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is a cinematic adventure game
Adventure game

An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story that is driven by exploration and puzzle instead of physical challenges such as combat....
, with a Hard science fiction
Hard science fiction

Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by an emphasis on scientific or technical detail, or on scientific accuracy, or on both....
 storyline published by Konami
Konami

is a leading video game developer and video game publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, Japanese arcade cabinetss and video games....
, written and directed by Hideo Kojima
Hideo Kojima

is a Japanese game designer originally employed at Konami. Formerly the vice president of Konami Computer Entertainment Japan, he is currently the head of Kojima Productions....
. It was initially released for the PC-9821 computer platform in 1994, followed by remade versions for the 3DO
3DO Interactive Multiplayer

The 3DO Interactive Multiplayer was a video game console originally produced by Panasonic in . Further renditions of the hardware were released in by Sanyo and LG Group....
 in 1995, and PlayStation
PlayStation

The PlayStation is a 32-bit history of video game consoles video game console released by Sony Computer Entertainment in December .The PlayStation was the first of the ubiquitous PlayStation ....
 and Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn

The is a 32-bit video game console that was first released on November 22 1994 in Japan, May 11 1995 in North America, and July 8 1995 in Europe. The system was discontinued in 2000 in video gaming in Japan and in 1998 in video gaming in other countries....
 in 1996. The game has never been officially released outside Japan, despite plans for an English localization of the Saturn version.

Policenauts, like Snatcher
Snatcher

is a cyberpunk-themed adventure game published by Konami and originally written and directed by Hideo Kojima. It was first released in Japan in 1988 in video gaming for the NEC PC-8801 and MSX2 computer platforms, followed by a video game remake CD-ROM version for the PC Engine in 1992 in video gaming, as well versions for the PlayStation and Seg...
 before it, pays various homage
Homage

Homage is generally used in modern English language to mean any public show of respect to someone to whom one feels indebted. In this sense, a reference within a creative work to someone who greatly influenced the artist would be an homage....
s to previously-existing films, the most obvious being Jonathan's and Ed's (the main characters) respective resemblances to Riggs and Murtaugh from Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon

Lethal Weapon is a 1987 in film action film, the first in a film series of Cinema of the United States that were released in 1987, Lethal Weapon 2, Lethal Weapon 3, and Lethal Weapon 4, all directed by Richard Donner and starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as a mismatched pair of Los Angeles Police Department detectives....
.






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Encyclopedia


is a cinematic adventure game
Adventure game

An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story that is driven by exploration and puzzle instead of physical challenges such as combat....
, with a Hard science fiction
Hard science fiction

Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by an emphasis on scientific or technical detail, or on scientific accuracy, or on both....
 storyline published by Konami
Konami

is a leading video game developer and video game publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, Japanese arcade cabinetss and video games....
, written and directed by Hideo Kojima
Hideo Kojima

is a Japanese game designer originally employed at Konami. Formerly the vice president of Konami Computer Entertainment Japan, he is currently the head of Kojima Productions....
. It was initially released for the PC-9821 computer platform in 1994, followed by remade versions for the 3DO
3DO Interactive Multiplayer

The 3DO Interactive Multiplayer was a video game console originally produced by Panasonic in . Further renditions of the hardware were released in by Sanyo and LG Group....
 in 1995, and PlayStation
PlayStation

The PlayStation is a 32-bit history of video game consoles video game console released by Sony Computer Entertainment in December .The PlayStation was the first of the ubiquitous PlayStation ....
 and Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn

The is a 32-bit video game console that was first released on November 22 1994 in Japan, May 11 1995 in North America, and July 8 1995 in Europe. The system was discontinued in 2000 in video gaming in Japan and in 1998 in video gaming in other countries....
 in 1996. The game has never been officially released outside Japan, despite plans for an English localization of the Saturn version.

Policenauts, like Snatcher
Snatcher

is a cyberpunk-themed adventure game published by Konami and originally written and directed by Hideo Kojima. It was first released in Japan in 1988 in video gaming for the NEC PC-8801 and MSX2 computer platforms, followed by a video game remake CD-ROM version for the PC Engine in 1992 in video gaming, as well versions for the PlayStation and Seg...
 before it, pays various homage
Homage

Homage is generally used in modern English language to mean any public show of respect to someone to whom one feels indebted. In this sense, a reference within a creative work to someone who greatly influenced the artist would be an homage....
s to previously-existing films, the most obvious being Jonathan's and Ed's (the main characters) respective resemblances to Riggs and Murtaugh from Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon

Lethal Weapon is a 1987 in film action film, the first in a film series of Cinema of the United States that were released in 1987, Lethal Weapon 2, Lethal Weapon 3, and Lethal Weapon 4, all directed by Richard Donner and starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as a mismatched pair of Los Angeles Police Department detectives....
. The game centers on a detective who travels to a space colony to investigate the circumstances surrounding his ex-wife's murder and her new husband's sudden disappearance.

Gameplay

The game is set in a primarily first person perspective and uses a point-and-click
Point-and-click

Point-and-click is the action of a User moving a Cursor to a certain location on a Visual display unit and then pressing a Computer mouse button, usually the left one , or other pointing device....
 interface: the player can move the cursor and have the protagonist (Jonathan Ingram) analyze objects around his environment or talk to other characters in the game. Like in Snatcher, the game features shooting segments where the player must defend their character from incoming enemies. The player can use the shooting trainer at the police department to test their reflex and accuracy. There are numerous puzzles in the game, including an event where the player must dismantle a bomb by following their partner's instructions.

The console versions of the game all include support for their respective mouse
Mouse (computing)

In computing, a mouse is a pointing device that functions by detecting dimension motion relative to its supporting surface. Physically, a mouse consists of an object held under one of the user's hands, with one or more buttons....
  peripherals. The Saturn version features light gun
Light gun

A light gun is a pointing device for computers and a controller for arcade game and video game console.Modern screen-based light guns work by building a sensor into the gun itself, and the on-screen target emit light rather than the gun....
 support for the shooting segments.

Story


Plot and setting

The game centers on Jonathan Ingram, one of the five "Policenauts", astronauts with police training, assigned to ensure the safety of Beyond Coast, mankind's first fully-functional space colony in the year 2013. A freak accident occurs while testing a new space walking suit and Jonathan is drifted away into space and is presumed dead by his colleagues. He is found alive and well nearly 25 years later thanks to the cold-sleep module connected to the suit. Three years later, Jonathan (now a private investigator working in the former Los Angeles) is visited by his former wife, Lorraine. She asks for Jonathan's help in solving the disappearance of her current husband, Kenzo Hojo, the only clues he left behind being a torn leaf, a set of capsules, and the word "Plato". Jonathan is reluctant to take her case at first. However, after Lorraine leaves his office, she is attacked and murdered by a man in a black motorcycle suit. Jonathan, unable to catch the culprit, decides to fulfill his ex-wife's final request and travels to Beyond. There he is reunited with his former partner from his LAPD days, Ed Brown, who agrees to help Jonathan investigate the circumstances surrounding Hojo's disappearance and Lorraine's murder.

Characters


The protagonist. One of the five "Original Cops" (a nickname given in likeness to Project Mercury
Project Mercury

Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program of the United States. It ran from 1959 through 1963 with the goal of putting a human in orbit around the Earth....
's "Original Seven") that formed the Policenauts. He was stranded in space for 25 years after a space-walking accident, only to be found alive, thanks to the cryogenic sleep module in his suit. As a result, he is physically younger than his real age. Voiced by Hideyuki Tanaka
Hideyuki Tanaka

is a veteran seiyu born November 12, 1950 in Tokyo, Japan. He is a graduate of the Toho Gakuen School of Music and is currently represented by Aoni Production....


The chief of Beyond Coast Police's (BCP) Vice Unit. He was Jonathan's partner during their days in the LAPD and was also one of the Original Cops. He renews his partnership with Jonathan to solve Lorraine's murder. Voiced by Shozo Iizuka
Shozo Iizuka

is a male seiyu from Fukushima Prefecture who is affiliated with Sigma Seven. He graduated from the fine arts department of Nihon University.He is most known for the roles of Hakaider , Major characters of Crash Bandicoot#Doctor Neo Cortex , Ryu Jose , Heart , Happosai Ueda , Nappa and Sergeant Bosco Albert "B.A." Bachus ...
.


Lorraine's daughter, a popular anchorwoman at Beyond who bears a striking resemblance to her mother. Voiced by Kikuko Inoue
Kikuko Inoue

is a popular Japanese people seiyu and singer born on September 25, 1964 in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. She has been part of the singing groups DoCo and Goddess Family Club, among others....
.


A member of the Advance Police (AP) Unit, BCP's equivalent of a Swat Team. He is a "Frozener", a race of artificially-conceived humans who possess genes best suited for an extraterrestrial environment. He is an ace pilot who can control his EMPS mecha as if it was an extension of his own body. Voiced by Kaneto Shiozawa
Kaneto Shiozawa

His stage name originated from the Japanese director Kaneto Shindo....
.


One of the Original Cops, Becker is the chief of the BCP and the commander of the AP Unit. Voiced by Osamu Saka
Osamu Saka

is a veteran seiyu who works for Aoni Production.He is most known for the roles of Wheeljack , Seitaro Sakaki , Jotaro Honma , and Daisuke Aramaki ....
.


One of the Original Cops, he left BCP to succeed his family's business, the Tokugawa Group. He is the most powerful man on Beyond and wields considerable influence over the colony's media. Voiced by Iemasa Kayumi
Iemasa Kayumi

is a male seiyu, actor, and narrator from the Tokyo Metropolitan area. He is currently affiliated with 81 Produce....
.


One of the "Original Cops". He quits his job as a police officer due to his dissatisfaction with the lifestyle and now serves as the chief of security at Tokugawa's Moon Plant. Voiced by Masaharu Sato
Masaharu Sato

is a veteran seiyu born March 15, 1946 in Tokyo, Japan. He currently works for Aoni Production.Along with the late Koji Totani, he is considered the No....
.


A member of BCP's Vice Unit, Meryl is a former member of High Tech Special Forces Unit FOXHOUND and is usually seen wearing military gear. She serves as the basis for the Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid

is a stealth game video game directed and written by Hideo Kojima. The game was video game developer by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and first video game publisher by Konami in 1998 in video gaming for the PlayStation video game console....
 character of the same name and they share a voice actor. Voiced by Megumi Terase
Kyoko Terase

is a seiyu currently employed by Aoni Production. She currently resides in Tokyo. In the past, she has been credited under the stage name ....
.


Meryl's partner within the Vice Unit. Unlike Meryl, Dave is a pacifist who prefers to disarm convicts rather than outright killing them. He wears an orange vest and goggles, and usually appears eating a hamburger. Voiced by Bin Shimada
Bin Shimada

is a seiyu born on November 20, 1954 in Niigata, Niigata, Japan. He is currently employed by the talent management firm Aoni Production....
.


Jonanthan's ex-wife. Lorraine visits Jonathan at his office on Earth, asking him to search for her current husband, Kenzo. She is then murdered by a masked assassin after leaving his place. Voiced by Chiyoko Kawashima
Chiyoko Kawashima

Kawashima Chiyoko is a former seiyu who was born on June 2, 1954 in Tokyo.She retired from voice-acting in 2001; her final role was that of Kusakabe Maron's mother in "Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne"....
.


An attractive middle-aged woman who is the director of the Beyond Coast Central Hospital (BCCH). Voiced by Chiyoko Kawashima.


Ed's teenage daughter, who is a college
College

File:Government college for Women Dhoke Kala Khan.JPGCollege is a term most often used today to denote an education institution. More broadly, it can be the name of any group of collegialitys, for example, an electoral college, a College of Arms or the College of Cardinals....
 student. She has taken over all household duties at the Brown residence after her mother, Catherine (Ed's wife), died. Voiced by Yumi Toma
Yumi Toma

is a Japanese singer and seiyu from Chiba, Chiba. She has been part of the singing group Goddess Family Club. Toma also works for Aoni Production....
.


Ed's adopted son, whose real father, Ridley, was killed by Ed in a drug-related shoot-out. Since the incident, Marc has been unable to speak. His "speech" is limited to vain spasmic attempts, which are done by Junko Hagimori
Junko Hagimori

is a seiyu who works for Aoni Production....
 (who also voiced a female extra in the game).


Lorraine's current husband, and the head of Tokugawa's Drug Delivery System development team. Disappeared without a trace before the present events of the story. He is unvoiced.


An elderly Russian scientist who works for the BCP as a forensic pathologist. Uses a tool called AID (Auto-analysis Identification Device), which is operated by an A.I.
Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science which aims to create it. Major AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents,"...
 named Gorby
Mikhail Gorbachev

Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a Russian politician. He was the last General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, serving from 1985 until 1991, and also the last head of state of the USSR, serving from 1988 until its collapse in 1991....
. Voiced by Kohei Miyauchi
Kohei Miyauchi

was a veteran Japanese seiyu born in Kagoshima Prefecture. His real name was 'Takayuki Miyauchi' and his nickname was "Miya-chan". At the time of Miyauchi's death, he was represented by Aoni Production....
.


A pharmacist working for the BCCH. Voiced by Naoki Tatsuta
Naoki Tatsuta

is a seiyu born on September 8, 1950 in Naga, Wakayama, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. He is employed by the talent management firm Aoni Production.He is most known for the roles of Buta Gorilla , Daima Jin , Oolong , Ashibe's Father , and Scoop-kun ....
.


A receptionist and security guard at Tokugawa Pharmaceuticals. Voiced by Nobutoshi Canna
Nobutoshi Canna

is a seiyu who was born on June 10, 1968 in Tokyo. Canna is currently affiliated with Aoni Production.He is most known for the roles of Tasuki , Ban Mido , Basara Nekki , Kabuto Yakushi , Knuckles the Echidna and Li Pailong ....
.


Release history


Versions

Pc98pnauts
Policenauts was first released for the NEC PC-9821 on July 29, 1994. The PC-98 came in one CD-ROM
CD-ROM

CD-ROM is a pre-pressed Compact Disc that contains Computer data storage accessible to, but not writable by, a computer. While the Compact Disc format was originally designed for music storage and playback, the 1985 Yellow Book standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of Binary file....
 that included an installation floppy disk. All the cut-scenes were rendered using actual game graphics.

The first console version was released for the 3DO
3DO Interactive Multiplayer

The 3DO Interactive Multiplayer was a video game console originally produced by Panasonic in . Further renditions of the hardware were released in by Sanyo and LG Group....
 on September 29, 1994, comprised of two CD-ROMs. Animated cut-scenes were added to this version along with CG animation
Computer animation

Computer animation is the art of creating moving images with the use of computers. It is a subfield of computer graphics and animation....
, and all the graphics were redrawn. The PlayStation
PlayStation

The PlayStation is a 32-bit history of video game consoles video game console released by Sony Computer Entertainment in December .The PlayStation was the first of the ubiquitous PlayStation ....
 version (January 19, 1996), also on two discs, made further additions by digitally fixing most of the graphics and movies from the 3DO version. The last console version, released for the Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn

The is a 32-bit video game console that was first released on November 22 1994 in Japan, May 11 1995 in North America, and July 8 1995 in Europe. The system was discontinued in 2000 in video gaming in Japan and in 1998 in video gaming in other countries....
 (September 13, 1996), on three discs, added support for Sega's Virtua Gun light gun
Light gun

A light gun is a pointing device for computers and a controller for arcade game and video game console.Modern screen-based light guns work by building a sensor into the gun itself, and the on-screen target emit light rather than the gun....
 peripheral.

Prior to releasing the standard version of the game, Konami issued the Policenauts: Pilot Disk for the 3DO on April 21 1995. This disc contains a playable demo, an encyclopedia of the game's backstory, featurette
Featurette

Featurette is a term used in the American film industry to designate a film whose length is approximately three quarters of a reel, or about 20-44 minutes in running time - thus midway between a short subject and a feature film; thus it is a "small feature" ....
s, and information about the game's voice actors and developers. Policenauts: Private Collection was released for the PlayStation on February 9 1996, featuring much of the same content as the Pilot Disk, adding an earlier version of the game's script as well. The encyclopedia, featurettes and shooting trainer are included as hidden features in the Saturn version.

The PlayStation version has been re-issued twice. The first time was under the "Konami the Best
The Best range

The Best range is the Sony PlayStation budget range in Japan and parts of Asia. For the PlayStation, The Best was followed by PSone Books when the PSone was released in 2000....
" label on September 18, 1997. A second reissue under the "PSone Books" series was released on August 7, 2003. The game was added to the PlayStation Store
PlayStation Store

The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable games consoles via the PlayStation Network....
's Japanese Game Archives on May 15, 2008, making the game downloadable for the PSP
PlayStation Portable

The PlayStation Portable is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. Development of the console was first announced during History of E3#During the Rise of Online Gaming , and it was unveiled on May 11, 2004 at a Sony press conference before E3 2004....
 and PS3
PlayStation 3

The PlayStation 3 is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment, and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation ....
.

English localization

The Saturn version of Policenauts was officially announced for American release by Konami on May 1996. A mock-up cover art was produced and featured on a promotional Sega pamphlet packaged with certain games. However, the American version was never released. According to Kojima, work began on the American version, but the developers were unable synch the English dialogue with the animated FMV
Full motion video

Full motion video based games, usually abbreviated as FMV-based games, are video games that rely upon pre-recorded television-quality film or animation rather than Sprite , vector graphics or 3D models to display action in the game....
 cut-scenes. However, it is frequently speculated that the English version was cancelled due to the decline of the Saturn in the US at that time.

A fan translation of the game has been produced, which has gained attention from the video game media. Although the translation of the game content was nearly complete by the summer of 2007 , the translation project could not find a programmer to insert the translated material into a version of the game and progress ground to a halt. In August of 2008, prominent Something Awful
Something Awful

Something Awful, often abbreviated to SA, is a comedy website housing a variety of content, including blog entries, Internet forum, feature articles, digitally edited pictures, and humorous media reviews....
 forum member slowbeef began experimenting with approaches to add text to the PS1
PlayStation

The PlayStation is a 32-bit history of video game consoles video game console released by Sony Computer Entertainment in December .The PlayStation was the first of the ubiquitous PlayStation ....
 version of the game which led to a revival of the project.

The Translation patch is currently under alpha testing.

Soundtracks

A total of four Policenauts related music albums have been released by King Records
King Records

is a Japanese record company, founded in 1931 in music as a division of Japanese publisher Kodansha. It became and began operating as an independent entity in the 1950s, but remains part of the publisher's Otowa Group....
 and Konami in Japan. An original soundtrack and three arranged albums.

Policenauts (original soundtrack)

Its catalog number is KICA-7653. Released on February 3, 1995. The soundtrack to the original PC-9821 version of Policenauts. Contains 38 tracks ripped from the game's PCM music.



Policenauts F/N

Released on November 1, 1996. Its catalog number is KICA-7724. Contains arranged versions of music from the game's soundtrack composed by Motoaki Furukawa
Motoaki Furukawa

is a Japanese composer, arranger, and producer for Konami. He was also the main guitarist for Konami's in-house band, KuKeiHa CLUB . Furukawa has produced songs for several KONAMI franchises, including Gradius, Salamander , and Policenauts....
 and Koichi Namiki.

Track listing
  1. "Just Who I Need to See"
  2. "My Love"
  3. "Ana's Theme"
  4. "Theme of News Order"
  5. "Lavender"
  6. "The Movement of Clouds"
  7. "Girls"
  8. "Karen"
  9. "Living in the Real World"
  10. "Policenauts End Title"


MIDI Power Pro 3: POLICENAUTS

Released on November 21, 1996. Its catalog number is KICA-7729. MIDI arrangement of Policenauts music. Came packaged with a floppy disk containing the original MIDI versions of certain tracks.



Snatcher >> Policenauts/Music Collection of Hideo Kojima Black Disc

Released on August 21, 1998. Its catalog number is KICA-7888. Contains music from previous Snatcher and Policenauts albums (originals and arrangements), as well as newly recorded arrangements.



External links

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