Random Shenmue Thoughts

Tosh said:
i'm always a bit sad when i see the S1 & 2 trophies on PS4.
only 29% of all players have reached the end of S1
and only 27% reached the end of S2.
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Damn, that is pretty low.
Man :( that is a shame indeed.
 
Meh, looking at trophies of most games period, the majority of people never complete them. 50% rate for most games is above average.
 
Probably about the same rate as the originals on Dreamcast or XBOX. Hopefully somewhat higher with larger platform base(s).

How many damn tweets went along lines of, "Woah, never beat back in the day (platform and/or title here), cannot wait to get back into after so long!"

How many of those very same tweeters still never beat one or both games? How many new players in late generation Y/gen Z lost their attention same as generation X/early gen Y did in 2000/2001/2002--not necessarily for being hated.

Games aren't everyone's biggest hobby or priority in life; perhaps they went with RDR2 for all their limited gaming or simply stopped using their system?
 
Finally playing through Shenmue II with carry over data and I just realized my cassette collection and player are gone! Feels sad man, now how will Ryo get through those homesick lonely nights in Hong Kong without the soundtrack of his home to listen to? I had a full set too.
 
Vasid said:
Finally playing through Shenmue II with carry over data and I just realized my cassette collection and player are gone! Feels sad man, now how will Ryo get through those homesick lonely nights in Hong Kong without the soundtrack of his home to listen to? I had a full set too.
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My biggest gripe with Shenmue 2, honest. Loved the moves and capsules transferring over (except the mega drive character, sadly), but why not at least cassette tapes for the HItachi in Ren's hideout??

Oh well! One more reason to enjoy Chapter 1 slightly more during certain moods. There's definite moments when I pop the first game open only to listen to the MIDI tunes on the player or boombox(es).
 
i think its pretty normal that most people dont finish a game, especially longer story games.
if i remember correctly there were statistics for Red Dead Redemption 1 a couple of months or years ago
and they found out that only something like 30 or 40% of all players reached the Mexico part of the game.
thats only 50% of the full storyline.

still, its sad that 70% of the people who played the re release on PS4 didnt see that cliffhanger ending.
 
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Finished chapter 3. That whole last part from the street fights to the boss fight at the top of the Big Ox building is just pure genius. Very few moments in games feels this satisfying (Yakuza 3's end gets close though, which is pretty hilarious as it feels very similar in parts, whether that's an accident or not). Either way, the combat in the last few fights just feels so darn satisfying, its a pity that open world games go for such shallow combat, even Yakuza isn't anywhere as deep (though its still endlessly better than the "triangle to counter" combat of a few other games I've played). Getting that perfect dodge to a well placed counter throw etc. it really does deliver on the promise of a VF RPG.

But one bit gets me - when your crossing the planks of wood, why does Ren kick it out so that Don Nui can't cross? Not like the weight of the plank would hold him, and its not like Yuan would have been able to cross either with how unbalanced he's shown as being. Just cracks me up that Ren thought it was necessary!

Also, does the Yellow Head also finance that one engineer to just service the Hang On machine all day?
 
shadowman16 said:
Finished chapter 3. That whole last part from the street fights to the boss fight at the top of the Big Ox building is just pure genius. Very few moments in games feels this satisfying (Yakuza 3's end gets close though, which is pretty hilarious as it feels very similar in parts, whether that's an accident or not). Either way, the combat in the last few fights just feels so darn satisfying, its a pity that open world games go for such shallow combat, even Yakuza isn't anywhere as deep (though its still endlessly better than the "triangle to counter" combat of a few other games I've played). Getting that perfect dodge to a well placed counter throw etc. it really does deliver on the promise of a VF RPG.

But one bit gets me - when your crossing the planks of wood, why does Ren kick it out so that Don Nui can't cross? Not like the weight of the plank would hold him, and its not like Yuan would have been able to cross either with how unbalanced he's shown as being. Just cracks me up that Ren thought it was necessary!

Also, does the Yellow Head also finance that one engineer to just service the Hang On machine all day?
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Maybe Dou Niu was planning to grind across the plank, Jet Set Radio style? He certainly has the correct footwear.
 
Always thought Wong helped them pick the cage lock in B2 (?) of those elevators staring ever so tantalizing at you; even moreso than the ghost hall lifts.....! Hence how Wong was caught by Don Nui (who had keys for his own HQ). He didn't listen to Ryo tell him to stay back in the underground tunnels/go home.

Don Nui technically is a master of martial arts--could concievably balance on planks with a bit of suspension of disbelief. Afterall, it is fiction, despite how realistic and intricate, any story still needs wiggle room. Such as the the mysticism, for quick example, but I digress.
 
johnjohnbrem said:
Didn't the homeless man at the harbour (don't remember his name) mention that he knew about Iwao's dojo and his style? I remember something like that, at least.
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spud1897 said:
Yes he does. He recognises the style when he asks to see Ryos stance & again when he hears Ryo is after the Mad Angels. He comments who would carry on the Hazuki style if he was gone.

Now that could suggest Iwao ran the dojo as a business or that the homeless man was very well versed in martial arts studies. I'd imagine the Hazuki style is a well know Japanese variant in the story.
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Yeah it's weird, he actually says how the Hazuki style is well revered among martial artists. I feel like all the pieces would better fit in place for me if at least 2 or 3 characters mention to Ryo how it's a shame they can't go to classes with Iwao anymore, but literally nobody in the game but Fuku-san is his student. It's just kinda strange that he can amass all that money with not very many students... you'd think there'd be a sizable chunk of neighborhood kids that went to the dojo regularly...
 
I have this silly theory that can explain the whole situation.

Fuku-san is hell-bent on learning martial arts because his parents got him into it. They chose Iwao to teach him because he's a famous master and all. Turns out though that Fuku-san, while honestly trying hard, has the worst possible martial arts talent.

Iwao is a man of pride so he doesn't give up on him but he is also not stupid and because Fuku-san's parents are filthy rich they spend a ton of money for the lessons and his room at the Hazuki Residence. That is what pays the house and all the other bills and the reason Iwao can't, won't and doesn't need to teach anyone else anymore. Well besides Ryo because shaping up his own son is his ultimate goal.
 
xatruio said:
My biggest gripe with Shenmue 2, honest. Loved the moves and capsules transferring over (except the mega drive character, sadly), but why not at least cassette tapes for the HItachi in Ren's hideout??

Oh well! One more reason to enjoy Chapter 1 slightly more during certain moods. There's definite moments when I pop the first game open only to listen to the MIDI tunes on the player or boombox(es).
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So I was playing Shenmue 2 last night and all of the tracks from the tapes seem to be distributed to jukeboxes throughout the world. I found Hip de Hop at Bar Swing in Aberdeen and took a moment to remember Tom. One more reason to explore!
 
shadowman16 said:
But one bit gets me - when your crossing the planks of wood, why does Ren kick it out so that Don Nui can't cross? Not like the weight of the plank would hold him, and its not like Yuan would have been able to cross either with how unbalanced he's shown as being. Just cracks me up that Ren thought it was necessary!
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I figured Dou Niu may be racing to rip up the board while Ryo is still crossing it; even then, Ren's response is, as it often is, rash and odd.

shadowman16 said:
Also, does the Yellow Head also finance that one engineer to just service the Hang On machine all day?
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Knowing how absurd this universe is, yes. To top it off, he probably lives on the ninth floor of the Ghost Hall Bldg.
 
Nigel said:
Knowing how absurd this universe is
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It's funny, Shenmue always has done a great job of suspending my disbelief until moments like this that slap me back to reality...
 
Ren might've actually been thinking ahead and made sure that no one could easily cross that gap to catch up with them...
Ah who am I kidding, he very much just acted on the spot and it was just to mock Dou Niu.
 
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