Random Shenmue Thoughts

So watching the anime has made me want to replay the games and I just finished HK section in Shenmue 2. A couple of questions and observations;

- Man the games cutscene presentation is really ruined with the letterboxed cutscenes. Also I forgot the camera icon is always visible during cutscenes too

- I forgot how many cutscenes occur during the airing the books out segment. It’s funny as a kid some days I struggled to complete airing the books out before noon, now I am pretty much done at 11-11.15am. If you continue to do a perfect run does Hanhui continue to give you move scrolls? If not how many move scrolls are given?

- Has there ever been any interviews from development staff about the first person brawls at Beverly Hills Wharf? It’s clear with Shenmue 2 the game was involving more first person segments, but the first person battles always seemed under cooked. Were the narrow alleyways causing issues with the camera and thus they decided to go first person? I had never slept overnight on Wong’s boat so after defeating all the enemies I let day progress. It was cool hearing the evening music for Beverly Hills Wharf which I don’t think I heard before. The odd thing is if you don’t progress all the enemies respawn before entering the scrape heap. The first and only instance I can remember of this

- After playing all these open world games it’s odd in a way coming back to Shenmue. Remembering HK size at the time of release made me truly feel like I was lost in this vast maze and yet despite its age, the hubs and areas feel so unique and distinct
 
Shenmue2, I crashed on my way out of the come over guest house, then crashed again one hour later after the first cutscene with Fangmei waking Ryo up, not sure I will be able to finish if these remaster are still in this kind of state...
Sega won't get my money anytime soon anymore.
 
So watching the anime has made me want to replay the games and I just finished HK section in Shenmue 2. A couple of questions and observations;

- Man the games cutscene presentation is really ruined with the letterboxed cutscenes. Also I forgot the camera icon is always visible during cutscenes too

- I forgot how many cutscenes occur during the airing the books out segment. It’s funny as a kid some days I struggled to complete airing the books out before noon, now I am pretty much done at 11-11.15am. If you continue to do a perfect run does Hanhui continue to give you move scrolls? If not how many move scrolls are given?

- Has there ever been any interviews from development staff about the first person brawls at Beverly Hills Wharf? It’s clear with Shenmue 2 the game was involving more first person segments, but the first person battles always seemed under cooked. Were the narrow alleyways causing issues with the camera and thus they decided to go first person? I had never slept overnight on Wong’s boat so after defeating all the enemies I let day progress. It was cool hearing the evening music for Beverly Hills Wharf which I don’t think I heard before. The odd thing is if you don’t progress all the enemies respawn before entering the scrape heap. The first and only instance I can remember of this

- After playing all these open world games it’s odd in a way coming back to Shenmue. Remembering HK size at the time of release made me truly feel like I was lost in this vast maze and yet despite its age, the hubs and areas feel so unique and distinct
At least 3 scrolls come from Hanhui. Oblique air kick, Horseshoe kick and Mantis combo. He definitely stops giving you scrolls at some point.
 
At least 3 scrolls come from Hanhui. Oblique air kick, Horseshoe kick and Mantis combo. He definitely stops giving you scrolls at some point.

Iirc you can also get Lunging Strike for carrying all of the books out on two consecutive days. Also, if I’m not mistaken, you don’t need to carry all of the books out to get the other moves, just a certain amount. There is definitely a limit on how many you can get though, as I distinctly remember being pissed off that I didn’t get a new move one time despite airing out all the books.
 
Yahtzee putting Shenmue as an example of a bad japanese open world

It kinda grinds my gears, he tends to use Shenmue as a punchline, but I thought that someone that came from playing/making graphic adventures would have actually saw the great task that Shenmue actually accomplished (and of course he likes Yakuza for the same deal, but with more whackyness/arcadey combat).

I've recently played Syberia the world before (really is worth the time, I'm amazed at the game they made after fumbling that bad with 3), and (I know I'm preaching to the choir) is still amazing how Shenmue as a graphic adventure stands up and how difficult would be to replicate in the future.

Well, I guess games like life is strange are more similar to Shenmue than anything else, but still, limited to scenes, no schedule, no openness, no/little gameplay variety. But also tells you the hardships of making the whole "puzzle-logic solving" work on 3d environments.
 
Yahtzee putting Shenmue as an example of a bad japanese open world

It kinda grinds my gears, he tends to use Shenmue as a punchline, but I thought that someone that came from playing/making graphic adventures would have actually saw the great task that Shenmue actually accomplished (and of course he likes Yakuza for the same deal, but with more whackyness/arcadey combat).

I've recently played Syberia the world before (really is worth the time, I'm amazed at the game they made after fumbling that bad with 3), and (I know I'm preaching to the choir) is still amazing how Shenmue as a graphic adventure stands up and how difficult would be to replicate in the future.

Well, I guess games like life is strange are more similar to Shenmue than anything else, but still, limited to scenes, no schedule, no openness, no/little gameplay variety. But also tells you the hardships of making the whole "puzzle-logic solving" work on 3d environments.
Personally I think people who make the videos to shit on shenmue but praise shit like Yakuza games not realizing without shenmue there would be none of these games makes them look like massive tools and I wouldn't give them the time of day watching their videos or giving their opinions the time of day.
 
I said this not too long ago (as another post was made on this video), but as someone who used to enjoy Zero Punctuation, whereas once he sounded witty and cutting (albeit with the odd clunker), now he sounds tired and bitter. I guess all those years of anger and frusturation (even if some of it is calculated) has caught up with him. I'd ignore him as he's just preaching to the choir.
 
Bought myself another Shenmue II disc 3 in hopes of it not having a data read error bug.


Shipping is really expensive from U.K. to U.S.
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So I was watching a Shenmuedojo video on the passport Ryo model being playable by modding the game and I noticed something.

Passport model:

Screenshot_20220407-183554_YouTube.png

If you don't see it, the patch on the front of his jacket is completely different from the regular Ryo model in Shenmue.

In-game model:

Screenshot_20220407-184832_YouTube.png

I know, this is the BIGGEST discovery in Shenmue history.
 
After the latest episode of the Shenmue anime, I wonder why Ryo never bothered showing that pic of Iwao and Lan Di's father when they were young?
 
Might scratch the Shenmue itch for some...

@James Brown @spud1897 @LemonHaze maybe we can reach out to the publisher and Sega and see if they would be down to do some Shenmue DLC. Forklift races with Mark and the crew and kicking Mad Angels ass during lunch breaks. I'd also like to see what Master Chen, Guizhang and the homeless guy do all day🤔
 
I found a Shenmue II U.S. phone card on ebay, never seen this one before.

View attachment 14828
Me neither, and while I already seen the image in S2 DC cover I never seen before (or at least I cant remember) a tagline stating "revenge its just the beggining". So this actually boost my sensations about where the plot could go in a future and certainly, for a larger stoy spawning at least a fifth chapter.
 
Also, this my cure for depression. I've seen this so many times and I still crack up laughing. Especially the part where Chai nibbles on Ryo's shoulder!

God bless you sweet person. If SIV wasn't teasing it like hell I bet this woul've cracked the dojo XD From now on its bookmarked next to Terry Crew singing Vanessa Carlton in White Chicks, my cure for depression.

edit: dont tell me i double posted... yes i did. ffffu
 
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