Recent content by Switch

  1. Switch

    Historical Basis of the Chawan Sign

    In this post we take a look into historical roots of the Chawan Sign seen in Shenmue, as well as its mention in other media - notably the Kenji manga. Does the Chawan Sign in Shenmue Have a Historical Basis? https://www.phantomriverstone.com/2024/03/does-chawan-sign-in-shenmue-have.html
  2. Switch

    Photo Report: Meetup in Yokosuka (January 2024)

    Hope you get to experience it one day! It's remarkable how little it seems to change over the years. That's awesome you've been twice! Yes, the first visit there holds a special memory. I don't think Yu-san has an autograph anywhere as far as I know. It would be neat if he did. But Shenmue is...
  3. Switch

    Photo Report: Meetup in Yokosuka (January 2024)

    Last weekend an unofficial Shenmue fan meetup took place in Yokosuka, with about 15 people in total participating. It was really fun getting to know fellow fans and chat about our favorite series while strolling around the locations that provided inspiration for the first game. Here's a photo...
  4. Switch

    Two Pre-Release Screenshots of Langhuishan Village

    Thanks! It's fun going back to read these early discussions. It looks like these threads are referring to the Miao village unused screenshots that were shared by AM2, based on some of the archived pages that are mentioned in them...
  5. Switch

    Shenmue I VHS tape from Japan

    The content looks to match the video in the Japanese Passport except for the last few seconds with the release date & the Dreamcast logo. Japanese Passport video:
  6. Switch

    Two Pre-Release Screenshots of Langhuishan Village

    Interesting, do you have a link to any discussion?
  7. Switch

    Random Shenmue IV Thoughts.

    I've translated it as "Creating Games I'd Want to Play Myself" (other translations are also possible). Blog post: https://www.phantomriverstone.com/2023/12/yu-suzukis-key-theme-for-2024-creating.html
  8. Switch

    Two Pre-Release Screenshots of Langhuishan Village

    The beta vegetable stall owner's character model has been identified by @Miles Prower! https://shenmue.neoseeker.com/wiki/Song_Tam_Hoi
  9. Switch

    Two Pre-Release Screenshots of Langhuishan Village

    This is a comparison / analysis of two Shenmue II beta screenshots that show Languishan village with a slightly different layout. These screenshots were published in a Famitsu DC magazine in Japan in early 2001. One neat thing is that a reminder of this village layout remains in the load/save...
  10. Switch

    Motivations and Secrets: The Significance of Two Letters

    I came across this unused model of Zhu's letter to Iwao on the game disc which contains the same content as the one used in the final game, but it doesn't use a special font and is not mirrored. I guess it may have been used as a placeholder during an earlier development stage. I've added...
  11. Switch

    Motivations and Secrets: The Significance of Two Letters

    That's an interesting comment from Wei in the DLC on the reason he created the Blue Spiders gang ("I wanted to start my own organization! I wanted to be like Zhu! I'm not like you! I'll never be satisfied unless I'm on top!"). I agree that this presumably refers to 5 Star Corporation. As you...
  12. Switch

    Motivations and Secrets: The Significance of Two Letters

    Definitely sounds worth reviewing! It has also been a while since I've played.
  13. Switch

    Motivations and Secrets: The Significance of Two Letters

    Thanks for your comment! I would be interested in making the discussion as comprehensive as possible by including relevant S3 material. This may have been an accidental nostalgia bias on my part as I find myself replaying the first two games over the third. Which information from S3 in...
  14. Switch

    Motivations and Secrets: The Significance of Two Letters

    In this blog post we analyze two letters that Ryo finds early on in the game - the one from his father, and the one that arrives from Zhu Yuan Da - and review the evidence to consider questions such as: - Did Iwao Hazuki really know Lan Di was coming? - Although it was received too late, what...
  15. Switch

    Sword of 7 Stars Confusion.

    Yu Suzuki mentioned it in this Eurogamer article: https://www.eurogamer.net/i-could-do-with-a-bit-more-money-yu-suzuki-on-the-return-of-shenmue
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