beyond
Jonathan: What's Beyond like these days?
Lorraine: It's different. A lot different. You wouldn't recognize it either. It's pretty much like any ordinary city now.
Ask About; Kenzo Hojo
Jonathan: So this guy Hojo you married... What kind of person is he?
Lorraine: Kenzo is also a Nisei. He's a pharmaceutical engineer for Tokugawa Pharmaceuticals, of the Tokugawa Group. He's honest and hard-working... He'd never hurt anyone. I brought a picture of him... There he is there.
Jonathan: Yeah, looks like a decent guy. ...And you look happy.
(Despite being in a freakin' headlock, from the looks of it.)
Lorraine: Yeah... Yeah, I am. Was. I'll let you hang onto that, yeah?
Jonathan: Little early for that, don't you think?
Ask About; Her Marriage to Hojo
Jonathan: How'd you guys meet?
Lorraine: I moved to Beyond right after your accident.
Jonathan: After how much you hated it?
Lorraine: I just...wanted to be closer to you any way I could... I met Kenzo at that Festival of Japan run by Tokugawa.
Jonathan: Festival of Japan?
Lorraine: It's a festival for Japanese people on Beyond.
Jonathan: So why were you there?
Lorraine: I have Japanese blood too, remember?
Ask About; Tokugawa
Lorraine: The conglomerate's reach doesn't stop at Beyond. They essentially run space, and ex-Policenaut Joseph Sadaoki Tokugawa runs the Group.
Jonathan: He's just as well known on Home as he is out there. If Hojo's a Tokugawa employee, I suppose we can't totally rule out he was kidnapped. You could get good money out of that.
Lorraine: No one on Beyond would even think of messing with Tokugawa. They'd be too afraid of the retaliation. It wouldn't be worth it.
Talk About; Old LA
Jonathan: This place really hasn't changed much since me and you were living here. The real LA was actually moved up north, though. We do get the odd bit of snow as well. Some crazy weather we've been having lately.
Lorraine: Snow in LA...
Jonathan: Even the city's metro system was shut down after the ghettoes had completely taken over.
Lorraine: Big difference from Beyond's growth.
Jonathan: The times have moved on, and this place was left behind.
Talk About; Your Work
Jonathan: On Home, kidnappings are becoming almost as frequent as rapes and robberies. Trafficking people has become more profitable than drugs or prostitution.
Lorraine: That's terrible.
Jonathan: It's unusual to hear about a case like yours these days.
Lorraine: So will you help me?
Jonathan: ...I need to hear more about what's happened first.
Show; Photo of the Hojos
Jonathan: So this is Hojo...
Lorraine: I actually don't have that many pictures of him. I'm sure it'll come in useful.
Jonathan: He looks like the type of guy Sadaoki would get along with.
Ask About; Beyond (2)
Lorraine: It'll be celebrating its thirtieth anniversary soon. Things have slowly gone downhill over the years, though. You're always looking over your shoulder wherever you go, if you know what I mean.
Jonathan: Yeah, I read you...
Lorraine: It's always been that way in the city. And like I was saying, Tokugawa's influence is everywhere. You could practically call the entire colony one big business. It's the same with all the regulations. Laws are written to the advantage of Tokugawa and the goods they deal in.
Ask About; Hojo's Behavior
Jonathan: Did you notice anything unusual about your husband before he disappeared?
Lorraine: All the years I knew him, he'd been your typical company employee. He'd get up, leave for work, then come walking through the door at the end of the day. Same schedule, day in, day out.
Jonathan: Quite a change from the offbeat hours a cop works.
Lorraine: But the past few months he'd become more...unpredictable, you might say.
Jonathan: Well, we can't really draw anything concrete from that. You think he'd become involved in something, though?
Lorraine: That's my gut feeling, yeah.
Jonathan: If there were indications of some sort of trouble beforehand, the chances of it being a ransom kidnapping are pretty slim.
Ask About; Clues
Jonathan: Lorraine, I'm gonna need more than just your instincts for this. Have you got anything you'd consider clues?
Lorraine: I have a couple of things Kenzo gave me. Some drug capsules and half of a leaf. I don't know what they mean, but they seem important.
Jonathan: Capsules and a leaf?
Lorraine: He told me, "If anything happens to me, give these to the police or someone you trust."
Jonathan: Someone you trust...
Lorraine: Not exactly something you'd say if you were planning on disappearing, huh?
Ask About; Capsules
Jonathan: Is that them?
Lorraine: Yeah, these are the capsules.
Jonathan: What are they for?
Lorraine: I've no idea.
Jonathan: I wonder if they're made by Tokugawa Pharmaceuticals.
Lorraine: Can I give them to you to hang onto?
Ask About; Leaf
Jonathan: What about that piece of a leaf?
Lorraine: Here it is.
Lorraine: I've never seen any leaf like it.
Jonathan: Why's it cut in half like this, anyway?
Lorraine: It was like that when I got it. Will you hold onto it for me for now?
Ask About; Clues (2)
Jonathan: Anything besides what you just gave me?
Lorraine: There was this one thing he kept repeating... "Plato ties into everything."
Jonathan: "Plato ties into everything"... What in the world could that mean?
Ask About; Plato
Jonathan: Plato... Could he have said "Pluto"?
Lorraine: I don't think so. We still haven't been to Pluto.
Jonathan: Well, I think you've given me a fairly good run-down of everything. It definitely doesn't seem like your ordinary disappearance.
Lorraine: So you'll help me, right? I'll pay you anything you want, dollars or yen - whatever.
Jonathan: Hold on a minute, Lorraine.
Now this is about the place in an LP where I'd leave things to you, but it actually doesn't matter what you'd say here. Jonathan is still a little freaked out by this whole scenario and he won't jump in face-first no matter what.
Accept Case (This video will take you through the end of the update. I recommend viewing it, but screenshots below are provided for completion's sake.)
Jonathan: Lorraine... I can't give you an answer straight away, but I'll think about it.
Lorraine: Jonathan, you mean you're... not going to help me?
Jonathan: I didn't say that. I just...need some time to think.
Lorraine: Sure...
Jonathan: Thanks. I'll hang onto these in the meantime.
Lorraine: Okay. I'll be in touch. I'll be staying at the Hotel New Rose in Beverly Hills until the weekend. Call me anytime.
(cue dramatic pause)
Lorraine: Jonathan... Again, I don't expect you to forgive me. I didn't wait for you. I'm sorry. I was so happy when I heard you'd been rescued. If only they'd...found you a little sooner, things would've been different. I just wanted you to know that.
Jonathan: How'd you get here?
Lorraine: I rented a car at the hotel. This old classic.
Jonathan: I see.
Lorraine: Well, it was nice seeing you again. Bye.
And with that, Lorraine leaves, and Jonathan does his anime character "Might as well talk to no one after the fact" thing.
Jonathan: Lorraine... I missed you too.
Jonathan: Like you wouldn't believe...
To be fair to our boy Jonathan, this accident only seems like a couple of years ago to him, which is strange because it's a quarter-century for everyone else. Plus, what kind of request is that? Hey, congratulations on surviving all that, but my new husband's missing so... find him?
You know you'd think they'd have hover cars or something in 2040, I mean, really.
Wait, footprints? This is no time for idle captioning
That can't be good.
Jonathan: Lorraine! Get away from the car!
Lorraine does an after-image turn which is positively resistant to good screen capture.
Here's the dialogue you get if you select "Decline Case":
Jonathan: I'm sorry, Lorraine, but do you think you could get someone else to look into it for you? I always told myself I'd never go back to Beyond. Space is just...too much for me now.
Lorraine: Jonathan...
Jonathan: I don't think I could handle something like that. If you'd like, I can introduce you to some other people I know. They might not be the most charming guys you'll ever meet, but believe me when I say you can trust them.
Lorraine: Jonathan, I didn't come here to try to hurt you. You really are the only one I've got. I'll be staying at the Hotel New Rose in Beverly Hills until the weekend. Please, if you change your mind, call me. Jonathan... Again, I don't expect you to forgive me. I didn't wait for you. I'm sorry. I was so happy when I heard you'd been rescued. If only they'd...found you a little sooner, things would've been different. I just wanted you to know that.
Jonathan: How'd you get here?
Lorraine: I rented a car at the hotel. This old classic.
Jonathan: I see.
Lorraine: Well, it was nice seeing you again. Bye.
I hate to say it, but there's one thing that Policenauts does a lot better than Snatcher, and it's combat.
Jonathan: Where'd he go?
Jonathan: He's got a gun!
Combat works more like a rail shooter; where the red light acts as the aiming reticule. Jon's gun is modified so while he has infinite ammo, he's limited to ten bullets in a clip. Once they're used, you have to reload. On the PSX, the circle button will do this for you - but in the original PC9821 version, you had to fire off-screen to reload. (This is also the case if you use a PS1 mouse.)
The Saturn version of the game did have light gun support.
Combat Sequence 1, in video
It starts with this guy hiding and taking cover from the mailbox. Hit him enough and...
He starts taking cover behind the lamppost and garbage can. He's pretty smart about not appearing where you aim, so just keeping waiting for him to reveal himself, and shoot him before he shoots you.
He won't hurt you too bad if he does connect, though. I'd say Jonathan can take about 12 hits, but you won't find yourself in that position, hopefully.
Keep fighting and...
Jonathan: I know I'm hitting him...
Jonathan: Outta the way, dammit!
Jonathan: Great... Now where's he hiding?
Welcome to the game's first puzzle. Can you find out where to shoot? (I hope so, because counting that garbled videophone message, it's pretty easy.)
Hit that extra pair of feet behind the signboard to continue the battle.
Win and he runs off.
...Down an alleyway.
Jonathan: He ran down the alley. I've got you now...
Control returns to exploration mode. There's a lot to see and do, but let's go after him.
Alley; Look
Jonathan: It's an alleyway. ...Goes back quite a bit.
Alley; Go Down
Jonathan: Okay, I'll head down the alley.
Jonathan: Where'd he go? He's fast all right. He just ran in here a second ago.
Note: Jonathan omits the part about the assailant being fast if you spent time examining stuff before entering the alley. He'll also make comments about how wasted too much time as you examine stuff.
Jonathan: Damn, I can't follow his footprints. This place obviously didn't get any of that snow.
Blood (?) Trail; Look
Jonathan: There's some sorta liquid on the ground. It looks like...milk? No.
This is good detective work. It would've been kinda weird if the guy had a jug of milk in that fight for no good reason.
Jonathan: White blood... This guy's running artificial blood?
Also, there's a reference to this in MGS4 - another major character has artificial white blood to increase his effectiveness in combat.
Alley; Look
Jonathan: Looks like it continues further back.
Move forward
Jonathan: Where is he? More blood? Is he around here?
Well, let's check the profanity first.
Dumpster; Look
Jonathan: This was done with spray paint. This doesn't look like his blood.
Garbage Bags; Look
Jonathan: These bags have been placed next to the dumpster. They're made out of biodegradable plastic. The plastic has started to decompose. They must've been here for a while.
This is another gating section - we have to examine enough so that Jonathan is satisfied and we can continue down the alley.
Blood Trail; Look
Jonathan: This more of his blood? He must be bleeding quite a lot. Huh? The trail stops here! Meaning he's somewhere around here?
Right-Hand Doorway; Look
Jonathan: There's something about that doorway... I'd better be careful if I'm gonna check it out. It matches up exactly with the blood trail too.
Left-Hand Doorway; Look
Jonathan: That other doorway is a possibility too.
Boxes; Look
Jonathan: These wooden boxes are filled with empty bottles. They'd be the perfect size to hide behind.
Drum; Look
Jonathan: Hmm... Doesn't look like he's inside here. No sign he used it to climb up somewhere else either. There aren't any bloodstains on it.
Suddenly, one of the garbage bags rustles.
Jonathan puts his police training to use and decides to just throw bullets at it. ...Well, okay then.
And predictably, our gunman comes from the right! He alternates between the two doorways. It's a little hard to adjust aim via PSX controller, but he's got very few places to hide, so it's not so tough.
He runs down the alleyway again.
Jonathan: The hell is this! No way anyone could take this many hits. Is this guy even human?
Go Forward
Jonathan: You're not getting away...
Jonathan: Come on, nobody's that fast... Whatever. It's a dead end up ahead. Huh? There's something on the ground.
Writing; Look
Jonathan: This is...writing. It's different from the graffiti on that dumpster.
Jonathan: You bastard... You think this is some kinda game?
Blood Trail; Look
Jonathan: He left this message for me. He couldn't have gotten very far, though.
Alley; Look
Jonathan: I can't see that great, but I'm pretty sure this is a dead end up ahead.
Go Forward
Jonathan: It's a dead end up here. No need to hurry. I should check this area out a little more.
Boxes On Left; Look
Jonathan: There's some wooden boxes piled up here. These are empty, though. There isn't enough room to hide behind these.
Boxes On Right; Look
Jonathan: There are more wooden boxes piled up here too. It doesn't look like he's hiding here.
Alley; Look (2)
Jonathan: There's nowhere to hide at all. It's a dead end up ahead. I just don't get it. There's nowhere he could've gone.
Message; Look
Jonathan: He wrote this in his own blood. I don't know who this guy is, but...Jesus Christ.
Left Wall; Look
Jonathan: This wall goes all the way back. There's nowhere he could hide.
And now, readers, I've been making the videos (except for the intro) optional up until now, but this update is suffixed with a mandatory viewing one. Enjoy.
Kojima games owned: Snatcher (kinda) Metal Gear (kinda) Metal Gear Solid Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
Favorite Game: Shenmue I, MGS, Snatcher, Zelda: Ocarina Of Time.
Kojima games owned: Metal Gear (NES) Metal Gear: Ghost Babel (GB) Metal Gear Solid (PSX) Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance (PS2) Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (PS2) Policenauts (Saturn/PSX/3DO) Snatcher (PC Engine/Mega CD) Zone Of The Enders (PS2) Zone Of The Enders 2: Special Edition (PS2) Super Smash Bros. Brawl; it counts, right? ;P
Wow, never saw this before. The game is fantastic, seeing it again after all this time, now translated. It looks like Marc's really done an excellent job, which cannot be emphasised quite enough. The dialogue is perfect, and is full of personality, I feel like I know Jonathan all ready, and this is only the beginning of the game!
Imagine the worst flight you've ever been on. Maybe it's interminably long, maybe there's a crying infant or someone keeps farting. Maybe there's no food, or the seat's uncomfortable, or a line for the bathroom. Or the in flight movie is Black Knight with Martin Lawrence.
Since you probably know about where this metaphor is headed, let's add the fact that it's a space flight and you've got cosmophobia. Not to mention the fact that it's roughly over two days to your destination, the space colony, Beyond Coast.
Now forget all that, because the worst part is you're sitting next to this guy.
Man: Are you okay? You look sick.
Wait, Jonathan looks sick?!
Jonathan: I'm...not too crazy about space...
Man: You have SAS? That is unusual. Is this your first time in space?
Policenauts Glossary wrote:
SAS
Life Science / Outer Space / Society
Acronym for Space Adaptation Syndrome. A type of temporary sickness caused by exposure to a weightless environment. It is said that the cause of SAS is a vestibular disorder, whereby the vestibular system undergoes a paralysis, causing one to lose one's sense of balance. Symptoms include dizziness, cold sweats, vomiting, headache, fatigue, and, in particular, a false feeling of falling over that does not occur in ordinary motion sickness. The most effective treatment is an intramuscular promethazine injection.
Conversely, the bodily changes experienced when moving from a zero G environment to a 1G environment are collectively called Earth Adaptation Syndrome.
Jonathan: No, I had an accident out here a long time ago. I've had cosmophobia ever since.
Man: I am sorry to hear that. Have you thought about asking one of the stewardesses for some medicine? The call button is the red switch on the wall.
Jonathan: I'm all right for now, thanks.
Man: Talking is the best way to keep the mind occupied.
Tony Redwood
(Kaneto Shiozawa)
Redwood: Fate must have brought us together for such a reason. My name is Tony Redwood. Nice to meet you.
Jonathan: Jonathan Ingram. Same here.
Welcome to the flight. This is about where I had the most trouble in the Prologue, since it took me awhile to figure out how the hell to advance to the next section. Also, I'm going to apologize in advance for the stewardess.
What makes the spaceplane a little boring is that - cinemas aside - this is one of two screens you get on the whole thing. I started with the Policenauts crest on Jonathan's jacket.
Crest; Look
Redwood: What is that crest on your jacket?
Jonathan: Oh, this is the Policenauts crest.
Redwood: The Policenauts? Oh yes, I vaguely remember them.
Alright, so Jonathan's freaked out by space and his purple-haired zombie passenger, so I looked over at the call buttons to the left.
Buttons; Look
Redwood: There is a button to call the stewardess and a button for the TV here.
So as not to give off the appearance of being rude, let's look at Redwood. I accidentally clicked on his shoulder strap seat-belt.
Redwood's Belt; Look
Jonathan: What are these belts for?
Redwood: In zero gravity, your blood collects in your head and chest, which can lead to insomnia. These belts make it easier to fall asleep.
(The stewardess you can call will also relay this information if you ask her about it, and if so, Tony will amend: "The stewardess mentioned that, did she not?" to this or any such "repeated" information. There's actually a lot of little textual touches in this sequence depending on the order in which you do things, how many times you do them, or of course, how you treat the other characters. You can actually fuck with what Tony and the stewardess think of you, though I'm honestly not aware of how - or if - that affects later sequences.)
Redwood; Talk
Jonathan: You up for talking?
Redwood: Sure.
Ask About; His Background
Jonathan: Why...is your skin that color?
Smooth, Jon.
Redwood: It is because of my artificial blood. My red blood cells are actually white.
Jonathan: (White blood...)
I know what you're thinking, because I'm thinking it, too. After thinking about it, though, I realized that Tony topped my suspect list because he's the only character I met so far who hadn't died in an explosion.
Redwood: I use first-generation artificial blood, which is simpler than the third-generation kind used on Home.
Jonathan: Are you from Beyond?
Redwood: Yes, I was born and raised there. I had a family matter to attend to on Home. This is me on my way back. And yourself? Are you a Terrestrial?
Jonathan: Not exactly. I used to be an Amphibian. You know, going back and forth between Home and Beyond...
Redwood: An Amphibian? You were one of the Amphibians?
Jonathan: It was a long time ago. Back when we were called "astronauts."
Ask About; His Job
Jonathan: First-generation artificial blood... Are you military?
Redwood: Something like that, yes. I am a Frozener, after all.
Ask About; Beyond
Redwood: It is a nice place. It has 1G artificial gravity and its own plant life ? Terrestrials enjoy it a lot there too. If you want detailed information, you should talk to the stewardess.
Ask About; Frozeners
Jonathan: What do you mean by "Frozener"?
Redwood: A Frozener is someone created from an artificially fertilized egg held in cryogenic storage by the government, who some people call "Breeders." The egg is then later transferred to a surrogate mother for gestation and delivery.
Jonathan: Oh yeah, I've heard a little about them.
Redwood: There is still a severe shortage of manpower in outer space.
Jonathan: You...you sound like I'm boring you.
(Admittedly, I don't quite understand that line.)
Ask About; Artificial Blood
Jonathan: What does having artificial blood do for somebody?
Redwood: Artificial blood has a higher oxygen transportation efficiency than normal blood, so it makes heavy blood loss less of a life-threatening condition. The body's functions are not negatively affected in areas of low oxygen density either.
Jonathan: Yeah, that's perfect for people working in space.
Again, this is referred to, almost exactly with regard to the reasoning, in MGS4.
Ask About; Arrival Time
(This one differs depending on when you ask him.)
Jonathan: When are we going to arrive?
Redwood: We are about one-third of the way there.
About here, I showed Tony all of my items - you'll notice Jonathan has two that he didn't explicitly pick up - the picture of him and Lorraine at Lucas World, and the picture of the original Policenauts.
Show; Photo of the Hojos
Redwood: I am sorry, who are they? I do not know them.
Jonathan: Yeah, I wouldn't really expect you to.
Show; Memento Photo
Jonathan: (This is the photo of me and Lorraine at Lucas World that was sitting on my desk. I figured it might come in handy for something.)
Redwood: Is that your wife?
Jonathan: No, not exactly...
Redwood: Oh, so is she your girlfriend? Something about her reminds me of the woman from that other photo. I guess the ages are too far apart, though.
(As you might expect, Redwood only appends that information if you've shown him the picture of the Hojos first.)
Show; Capsules
Redwood and the other character on this plane assume that the capsules are for zero-gravity sickness. (SAS)
Redwood: I am a Beyond, so I am all right.
Show; Leaf
Redwood: What kind of leaf is that?
Show; Policenauts Photo
Redwood: A Policenauts photo? That photo is about as rare as that crest. You do not see that photo much anymore. The Policenauts are from before I was born.
Well, that's enough of Tony. Let's watch some TV and pretend we aren't sitting next to a damned Shibito.
Button; TV
Jonathan:
(I guess I'll try watching some TV.)
(That name sound familiar?)
Hello, and welcome to News Order.
The number of Narc addicts on Beyond has reached an all-time high.
BCPD recently established a Narc task force in an effort to determine how the drug is reaching the colony from Earth.
Narc is a semi-synthetic narcotic whose main ingredient is black poppy opium.
It combines the addictiveness of morphine with the hallucinogenic properties of LSD, and has been nicknamed by some as simply "the drug."
The ISPA estimates that over 30% of individuals involved with space development are Narc users, and it expects that number to continue to rise.
This is Karen Hojo reporting.
Jonathan: BBC? Where's this from?
Redwood: That is a news program from Beyond. It is made by Beyond Coast Broadcasting, or "BBC" for short.
And it was here that I called the stewardess. I actually spent about fifteen minutes going back and forth between her and Tony at this point in my playthrough, so we're going to abridge some of this and show you a little of what you can do with her.
Again, I'm so sorry.
Stewardess: Yes, how may I help you? Oh, you don't look too good. Have you got SAS?
Jonathan: Looks like it.
Stewardess: The best thing you can do is try to relax.
Jonathan: Thanks.
Stewardess: Is there anything I can do for you?
For the record, this is where it's really bad to play a Japanese adventure game when you can't read the language.
...
-:siren:- Hideo Kojima Perversion Zone -:siren:-
Legs; Look
Jonathan: You have...exquisite legs.
Stewardess: Thank you. But in zero gravity, the legs appear thinner than normal because your blood collects in the upper half of your body. It's called "bird leg."
That... went surprisingly well.
Uniform; Look
Jonathan: Your uniform is a nice color. It really brings out your curves too.
Stewardess: We wear a rubber undershirt. It helps prevent the muscles from atrophying in zero gravity.
Again, not too bad. Maybe this won't be so bad after-
Breasts; Look
Oh, goodness...
Jonathan: Oh...! Are you by any chance not wearing a bra? They look so...perky.
Stewardess: That's right. You don't need a bra in zero gravity, nor do you need to worry about your hips, breasts or cheeks sagging.
... Wow. It is uh... really hard to offend people in 2040.
Breasts; Touch
Wait, I didn't-!
:nws: Note: This video contains no nudity and is technically work safe, but it is not something I would personally like a coworker to catch me watching. You've been warned. :nws:
Stewardess: What are you doing?!
Now, and this is fucking unbelievable, the stewardess can consider you a pervert and start reacting more harshly toward Jonathan, but somehow after doing those things, she did not. Apparently, this is still somewhat acceptable behavior in 2040.
Great.
...Of course, you can do more like:
Legs; Touch
Jonathan: You mind if I touch your legs?
Stewardess: Aah! What are you doing?!
Jonathan: I just thought I'd take a hands-on approach to learning about the effects of zero gravity, that's all.
I think at this point, you better wrap shit up, Jon.
Crotch; Look
Jonathan: (Wonder if I can sneak a peek of that little piece of heaven...)
Jonathan: (...I forgot how nice zero gravity can be.)
Stewardess: What are you doing?! I thought you were feeling sick?
Jonathan: I'm a little better now.
Great.
-:siren:- Perversion Zone over -:siren:-
Welcome back. We're just gonna pretend none of that happened.
Talk; Ask About; Beyond
Stewardess: Beyond Coast, mankind's first space colony, was completed in 2010. Since immigration was opened to the general public in 2013, the colony's population has grown to approximately 1 million people. Nearly one-third of the current population is comprised of second-generation inhabitants.
Ask About; SAS
Stewardess: The medical definition of Space Adaptation Syndrome, or SAS as it's called for short, is the symptoms a person experiences during adaptation to zero gravity. It varies from person to person, but around 50% of people develop some form of symptoms within one to two hours of their first time entering weightlessness.
Show; Photo of the Hojos
Jonathan: You ever seen the man in this photo before?
Stewardess: I'm sorry, I don't know either of them.
Show; Memento Photo
Jonathan: What do you think of this picture?
Stewardess: Wow, she's beautiful.
Show; Capsules
Jonathan: You ever seen capsules like these before?
Stewardess: Oh, you're carrying medication? If you're feeling sick, I have medication for SAS with me.
Show; Leaf
Jonathan: Any idea what kinda leaf this is?
Stewardess: Is that a pressed leaf from Earth? Don't forget that if you're taking plants into Beyond, they need to be inspected at the spaceport.
Face; Look
Jonathan: You're cute. Your face seems a little chubby for your body, though.
Stewardess: In zero gravity, your blood collects in the upper half of your body, causing your face to swell up a little. It's called "Moon face."
Ask About; Plane; Toilet
Stewardess: In accordance with stricter space debris regulations, this plane doesn't eject waste out into space like before. So you won't get the chance to see any "space fireflies" like Project Mercury's Astronaut Glenn, or "milky ways" like Aurora 7's Astronaut Carpenter.
Ask About; SAS; Symptoms
Stewardess: Symptoms include dizziness, cold sweats, vomiting, headache and fatigue, and are often accompanied by a false feeling of falling over that doesn't occur in normal motion sickness. The longest they usually last is about two days, however, so you should be fine by the time we arrive at Beyond.
Stewardess: If it's bothering you that much, do you want to take something for it?
Ask About; SAS; Treatment
Stewardess: Generally speaking, the most effective form of treatment available would be to give an intramuscular injection of promethazine, but because SAS varies from person to person, there are currently no medications capable of alleviating all its symptoms. While it's somewhat rudimentary, the best thing you can do for it is to keep your head as still as possible.
Ask About; Beyond; Size
Stewardess: Well, the colony is a cylinder type, 6.5 kilometers in diameter and 32 kilometers in length. It makes one complete rotation every 2 minutes, creating artificial gravity virtually equal to that of Earth's 1G. The colony's surfaces and mirrors are divided into three sections around its central axis, with each section having an area of 90 square kilometers. It's the first and last O'Neill colony.
Ask About; Beyond; Distance
Stewardess: The distance between Earth and the colony is approximately 380,000 kilometers, which is about the same as the distance between Earth and the Moon.
Ask About; Beyond; Climate
Stewardess: By changing the angles of its three solar mirrors, Beyond is able to create the effect of day and night, and also maintain a mild temperature all year round. Its climate is almost identical to that of the west coast of the United States. That's the other reason it's called "Beyond Coast."
Ask for Medicine
Jonathan: Do you think you could give me something for my SAS?
Stewardess: It must be really uncomfortable for you. But even if you take something now, it won't take effect right away.
Jonathan: Yeah, I know.
Stewardess: We have oral drugs as well as electroporation patches, but between you and me, they're really only placebos for the most part. What would you like to do?
Take One
Stewardess: Here's a Relaxaphex, then.
Jonathan: Relaxaphex? Who makes this?
Stewardess: Tokugawa Pharmaceuticals.
Jonathan: Tokugawa Pharmaceuticals, huh... Thanks. Let's give it a shot...
This opens up the option...
Flirt
Jonathan: If you're free, how about showing me around Beyond?
Stewardess: Sorry, but I wouldn't feel comfortable around a pervert like you.
At least she has good taste. Let's go back to Tony.
(Note: She actually says this no matter how you act earlier.)
Let Her Go
Stewardess: Can I assist you with anything else?
Jonathan: No, thanks a lot.
If you've taken the pill, Jonathan will no longer be sweating.
It turns out that the stewardess is completely optional. All you really have to do to advance to the next scene is look at Tony, talk to him, and then click outside the screen for the "Go to sleep" option.
But first, let's watch some more space television.
Hello, and welcome to News Order.
Moving onto other news...
The worldwide supply of transplant organs is nearing exhaustion.
The numerous negative effects of space on the human body have led to an explosion in the rates of illnesses and abnormalities caused by weightlessness and cosmic rays.
Anxiety is growing over the need for a rapid solution.
The ISPA is calling on transplant-developing nations on Earth to join space's donor network.
This is Karen Hojo reporting.
Go To Sleep (This is the end of the Prologue)
Redwood: Why not try sleeping for a while?
Jonathan: Yeah, I think I will. My SAS has finally subsided.
Redwood: I will wake you if anything happens.
Jonathan: Thanks.
Ladies and gentlemen, we will shortly be arriving at Beyond Coast Spaceport.
In the arrival area you will each be required to undergo a space medical exam before going through immigration and customs.
We will now be distributing beverages and salt tablets to help replenish bodily fluids lost during the flight. Thank you once again from all of us here for choosing American Space Lines. We look forward to serving you again in the future.
Cabin crew, prepare for docking.
Firing attitude thrusters.
Moving into Beyond-orbit.
Rendezvous and docking laser locked on.
And that is the end of the Prologue.
Policenauts and Groping
Before I'd contacted Marc, I had played through the game and one of the bigger problems I had was the bouncing stewardess. I didn't really know what exactly was going on. In the first version I played, the PC9821 version, you're given this option if you click anywhere on the stewardess and the partial translation I was using said:
"Try the middle option. Trust me. "
I guess I should have learned by now to never trust the Internet. Interestingly, according to Wikipedia, all the women in Policenauts can be groped. Hideo Kojima is not the most progressive of game designers. Fortunately for the last modicum of good taste left in the game, this is not true. Lorraine, and the women I met in Act 1 - most notably Meryl - can't be wobbled or... whatever.
Groping - actually even meeting - the stewardess is completely optional and while I considered omitting it entirely, at the end of the day, it's a juvenile little Easter Egg Kojima put in to appease his fanbase. For the record, Policenauts is not the only Kojima game to include stuff like this that makes you stop admitting to watching anime. Other lecherous Kojima heroes include:
Sega CD Gillian Seed, who can shamelessly beg recently orphaned 18-year-old model Katrina Gibson, even after seeing her father ruthlessly beheaded. Let's not forget walking in on her in the shower.
MSX Gillian Seed, however, is allegedly far worse and actually drops his pants when he meets Katrina. Yikes.
Solid Snake pretty much puts everything second when trolling for booty. This includes asking Holly White on a date in Metal Gear 2, and flirting with Mei Ling, Naomi, and Meryl in Metal Gear Solid.
Metal Gear Solid 3 and 4 lets you "jiggle" Eva and Rosemary by rotating Eva in the Survival Viewer and shaking the Sixaxis controller during a Codec call with Rose. Lovely.
But possibly my second most unnecessary moment in, "Is Kojima ever not thinking about sex?" is again in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater when Ocelot accidentally - and a little gratuitously - grabs Eva's breast. Why so bad? Because it's used as a plot point later in the game!
And the most unnecessary sex thing in a Kojima game? Making me play as Raiden while my game camera is pointed squarely at his naked ass cheeks for a good ten minutes. Yes, this is exactly what my stealth games were missing, thank you.
(P.S. How the heck do you get embed Viddler videos here, anyways?)
Kojima games owned: Zone of The Enders Anubis: Zone of The Enders Metal Gear Solid Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Policenauts (PS)
this is so awesome, just finished prologue, bit lost in translation at times, but overall fantastic walkthoughs. really want the translated version but to be honest, having this at my side and playing my copy at the same time really wasnt that bad! wouldnt mind at all going through the whole thing with it, although the time saver to have it all in one place wouldnt be bad either. i wish i could help with the project
[url=http://www.losangelescaraccidentattorney.co][color=#889095]Los Angeles car accident attorney[/color][/url] wrote:I don't think I have ever seen this game before. My buddy used to play it and I told him that I had played it before, but he did not buy it until his buddy told him. Weird situation, I know. The game is fantastic, seeing it again after all this time, now translated. It looks like Marc's really done an excellent job, which cannot be emphasised quite enough. The dialogue is perfect, and is full of personality, I feel like I know Jonathan all ready, and this is only the beginning of the game!
I agree with Guy Henry.The Game is really amazing The translations are perfect and animation specially impressed me.
"
The translations are perfect and animation specially impressed me. 