AUGUST   24th

                                                                                    1963

     A human being was born into this world. A human being destined to change lives, hearts, and transform an entire industry. Now that human is renown. From obscurity to fame. From small to great. From nothing to something.

                                                                                Kojima is god.

     Chances are you've played a Metal Gear Solid game before, and if you have, you've experienced the joy of Kojima's unique style of storytelling. No matter which form of media you choose, you won't find anything quite like Kojima's work.  Cinematic cutscenes, intricate storylines, offbeat humor and exploration of political and philosophical themes have vaulted Hideo's work as some of the greatest fiction creations of human history. But you didn't come to hear me tell you the obvious.

                              A game Hideo created before the original Playstation Metal Gear Solid

     Policenauts is a cinematic adventure game with a hard mystery science fiction storyline, written and directed by Hideo Kojima, and published by Konami. It was initially released for the PC-9821 computer platform in 1994, followed by remade versions for the 3DO in 1995, and the Playstation and Sega Saturn in 1996. The game has never been officially released outside Japan, despite plans for an English localization of the Saturn version.

     I'd only heard a little about this game; until a friend told me about it in depth. A point and click adventure game with a focus on story made by Hideo Kojima? Sounded too good to be true. I quickly grabbed a Playstation copy and a full English translation patch (My Japanese is rusty!), and started the game right away.

     In a word: Mindblowing. Hideo Kojima was quite ahead of his time with this game; it features a fully thought out story with tons of depth. Characters feel like living people, with their own motivations and goals. The game features it's fair share of memorable cinematic scenes that feel as though they would belong in any big budget film. However, a fair warning to those with none; this game requires patience. There is a lot of reading and listening, and pointing and clicking. I'm four hours in and there was one required action scene. I've no doubt that this lack of action will turn some gamers.

     Policenauts is a joy to play, and if you're a fan of Kojima's other works, you will love this game. I strongly recommend you play this game; and if you haven't, you're missing out.

     Quick Facts!

- FOXHOUND was introduced in Policenauts

- Meryl Silverburgh was introduced in Policenauts

- While walking down a street, you see the 'Solid Snake' store.