SHENMUE DOJO 20TH ANNIVERSARY XMAS BONANZA!

James Brown

James Brown

Administrator
Joined
Jul 23, 2018
Location
England
To celebrate our 20th year as a fan site, forum and community outlet, we are doing something extra extra special this xmas to cap off the end of our celebrations.

With prize support from fellow friend and member @icuk, we present to you, our Shenmue Dojo 20th Anniversary Xmas Bonanza!

20 Years, 20 Prizes, 1 Winner.

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The prize list is as follows:

1. Data Discs Shenmue 1 OST
2. Lithograph Signed by Shenmue Music Composer Ryuji Iuchi
3. Data Discs Shenmue 2 OST
4. Shenmue 2 Lithographs
5. Shenmue 3 Kickstarter CD OST (supplied by @icuk)
6. Shenmue 3 Kickstarter Art Book (supplied by @icuk)
7. Shenmue 3 Kickstarter Ryo Hazuki Capsule Toy (supplied by @icuk)
8. White Timex Watch (supplied by @icuk)
9. Shenmue 3 Bandage Pack
10. Shenmue 1 & 2 Steam Code
11. Shenmue 3 Steam Code
12. Shenmue Tattoo Sheet (From Shenmue Premiere Event 1998 (supplied by @icuk))
13. Shenmue World Issue 1 Magazine
14. Kohji Nakazawa Poster
15. ShenWave Collection Vol. 1 CD
16. ShenWave 6 Code
17. Guilin Postcard Set
18. Eric Kelso Signed Print
19. Premium Sticker Sheet
20. Unannounced bonus Shenmue World Item


To win this stupidly huge Shenmue prize pool, you need to:

  1. Subscribe to Ryuji Iuchi on Youtube - Ryuji is very close to 500 subscribers, and would like to attain that goal before his end of year Q/A Live Music Perfomance stream which is due to take place on the 29th December (thanks to everyone so far, Ryuji now has over 500 subs! 🥳).
  2. Reply to this topic with a question you would like to ask Ryuji Iuchi, and we will forward them to him for his special Q/A Live Music stream to answer (@Switch from PhantomRiverStone.com will be translating the Q/A session!)
    Ryuji Iuchi's live Q&A stream has now taken place, thanks so much for all the fantastic questions!
  3. Reply to this topic with your fondest Shenmue Memory - we have been collecting special guest's fondest memories for our first podcast which aired live on Radio SEGA over the weekend (Shenmue Dojo Show: Episode 1), these memories can range from your first experience playing the Shenmue series, an event you may have attended, a particular person you have met, maybe something that happens in the game, or anything at all really!


If you are struggling with a question for Ryuji Iuchi, maybe familarising yourself with his body of work might trigger a neat question about a song for example.

Ryuji Iuchi Shenmue 1 Music
Ryuji Iuchi Shenmue 2 Music
Ryuji Iuchi Shenmue 3 Music
Ryuji Iuchi Shenmue Online Music
Ryuji Iuchi Super Monkey Ball 2 Music


- Competition ends 31st December and the winner will be announced on 1st January 2021!
- Competition open Worldwide. Best of luck everyone!


ON BEHALF OF EVERYONE HERE AT SHENMUE DOJO, MERRY XMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
 
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My question would be:

Overall, do you think music in video games receives the recognition it deserves?

My fondest memory of Shenmue is a really odd one:

I was in a Zellers department store reading a video game magazine and saw an article about Shenmue 2 being cancelled for the Dreamcast in North America. I was heart broken. Looking back at that exact moment in time now though, I realize it was the catalyst for my motivation to make sure the Shenmue series would continue. That was my moment when Shenmue became more than a video game for me. It was something I "needed." This was also the first time that I ever remember video games making me feel sad. I was genuinely upset that I wasn't going to be able to play Shenmue 2 on my Dreamcast. I remember telling my mom about the article and she recognized that it actually made me sad. I think that sadness that I felt really made me appreciate the series even more than I had already.

My other fondest memory was having my wife see my real time reaction to Shenmue 3 being announced. It was that moment that she really began to understand my love of this franchise.
 
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Question for Ryuji Iuchi

- Which of your compositions stirs the most emotion in you, whether you are playing or just listening to it?

My fondest Shenmue memory

I have told this story on here before, but it remains my fondest (and perhaps ill-advised) memory:

Between the years 1993 and 2005, my dad was the site supervisor (a posh word for "caretaker") of the massive building complex right next to my joint primary and secondary school, the latter of which, as luck would have it, was right next to our house. My dad was good friends with the caretaker of the school, so I essentially had a free pass to explore the grounds of both outside of operating hours whenever I so desired. This was on the condition I stuck to my word that I would be on my best behaviour, which amounted to not messing around with anything I shouldn't or attempting to open any of the doors, and I stayed true to it. Freedom within reasonable bounds; it was fucking awesome.

One time, when I was about nine years old, I managed to recreate the Old Warehouse No. 8 sneak-in thanks to a surprise appearance by the school's security guard (who, rest assured, had not turned up on account of my presence; his schedule was seemingly all over the place), who bore a striking resemblance to the wrestler Mr Hughes, when I was playing in the playground early one evening.

Despite knowing the layout of the playground and everything in it like the back of my hand, which meant I could make good my escape home at any point, I could not allow such an opportunity to simply pass me by. That would have just been foolish. So, I stayed in the shadows, lying in wait, keeping an eye on his movements, treating wherever he was heading on his rounds as my destination - which, seeing as I was unable to read his mind, changed at the drop of a hat at least a dozen times. I hid behind walls, took cover in doorways, and tiptoed mere metres behind him - the sound of my footsteps masked by the jingling of the massive bunch of keys attached to one of his belt loops - and he was none the wiser.

In retrospect, I wish I would have fucked with him a little by throwing a pebble at a bin or placing something on the path for him to find on his way back to create a distraction before changing position, but that's hindsight for you.

What a rush!
 
Woooooow, this is amazing, i want to win this. 😍

1. I've been subscribed to Ryuji's channel for a long time
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2. Question for Ryuji Iuchi

What is your favorite moment from working in Shenmue and with Yu Suzuki?

3. My fondest Shenmue memory.

One of my favorite memories with the Shenmue series was when i played Shenmue I and II for the first time from beginning to the end, at that time i didn't had a Dreamcast so my only way to play Shenmue I and II was on Dreamcast emulator, you know with which controller i played?

Well... i played with a NINTENDO SIXTY FOOOOOOUR USB controller XD, i had to buy a clone because Nintendo don't make N64 USB controllers. You know how it feels to play Shenmue I and II with N64 controller? well... i know. 😂😂

I think this memory is interesting and funny because probably i was one of the few people that had this experience.

This is the controller 😁
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This prizes are amazing and i have hope that i will win. 😍
 
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Question for Ryuji Iuchi

What the most special thing for you about Shenmue inspires your music?

My Fondest Shenmue Memory
My first time playing Shenmue in 2016. I remember how even though these games were old by that time, they still felt quite modern to me. I could see that the framework for many of the open world games I had played was established with these games. I loved just living life in Yokosuka and interacting with all the people, how Ryo knew everyone yet to a player like me who lives in America everything seemed so foreign, yet beautiful. It was a way to explore a different world, but not a fantastical one, one that you can actually visit.

Subscribed to Iuchi-san under my GameTrax YouTube channel.
 
Wow amazing gift set, lucky sod whoever wins it, hopefully me :)

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Question for Ryuji Iuchi

How did you come up with the track concepts, were the story and scenarios/locations shown to you by the directors? Also a lot of the Shenmue music is "gentle/ambience", was that a request by the directors/Suzuki-san?

Fondest Shenmue Memory

It has to be the Magic Monaco of 2016. I was lucky enough to secure a dinner slot with fellow fans @Amir and Rob Scharr, and we had an amazing day travelling with the master in Eze village, and seeing some of the concept drawings for Shenmue 3 before anyone else outside of YsNet. It gave us an unique insight into the man himself, who is very humble and inspiring.

It was also the first time I met veteran fans like David de Ville, James Hamill and @Peter Campbell, and the friendships that followed are almost as much a highlight as the dinner itself. Since then I've met more and more fans in Gamescom 2017 and Magic 2019, and hopefully we'll see everyone again next year (when Shenmue 4 is announced)!

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Wow! Good luck everyone~! I'll chip in with my tuppence. I've followed him already (I should be bcdcdude on Youtube too)

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Question for Ryuji // Your song "Shenhua ~ Sedge Flower" was re-arranged by Yuzo Koshiro. How did that come about and what was it like working with him? :)

Fondest Memory // I might have mentioned it before, but I think it bears repeating. It's also a multi part one, so I hope that's OK. My time with Shenmue upon getting it in 2000 was one of the happiest memories of my childhood. Growing up being into gaming since the 8-bit era, watching the growth of gaming has brought me many very happy memories. I remember seeing Virtua Fighter 3 and Scud Race and thinking "it can't get better than this". Then I saw the March '99 issue of CVG (Computer and Video Games magazine) showing Shenmue for the first time with the tagline "new best game ever revealed" blew my mind. The thought of being able to play this in my own home was incredible. Then I read an article in Arcade Magazine which showed the insane level of detail (going through drawers to show the cutlery). I just couldn't believe this level of detail is possible in my own home.

Suffice to say, it was top of my Christmas list nearly 20 years ago...it was the happiest Christmas i've ever had, because not only did I get Samba de Amigo (with the maracas!), but I finally got Shenmue. I remember my parents saying they had to look all over town for a copy and they got the last one in the last place they looked (remember, this is pre-Amazon!) Up to this point, I watched the opening movie on the Official Dreamcast Magazine demo disc again and again; finally, I was able to play it for myself.

The following week is a blur, but I remember many key things. Firstly, that it took exactly a week to finish. Secondly that Nozomi was my first major crush (and I still think she's so cute!) and finally that I saw the future in my own hands and that the game changed my life forever. I was always into Japanese culture at that point thanks to many Sega games, but this truly sealed the deal. I never knew that 19 years later, i'd fall in love with a girl from Japan - who knowing how much Shenmue meant to me took a day out of our holiday together to go to Yokosuka. To re-enact scenes in the game made me so happy and although she doesn't really know the game that well (she's a few years younger than me) the fact that she was happy to spend what little time we had together to do this quirky day out is wonderful to me.

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So the 2nd part - going back to 2001. By the time Shenmue II came out, the Dreamcast was dead. I got an Xbox that Christmas, but I still held a torch for the Dreamcast and so despite the excitement of a new console, the fact I was able to continue the Shenmue saga was incredibly exciting for me. So after opening all the presents and thanking my family, the first thing I did was pop Shenmue II in...a few hours later, my heart sank as I thought "I'm not enjoying this". I then left it for a day and I went back. I thought some time away to reflect would help. I continued and I was still unsure and I kept thinking "why am I feeling this way?" After all, everything was better in this game with the QoL improvements etc. Then it hit me...I wasn't enjoying it, because I was homesick for Yokosuka!! It blew my mind that I was virtually homesick for a place I (at the time) had never visited...and when I realised that, only then did I realise the genius of the Shenmue games. Prior to that, i've never been so emotionally invested in a game. I've had positive emotions playing games (the Mega Drive Sonic games, NiGHTS and Panzer Dragoon Saga on the Saturn), but never to the level that Shenmue did.

I get homesick quite often, but when i'm in new strange places, I look back at how Ryo must have felt and in doing so, that's helped me to branch out and go travelling. I'm not brave enough to do it alone (I always have to be with someone), but it's further proof that Shenmue has enriched my life in ways I never even thought possible!
 
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1: Subscribed!

2: Question for Ryuji Iuchi-
As a fellow musician, I wonder if you have any particular routines you take before you compose your pieces? What do you do to get in the zone that takes us through the emotions we feel when listening to your music?


3: Fondest Memory of Shenmue-
My fondest memory of Shenmue is getting off work after waiting all day to come home and return to my quest for revenge! It was so relaxing to come home (to which I would usually find my brother, who introduced me to Shenmue, finding himself some sailors. Lol) and get my daily dose of intriguing exploration and sweaty training sessions in. Even if I had to wait my turn I would bask in the enjoyment of watching my brother play. It was the first game either one of us could be completely satisfied just watching it. If I could go back 20 years I would relive these moments over and over again and again. They are some of the most sacred times of my entire life and I would not give up those memories for anything in this world.
 
Hello, created an account because I heard of this...sorry that a new person is taking a spot to try to win this but...here goes and thank you for this chance


  1. Reply to this topic with a question you would like to ask Ryuji Iuchi, and we will forward them to him for his special Q/A Live Music stream to answer (@Switch from PhantomRiverStone.com will be translating the Q/A session!)
    -What inspired to be in this industry / what music is most memorable to you (doesn't mean inspiring...but one music that basically you can't live with out)

  2. Reply to this topic with your fondest Shenmue Memory - we have been collecting special guest's fondest memories for our first podcast which aired live on Radio SEGA over the weekend (Shenmue Dojo Show: Episode 1), these memories can range from your first experience playing the Shenmue series, an event you may have attended, a particular person you have met, maybe something that happens in the game, or anything at all really!
    -Honestly, it was the game itself. Back when it originally came out, I never played a game where it kind of mimics such a daily life kind of atmosphere...and I know Showa Japan very well as well so it brought some childhood memories
 
djricekcn said:
Hello, created an account because I heard of this...sorry that a new person is taking a spot to try to win this but...here goes and thank you for this chance


  1. Reply to this topic with a question you would like to ask Ryuji Iuchi, and we will forward them to him for his special Q/A Live Music stream to answer (@Switch from PhantomRiverStone.com will be translating the Q/A session!)
    -What inspired to be in this industry / what music is most memorable to you (doesn't mean inspiring...but one music that basically you can't live with out)

  2. Reply to this topic with your fondest Shenmue Memory - we have been collecting special guest's fondest memories for our first podcast which aired live on Radio SEGA over the weekend (Shenmue Dojo Show: Episode 1), these memories can range from your first experience playing the Shenmue series, an event you may have attended, a particular person you have met, maybe something that happens in the game, or anything at all really!
    -Honestly, it was the game itself. Back when it originally came out, I never played a game where it kind of mimics such a daily life kind of atmosphere...and I know Showa Japan very well as well so it brought some childhood memories
Click to expand...
Welcome to the forums!
 
djricekcn said:
Hello, created an account because I heard of this...sorry that a new person is taking a spot to try to win this but...here goes and thank you for this chance


  1. Reply to this topic with a question you would like to ask Ryuji Iuchi, and we will forward them to him for his special Q/A Live Music stream to answer (@Switch from PhantomRiverStone.com will be translating the Q/A session!)
    -What inspired to be in this industry / what music is most memorable to you (doesn't mean inspiring...but one music that basically you can't live with out)

  2. Reply to this topic with your fondest Shenmue Memory - we have been collecting special guest's fondest memories for our first podcast which aired live on Radio SEGA over the weekend (Shenmue Dojo Show: Episode 1), these memories can range from your first experience playing the Shenmue series, an event you may have attended, a particular person you have met, maybe something that happens in the game, or anything at all really!
    -Honestly, it was the game itself. Back when it originally came out, I never played a game where it kind of mimics such a daily life kind of atmosphere...and I know Showa Japan very well as well so it brought some childhood memories
Click to expand...
Not at all, we were hoping to get a few new faces in here, welcome to the forums! :)
 
1) Subscribed

2) question would be what was the largest inspiration for the wide range of tracks in shenmue?

3)My fondest memory was listening to Boundless lands as the intro to shenmue 2 plays with the game showing off all the npcs in this game and the larger scale this game would have. Then the camera pans up from ryos first step and then we get to explore Hong Kong for ourself and the feeling of being an outsider is captured perfectly and really makes this game stand out from the first. Shenmue is the best game ever and I can't wait for the 4th!
 
What a great competition, good luck to all!

Already subscribed to Ryuji on Youtube :cool:

Question for Ryuji Iuchi -
How has the way you compose tracks changed in the last 20 years since Shenmue?
Are there any methods you use now you wish you could have used back then?

Fondest Memory of Shenmue -
My parents purchased a Dreamcast for me in 2001 having seen a listing for one in the Bargain Pages (Old UK newspaper for local listings). The console came with a handful of games, thankfully Shenmue was one of those. Up until that point I had only played N64 games and had known nothing about the game going in.

I will never forget that first play through and my jaw dropping during the opening of the game, I was completely drawn in by the story of Ryo's quest for revenge. No other game since has had that 'Wow' factor Shenmue gave me when I was a child, I thought being able to play real arcade games within a game was one of the coolest things ever!
 
Question for Iuchi
What inspired the most when composing music for the Shenmue games? - Did you visit any of the real locations from the games and did you try to visualise particular areas?

Fondest Memory
Back in 2002, as an 11/12 year old child with no internet at home but having completed both Shenmue 1 and Shenmue 2, I became frustrated with the fact that none of my other friends owned a Dreamcast and had therefore never played the Shenmue games. We didn’t have a computer at home at the time and I remember having to go to the library in my hometown to do homework. Instead of doing homework, however, I searched for information on the Shenmue franchise to see if any news had come with regards to a third game. This led me to the ShenmueDojo forum and I’ve avidly followed the content on here for the last 18 years. The feeling of belonging at the time was truly warming and has played a huge part in my life. I’ve loved the unique sense of community spirit and sheer drive and passion of the Shenmue fans. Together, we made Shenmue 3 possible and I continue to spread the word of this amazing franchise to my work colleagues, friends and family while proudly brandishing my Shenmue 3 Kickstarter T-Shirt.
 
Already subscribed (y)

Question for Ryuji Iuchi - when composing the area background music, how was this done? Like were you shown visuals, or given an idea for the feel/mood of the areas?

Fondest Memory - one memory I have is when I was at art college, I was studying animation and one of the animation rooms had those light box tables which had a big round piece of plastic in the centre (where the light shone through) and a square wooden frame. Everybody who worked in those rooms doodled on the wooden frames (the pencil/pen surprisingly didn't take long to fade and new drawings to be added) and at one point I drew a little Ryo on there at my desk. When it was time for my group to use that room again some days later someone had written next to it "Ryo! Hazuki!". As this was well over a decade ago, I can't quite remember if we exchanged a couple more messages via the table, or I just wish I had :LOL: I still think about this from time to time though, I wonder if that person ever got to play Shenmue III :)
 
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