Random Shenmue Thoughts

It would be weird if Shenmue was suddenly re-released with a new dub since the fans have come to know and expect certain voices. But if Shenmue were re-made from the ground up it would make sense to recast everyone and put a lot more effort into a good dub to attract new audiences.
 
In some moments in the game we have to wait to progress the story. In the forklift/work part we have to follow the work routine, on the break we can talk with the others NPCs that work with us, if we do really good in the job we get a raise, even when he gets fired is a big moment to me.

In my opinion i think Yu Suzuki really wanted the player to feel like we were on Ryo's place, like we were living Ryo's life, only Yu Suzuki can answer this but i think that this was his vision for the game, not only for the first game but in the other games aswell, for us to experience this wonderful journey, Ryo's journey.

When i play the first game i really feel that i'm in Yokosuka living the life of Ryo Hazuki.

All the NPCs in the game are different and unique, if i pass a lot of time without playing the game i will still remember all the chraracters and places in Yokosuka, not many games can do this with me, it is really unique.

The first game is prove to me that we can have a wonderful game in a small city, the beauty is in the details, i love that the entire game is in Yokosuka. I prefer a game in a small city with details like Shenmue then a game in a big city but empty.

When i played the games i understood why the Shenmue community is so passionate and never gave up on Shenmue after all this years, it is really nice and special, i'm happy to be in this community.

It is a beautiful feeling when i play the first game, the first game really have a homely feel, Shenmue Chapter 1: Yokosuka is a masterpiece to me, this game will always be a beauty work of art to me
 
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So there is this game called Get Packed:Fully Loaded and they recently announced that the achievement list will be full of references and inside jokes.

And would you look at what random thing they payed an hommage to:
 
So there is this game called Get Packed:Fully Loaded and they recently announced that the achievement list will be full of references and inside jokes.

And would you look at what random thing they payed an hommage to:
LMAO that is sweet! :LOL:
 
Damn, anyone ever see this before? They sampled nightfall haha
 
I will start this post with a disclaimer that I am not disparaging nor generalizing all Ryu Ga Gotoku fans. Most fans of the franchise are level-headed decent people. However, some of these fan's ire towards Shenmue befuddle me.

I am sure most people here have seen the video from a Ryu Ga Gotoku fan naming his video something along the lines of "Shenmue: The Worst/Best Game I've Reviewed." While I was fine with the video, I noticed a new meme being expressed by fans that honestly does not make any sense. I am paraphrasing here but it goes something like "Shenmue walked so that Ryu Ga Gotoku could sprint." Which from my understanding means that Shenmue starting a genre that the latter perfected.

I have stated this in the past, but I will state it again, Shenmue Chapter One: Yokosuka released in 1999/2000 looked like this:


While Ryu Ga Gotoku started like this:


While not bad, the difference in quality is clear. This does not even take into account the fact you can interact more with the environment and unplayable characters. On top of that, offering full-time weather systems and fully-voiced characters. So in my mind, it would be more accurate to say Shenmue sprinted out of the gate while Ryu Ga Gotoku lagged.

The difference is that after 2001 Shenmue went dormant while Ryu Ga Gotoku did not. After Dead Souls almost killed the franchise outside Japan, the series experienced a second wind with Zero. Shenmue however, did not. Imagine how different the situation would be right now if Shenmue was profitable for SEGA.


Do you think that Shenmue III would be crowdfunded via Kickstarter? If anything, I would not be surprised if we got a "Kiwami" treatment for Shenmue as the Dragon and Phoenix collection could attest to. It is just a matter of the times we live in and Yu Suzuki being a contemporary Icarus. Ryu Ga Gotoku was given time to grow while Shenmue did not, so I do not understand this reasoning that Shenmue was the proverbial canary in the coal mine for Ryu Ga Gotoku.


The other issue commonly brought up is about the bad English voice acting. While I agree with this sentiment, I could just as easily point to the original Ryu Ga Gotoku English dub and point out how it was written in a very juvenile manner trying to be adult.
The difference is that it went back to Japanese and I rarely see anyone complain about it. So why does Shenmue not get the same regard?

This is why I find the civil war between the two fanbases to be puerile. If one does not like Shenmue, I do not have an issue with them. But to pretend that neither series for better or worse are shaped by the times and different circumstances; is woefully misguided.
 
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A new Shenmue fan shares his impressions about the remasters in this video.
Glad to see that even now in this world of high-end graphics, the ability to enter game worlds via virtual reality, and streamlined mechanics that Shenmue can still enchant people twenty years later. In my mind, that is what a masterpiece is a timeless work of art. Lamentably this series nor its creator get the justice they deserve.

Shenmue is unique in the regard that there is just something about it that draws you in. You forget you are even playing a video game and are getting lost in another world. There is a vast difference between watching the game and playing it. While I can not speak for anyone else, this is how I see it.

This is why I believe it is our responsibility as Shenmue fans to pass down our love of this franchise to the next generation. If this young man can fall in love with the series then who knows how many others we can convince to give the series a try. I just hope Yu Suzuki lives long enough to complete the series or he has a contingency plan in place. After all, it would be a tragedy if this series never finished.

Thank you so much for sharing this video as it makes me happy to see newer generations get into the Shenmue franchise.
 
Even though it just turned August I'm starting to get that yearly itch for replaying through the franchise again. What is everyone's most underrated scene, conversation, or phone call from Shenmue I?
 
Even though it just turned August I'm starting to get that yearly itch for replaying through the franchise again. What is everyone's most underrated scene, conversation, or phone call from Shenmue I?
Don’t know if I would call it underrated but I loved a lot of scenes with Shozo Mizuki the harbour bum, particularly when he teaches Ryo some new moves.

Also if you haven’t try going back to Doubita and speaking to some residents before you meet Tom at harbour for lots of interesting dialogue/conversations.
 
Don’t know if I would call it underrated but I loved a lot of scenes with Shozo Mizuki the harbour bum, particularly when he teaches Ryo some new moves.

Also if you haven’t try going back to Doubita and speaking to some residents before you meet Tom at harbour for lots of interesting dialogue/conversations.
Talking to Shozo is always nice and yes I've done the wandering around town after getting fired and before meeting Tom numerous times though I always find out something new. I wouldn't say this is underrated but I always enjoyed calling Nozomi and having a conversation about thanking her for the flowers and another one is her watching out for Ine-San. Those are two that stick out to me as nice little moments that I don't see get mentioned often. Truly a magnificent game.
 
Even though it just turned August I'm starting to get that yearly itch for replaying through the franchise again. What is everyone's most underrated scene, conversation, or phone call from Shenmue I?
I do not think I would call this scene 'underrated' per se, but it is my favorite scene in Shenmue Chapter One: Yokosuka.


And this Quick Time Event is just brutal.

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I do not think I would call this scene 'underrated' per se, but it is my favorite scene in Shenmue Chapter One: Yokosuka.


And this Quick Time Event is just brutal.

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I love those two scenes as well! Meditation is right up there for me too as one of my many favorites.
I also love when Ryo destroys Tony, Smith and the gang and they threaten him and he knocks Tony the F out. Just fantastic.
 
Periodically I wonder if players today have forgotten about the first-person perspective when it comes to video games. In other words, that the avatar is supposed to represent them, or in this instance, Ryo Hazuki. Outside of his love for martial arts, Ryo Hazuki according to Yu Suzuki is a blank slate on which the player can cast their personality onto him.

So him seeming clueless at times is intentional especially when it comes to romance. He is an open slate because every player wants him to end up with the character of their choosing or none at all. Giving him a canon relationship would potentially upset other fans.

I apologize for generalizing the fanbase as that is not my intention but that is what I see from some fans. I think video games since they can match the narrative quality of other media they also apply this third-person logic to video games as well.

What distinguishes video games from other media is the interactivity and how your choices impact the world you are in. This is the reason why many video games feature idealized characters and grand narratives to make the players feel larger than life in a way they can not attain in reality. Ryo Hazuki is simply another one of those avatars.
 
Many of the Shenmue fans here might not understand Portuguese; but nevertheless this is a video about Shenmue worth Sharing here at the Dojo.

In this video Brazilian Sega and Shenmue fans talk about the Shenmue series and how it revolutionized the video game open world genre.
I can genuinely tell that they are indeed true Shenmue fans and understand exactly what are the things that make the series special.
 
Periodically I wonder if players today have forgotten about the first-person perspective when it comes to video games. In other words, that the avatar is supposed to represent them, or in this instance, Ryo Hazuki. Outside of his love for martial arts, Ryo Hazuki according to Yu Suzuki is a blank slate on which the player can cast their personality onto him.

So him seeming clueless at times is intentional especially when it comes to romance. He is an open slate because every player wants him to end up with the character of their choosing or none at all. Giving him a canon relationship would potentially upset other fans.

I apologize for generalizing the fanbase as that is not my intention but that is what I see from some fans. I think video games since they can match the narrative quality of other media they also apply this third-person logic to video games as well.

What distinguishes video games from other media is the interactivity and how your choices impact the world you are in. This is the reason why many video games feature idealized characters and grand narratives to make the players feel larger than life in a way they can not attain in reality. Ryo Hazuki is simply another one of those avatars.
This is something I have always loved about Shenmue. The fact that I’m playing as a completely different person, and yet, it feels like I’m the one in Ryo’s shoes. Whenever I talk about Shenmue with people, I use statements like ‘I need to find Lan Di’ even though it’s a story with set characters. If Shenmue were a book or a show, nobody would say things like that. But the fact that Shenmue is a game allows it to be the most immersive experience possible. I think that’s what I love about games. When a game has a character with their own story and motivations, and yet the player is able to project themselves onto that character.

I think games sometimes lose that magic with all of the custom character options out there. Don’t get me wrong, I love having that feature in some games. I just think that even though you created the character yourself, it loses the impact in the story. I don’t know if this makes any sense, but for me, the more you get to personalize the main character, the less of a connection I feel. I really think that Yu Suzuki was able to create a character that was ‘blank’ enough for the player to project, but not to a point where Ryo has no personality at all.
 
I love all the scenes with Shozo Mizuki, it is one of my favorite parts of the game. Ryo made a friendship with a homeless man, this was really nice in my opinion. At first Ryo understimated Shozo, after that Shozo showed to Ryo that he knows how to fight and then Ryo learned a move with him.

We should never judge and underestimate someone because of someone's clothes, age, gender and much more. Ryo learned that with Shozo and with Xiuying aswell. Shozo Mizuki is one of my favorite characters in the game.

One of my favorite scenes in the game is the ending, Ryo saying goodbye to Ine-san and Fuku-san, Ryo doing the bow, Ryo walking one last time in Dobuita before going to Hong Kong, the Chai part, the flashback with Nozomi, Ryo in the boat while we can hear the main theme and the prophecy, it is just amazing, unforgettable.

When i play Shenmue i really feel like i'm there living a life in Yokosuka, like i really am in Ryo's place and the game have a homely feel, it is one of the beautiful things about this game.



Glad to see that even now in this world of high-end graphics, the ability to enter game worlds via virtual reality, and streamlined mechanics that Shenmue can still enchant people twenty years later. In my mind, that is what a masterpiece is a timeless work of art. Lamentably this series nor its creator get the justice they deserve.

Shenmue was released in 1999 and i finished the game for the first time in 2015, now i’m a Shenmue fan. To me games don't have an expiration date, a good game won't just be good at the time of its release, a good game will always be a good game to me, new games will not change my opinion about old games. I agree, lamentably this series nor its creator get the justice they deserve.

When I started playing Shenmue for the first time I didn't compare Shenmue with the new games at that time, i just wanted to play and have a good time with the game, i love old games, people love to compare old games with new games and then say they aged poorly, i don't do that, my mindset is that i just want to play and have a good time with the game.

Shenmue Chapter 1: Yokosuka is a masterpiece to me, a beauty work of art that i will love for the rest of my life, time will not change that.
 
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