Along with the acclaimed Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake and other Konami-published rarities like Vampire Killer and Space Manbow, the MSX home computer system also played host to SD Snatcher, a goofy, platform-exclusive Snatcher spinoff that was only released in Japan.

The game has been available in English for many years now, thanks to a fan translation released by Dutch group Oasis in the 1990s. The localization isn't without its issues, however; character names are truncated, key elements are not translated, and the entire production has a shaky feel to it that renders the game playable, but not fully enjoyable.

A newly announced translation from Project Melancholia aims to correct these issues. In addition to adding an English-friendly font, the new script goes into much greater depth than the Oasis translation, and aims to capture more of the game's original appeal.

Project Melancholia has released a pair of sample videos comparing SD Snatcher's new translation with the initial Oasis release. The script still has issues at present, but the full version promises to be a much more polished effort overall.

Project Melancholia expects to charge €12,50 for the translation patch when it launches in early 2012. A demo version can be downloaded here.

[via @rdb_aaa]