Title: Shenmue
Description: SEGA's epic RPG
Description: SEGA's epic RPG
Xugoh - March 26, 2008 11:53 PM (GMT)
Throughout the ages we has players have been gifted with at least one game that we considered as life changing. Either becose of it's fun gameplay, interesting plot, captivating characteres or just it's amazing graphic capability.
Mine was a game released back in 2000 for the now pretty much extint Dreamcast.
I'm of course talking about Shenmue and it's sequel by the ginious Yu Suzuki.
This masterpiece of the gaming world was initialy made to be released in for the sega saturn as to serve as sega's definitive blow to win the war against the playstation and nintendo, however that would not come to pass as the saturn revealed to be too troublesome and not nearly enough to pull out such an ambitious project.
In the initial project the game was suposed to feature as the main character, Akira the lead character of the series Virtua Fighter, another sega classic, however as the game's development progressed, the characters became original and the storyline moved away from its Virtua Fighter roots.
When the game hit the store sheves of Japan it already carried a buzz from the hype of it's suposed Saturn release. The game was now sega's way of showing the true potential of the Dreamcast and use it as the flagship title - representing the systems powerful graphical capabilities and also its ability to render immersive, cinematic characters and environments, it's sequel was released shortly after but never left Japan leaving American and European fans pissed as hell. The later Xbox version included an English dub, and was not released in Japan. Shenmue II incorporates four chapters of the Shenmue saga.
Shenmue was one of the first video games to incorporate development techniques that had previously been primarily used for film. The voice acting in Shenmue was especially ground-breaking because it was the one of the first large scale games to include real voices for every single NPC in the game world, not just resorting to text transcriptions. Furthermore, this extensive audio script was recorded in both Japanese and English. Clay models of every character, regardless of how minor their role in the game, were built as reference material for animators creating the final in-game versions of the character models. The game also includes a highly cinematic musical score, which required a full size Orchestra. Composed by Takenobu Mitsuyoshi and a host of other talents, the soundtrack has been critically acclaimed and is regarded by many as one of the finest soundtracks ever created for a video game.
The game also had as ace the introduction of the Magic Weather System, Shenmue incorporates an entirely original system to produce the game's in-universe weather conditions. For every day that the player progresses through, weather conditions are generated. Conditions vary from rain, to snow, to overcast skies to sunny and several other variations. Furthermore, weather can change throughout the day - for example, a rainy morning followed by an overcast afternoon and evening. All these variations were random, of course respecting the season of the year the player was going through in game.
Shenmue takes place within the span of a few months, from November 1986 until as late as (depending upon the player's speed in completing the game) April 1987. At Yu Suzuki's insistence, the game's environment and culture adhere closely to this period. Various martial arts disciplines play an integral role in both the storyline and the gameplay of Shenmue, and aspects of Japanese and Chinese culture related to martial arts are prevalent. The main character represents a typical young man of late 1980s Japan. He comes from a traditional background and his childhood was focused around the mastery of martial arts so that he can one day become responsible for the Hazuki name. However, Ryo is part of a generation with changing values. His generation considers personal wealth and enjoyable life experiences more desirable than traditional Japanese values. This theme appears throughout the game in many forms, such as the numerous inclusions of American pop culture. For example, the main character wears typically Western attire of t-shirt and jeans. In the original Japanese edition of Shenmue, the trademarked Coca Cola logo is seen in various locations.
Gameplay in Shenmue is diverse; while most of the game is spent walking around the atmospheric, life-like Japanese locations in a third-person 'chase cam' mode (talking to people, searching for things, solving puzzles, and so forth), it is interspersed with many 'mini-games', including forklift and motorcycle races, bar fights, chases down crowded alleys, full versions of Sega arcade games Space Harrier and Hang-On (both originally programmed by Shenmue creator and director, Yu Suzuki), dart games, and 'free fighting' sequences.
The majority of Shenmue is based on Free Quest gameplay. During such gameplay, the player will explore the Yokosuka area usually for any leads to progress the narrative. Often, these leads will be gained by talking to local people who can provide important clues. If the player so desires, they can explore the area simply for fun without progressing the game's narrative. There are a variety of activities to engage in, the best-known being the ability to play Space Harrier and Hang On, two of Yu Suzuki's classic arcade hits. Other mini-games include Darts and Snooker, but there are many more. Many players find that simply exploring the immensely detailed locations of Shenmue to be a greatly rewarding experience. Furthermore, talking to a wide variety of local people that although will not progress the narrative, can greatly enhance the player's understanding of the plot and/or gameplay mechanics. There are also several side-quests for players to engage in throughout the game. These will not affect the main narrative, but might provide Ryo with useful items or further develop characters and storyline for the player. Yu Suzuki has stated that for a player to see everything Shenmue has to offer, and to truly experience the game fully they must be patient and take the time to explore the game's numerous hidden facets.
During QTE (Quick Timer Event) sequences, a button will flash on screen briefly and the player must press the relevant button or combination of buttons to trigger Ryo's actions. Fights against opponents can take place in QTE form as frequently as in Free Fight form. In addition to battles, QTE sequences are used for various other scenarios. For example, at one point a QTE sequence is used when Ryo must chase an escaping crook and Lan Di associate who has stolen money from him. The sequence takes place in the middle of a busy town centre, and a variety of incoming obstructions must be avoided. As the game progresses, the reaction speeds required of the player become quicker and the button combinations become more complex. The player's success or failure in these scenes can affect the flow of gameplay as well as the current cutscene.
The QTE concept is not new to Shenmue, however. The earliest known example of the QTE, is the gameplay of the original Dragon's Lair, released in 1983. While not referred to as a QTE (that term having been coined by SEGA), in principle it was the same thing, and can be seen as its origin. There is also an earlier example of a SEGA game featuring prominent use of the QTE, 1996's Die Hard Arcade. Nevertheless, it was Shenmue which has made the QTE into the well-recognised, and increasingly popular, gameplay mechanic that it is today. Since its release, several other games have included a QTE system, or something similar. Some of the higher profile titles with such a system include: Resident Evil 4, Fahrenheit, God of War, God of War II, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3, Kingdom Hearts II, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend, Lair, Spider-Man 3, and Heavenly Sword.
The free battles pit Ryo against one or more enemies in a cross between Virtua Fighter and Streets of Rage; Ryo has a large list of martial art techniques, almost worthy of a full one-on-one fighter. The player has the ability to enter a practice mode of sorts, in which Ryo will practice his various martial art techniques, either alone or with a friendly opponent - this helps to increase the player's familiarity with the Free Battle system. Whilst progressing through the game, players have the ability to learn more techniques, adding to Ryo's repertoire and ultimately making him a more powerful martial artist. There are several senior martial artists that Ryo meets throughout his journey, and they offer to teach him new skills. The player has the choice to decline these offers, although they would be ill-advised to do so as Ryo's physical development is important to his success as his opponents become stronger. Another method for learning new techniques involves Martial Arts Scroll Rolls. These antique instructional scrolls can be found, or purchased, at various locations in the game. Once Ryo has read the scroll, the technique will be added to his repertoire, but the player will need to practice the key combinations it requires to truly master it.
The story:
The fictional story of Shenmue begins on November 29, 1986 in the perspective of the protagonist Ryo Hazuki (°ÅÔÂ ›ö Hazuki Ry¨) returning home to his family dojo to witness his father, Iwao Hazuki battling with a man dressed in Chinese attire, who demands he hand over an item known as the "Dragon Mirror". Ryo intervenes in battle after his father is felled, but is injured by a blow from Lan Di. As his father refuses to reveal the location of the mirror, Lan Di lifts Ryo from the ground and threatens to kill him with a final blow, which prompts Iwao to reveal its location underneath the Cherry blossom tree.
After Lan Di's henchmen recover the mirror, he asks Iwao if he knows of a man called "Sunming Zhao" and then kills him after forcibly asking him to stand as a warrior to face his end. As Ryo lies injured on the floor of the dojo, Lan Di and his men leave the Hazuki household. After Ryo has partially recovered he feels that he must dutifully gain revenge for the murder of his father, and begins to instigate inquiries into the incident with the local people of his hometown, Sakuragaoka.
.... i'm not spoiling what happens here for the good of anyone who wishes to play the game. (however i'll be more than glad to post it if you want).
Shenmue II begins shortly after the first installment concluded. While Shenmue told the story of the 1st chapter of the saga, the second game tells the story of the third, fourth and fifth chapter. The second chapter happens between Shenmue and Shenmue II during his trip from Yokosuka to Hong Kong and is just mentioned during the beginning of the game. It is available as a comic book as an extra in the Xbox version of the game.
The third chapter of the saga begins when Ryo Hazuki, the main protagonist of the series, arrives in Hong Kong in order to locate Master Lishao Tao as he was instructed to do by his friend and confidant, Master Chen Yao Wen, at the end of the series' first chapter. This mysterious and elusive individual is Ryo's only possible link to Lan Di, the Chinese man who murdered his father. After a difficult search, Ryo finally meets Master Lishao Tao, a woman named Xiuying; but she is unwilling to assist him in what she considers an immoral quest for vengeance. The two part ways, although Xiuying continues to monitor Ryo's progress and they continue to meet on occasion. Through his continued search, Ryo discovers another individual who may be able to assist him in locating Lan Di.
Considering the high production costs and high critical praise, Shenmue experienced disappointing sales. The game, which cost an unprecedented $70 million to make, (including the cost of several scrapped projects, a version running on the Saturn, and groundwork for future installments,) would have, had to be purchased by every single Dreamcast owner, twice, in order to turn Sega a profit. Obviously, that didn't happen, although the game sold 1.2 million copies worldwide, making it one of the few Dreamcast games to top one million sales. Still, given the game's vast budget, it did not even come close to breaking even. Shenmue is consistently listed as one of several key Dreamcast titles (most of them Sega productions) that ensured the console enjoyed solid sales during the Christmas and Thanksgiving seasons of 2000.
Sega originally planned for Shenmue III, but over time the project was likely cancelled, though no official word has been said directly on the matter. Various unconfirmed reasons for its delay varied from budget issues, poor sales of Shenmue 2, creative differences, commitment problems, etc. Over the past few years since Shenmue 2, Shenmue 3 has been announced for development and cancelled at least two times. An example of this is in August 2005, when Kikizo.com revealed that Shenmue 3 would be a compilation of the first and second installments plus the final chapters. This, too, has apparently fallen by the wayside, as Kikizo recently stated that Shenmue III is "worth forgetting about", not my opinion of course!!!!! After some time a new Shenmue project was underway, later revealed to be Shenmue Online, which has also since been cancelled. The final chapters of the Shenmue saga have been finished already, but never went into production. Fans petitioned for Shenmue III's development, but nothing official has been announced so far. Because some believe the game may never be published, some opted for a comic book or script release for sales to give fans closure to the Shenmue story. According to Shenmue Dojo, Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki was quoted as saying, "Regarding Shenmue 3, we're not carrying on relative development yet, and I can't give you any further information for the time being." Are you kidding me Suzuki-san? :'(
A teaser of Shenmue 3 has been released on the E3 festival of 2005 and it was announced for the XBox 360.
Mine was a game released back in 2000 for the now pretty much extint Dreamcast.
I'm of course talking about Shenmue and it's sequel by the ginious Yu Suzuki.
This masterpiece of the gaming world was initialy made to be released in for the sega saturn as to serve as sega's definitive blow to win the war against the playstation and nintendo, however that would not come to pass as the saturn revealed to be too troublesome and not nearly enough to pull out such an ambitious project.
In the initial project the game was suposed to feature as the main character, Akira the lead character of the series Virtua Fighter, another sega classic, however as the game's development progressed, the characters became original and the storyline moved away from its Virtua Fighter roots.
When the game hit the store sheves of Japan it already carried a buzz from the hype of it's suposed Saturn release. The game was now sega's way of showing the true potential of the Dreamcast and use it as the flagship title - representing the systems powerful graphical capabilities and also its ability to render immersive, cinematic characters and environments, it's sequel was released shortly after but never left Japan leaving American and European fans pissed as hell. The later Xbox version included an English dub, and was not released in Japan. Shenmue II incorporates four chapters of the Shenmue saga.
Shenmue was one of the first video games to incorporate development techniques that had previously been primarily used for film. The voice acting in Shenmue was especially ground-breaking because it was the one of the first large scale games to include real voices for every single NPC in the game world, not just resorting to text transcriptions. Furthermore, this extensive audio script was recorded in both Japanese and English. Clay models of every character, regardless of how minor their role in the game, were built as reference material for animators creating the final in-game versions of the character models. The game also includes a highly cinematic musical score, which required a full size Orchestra. Composed by Takenobu Mitsuyoshi and a host of other talents, the soundtrack has been critically acclaimed and is regarded by many as one of the finest soundtracks ever created for a video game.
The game also had as ace the introduction of the Magic Weather System, Shenmue incorporates an entirely original system to produce the game's in-universe weather conditions. For every day that the player progresses through, weather conditions are generated. Conditions vary from rain, to snow, to overcast skies to sunny and several other variations. Furthermore, weather can change throughout the day - for example, a rainy morning followed by an overcast afternoon and evening. All these variations were random, of course respecting the season of the year the player was going through in game.
Shenmue takes place within the span of a few months, from November 1986 until as late as (depending upon the player's speed in completing the game) April 1987. At Yu Suzuki's insistence, the game's environment and culture adhere closely to this period. Various martial arts disciplines play an integral role in both the storyline and the gameplay of Shenmue, and aspects of Japanese and Chinese culture related to martial arts are prevalent. The main character represents a typical young man of late 1980s Japan. He comes from a traditional background and his childhood was focused around the mastery of martial arts so that he can one day become responsible for the Hazuki name. However, Ryo is part of a generation with changing values. His generation considers personal wealth and enjoyable life experiences more desirable than traditional Japanese values. This theme appears throughout the game in many forms, such as the numerous inclusions of American pop culture. For example, the main character wears typically Western attire of t-shirt and jeans. In the original Japanese edition of Shenmue, the trademarked Coca Cola logo is seen in various locations.
Gameplay in Shenmue is diverse; while most of the game is spent walking around the atmospheric, life-like Japanese locations in a third-person 'chase cam' mode (talking to people, searching for things, solving puzzles, and so forth), it is interspersed with many 'mini-games', including forklift and motorcycle races, bar fights, chases down crowded alleys, full versions of Sega arcade games Space Harrier and Hang-On (both originally programmed by Shenmue creator and director, Yu Suzuki), dart games, and 'free fighting' sequences.
The majority of Shenmue is based on Free Quest gameplay. During such gameplay, the player will explore the Yokosuka area usually for any leads to progress the narrative. Often, these leads will be gained by talking to local people who can provide important clues. If the player so desires, they can explore the area simply for fun without progressing the game's narrative. There are a variety of activities to engage in, the best-known being the ability to play Space Harrier and Hang On, two of Yu Suzuki's classic arcade hits. Other mini-games include Darts and Snooker, but there are many more. Many players find that simply exploring the immensely detailed locations of Shenmue to be a greatly rewarding experience. Furthermore, talking to a wide variety of local people that although will not progress the narrative, can greatly enhance the player's understanding of the plot and/or gameplay mechanics. There are also several side-quests for players to engage in throughout the game. These will not affect the main narrative, but might provide Ryo with useful items or further develop characters and storyline for the player. Yu Suzuki has stated that for a player to see everything Shenmue has to offer, and to truly experience the game fully they must be patient and take the time to explore the game's numerous hidden facets.
During QTE (Quick Timer Event) sequences, a button will flash on screen briefly and the player must press the relevant button or combination of buttons to trigger Ryo's actions. Fights against opponents can take place in QTE form as frequently as in Free Fight form. In addition to battles, QTE sequences are used for various other scenarios. For example, at one point a QTE sequence is used when Ryo must chase an escaping crook and Lan Di associate who has stolen money from him. The sequence takes place in the middle of a busy town centre, and a variety of incoming obstructions must be avoided. As the game progresses, the reaction speeds required of the player become quicker and the button combinations become more complex. The player's success or failure in these scenes can affect the flow of gameplay as well as the current cutscene.
The QTE concept is not new to Shenmue, however. The earliest known example of the QTE, is the gameplay of the original Dragon's Lair, released in 1983. While not referred to as a QTE (that term having been coined by SEGA), in principle it was the same thing, and can be seen as its origin. There is also an earlier example of a SEGA game featuring prominent use of the QTE, 1996's Die Hard Arcade. Nevertheless, it was Shenmue which has made the QTE into the well-recognised, and increasingly popular, gameplay mechanic that it is today. Since its release, several other games have included a QTE system, or something similar. Some of the higher profile titles with such a system include: Resident Evil 4, Fahrenheit, God of War, God of War II, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3, Kingdom Hearts II, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend, Lair, Spider-Man 3, and Heavenly Sword.
The free battles pit Ryo against one or more enemies in a cross between Virtua Fighter and Streets of Rage; Ryo has a large list of martial art techniques, almost worthy of a full one-on-one fighter. The player has the ability to enter a practice mode of sorts, in which Ryo will practice his various martial art techniques, either alone or with a friendly opponent - this helps to increase the player's familiarity with the Free Battle system. Whilst progressing through the game, players have the ability to learn more techniques, adding to Ryo's repertoire and ultimately making him a more powerful martial artist. There are several senior martial artists that Ryo meets throughout his journey, and they offer to teach him new skills. The player has the choice to decline these offers, although they would be ill-advised to do so as Ryo's physical development is important to his success as his opponents become stronger. Another method for learning new techniques involves Martial Arts Scroll Rolls. These antique instructional scrolls can be found, or purchased, at various locations in the game. Once Ryo has read the scroll, the technique will be added to his repertoire, but the player will need to practice the key combinations it requires to truly master it.
The story:
The fictional story of Shenmue begins on November 29, 1986 in the perspective of the protagonist Ryo Hazuki (°ÅÔÂ ›ö Hazuki Ry¨) returning home to his family dojo to witness his father, Iwao Hazuki battling with a man dressed in Chinese attire, who demands he hand over an item known as the "Dragon Mirror". Ryo intervenes in battle after his father is felled, but is injured by a blow from Lan Di. As his father refuses to reveal the location of the mirror, Lan Di lifts Ryo from the ground and threatens to kill him with a final blow, which prompts Iwao to reveal its location underneath the Cherry blossom tree.
After Lan Di's henchmen recover the mirror, he asks Iwao if he knows of a man called "Sunming Zhao" and then kills him after forcibly asking him to stand as a warrior to face his end. As Ryo lies injured on the floor of the dojo, Lan Di and his men leave the Hazuki household. After Ryo has partially recovered he feels that he must dutifully gain revenge for the murder of his father, and begins to instigate inquiries into the incident with the local people of his hometown, Sakuragaoka.
.... i'm not spoiling what happens here for the good of anyone who wishes to play the game. (however i'll be more than glad to post it if you want).
Shenmue II begins shortly after the first installment concluded. While Shenmue told the story of the 1st chapter of the saga, the second game tells the story of the third, fourth and fifth chapter. The second chapter happens between Shenmue and Shenmue II during his trip from Yokosuka to Hong Kong and is just mentioned during the beginning of the game. It is available as a comic book as an extra in the Xbox version of the game.
The third chapter of the saga begins when Ryo Hazuki, the main protagonist of the series, arrives in Hong Kong in order to locate Master Lishao Tao as he was instructed to do by his friend and confidant, Master Chen Yao Wen, at the end of the series' first chapter. This mysterious and elusive individual is Ryo's only possible link to Lan Di, the Chinese man who murdered his father. After a difficult search, Ryo finally meets Master Lishao Tao, a woman named Xiuying; but she is unwilling to assist him in what she considers an immoral quest for vengeance. The two part ways, although Xiuying continues to monitor Ryo's progress and they continue to meet on occasion. Through his continued search, Ryo discovers another individual who may be able to assist him in locating Lan Di.
Considering the high production costs and high critical praise, Shenmue experienced disappointing sales. The game, which cost an unprecedented $70 million to make, (including the cost of several scrapped projects, a version running on the Saturn, and groundwork for future installments,) would have, had to be purchased by every single Dreamcast owner, twice, in order to turn Sega a profit. Obviously, that didn't happen, although the game sold 1.2 million copies worldwide, making it one of the few Dreamcast games to top one million sales. Still, given the game's vast budget, it did not even come close to breaking even. Shenmue is consistently listed as one of several key Dreamcast titles (most of them Sega productions) that ensured the console enjoyed solid sales during the Christmas and Thanksgiving seasons of 2000.
Sega originally planned for Shenmue III, but over time the project was likely cancelled, though no official word has been said directly on the matter. Various unconfirmed reasons for its delay varied from budget issues, poor sales of Shenmue 2, creative differences, commitment problems, etc. Over the past few years since Shenmue 2, Shenmue 3 has been announced for development and cancelled at least two times. An example of this is in August 2005, when Kikizo.com revealed that Shenmue 3 would be a compilation of the first and second installments plus the final chapters. This, too, has apparently fallen by the wayside, as Kikizo recently stated that Shenmue III is "worth forgetting about", not my opinion of course!!!!! After some time a new Shenmue project was underway, later revealed to be Shenmue Online, which has also since been cancelled. The final chapters of the Shenmue saga have been finished already, but never went into production. Fans petitioned for Shenmue III's development, but nothing official has been announced so far. Because some believe the game may never be published, some opted for a comic book or script release for sales to give fans closure to the Shenmue story. According to Shenmue Dojo, Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki was quoted as saying, "Regarding Shenmue 3, we're not carrying on relative development yet, and I can't give you any further information for the time being." Are you kidding me Suzuki-san? :'(
A teaser of Shenmue 3 has been released on the E3 festival of 2005 and it was announced for the XBox 360.
Juggernaut - March 28, 2008 09:54 PM (GMT)
OMG!!!! I have that game for the original X-box, my favorite part was the slot machines :lol:
Xugoh - March 29, 2008 01:18 AM (GMT)
YEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Another shenmue fan!!!!!!! Wanna be buddies??? Did you get to play one and two, or only the second game?
I love QTE title and space harrier. I cleared QTE title without using loosing once! :P
I love QTE title and space harrier. I cleared QTE title without using loosing once! :P
Juggernaut - March 30, 2008 12:45 AM (GMT)
No, I only got to play the 2nd shenmue, but sure, I'll be your buddy!!!
Xugoh - March 30, 2008 02:22 AM (GMT)
Yey new buddie! :lol:
Oddly enough i also palyed the second one first... then i got hooked and searched everywhere for the first. I think i cleared them both 4 times.
Didn't you wish they made a third one? God i want to kill Lan Di so bad!
Oddly enough i also palyed the second one first... then i got hooked and searched everywhere for the first. I think i cleared them both 4 times.
Didn't you wish they made a third one? God i want to kill Lan Di so bad!
Juggernaut - March 30, 2008 05:58 PM (GMT)
Yeah, a thied would be cool, but it would probrobly be for the PS3 or 360, I don't have one of those
Xugoh - March 30, 2008 07:46 PM (GMT)
It's for the 360. I'll buy the 360 just so i can play that game!
SilverBlade - April 17, 2008 09:48 PM (GMT)
That was one long post, Xugoh, did you type that all or just c/p? XDXD
Looks pretty interesting, actually, might get the third one for my 360.
(Virtua fighter is kickass!!!) :o
Looks pretty interesting, actually, might get the third one for my 360.
(Virtua fighter is kickass!!!) :o
Xugoh - April 17, 2008 10:05 PM (GMT)
Most of it was written through the love i have for that game, other things like technical stuff i needed to research.
EDIT: Don't worry if the 3rd game gets released you can expect for yet another remake of the first two games. Believe me they are well worth it.
EDIT: Don't worry if the 3rd game gets released you can expect for yet another remake of the first two games. Believe me they are well worth it.
SilverBlade - April 17, 2008 10:07 PM (GMT)
You....you wrote that...entire...thing.....?!!?!? Dayum, man. Props to you, that was long XDXD
Xugoh - April 17, 2008 10:12 PM (GMT)
It's not an imparcial review. It portraits the love i have for that game. And i didn't wrote the whole damn thing, are you nuts???? I got the info from wiki and made some editing, taking out the useless stuff andaddind more of a personal flavour to it.
SilverBlade - April 17, 2008 10:16 PM (GMT)
Ohhh XDXDXDXD I was gonna say "how long did it take ya, 2 hours?"XD well, okies.
Is the third one out yet or a release date named? I r too lazy to open up google n search it XD
whoops, didnt see your edit til after posted. Nvm
Is the third one out yet or a release date named? I r too lazy to open up google n search it XD
whoops, didnt see your edit til after posted. Nvm
Xugoh - April 17, 2008 10:29 PM (GMT)