Policenauts (ポリスノーツ, Porisunōtsu) is a graphic adventure game with a hard 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. On August 24, 2009 (in honor of the 46th birthday of the game’s designer, Hideo Kojima), an unofficial English translation patch was released for the PlayStation version. On October 6, 2016, an additional translation patch was released for the Saturn version.
Policenauts, like Snatcher before it, pays various homages to previously existing works. An obvious one is Jonathan’s and Ed’s (the main characters) respective resemblances to Riggs and Murtaugh from Lethal Weapon; another is some scenes that are inspired by the 1978 film Coma. The game also pays homage to the ancient Japanese tale of Urashima Taro. 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.
