Digging out the Dream and an unforgotten love

Nikita

Nikita

Joined
Jun 27, 2019
Hi,

This is my first post and I'd like to talk a bit about I ended up here, in the Shenmue Dojo.


I played Shenmue I and II on the Dreamcast when I was still a kid. I enjoyed playing it a lot. After a while I stopped playing and didn't think much about Shenmue anymore. However, like many fans I could never forget all about it and from time to time I checked the internet for news about the final episode.


When I found out that Shenmue III had a release date I could hardly believe it! I decided that I should play the first and second episode again, before the last game would be released. And so... I dig out my old DC to find that it got broken. I opened the console for the first time and with some help I was able to repair it. I plugged it in and turned it on. it worked! What a feeling to hear the beep of the VM and to hold the controller again after many years :)

The next three days I didn't do much besides playing. one day - one disc. And I fell in love again. Looking back, I see how much I didn't understand as a kid. the game has so much depth. I never played anything like it before.
and it catches the spirit of Budo like nothing I have seen before.

next week I'll start playing the second part. I'm already excited. :)

now.. please share some experience of yours, if you too, found back to Shenmue after a long time.

I'm so happy to be part of this event ?

yours,
Nikita
 
Welcome to the forums dude.

Shenmue has this magic that strongly resonates with fans. It's nice to see you rediscovering that after so long. These are the sorts of posts that are most welcome and I've missed seeing.

Let us know how Shenmue 2 goes.
 
Hey guys, thanks for the heartwarming vibes :)
I will enjoy writing more later, but for now I got a question.

(Almost) Everytime I start my DC I have to type in the time and date again. Can someone tell me which part of the DC is apparently broken?

I know it's not exactly the right place to ask.. but maybe I am lucky (:
 
The battery. Although, if still clean and in tact (all the years of not being used might rot it out like any battery), it is a bit like a car battery insofar as being able to charge itself to a decent hold of memory if running the system for awhile. Simply need to play an hour+ Shenmue (or similarly epic game like Phantasy Star Online or RE) a couple days in a row, then be sure to start it and play even a short session at least every other day.

Should keep the date until you don't turn on for two or more days. Sometimes mine stays accurate for about a half-to-full week if I keep playing longer games/swap mulitple games and not one-off Sonic run or a quick racing/arcade gaming.
 
Last edited:
Hey xatruio, thank you for the reply.
I tried to recharge the batter by leaving the DC turned on for a couple of hours. The date and time still weren't saved... I guess the battery is just dead, but it should be possible to fix it :)
 
Before I start writing more about Shenmue II, I'd like to review the first part again.

Connecting to the Game
It first moving around was a bit awkward. Everything seemed a bit slow and more than once did I press the wrong buttons. But after some time, I started to understand the controls and I actually fell in love with it. Not only that I moved around easily, but I also got a very authentic feeling. Moving through town, going to work, Driving a forklift (I actually did this for the first time in my life last week), all these things somehow carry the spirit of the real thing. And the battel system is simply great.

The concept of time
Since I spent so much time playing recently, I had to explain to many friends what I was actually doing :D . While I tried to explain what the game it about, it was hard for my friends to really grasp the idea of the game. Some of them found it really intresting tho, and Chris actually took over some of the work days for me.. hehe :).. Most of them understood it as something like GTA and asked me if I could hit some people on the road...
It occured to me how different Shenmue is, from any other game. I understood that you need time, so you can dive into the world of Shenmue. And the more time you spent, the deeper you dive into the world, the more authentic the experience of playing becomes. After I got to know where the bikers hang out, who sits in the park at night, where my friends live, where to buy a bulb or a piece of chocolat, ... , after I got a feeling for all these things, Dobuita became a real town to me. In Sakuragaoka and Dobuita, I find everything, that I find in my own home town. Of course everything is very simplified, but I can actually feel it. And even more important, I developed a sense of beeing home, an emotional bound.

The Journey
Shenmue I, as I understand, is not only an introduction into the story, but even more than that, a tribute to Ryo's former life. I got to know the village, his friends and family, Ryo's personality and his emotions. I could feel the burden of this quest on his shoulders, the longing to find out his father's secret. I felt his courage and his families desperation to see him go. Obviously this is a very epic and dramatic setting, but to me, it represents what we all face then we grow up. Not everyone seeks revenge for his father, but we all, at one point if our lifs, leave home behind and go onto a journey to find out who we are. Maybe I am taking this all a bit far, but I did see this connection while I was playing and that is why Shenmue is not just fun and games to me, but it's actually a piece of art of the greatest kind.


Now I am excited to play the second part. When I played it as a kid, I actually didn't understand a lot, because of the language barrier and I guess I never got far. So most things will be completely new to me. I already know that Ryo's destiny is an epic one, but let us see what happens :)
 
Nikita said:
Hey xatruio, thank you for the reply.
I tried to recharge the batter by leaving the DC turned on for a couple of hours. The date and time still weren't saved... I guess the battery is just dead, but it should be possible to fix it :)
Click to expand...

It is possible to replace and there is a cool homebrew solution nowadays. Although, to reiterate: you specifically need to be running a game for the battery to charge. Hence my suggesting for a long Shenmue or PSO session or changing through a few shorter games like arcades or quick Sonic levels, but longer games help better, of course. I'll also just leave the system on for awhile, too, but only after finishing play.
 
Nikita said:
Before I start writing more about Shenmue II, I'd like to review the first part again.

Connecting to the Game
It first moving around was a bit awkward. Everything seemed a bit slow and more than once did I press the wrong buttons. But after some time, I started to understand the controls and I actually fell in love with it. Not only that I moved around easily, but I also got a very authentic feeling. Moving through town, going to work, Driving a forklift (I actually did this for the first time in my life last week), all these things somehow carry the spirit of the real thing. And the battel system is simply great.

The concept of time
Since I spent so much time playing recently, I had to explain to many friends what I was actually doing :D . While I tried to explain what the game it about, it was hard for my friends to really grasp the idea of the game. Some of them found it really intresting tho, and Chris actually took over some of the work days for me.. hehe :).. Most of them understood it as something like GTA and asked me if I could hit some people on the road...
It occured to me how different Shenmue is, from any other game. I understood that you need time, so you can dive into the world of Shenmue. And the more time you spent, the deeper you dive into the world, the more authentic the experience of playing becomes. After I got to know where the bikers hang out, who sits in the park at night, where my friends live, where to buy a bulb or a piece of chocolat, ... , after I got a feeling for all these things, Dobuita became a real town to me. In Sakuragaoka and Dobuita, I find everything, that I find in my own home town. Of course everything is very simplified, but I can actually feel it. And even more important, I developed a sense of beeing home, an emotional bound.

The Journey
Shenmue I, as I understand, is not only an introduction into the story, but even more than that, a tribute to Ryo's former life. I got to know the village, his friends and family, Ryo's personality and his emotions. I could feel the burden of this quest on his shoulders, the longing to find out his father's secret. I felt his courage and his families desperation to see him go. Obviously this is a very epic and dramatic setting, but to me, it represents what we all face then we grow up. Not everyone seeks revenge for his father, but we all, at one point if our lifs, leave home behind and go onto a journey to find out who we are. Maybe I am taking this all a bit far, but I did see this connection while I was playing and that is why Shenmue is not just fun and games to me, but it's actually a piece of art of the greatest kind.


Now I am excited to play the second part. When I played it as a kid, I actually didn't understand a lot, because of the language barrier and I guess I never got far. So most things will be completely new to me. I already know that Ryo's destiny is an epic one, but let us see what happens :)
Click to expand...

Beautifully put review! Really enjoyed reading that :)
 
Playing Shenmue II for the first time ... again ...

I noticed a lot of changes in the gameplay. Which all of them, I liked pretty much.
- The button control is a bit more variable now and I cannot stop trying to open doors with the A-Button.

- When I went into a pawn shop for the first time, I was astonished how many items are there. So many collections.. wow! .. I was also astonished how many sets I had actually collected (Here I want to mention, that I am playing an old save game, which I kept since I played Shenmue the last time. I checked the last save date and it goes back to June 2004 - thats 15 years :) ). Since I needed money, I checked how much I would get for a set and I was looking for the set with the most value. The best set was worth 25 bucks. I was just about to sell it when I saw that it was my Sonic Collection. How could I sell this?! So I went for the Hang On Set ;)

- I really, really like that all the passengers are so friendly to take you places, I think it's a nice and relaxing feature. Makes it even more fun to hang out while playing. In general I like how the map-system is solved. Much more flowing.

- So far, I didn't get a lot of opportunity to battle, but as I could tell it feels a bit different. A bit faster I think. I am not sure yet if I like it. I guess I have to get used to it first. :)

- Now I have to play minigames to make money. Nice solution! Hope I will find some time to practice my fighting later, tho. The game with the marble is really fun. Eventho, I don't understand why... ^^

Best Wishes,
I am really excited to play and I am happy that I can have an exchange here, Thank you guysss :)


edit: Oh, there's one more thing: There was this guy.. I tried to help him to set the sign of his shop straight. But somehow I just could not do it.. How is that possible? :D
 
after the first disc
-- Vsiting the Masters was insane. Very classic in a romantic way. I loved it. I find Shenmue has this very friendly way to speak about the Spirit of Budo.

-- What's up with the dub? I play it in Japanese with English subs. And somehow the dub sounds different from the first part?! Also the lip synchro fits less... But the variety of dialogs is really soothing.

-- The Quest about the four Wudu was so cool. The Szene with the Tai Chi Master in the Lotus Park (I am so sorry I cannot remember the names of the respected masters) is one of my favourite Szenes. -Train constantly. Without neglect.-

-- The town is soo big. I guess you better buy the rights maps to get along.. I enjoy walking through the Wise Mans Quarter around the temple. I like the twist between the traditional part, with it's nice ambiente, the markets, which can become so busy at certain times and the quiet areas, where you get lost. :D

-- Now, that I have met my master, I will proceed to Disc 2 (:
 
I just finished Disc 2.

I am pretty happy to get out of busy Hong Kong. Even though I found my way pretty well in the end :cool:

Focus
I feel like the story was more straight forward. A lot of cut scenes, lot of story, ... , I didn't really get in the mood to play Arcade, since you already play minigames to earn money. In general I rather did the work as it was necessary. And maybe it's just me, but I did not find a place to practice my moves. So all in all I was very much focused on the Story and less on the Free Playing.
And I believe that suits the second part. Since the first part was a lot about Ryo's home, his friends and former life. In the second part Ryo is on his way, he is determined and nothing can stop him. There nothing that could distract him.

Ethics
I love the fact that the ethics of revenge are questioned. In the first Game many of Ryo's friends were worried to see him go, because they were afraid something could happeen to him, while at the same time, they would help him on his way. In Shenmue II, the masters help him, too, but they are worried for his spiritual well-beeing and wish for him to stay on the right path."Martial Arts are there to save lifes, not to destroy them."
The Ethics of Martial Arts are also shown through the lessons, that the Masters teach us. The four Wude. As I said in my earlier post, I loved these scenes.

Martial Arts
I believe that Focus and Ethics are very important pillars of Martial Arts. And Shenmue II carries that spirit. But only by philosophy, the Budo would not be complete. Of course there are also many battles. I do like the combat. I think the movement is a bit more flexible. Also, I notice that Ryo is really progressing. His moves are getting more complex and stronger.

On the Path
In Shenmue I felt more an atmosphere of tradition, hominess, even a bit nostalgia. The second part feels more like I am thrown into the vast world. It emphasizes the Martial Arts, the different culture, the traveling. It's only looking forward and the atmosphere has even more the taste of a set path, a man approaching his destiny.


So far so good.
Kowloon is waiting. :)
 
Nikita said:
I just finished Disc 2.

I am pretty happy to get out of busy Hong Kong. Even though I found my way pretty well in the end ?

Focus
I feel like the story was more straight forward. A lot of cut scenes, lot of story, ... , I didn't really get in the mood to play Arcade, since you already play minigames to earn money. In general I rather did the work as it was necessary. And maybe it's just me, but I did not find a place to practice my moves. So all in all I was very much focused on the Story and less on the Free Playing.
And I believe that suits the second part. Since the first part was a lot about Ryo's home, his friends and former life. In the second part Ryo is on his way, he is determined and nothing can stop him. There nothing that could distract him.

Ethics
I love the fact that the ethics of revenge are questioned. In the first Game many of Ryo's friends were worried to see him go, because they were afraid something could happeen to him, while at the same time, they would help him on his way. In Shenmue II, the masters help him, too, but they are worried for his spiritual well-beeing and wish for him to stay on the right path."Martial Arts are there to save lifes, not to destroy them."
The Ethics of Martial Arts are also shown through the lessons, that the Masters teach us. The four Wude. As I said in my earlier post, I loved these scenes.

Martial Arts
I believe that Focus and Ethics are very important pillars of Martial Arts. And Shenmue II carries that spirit. But only by philosophy, the Budo would not be complete. Of course there are also many battles. I do like the combat. I think the movement is a bit more flexible. Also, I notice that Ryo is really progressing. His moves are getting more complex and stronger.

On the Path
In Shenmue I felt more an atmosphere of tradition, hominess, even a bit nostalgia. The second part feels more like I am thrown into the vast world. It emphasizes the Martial Arts, the different culture, the traveling. It's only looking forward and the atmosphere has even more the taste of a set path, a man approaching his destiny.


So far so good.
Kowloon is waiting. :)
Click to expand...
Loving reading these updates as you play.

Kowloon is my favourite section of the entire series so far. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it.
 
Nikita said:
I just finished Disc 2.

I am pretty happy to get out of busy Hong Kong. Even though I found my way pretty well in the end ?

Focus
I feel like the story was more straight forward. A lot of cut scenes, lot of story, ... , I didn't really get in the mood to play Arcade, since you already play minigames to earn money. In general I rather did the work as it was necessary. And maybe it's just me, but I did not find a place to practice my moves. So all in all I was very much focused on the Story and less on the Free Playing.
And I believe that suits the second part. Since the first part was a lot about Ryo's home, his friends and former life. In the second part Ryo is on his way, he is determined and nothing can stop him. There nothing that could distract him.

Ethics
I love the fact that the ethics of revenge are questioned. In the first Game many of Ryo's friends were worried to see him go, because they were afraid something could happeen to him, while at the same time, they would help him on his way. In Shenmue II, the masters help him, too, but they are worried for his spiritual well-beeing and wish for him to stay on the right path."Martial Arts are there to save lifes, not to destroy them."
The Ethics of Martial Arts are also shown through the lessons, that the Masters teach us. The four Wude. As I said in my earlier post, I loved these scenes.

Martial Arts
I believe that Focus and Ethics are very important pillars of Martial Arts. And Shenmue II carries that spirit. But only by philosophy, the Budo would not be complete. Of course there are also many battles. I do like the combat. I think the movement is a bit more flexible. Also, I notice that Ryo is really progressing. His moves are getting more complex and stronger.

On the Path
In Shenmue I felt more an atmosphere of tradition, hominess, even a bit nostalgia. The second part feels more like I am thrown into the vast world. It emphasizes the Martial Arts, the different culture, the traveling. It's only looking forward and the atmosphere has even more the taste of a set path, a man approaching his destiny.


So far so good.
Kowloon is waiting. :)
Click to expand...

Thank you for writing up your thoughts! Thoroughly enjoying reading! Your points are also well put. I too have less time for arcade in HK and more for other endeavors. What do you make of the meeting Ren and the Heavens?

Looking forward to your next update :) I adore Kowloon, the look the pace the everything.
 
Kowloon is my fave part of the saga so far, it's when Shenmue II really hits it stride for me. I was pleased than when playing the remasters last year it still evoked strong feelings :) Looking forward to reading your impressions !
 
I think the encounter of the Heavens was very... straight forward, I'd say. Kindda fighting your way through. When I had to get the 500 bucks, I didn't know what to do. But then I found the cave man guy, beat him up 10 times and almost had all the money I needed. Before Ryo gave the money, he asked to give it to Ren directly. I liked that, because in the first game he seemed to be easier to trick. I think Ren is really likeable. He is very egoistic and always thinks about money, but somehow I find him a nice person. He is a man and determined to go his own path, so in some ways he is like Ryo. (I already played a bit of Disc 3 and the Scene with the handcuffs I found hilarious :D ) Also he is a good fighter.

Thank you guys for the feedback. It doubles the fun ;)

You are making me really excited about Kowloon. I have to say, it is a huge cliff-hanger. I am going on vacation and will only be able to play again in round about 4 weeks.
I am looking forward to share my experience and I hope to see you again next month guys :)
 
Nikita said:
I think the encounter of the Heavens was very... straight forward, I'd say. Kindda fighting your way through. When I had to get the 500 bucks, I didn't know what to do. But then I found the cave man guy, beat him up 10 times and almost had all the money I needed. Before Ryo gave the money, he asked to give it to Ren directly. I liked that, because in the first game he seemed to be easier to trick. I think Ren is really likeable. He is very egoistic and always thinks about money, but somehow I find him a nice person. He is a man and determined to go his own path, so in some ways he is like Ryo. (I already played a bit of Disc 3 and the Scene with the handcuffs I found hilarious :D ) Also he is a good fighter.

Thank you guys for the feedback. It doubles the fun ;)

You are making me really excited about Kowloon. I have to say, it is a huge cliff-hanger. I am going on vacation and will only be able to play again in round about 4 weeks.
I am looking forward to share my experience and I hope to see you again next month guys :)
Click to expand...

Ren is awesome ? The hand cuffs scenes are some of the funniest stuff. Make sure you take your time to explore Kowloon real good, plenty of hidden secrets and shops and fun to be had.

Enjoy your vacation and see you soon!
 
October 10


SHENMUE II, DISC 3


Hooked
My roommate K enters my room. He sees me playing Shenmue II. Sceptically he eyes the TV-Screen for a minute or so and finally asks:

“What are you doing?”
- “Carrying Crates with Congo..”, I reply.

“Ah okay… that looks pretty senseless”, K notices
-”Yepp.”, I reply.

“Then… Why are you doing it?”
-”For money”, I explain.

“So you are working...”

K stands in the middle of the room, watching me and Congo carrying crates around. He stands there for several minutes. To me it is obvious. K got hooked. I am still impressed of Shenmue‘s effect on people. Sometimes I think the world of video games today would look different, if Shenmue had become more popular.

A few month ago I played Shenmue until the second game, disc 2. After that I went on holidays and afterwards moved into a new apartment. If you looked into my new room, you could see a lot of cartons, a mattress on the floor, a TV Screen and a Dreamcast. The ceiling-light does not work yet, but my good old DC does.

Foreign City
I insert Disc 3 and find myself running through the streets of Kowloon, naturally completely lost. In the first Game I felt at home. I got to know every street and a lot of people as well. Here in Hong Kong I feel unknown, unconnected and alone. I wonder why this city is so weird. How are all these buildings connected? Why do the elevators only stop on certain floors? Everyone, but me, walks their way so confidently. No one noticed the youngster, looking for his destiny. No one, except Joy. Friends are truly important. I should keep them close to me.

Martial Arts
Slowly, but steadily, I progress on my search for Yuanda Zhu. I master every QTE, cross all the planks and turn the keys just to find the person I am looking for get caught by the enemy. In my new quest I am about to enter the Yellow Head Buildung. And the way to get there is fighting. Shenmue seems to change it focus here. For me, the Spirit of Budo was present throughout the game, but the battles were merely a challenge to add to the overall picture. But this quest is different. Here Shenmue becomes a fighting game. (For the first time in my life I am playing a fighting game with a proper story.) I find the story to be a integral tutorial. Fighting in different settings, you learn fighting skills like avoiding, grabbing, etc. Then you start fighting three opponents with a progressive difficulty. For the first time you fight in a ring here. And I love it! I finally understand why everyone is talking about the throw-moves so much. I also like that there is the three rounds system. (Actually I enjoyed the fighting so much, that I bought Virtua Fighter 3tb on eBay. I never played it before.) After impressing the scout by winning some street fights and defeating the three opponents, I feel like I got better. I have the feeling that I learned some moves during my battles and I upgrade them by buying move scrolls with the prize money. Ryo progresses with me! By now I prefer the combat in Shenmue II over Shenmue I.

Constant Change
And this change of focus is just one of these many changes and surprises, that keep coming throughout the game. In an interview Yu said, Shenmue changes all the time, like everything in real life does. I appreciate that so much. I can feel it when I am playing. So many times I found me thinking: “Ah ok, this is the actual idea of Shenmue”. But now I start thinking there is no fixed idea. It just changes. The game experience is developing throughout the game. There is always something new. And everything adds up to the big picture. The more I play and therefore the more I get to know Shenmue, the deeper the concept seems to become. (Here I want to mention a video that I found in the forum. It’s about the bloom of the cherry blossom tree.) The way Yu realized this is astonishing to me.

Pace
And so I keep moving in this crazy city in this huge world. Shenmue, by nature, is a very slow paced game. I go into the kitchen and join my roommates drinking tea. The looked at me with a bit of surprise:

“The lasts days you were playing that game for hours. So you finally stopped.”
“Not really”, I reply “I am just idling.”
“What is that?”
”I hang around and wait for the time go by”
“Can’t you just skip?”
“Can you skip time in real life?”
“Wow this game really does take time...”

Actually I have had the option to skip. But I like to idle. It was the free day before entering the Yellow Head Building. I decided to buy some capsule toys, do some more street fighting without worrying about money and let the last hours of the night pass while I am taking a break from playing. I think the moments when you have nothing to do, or decide that you don’t want to follow the story line are so important. And they are also somehow valuable, since you cannot do everything at every time.

Tension
So Shenmue is very slow paced, but it is also constantly changing. So it never gets boring for me. On the other hand it can get so exciting. The Yellow Head Building was the bloom of excitement for me. Running up the tower to get to the 17th floor, encountering a different challenge on almost every floor, felt like raiding a dungeon. The tension constantly rose. Then, in a little puzzle with the elevators (elevators again…), the pace changed again. I descend deep down to defeat a strong opponent and rescue Joy, just to rocket upwards, on the rooftop, far above the city, where the quest found a glorious end. My heartbeat ran fast and my hands were sweaty, when I defeated Dou Niu and watched Lan Di escape.

Last Thoughts
The story is quite classic. The enemy flys into the dusk on a helicopter, the mirrors shows a map in the smoke and all that… But I like it. I don’t find it fishy or too kitschy. And oh, that Ren. While I tried to gather money for the 500$ fight, I lost so much money to gambling. I guess if you aim for the quick and easy money you fall on your nose. Labor work is a modest way to earn money slowly, but safely. Doing what you are good at (fighting) brings you the best results, but only if you show some skill. Still I wondered if anyone ever got rich in Shenmue by gambling. For me the luck was never with me to beat the stand owners. Let alone Ren with his coins. And here we go. He really got me there. He really did…

And if you believe it or now, there was one very last surprise for me. Since Shenmue I ends on disc 3 I always expected Shenmue II to end on disc 3 as well. I was quite baffled when the game requested me to insert disc 4. So good news for me. Even more to explore in the Shenmue World. Sadly I will be away on business for two weeks. Again I have something to look forward to when I come back!


And thanks again for the forum here. I cannot say how happy I am to share my experiences in this certainly special time, when everyone looks forward to the completion of the trilogy. (:

Yours,
Nikita
 
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