Not sure where I posted it, but it seems that we got our answer(at least mine) that the ol' Angry Video Game Nerd does actually think Shenmue is a good game.
In his Return to Superman 64 video, posted June 5th, Shenmue can be seen at the end amidst the "good innocent games" on his shelf.
This is the second time it has shown up in his videos, Shenmue III showed up also in the magazine one..
I'd love to see James play it, even if his character riffs on it. Or maybe on the James and Mike Mondays series. It would generate some good exposure for the series leading up to 3, even if its spoofed.