Revisiting Under the Skin, Capcom's forgotten arcade stealth game

There’s a new Hitman game out and, naturally, a retro gamer’s mind turns to thoughts of previous sneaky stealth experiences. Metal Gear Solid, perhaps, the game that made hiding in cardboard boxes an acceptable activity for tactical espionage agents? Thief, the immersive olden days creep-and-cram burglary sim in which environmental awareness was as important as speedy reactions? Maybe even Spy vs Spy, that old school multiplayer game in which you laid traps to ensnare your rival?

All are valid milestones along the road of stealth gaming but, for me, whenever I think of pioneering sneak-em-ups – especially in the context of Hitman – my mind immediately turns to one that everybody else seems to have forgotten: Capcom’s 2004 PS2 curio Under the Skin.

Some of you may have glanced at the screenshots on this very page and are already questioning how this primary-coloured cartoon game is in any way relevant to Hitman, and that’s a fair question. All I can ask is that you bear with me.

Under the Skin casts you as Cosmi, a young alien from Planet Mischief, a world that is predictably based around hijinks, tomfoolery and slapstick gags. Every young inhabitant must prove their worth by undertaking a series on trials on Earth, and it’s here that you step in. Stranded on Earth after crashing his spaceship into a TV news satellite, alerting the humans to his presence in the process, Cosmi must demonstrate his pranking prowess by catching out as many homosapiens as possible within a strict time limit.

He does this by first zapping someone with his alien ray gun, which then stores that person’s identity. Then, by standing under hovering UFOs dotted around the map, Cosmi can transform into that person and use their special items and abilities to play practical jokes on everyone else. Those successfully caught in your wanton whimsy excrete giant gold coins, the collection of which determines your level of success.

There are, however, complications. Pranked humans turn hostile and will chase you, and if they do damage to your borrowed human form it first sheds its clothes, leaving you in underwear (a Capcom fetish dating back to Ghosts n’ Goblins) and then another hit will reveal Cosmi himself, at which point everybody chases after you until you can disguise yourself again.