I believe we already have a threat in regards to this somewhere else but I’d be glad to re-share my story. I’ve always been a gamer, a martial arts enthusiast, interested in Japan and so on. My brother got me into Virtua Fighter when he got a Saturn in May of 1997 as his 6th grade graduation present (I was finishing 7th). They were super cheap and it came with VF2, Virtua Cop, and Daytona USA. We both got into it. As time progressed, a store not too far from our home opened that specialized in import games, and there we were exposed to Saturn’s amazing import library (most notably X-Men Vs. Street Fighter later that XMas!). We were living outside of Phoenix, Arizona at the time (well, my family is still there and I’ve spent my adult life in Japan).
A year later, that same story were selling import Dreamcasts after they launched in Japan in Nocember 1998. We went there and sampled VF3 and enjoyed it (most of our local arcades didn’t have it!). I was barely in high school and the high school I went to offered Japanese courses. I had the highest grade in the class and I only had less then a semester’s worth of study so I couldn’t understand most Japanese. When the clerk showed me the case to VF3, I saw a disc called Project Berkley. I asked him about it and he told me it’s all in Japanese but we’d be in for a surprise because it was partially a compilation video disc of Suzuki’s works and a preview to his latest game, which was concieved as VF RPG but was already evolving to what was Shenmue. My brother and I asked him to pop in the disc and despite my limited knowledge of Japanese, I was hooked by the serene opening song and the cinematics of a kung fu fight. I was getting into RPGs and thought this was going to be something epic.
Shortly after in 1999, I would follow whatever news I could. I would read it in magazines, the net, whereer I could find any sources of info. I read it was a game that would explore Japan and later China, and that it was a game that would let you almost do anything and it would have a day/night cycle, magic weather, etc. I bought into the hype. Unfortunately, that store couldn’t get the What’s New Shenmue demo back in June of 1999 so I had to wait until the game would come out. It was supposed to come out in October 1999, but delayed to December. I patiently waited.
When I went to that import store on December 31, 1999, there it was! There were 10 copies and whatever XMas money I had on me (a little less than $100), I purchased it for $65! We went home, and my brothers and I played it for the first time. Its graphics, voice acting, angles, and the opening fight between Iwao and Lan Di caught my attention. By then, I had a year and a semester worth of Japanese study. I still had the highest grade in the class but all I’ve learned was basic grammar, vocabulary, directions, greetings, ordering food, making requests, etc. All of my knowledge was good enough for tourism lol. But being there in Yokosuka, I felt like a tourist at home and I’m glad this game made me feel like I was part of its world.
I played the game for God knows how long. When it was midnight 2000 Arizona time, I was still playing Shenmue! I was exploring the Hazuki home opening drawers and touching all the objects. It was like nothing I’ve never played. Since I was a veteran of Virtua Fighter upon its release, the fighting engine came naturally to me. I loved playing as Akira so playing as Ryo was like second nature. I used the game to help with my Japanese studies. I had my textbook, notebook, and dictionaries on me at all times lol. I was a sophmore and my brother was a freshman and we were both taking Japanese but one year apart. We relied on each other to look up a word, etc. If we didn’t understand something, we’d make a note of it, and ask our teacher lol! back in the days of VHS, we would record things to help us with our progress in the game and with our Japanese studies.
Upon finishing the first game, I felt I was only just beginning and begged for more. I re-played it again and again to discover new things each playthrough. I really enjoyed the forklifts and thought they were fun just for the sake of it. I loved getting the capsule toys and playing classic games at the arcade like I was there. It was an experience like no other and no other games have managed to replicate that. While Yakuza could do that, but I missed the opportunity talking to every NPC for whatever reason and see how they react. I loved that about Shenmue. I like how it’s a game that allows you to explore its world in order to progress.
Since we loved the game so much, we got the English version upon its release on November 2000 to further support the series. Whatever needs to be said about the English for better or worse, has already been said but I’m glad I still have it along with my Japanese copies to this day.
Then in the summer of 2001, I had the chance to do a study abroad in Hiroshima. I’ll admit Shenmue played a part in preparing me for that opportunity. I felt without Shenmue to help me, my adjustments would have taken longer. I remember Virtua Fighter 4 barely came out and I did see advertisements for Shenmue II at that time. Also, Shenmue USA came out but I wouldn’t buy it for another 10 years or so lol.
Then in September 2001, shortly before 9/11, that store got Shenmue II. I was barely a senior at the time and had three years of Japanese study and just came home from my study abroad in Hiroshima. I could understand a good fraction of the games by then and I could follow along but had my notes and dictionaries on me to help me. I got it the moment I laid my eyes on it! Upon starting the game, I was surprised that I could carry over my save of Shenmue 1 over to the game and use whatever money and items I have as I start the second game. While Shenmue 1 I felt a sense of familairity in Ryo’s shoes, going into Shenmue II, I felt as lost as Ryo with everyone wanting me to buy something from them (which I learned going to Beijing in 2007). I felt annoyed and pissed as he was being scammed and then Wong and the Heaven’s stole his money.
But as the journey progressed, I began to value the people around me like Ryo did and learn the same lessons in patience and trust. At the same time, I began to be amazed by immersing myself in a different culture and interacting with a new set of people who are complete strangers. I enjoyed the new moves Ryo learned and enjoyed the fights and QTEs. The freeze QTEs threw me off but I learned to adjust. I loved the street fighting for money but I missed the forklifts. Upon meeting Dou Niu, my brother and I called him the Chinese Kingpin, a reference to the marvel villain lol. I’ll admit Yuan was a weird inclusion at the time (we played the Japanese version where he’s definitively a man) who we’d thought would best fit in a segment of Jerry Springer (those were the times).
I felt the stakes raise each time for Ryo and wanted to know the truth. Then getting to Guilin, I loved its serene music and nature. I loved talking to Shen Hua and sharing her what life in Shenmue 1 was like (and glad these interactions are further expanded upon in Shenmue 3) and hear from her what village life is like to pass through our walks to her home outside Bailu Village (or Hakkason in Japanese). I liked where the relationship was going and then when the game ended the way it did, I felt the same way I did ending Shenmue 1 the first time, that the journey is only just beginning depsite everything that happens in 2.
Of course, like many here, I wanted more and I was always hopeful for Shenmue 3 to happen. Since then, I have moved to Japan and when I moved to Yokohama 4 1/2 years ago, I have visited Yokosuka on a seasonal basis since. When my family visited me when I got married last year, I took them there to see the harbor and get an idea of what rural life is like. My dad was in the military so it gave him memories of his time in Korea with how it mixes local culture and American culture. My brother who was also a fan was glad to visit and was amazed with how much it resembles the Dobuita in teh game.
