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Re: [Request] Shenmue II FullSpeech Disc II, Part 2.

Hi, I uploaded the four discs in split rars

https://mega.co.nz/#F!7RcnCLCL!IeDb2sudOScOspFOr6IgUg

I hope that worked well for you.
Regards.
by masterchan777
Thu Apr 17, 2014 5:38 pm
 
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NullDC 1.0.4 r150 with Shenmue fixes by masterchan777

Hello everyone,

The latest build of nullDC has a couple of bugs that affect the gameplay of Shenmue, one of those bugs causes the emulator to randomly crash at some points during the gameplay of Shenmue II, and the other bug produces a really annoying high-pitch buzzing sound when playing What's Shenmue with CDDA Audio enabled.

I managed to fix both bugs, recompiled and uploaded the fixed nullDC r150 :

http://i.imgur.com/oNed55k.png
http://i.imgur.com/qmIk9y8.png
http://youtu.be/t_ugtRweKIo

Click here to download

I think it's the best version of nullDC out there, especially for Shenmue, since it has all the advantages of the latest release as well as the newly implemented fixes, give it a try if you like and let me know what you think.

Update :
A version with a different background art :

http://i.imgur.com/5iTjTdc.png

Click here to download


new background art made by : brad86

Note : I highly recommend deleting nullDC.cfg file, this will reset nullDC's settings back to default. You also need to install BOTH X64 and x86 versions of VS 2013 Dll files. which can be grabbed from this link : http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=40784

Thanks for your time.
by masterchan777
Fri Apr 18, 2014 5:08 pm
 
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Re: nullDC 1.0.4 r150 with two Shenmue fixes by masterchan77

Thank you C.. :)
Shenmue II is very playable with this release, there are a couple of issues I am aware of though, one is that nullDC doesn't emulate the arcade gameplay of After Burner in Shenmue II and that will cause the emulator to hang in an infinite loop, also there are a few very minor graphical glitches here and there but nothing too serious.
I will look into those issues when I have more time and try to provide a fix if I manage to get them fixed since Dreamcast emulation isn't 100% perfect yet.
Please let me know if you know of any other issues with nullDC especially with the Shenmue series.
by masterchan777
Sun Apr 20, 2014 8:21 am
 
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New "Hazuki Tiger" Jacket coming in 2014 (Insert Coin)

http://s27.postimg.org/zb7vxbzf7/10257077_721135517928980_88.jpg

Insert Coin clothing has just announced a new "Hazuki Tiger" jacket for 2014. Inspired by the same jacket worn by Ryo Hazuki from Shenmue. This jacket replaces their hoodie which is not available anymore.

Links: Announcement | Hazuki Tiger Jacket
by masterchan777
Fri Apr 25, 2014 7:14 am
 
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Shenmue 3 has been officially added to Twitch.tv

Shenmue 3 has been officially added to Twitch.tv games list, and now Shenmue streamers can choose Shenmue III in addition to Shenmue, Shenmue II and Shenmue Online

Image
by masterchan777
Thu Jun 18, 2015 6:09 am
 
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gamesTM Magazine: Yu Suzuki Talks - Shenmue 3 Exc. Interview

The next gamesTM Magazine UK will have an exclusive interview with Yu Suzuki about Shenmue 3, issue will be on sale 13 August

Image
by masterchan777
Mon Aug 10, 2015 7:24 am
 
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Re: Nocon Kid & Shenmue III

The thing I like about Nocon Kid's HD videos is how faithful they are to the original material. I wish he could join in the development team at some stage, at least to do some debugging and quality testing.
by masterchan777
Sat Jul 18, 2015 1:09 pm
 
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Re: Demul v0.7 alpha released. (Dreamcast Emulator)

Demul is a really good Dreamcast emulator, and unlike NullDC it's still being worked on. It requires a more powerful PC to run smoothly at this current stage but it's being optimised and more bugs are being fixed. One of the things you can do to minimise the sound-distortion bug that happens every now and then is to make sure v-sync is unchecked.

The next Demul alpha release will bring a cool Shenmue II fix: After Burner II in Shenmue II will be playable for the first time on a PC emulator, stay tuned.

http://i71.fastpic.ru/big/2015/0718/b5/9a4ec4088cd1b0c6547b2c0a5e57c8b5.png
http://i71.fastpic.ru/big/2015/0718/da/d198642b90b55ec2029a5eb8187372da.png
by masterchan777
Sat Jul 18, 2015 12:55 pm
 
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Demul v0.7 alpha build 180428 - Updated 28/04/18

Demul is a really good Dreamcast emulator, and unlike NullDC it's still being worked on. Although it requires a more powerful PC to run smoothly at this current stage, it's being optimised and more bugs are being fixed with every new release.

You can download the latest build from the following link

This is the latest build of Demul with the following changelog:

Demul v0.7 alpha build 180428

- Fixed image distortion on Nvidia GPUs.
- Rebuilt using latest Visual Studio.

Demul v0.7 alpha build 180426

PowerVR2:
- Fully emulated scaler/filter, should fix most if not all games which was cut in size if in TV-modes.
- Filtered NaN UV texture coordinates (Soul Reaver lifebar fix).
- Filtered negative vertex coords (MK Gold with ATI fix).
- Allowed upto 128 layers.
- Emulated primary/secondary render target buffers for Opaque/PunchTrought lists (Agartha proto flashlight fix).
- Fixed MvSC2 SCORE blinking.
- Handle edge case ELAN IRQs.
Display:
- Auto hide mouse cursor when in fullscreen (with 5 seconds timeout).
- Prettify "start in full screen" option.
- Renamed SPG/GPU display to FPS/RPS.
Input:
- Corrected purupuru device reply (Resident Evil 2 fix).
- Fixed xinput crash if attempt to configure inputs during emulation.
- Fixed few games with inverted "pedal" inputs.
AICA:
- Fixed AEG/FEG which might stuck in edge cases (some sounds in MvSC2, ReVolt jump sound, etc).
NAOMI:
- Fixed RF ID generators for Dinoking, Love&Berry, etc
- Small corrections to JVS I/O Sense line.
Misc:
- Patch for Orion Puzzle Collection (workaround for Kalisti SDK bug).
- Documented actual game developers in game list.

Demul v0.7 alpha build 160818

- ADPCM decoder tweaks.

Demul v0.7 alpha build 160816

- Fixes current LBA after CD-Mil security check (Pier Solar works again).

Demul v0.7 alpha build 160814

- fixed freezing bug in KalistiOS-based games with DC keyboard controller.
- fixed freezing bug in some WinCE-games if VMU is present.
- improved Dev.Box emulation.
- patches for Cycraft InitialD and ClubKart (boots, but not yet playable).
- better aspect correction and filtering for Cave CV1000
- InitialD, ClubKart and Derby Owners magnetic card readers are now emulated (press PUSH6 key then the game will ask to insert/take card)
- fixed Marvel vs Capcom 2 characters during intro.
- ClubKart2003 input fixes
- WWF Royal Rumble 4 players input works now.
- NAOMI DIMM Board is now emulated.
- added recently dumped NAOMI and Atomiswave sets
- romset in sync with MAME
- bunch of other minor fixes and stability improvements


Demul v0.7 alpha build 221215

- ATI texture perspective bug fix is now optional (only works for ATI and causes glitches on Nvidia GPUs).
- Ancient CDI v2 parsing killed by accident has been restored.
- GD-ROM status/irq bug fixes (Gauntlet Legends).

Demul v0.7 alpha build 201215

- Disk swapping functionality


Demul v0.7 alpha build 181215

- SH4 MMU optimizations, many WinCE games now work full-speed on a modern PC.
- Tile Accelerator has been rewritten and optimised.
- Support for Xinput devices without vibration has been added.
- Automatic DC video mode selection.
- Simple deinterlace for TV-mode.
- Rotate and Aspect Ratio fixes.
- Optional Bilinear filter added.
- Libchd doesn't require SSSE3 anymore.
- Fullscreen switching crash fixed.
- gdrImage subcodes emulation bug fixes and improvements.
- gdrImage bug fixes and cue/bin support.
- SH4 exceptions handling bug fixes.
- Supid Invaders now boots OK.
- Fixes for recent indie games.
- Romset sync with current MAME
- Other minor tweaks and optimisations.


Demul v0.7 alpha build 230915

- "NAOMI 2 Vertex Cache" option for ATI/AMD GPUs (disabled by default).
- AMD-specific texture glitches fixes in many games (Shenmue II, ECCO, HotD2, etc...).
- Several minor optimisations.


Demul v0.7 alpha build 200915

- NAOMI 2 emulation has been rewritten almost from scratch, emulation is now very close if not the exactly same as real hardware, a lot of optimisations added, emulation can now use a separate thread (DX11NG)
- Shadow rendering fix (Cosmic Smash)
- Romset sync with current MAME

Demul v0.7 alpha build 310715

- More precise SH4 FSRRA opcode (What's Shenmue fix).
- VMU window auto open/close.
- DirectInput thread now properly terminates (VMU window close fix).
- Emulator now can be closed by ALT+F4.
- Naomi2 shadows improvements (DX11NG Plugin).
- Naomi2 screen scale (DX11NG Plugin).
- Various romset corrections.
- Several minor performance improvements and bugfixes.

Demul v0.7 alpha build 190715

- Shenmue II's After Burner II mini game is now playable.
- SH4 MMU fixes & improvements.
- Crackin' DJ 1&2 are now playable.
- Ferrari F355 Deluxe now plays with sound/BGM music.
- Several Naomi 2 Fixes (materials, lights refactor).
- Foolproof VMU files creation.
- gdrCHD & gdrImage plugins now save the last used image path.
- Better Xinput deadzone handling.
- GDI audio fix in gdrCHD (this plugin is now recommended to be used with GDI images too).
- A workaround to resolve issues with AMD Catalyst 15.7 drivers.
- Several other minor tweaks.

Demul v0.7 alpha build 190715

SH4
- OnChip access correct bit width only
- add flti0/1 PR flag check
- reg binding cleanups and fixes, PR sanity checks
- fix DIV0S, optimise DIV1 and add linking current block
- fix Invalidation code
- fix delayed slot exceptions
- interrupts fixes / improvements

GD-ROM
- fix CD PLAY after SEEK for Taxi2
- small fix for bleemcast (almost work)
- G1 DMA discrete step

AICA
- use less attenuated ALFO
- mixing levels fixes
- EG timer fixes
- properly handle Decay level = 0 case
- optimise IRQs

HOLLY
- rewrite SPG
- fix Holly registers for wince
- add real HOLLY IDs for all supported platforms

Gaelco
- speedup boot
- decode boot from Altera firmware
- render fixes: offset color flag, handle flats
- add Gaelco Footall
- preliminary support Gaelco Footall analog inputs

Misc
- SCIF link for AW Maximum Speed and Chase1929
- fix Marvel vs Capcom 2 intro Guile character head
- disable menu in fullscreen (fix clicking it with mouse in light gun games)
- netplay: add option to disable flash/sram sync
- set windows timer resolution to min possible value
- rom loading refactoring, NAOMI GD-ROM sets now require security PIC dumps, old GD-rip binaries not supported anymore
- fix save states crash
- improved creation of Dreamcast flash and "timehack"
- NAOMI DIMM CF support
- fix mouse X/Y calc then screen rotated
- fix error when set memcard time in DC bios
- fix DC flash erase, handle correct sector sizes
- Elo touchscreen fixes for Atomiswave and NAOMI StarHorse
- emulated HW210 IC card reader (Dragon Treasure, WCCF)
- SHIO hopper board HLE, Kick'4'Cash playable
- Added all recently dumped games for supported platforms
- Romset in sync with current MAME
- many other changes and fixes

Demul v0.7 alpha build 171011

- -listxml now generate "merge" tags
- minor romset corrections
- fix AICA DSP recompiler state load crash
- about box crash fixed

Demul v0.7 alpha build 171111

- Akai Katana support added.
- Mushiking IV/V/VI added, new card codes included.
(to change 4-5-6 game version go to game test mode BACKUP CLEAR and hold both players buttons 1 for 3 seconds).
- DX11: fixed Cave bi-linear filter.
- ymz770: implemented main volume and clip control.
- ARM: DP immediate Carry little fix.
- Basic analogues simulation when playing with keyboard (arcade only).
- Gaelco: improved ball mechanic simulation.
- Dreamcast game name handle fixed.
- DX11old: fixed shader filter settings load.


Now Shenmue II's AfterBurner II , OutRun , Space Harrier and Hang-on are fully playable.

AfterBurner II
http://i71.fastpic.ru/big/2015/0718/b5/9a4ec4088cd1b0c6547b2c0a5e57c8b5.png
http://i71.fastpic.ru/big/2015/0718/97/74bbe29f07bd626f830df8925419af97.png
http://i71.fastpic.ru/big/2015/0718/da/d198642b90b55ec2029a5eb8187372da.png
http://i71.fastpic.ru/big/2015/0718/51/c42e10dc5e601baccf797529cd1e4351.png

OutRun
http://i.imgur.com/1TWXT08.png
http://i.imgur.com/HczM2ak.png
http://i.imgur.com/bsAM393.png

Space Harrier
http://i.imgur.com/yvzfNUl.png
http://i.imgur.com/NloWUpe.png
http://i.imgur.com/qhTqFrC.png

Hang-On
http://i.imgur.com/yxiKUgM.png
http://i.imgur.com/KZORBrI.png
http://i.imgur.com/jrVl3Qm.png


Hint: to minimise the sound-distortion bug that happens every now and then, it is recommended to uncheck v-sync in video config settings.

Note: Please don't ask me to provide any SEGA copyrighted files required to run the emulator, Google is your friend.

Please test the emulator and kindly provide your feedback of any bugs/performance issues you may find, especially with Shenmue and Shenmue II. It'd be really helpful if you could also provide a save file at the spot where the bug/glitch happens alongside your bug report.
by masterchan777
Sun Jul 19, 2015 1:56 pm
 
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Re: What's Shenmue translation project V1.0.3 UPDATED!

I noticed a weird bug in version 1.03, it's simply "&" symbols added to various translated lines as shown in the following two photos comparing 1.02 and 1.03

1.02
Image


1.03
Image
by masterchan777
Mon Sep 21, 2015 7:37 pm
 
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Re: Shenmue 1 and 2 widescreen hacks Dreamcast

Here's a Cheat Engine file that may save you a bit of time when applying this fix with Demul. You can easily toggle between the default Letterbox (4:3) mode and Widescreen (16:9) mode by clicking on the value column of the related version.
This works with: Beta Shenmue, What's Shenmue [JP], Shenmue [EU, US, JP], US Shenmue [JP], and Shenmue II [EU, JP].

http://i.imgur.com/hbBCMXl.png

Download the latest version of Cheat Engine from this link
Download Demul Cheat Engine file from this link
Check out the latest released build of Demul from this topic
by masterchan777
Sat Oct 24, 2015 10:26 am
 
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Re: Shenmue 1 and 2 widescreen hacks Dreamcast

This is a simple way that may save you time when applying this fix with NullDCCheater since Cheat Engine seems to be causing NullDC to crash for some reason on some machines.
You can easily toggle between the default Letterbox (4:3) mode and Widescreen (16:9) mode on the fly.
This works with: Beta Shenmue, What's Shenmue [JP], Shenmue [EU, US, JP], US Shenmue [JP], and Shenmue II [EU, JP].

http://i.imgur.com/GeP4B4j.png

You need to follow those steps to get things to work correctly:

⋅ Download this version of NullDCCheater from this link and extract it.
⋅ Rename NullDC executable to NullDC.exe, and run it.
⋅ Load a Shenmue disc and wait for the game to start.
⋅ Run NullDCCheater and it should recognise your Shenmue game. if the game wasn't automatically recognised then you have to manually choose the right version from the dropbox menu.
⋅ Select Widescreen or Letterbox mode.
⋅ Click the cheater activation button.

Check out the latest released build of NullDC from this topic

Note: You may need to install/update Visual Basic 6 controls if your system doesn't have them, the installation file (VisualBasic6-KB896559-v1-ENU.exe) is included within the extracted folder if needed.
by masterchan777
Sat Oct 24, 2015 4:58 pm
 
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Re: Demul v0.7 alpha build 221215 - Updated 22/12/15

Demul v0.7 alpha build 221215 changelog:

- ATI texture perspective bug fix is now optional (only works for ATI and causes glitches on Nvidia GPUs).
- Ancient CDI v2 parsing killed by accident has been restored.
- GD-ROM status/irq bug fixes (Gauntlet Legends).

You can download this build from the following link
by masterchan777
Tue Dec 22, 2015 7:34 pm
 
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Re: Demul - Now with a new What's Shenmue fix - 31/07/15

OP has been updated with the latest build of Demul, this one has a few nice improvements and fixes and one nice fix for What's Shenmue.

I would like for you to give it a test with Shenmue, Shenmue II and What's Shenmue, and please provide feedback on any issues you may find.

There have been rumors on a "dialogue skipping" issue when playing emulated Shenmue games (on NullDC, Reicast and Demul) so please let me know if you encounter such issue with NullDC or Demul. I'd very much appreciate it if you could provide a save file at the spot when you notice such bugs if possible.
by masterchan777
Fri Jul 31, 2015 3:22 pm
 
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Re: Shenmue 1 and 2 widescreen hacks Dreamcast

GYO6161 wrote: Anyone know the demul code for the clipping fix in S2?


Code: Select all
Shenmue II PAL (Alternative Widescreen/No Clipping) for Demul:

2C311880---C3A00000
2C27E198---35AA359E


Shenmue II JAP (Alternative Widescreen/No Clipping) for Demul:

2C30D690---C3A00000
2C281620---35AA359E


by masterchan777
Sat Jan 09, 2016 10:25 pm
 
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Re: Shenmue 1 and 2 widescreen hacks Dreamcast

@Esppiral - is there anything you can do about the game (shenmue 2) crashing during the following cutscenes when using widescreen code on a dreamcast?:

- handing Zhoushan (guang martial arts school) the letter from the street performer - green side borders.
- 1st and 2nd meetings with scout at dragon street at night - game locks up.
- Ryo getting off the boat at Languishan - green side borders.
- shenmue tree reveal close-up on flowers - game locks up.

i'm also curious whether these glitches occur on an emulator - i don't emulate, so i can't check myself.

I can confirm that the game locks up on emulators at the mentioned places as well, and that causes the emulator to reset, but only when applying the original widescreen fix, as the new alternative/no clipping fix works fine. The green side borders glitch, however, doesn't happen on emulators when applying any of the fixes.
by masterchan777
Sun Jan 10, 2016 8:46 pm
 
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Re: Shenmue 1 and 2 widescreen hacks Dreamcast

Here's a short clip to show that the original widescreen fix locks up the game (forcing the emulator to reset) while the alt/no clipping fix works fine.

phpBB [video]
by masterchan777
Tue Jan 12, 2016 8:25 am
 
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Re: Shenmue 1 and 2 widescreen hacks Dreamcast

I noticed this strange geometry side-effect with the new fix :
Image
by masterchan777
Sun Jan 10, 2016 6:01 pm
 
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Shenmue I & II 16:9 & Black Bars Auto Fixer - Updated

Hello everyone,

Thanks to the great work of dojo members Esppiral , Sappharad and others, we are now able to play Shenmue and Shenmue II in a proper widescreen format and with almost no clipping. Moreover, we are also able to remove the annoying black bars from Shenmue II's cutscenes.

So I made two utilities that can save you time when applying the widescreen/no clipping fixes and also to remove the black bars from "all" the cutscenes in Shenmue II automatically.

The first utility supports the EU version of Shenmue I and Shenmue II

http://i.imgur.com/lHtzAmc.png

The second utility supports What's Shenmue, and the JP version of Shenmue I and Shenmue II

http://i.imgur.com/fFBLtjI.png

Sample Screenshots:

http://i.imgur.com/J7QNvqp.png

http://i.imgur.com/Dpt3Fd7.png

http://i.imgur.com/LwbaNI4.png

http://i.imgur.com/TK5WtZR.png

http://i.imgur.com/YVyNAv3.png

http://i.imgur.com/PjVj939.png

http://i.imgur.com/PqpFExv.png

http://i.imgur.com/WwFJUfX.png

http://i.imgur.com/K50ZNRe.png

So I made a utility that can save you time when applying the widescreen/no clipping fixes to Shenmue I (game and passport discs) and Shenmue II, and the utility will also remove the black bars from "all" the cutscenes automatically.

The two utilities will work with any version of Demul, and they may also requires the latest version of Cheat Engine to be installed, so it's already included with the utility.

Here's a nice video tutorial on how to use the tool by BlueMue

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ1Jfq61s6k


And another video tutorial by Ziming

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKw029vkWqY

Download the utility for EU Shenmue I&II from this link

Download the utility for What's Shenmue and JAP Shenmue I&II from this link

Check the latest Demul build from this link

Please share your comments, suggestions and feedback...
Enjoy.
by masterchan777
Fri Jan 15, 2016 7:20 am
 
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Re: Shenmue I & II 16:9/No Clipping & No Black Bars Auto Fix

I made another utility that fixes What's Shenmue, Shenmue I [JP] (game and passport discs) and Shenmue II [JP] ...


Image


You can download the new utility for JAP Shenmue from this link

Enjoy..
by masterchan777
Sun Jan 17, 2016 5:14 pm
 
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Digital Foundry Retro: Shenmue - A Game Ahead Of Its Time

Eurogamer's Digital Foundry Retro revisits Shenmue and discusses its technical achievements, what made it so special and what's the best way to play the game today ...

phpBB [video]
by masterchan777
Sun Jun 05, 2016 7:34 am
 
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Re: Demul v0.7 alpha build 160816 - Updated 16/08/16

How does the installation of the new build work? Do I need to remove my bios files and roms, delete the old install and replace it with the new one? Or is there a previous version detection?
Get the latest build from OP (now includes new audio tweaks so it should run Shenmue games better too), copy your roms folder from your old build into the new one, reconfigure the new build, save your new settings and you are good to go. You can still use the old build if you like as well.
by masterchan777
Fri Aug 19, 2016 5:35 am
 
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Re: Demul v0.7 alpha build 160818 - Updated 19/08/16

Quick question - is the 160818 build linked in here more advanced than the 180816 build on the Demul website? I figured higher number is better, but some of the old build numbers start with a 2.

alpha build 160816 was released in 16 August 2016 --> 16(year)08(month)16(day)
alpha build 160818 was released in 18 August 2016 --> 16(year)08(month)18(day)

thus, 160816 is older than the latest 160818, it's always easier to grab the latest version from the link in the OP ...
by masterchan777
Mon Sep 05, 2016 6:58 pm
 
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Kickstarter Update #60: Dinner in Japan Reward Report


Greetings Eveyone!
The 16th of September was the Dinner with Yu Suzuki in Tokyo reward day, and we wanted to share how the day went. Shenmue III backers from around the world came to Japan for the event that would be a day filled with Japanese and Chinese culture in the historical centers of Kamakura and China Town in Yokohama. Yu-san was there to conduct the tour and of course talk Shenmue.

https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/BjVQCH6EBbtfQX9xGMygWj_CH0W0gjADIPXzNmGSPuNq83-DGFRn1-SqRerr-IrDEjK_wvXkJLHEEzanEeDkcOk49QMni4pE3_UkHtYTM8CMPzzcFNI91gACJH91z9cDE0u29IPSZ0KtQd6bVYlVGXVicD2DQI9eJ_8lNuuwGGZJoxNoA5fLeSDYX3i8QzkQ3vdPL4st_qRjvb563aL-E743XS87PqJM6PcUMG3iFQZXXFf8Nc8pizWvVcHEWxMI=s0-d-e1-ft#https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/013/912/874/e5e2d12a8e39f15afb132fc5ddde7dd4_original.jpg?w=700&fit=max&v=1475129529&auto=format&q=92&s=6008a8c87bd492808cf21cdb31329e6c

Searching around the hotel lobby where everyone was meeting up, who do we find, but someone with “Shenmue” tattooed on their arm in Japanese! From the first, we were already beside ourselves with how deeply their love for Shenmue ran.

https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/IUijPYTkv9QOfOH1ABKvcc4aS4-Gncr8GQqvMas2YSQ1PIXB1iLvitnOEYcWNeSMqeQ5qrF914ekXMddDALJek4LCam1QX9EdMWo69GBAggcJshoh6yvmnk-qNtHHoLH5i5cTo_abtNEisHy-W0NDk7VUk0m3BHNialWiPNESD1YxIE0CKsR0pRDQ1zfB7jenkel72ohZqIDI09hjZ0rPrE30L5Q6GA1vaX7Lj4wL0xkFn4YqfdoRRuCGGshwAYU=s0-d-e1-ft#https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/013/912/883/b1e055313245367db596e0c1c1c3f614_original.jpg?w=700&fit=max&v=1475129587&auto=format&q=92&s=2c1c4f40a382a2633702af7ad14f5969

https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/6XHJ4VoPEv652X8HXpnle5lEdHM-Xa7JlWsQdWiXRVI4A1m5we6oFwF7jPVBTe9AhWh-LDkaSqoor_-MQMZG2Cb3DRIETfKrOU_ZUoqO6w0AurwuKCTnQoRLXXLAlynnkXYaLuNuB0JwKqDUj5jFpEsn9KZezVSEe-Ls7JqS2hMEZLuhjVZUC6H28R7cokdKm62g-GGu6M5rLSZ7JQPDiFo3teeVoZoZvjtnEGWvMYoYrZq_YblhxBy9nnGIsDwl=s0-d-e1-ft#https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/013/912/890/f31852300075ce776dae907fe0678fb6_original.jpg?w=700&fit=max&v=1475129633&auto=format&q=92&s=4d04d8bc92d288e9ce1819a443722f6f

After the meeting and greeting, the first stop was the ancient city of Kamakura. Among the heritage rich streets lay Komachi-dori where everyone took in the atmosphere of the local vendors while making their way to Tsurugaoka Hachimangū, the most prominent and important shrine in the region. Perhaps the scene may conjure up some Dobuita memories?

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The Great Buddha!

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Having experienced the best of old world Japan, it was on to China Town. Yu-san livened the ride over bringing up everyone’s favorite topic of conversation.

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Yu-san talks Shenmue and Chinese culture as they stroll through Japan’s largest China Town.

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And the day is topped off with a Chinese round table dinner. The Shenmue talk heats up as Yu-san listens intently to everyone’s ideas.
The day spent with the group was a reaffirmation in the wellspring of devotion we are so proud to share, and it pitched up the fighting spirit of all on the development team. It was great opportunity that came out of the crowdfunding, do-it-together experience, and for that we give thanks.
So the push forward continues, and we ask again for your continued support that we may put Shenmue III in your hands!
by masterchan777
Thu Sep 29, 2016 3:59 am
 
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Re: Shenmue I Widescreen ISo/Hex patch

Thank you Esppiral for this great finding ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V05GS5GkGpQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaPngFyOs8s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVzKiKAHmns


I made a simple patch that makes this new & improved hack much easier to apply without the need of manually editing any files:

This is only for PAL GDI version of Shenmue.

1- Download & extract the patch zip from this link .
2- Copy track06.bin from each original GDI disc into the correct extracted "Disc#" folder (e.g. track06.bin from original disc 1 GDI folder into the extracted Disc1 folder).
3- Copy track07.bin from original GDI Passport disc into the extracted Passport folder.
4- Run patch.bat.
5- Copy track06.bin from the correct "Disc#/Fixed" folder back to GDI disc folder (e.g. track06.bin from Disc1/Fixed folder back into original disc 1 GDI folder).
6- Copy track07.bin from Passport/Fixed folder back into the original GDI Passport folder.
7- Play & Enjoy ...

Note: Always backup your original files.
by masterchan777
Mon Jan 30, 2017 1:28 pm
 
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Re: Shenmue I & What's Shenmue Widescreen Iso/Hex patch

I made another patch for What's Shenmue, this will apply the new widescreen hack by Esppiral without the need of manually editing any files:

This is only for the GDI version of What's Shenmue patched with the latest English Translation v1.0.4 :

1- Download & extract the patch zip from this link .
2- Copy track09.bin from original GDI disc into the extracted "WShenmue_E" folder.
3- Run patch.bat.
4- Copy track09.bin from "WShenmue_E/Fixed" folder back into the original GDI folder.
5- Play & Enjoy ...

Note: Always backup your original files.
by masterchan777
Tue Jan 31, 2017 11:11 pm
 
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Re: The quest for offline Passport access

I've made an easy patch for the PAL GDI version that contains the widescreen fix by Esspiral in addition to this fix, so you can apply both fixes without manually editing any files.
http://i.imgur.com/PcTlCjE.png

http://i.imgur.com/GTGEbsa.png

http://i.imgur.com/gE2xoqI.png

http://i.imgur.com/1vhKCdr.png
To apply the patch:

1- Download this zip file and extract it.
2- Copy track07.bin from your PAL Shenmue Passport GDI disc into the "Passport" folder you'll find when you extracted the zip file.
3- Run patch.bat.
4- Copy track07.bin file from "Passport\Fixed" folder back into the GDI folder of the Passport disc.
5- Enjoy the extra content in widescreen.

I don't have the widescreen fix code for the US version, so if Esspiral can dig it up, I'll provide an easy patch for the US GDI version as well if needed.

Thanks Switch for this great finding.
by masterchan777
Mon Aug 14, 2017 7:14 am
 
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Game Watch Interview with Yu Suzuki @Gamescom [Translated]

Game Watch published a very interesting interview with Suzuki-san, the interview took place during Gamescom 2017 and includes some really insightful and interesting information about Shenmue III, here's a short summary of it:


⋅  The released Shenmue III teaser footage is real-time in-game graphics.
⋅  All charterers models are temporary and subject to change.
⋅  Facial animations were initially implemented but have been removed about a month ago.
⋅  The teaser was especially made for Gamescom 2017, no further plans to show more of the game at this year's Gamescom or Tokyo Game Show. However, a full-scale promotion will take place next year.
⋅  Deep Silver will publish the game internationally, and they'll provide budget and promotional support. A publisher for Japan is to be decided.
⋅  Suzuki-san would like to continue the series in Shenmue IV if possible.
⋅  Suzuki-san is not interested in forcing the Shenmue story to complete in Shenmue III.
⋅  Shenmue III will take around 30 hours of gameplay to complete.
⋅  The fighting engine in Shenmue III is being built from scratch, and unlike Shenmue II it won't use the Virtua engine.
⋅  A system that allows phone calls with characters from Shenmue and Shenmue II is planned for Shenmue III.
⋅  Suzuki-san would like to bring as many voice actors from the previous games as possible, but some are retired now, he will audition a new voice actress for Shenhua.
⋅  OST from Shenmue and Shenmue II will probably be reused in Shenmue III.
⋅  The new partnership with Deep Silver is strong and it's aimed to improve the Shenmue III experience beyond what was initially planned on the Kickstarter.

Finally, Suzuki-san asks the fans to continue their support, and promises to do his best to make a good game out of Shenmue III.

I have a very strong feeling that 2018 will be the year of Shenmue ...

Update:
Switch has kindly translated the original interview

Here it is, a full translation of the GAME Watch interview. Enjoy!

http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/08/game-watch-interview-with-yu-suzuki.html

http://i.imgur.com/sCek1CHl.jpg

by masterchan777
Tue Aug 22, 2017 9:03 pm
 
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Re: New PC Screenshots on Steam Page

Yea forget all the positives.

New screenshots arrive, So let's get out the red pens and clip boards and get stuck in with the negativity. It's sad. It really is.
I wouldn't worry much about it because those could very possibly be from a beta build, many things usually get fixed and optimised before release, and can even be patched after release as well.
by masterchan777
Mon Jul 02, 2018 7:41 pm
 
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Release Date Leaked by Microsoft? Update: by Sony too

20 Aug 2018 according to Microsoft Australia

https://i.imgur.com/7sJX3hX.png

Source

Update:

20 Aug 2018 according to Microsoft UK

https://i.imgur.com/EkUENTS.png

Source

21 Aug 2018 according to Microsoft US

https://i.imgur.com/5SGF249.png

Source

Update 2:
21 Aug 2018 according to Sony UK

https://i.imgur.com/1FMFp2t.jpg

Source
by masterchan777
Mon Jul 02, 2018 7:01 pm
 
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Shenmue I & II HD : FAQs Answered by Sega & d3t


Q: Which version of Shenmue II did we port?
A: For technical reasons we started with the Xbox source code and data. This has the advantage of some additional
features missing from the Dreamcast version:

⋅ Snapshots system
⋅ Filters
⋅ Texture mip-maps to improve anti-aliasing
As some community members will know, the Xbox does have some graphical differences to the DC version which will also be present in our version.

Q: What features have we added?
A: As well as the herculean effort of porting the code to the new platforms, there is a huge number of things we have added:

⋅ Choice of Japanese or English speech in both games
⋅ Saves can be carried over from Shenmue into Shenmue II on all platforms
⋅ Saving anywhere in both games
⋅ HD resolution rendering
⋅ Updated UI
⋅ New post processing effects for both games. Update: Sega Europe has stated that those can be turned off.
⋅ Full controller support and configurable mouse and keyboard for PC users
⋅ Full Achievement support for both games on all platforms
Q: What does Modern control scheme mean?
A: Modern control scheme means we have enabled use of the analogue stick instead of the D-Pad for movement of Ryo, as well as adding full mouse and keyboard support for PC users.

Q: Will the games run at 60Hz?
A: Throughout the engine, game code and scripts there are hard coded assumptions about a fixed 30Hz frame update rate, so the game needs to run at 30Hz.

Q: Is the game 4:3 or widescreen?
A: Gameplay where the player can control the camera is 16:9.
Cutscenes are letterboxed in their original formats.

Q: Can the emulated arcade games be played?
A: We are pleased to announce that all the arcade games in the original are fully playable in the new release!

Q: Who do we have to thank for this incredible work?
A: The amazing team at d3t .



Source
by masterchan777
Tue Jul 03, 2018 10:30 am
 
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Quick update on Shenmue I & II HD by Sega Europe

Quick update on questions some of you have asked about Shenmue I & II

⋅ Hi-Res Rendering can be turned off
⋅ Bloom Effect can be turned off
⋅ Aspect Ratio - You can switch between 16:9 and 4:3 (Cutscenes are 4:3)
⋅ Area jumping when leaving Ryo's house can be enabled or disabled

Q: I am curious about the loading time between areas...
A: Fast! It's a good time to be alive

Q: How come the lighting is so different?
A: It really isn't. You can turn off all the post processing in the menu and it's identical to the original Dreamcast release of Shenmue I and Xbox release of Shenmue II

Q: What FPS is it set at just for confirmation and can we turn vsync off?
A: All versions are 30fps.

Q: Area Jumping = Fast Travel?
A: Yes, from the Hazuki residence in Shenmue I you can go to nearby areas directly if it's enabled.

Q: Is it possible to zoom in on Shenmue 2’s cutscenes?
A: No there isn't any kind of zooming sadly.

Q: Any plans for 21:9 support?
A: No. But isn't that a little too wide? Even for Shenmue?

Q: Can we switch the controls to the original d-pad movement?
A: Both work at the same time, looking has moved to the Right Stick and you can swap these over.

Source
by masterchan777
Thu Jul 05, 2018 6:51 pm
 
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Redream: A Powerful Dreamcast Emulator

Redream is a work-in-progress 64bit Dreamcast emulator for Windows, Mac and Linux that's getting a lot of attention lately, and for very good reasons.

One of the best features of Redream, is simplicity. It's one of the most simple and straightforward emulators, as it runs directly without the need to have a Dreamcast bios or to go through a complicated configuration process. It also detects and auto-configures many popular controllers like Xbox 360, Xbox One and PS4 controllers.

https://i.imgur.com/wat9L5B.png

Another advantage Redream has over other Dreamcast emulators, is that it's being actively developed. The lead developer is actively working on improving and debugging the code, and he has expressed to me a special interest in improving compatibility with Shenmue games further.

Redream comes in two flavours: a free Lite option and a Premium which can be licenced for $5. Both flavours share basically the main features, except for high-res rendering which is enabled in the Premium version.

https://i.imgur.com/TkYwqpF.png

When enabled, high-res rendering makes a huge difference in terms of visual fidelity. I have been testing Shenmue running in 4K with widescreen and no-clipping fixes by Esppiral, and the main game looks and plays beautifully from start to finish. Redream has a clear edge in raw performance over every other Dreamcast emulator I've used to date, and the latest build performed exceptionally well in high-res on my mid-range PC.

In terms of compatibility with Shenmue games, What's Shenmue is playable however, I noticed some audio and frame pacing issues, the first Shenmue is almost fully playable without any issues, the only thing missing is Hang On arcade game which is not yet supported, but the developer is aware of those issue and they should eventually be fixed.

Shenmue Prologue in 4K widescreen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0MKofTK_iU

Shenmue iconic intro in 4K widescreen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzV0ss7d0OE

Shenmue disc 1 gameplay in 4K widescreen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8xucpFedUY

Shenmue disc 2 gameplay in 4K widescreen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9xz_YtTWww

Shenmue disc 3 forklift gameplay in 4K widescreen with extended draw distance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wbi0KvaISfo

Shenmue disc 3 bike gameplay in 4K widescreen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zrjNIn2SLE

Another really neat feature I noticed in Redream is the ability to uncap the framerate on-the-fly to fast-forward emulation, which is conveniently mapped to the menu button of the Xbox One controller, this feature can be extremely useful in almost getting rid of loading screens and make loading times almost non-existent with a press of a button.

Sound emulation is decent enough but not perfect yet, I noticed some sound issues especially in some cut-scenes and Shenmue Passport sections, the developer is aware of those issues and told me that they are being worked on.

Shenmue Passport in 4K widescreen and offline patch by Switch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvIRQoTEDDQ

Official discs of Shenmue II currently boot fine with Redream, and the game is playable in its letterboxed format and in 4K, except for some of the arcade games which aren't supported yet. Widescreen-fixed discs of Shenmue II have currently loading issues with Redream, this has been already reported to the developer and I will provide an update once this has been fixed.

In conclusion, Redream is a great Dreamcast emulator highly recommended to anyone looking for an easy-to-use and powerful piece of software to replay Dreamcast games.

Redream official site : redream.io
by masterchan777
Wed Jul 18, 2018 6:21 pm
 
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Shenmue – 2000 Developer Interview

I came across this translated interview with Yu Suzuki and many main Shenmue developers a few days ago, and I wasn't sure if it was posted here before or not, so I did a quick search and I couldn't find it here. I recaptured the screenshots used in the original article and decided to share it with you especially that it isn't a long interview and totally worth another read, I hope you enjoy.


This Shenmue interview from 2000 goes over the general design process of the seminal Dreamcast game. Highlights include alternate titles, the special role of the interior designer Sega hired, and the origins of a certain cat. There is also a special focus on the music and sound effects in the latter half of the interview.

This interview was found at the GSLA , a Japanese a website that, among other things, preserves game developer interviews from older, now-defunct print sources. The GSLA often redacts the original interviewer questions, so the text ends up reading more like a narrative than an interview.



Shenmue – 2000 Developer Interview
with Yu Suzuki, Manabu Takimoto, Takenobu Mitsuyoshi and more

Yu Suzuki – Producer
Keiji Okayasu – Director
Masanori Oe – Main Designer
Manabu Takimoto – Interior Designer
Eigo Kasahara – Planner
Takenobu Mitsuyoshi – Sound Director
Yuzo Koshiro – Composer

Names and Titles

Suzuki: Kasahara made up a lot of the names, including Ryo Hazuki, Xiuying Hong, and the title Shenmue itself. He really did a lot there.

Kasahara: I probably have more Chinese magazines and reading materials under my desk than you’d find in your local bookstore. (laughs) I decided early on that kanji would be a better fit for Shenmue, so I pushed for that image with the rest of the team. I liked the euphony of the kanji, and the characters themselves could carry their own meanings.

Suzuki: Kasahara’s favorite title was actually Genpuuki [玄風記] (“Tale of the Mysterious Wind”), not Shenmue.

Kasahara: Genpuuki was almost chosen, but at the very end of the development we realized it had some problems. The kanji were too difficult to read, and we weren’t sure it would appeal to a mass audience. Shenmue had the advantage of being a new title that no one had ever heard before, and it had a nice ring to it. As for genpuuki, I still really loved it, so I asked Suzuki at the end whether it could stll be used somewhere, and he allowed me to use it as the name of the ship Ryo departs Japan with, the Genpuumaru [玄風丸]. That satisfied me. (laughs)

Suzuki: There were a lot of different candidates for the title. There were titles in English, Italian, even Greek. (laughs) We had every kind of title imaginable.

Kasahara: As for Ryo’s name, to be honest it wasn’t decided until just before the announcement party. Late one night I was called into the Suzuki’s office, and on the board he had two names written: Ryo Hazuki and Ryo Kamizaki. He asked me which I thought was better, and we talked it over for a long time. In the end it was Ryo Hazuki that was chosen.

The ship Genpuumaru, an homage by planner Kasahara to one of the early possible titles for Shenmue, “Genpuuki”
https://i.imgur.com/BCQUsVC.png

https://i.imgur.com/3MCiV9N.png

Design and Characters

Oe: The thing we took the greatest care with for the design was, as you might imagine, capturing a sense of reality. I think we really did all we could there. It wasn’t just about creating realistic pictures: the important part came after the drawings were done. The key was whether it would look realistic in-game. We’d try creating new visuals, then we’d have to talk it over carefully with the programmers… that whole process was very difficult.

In pursuit of this greater sense of realism, we also made sure every street was consistent with Suzuki’s overall vision. All our designs had to be carefully coordinated with the events of the game too. The event team would tell us such and such an event would take place here, so our designs had to be very detailed.

Suzuki: I think there are over 300 different characters in Shenmue.

Oe: We had a very short time to create all the people of Yokosuka City, but we were able to do it because of a suprisingly efficient method we employed.

Takimoto : We just took people’s full names and personality profiles at Sega. (laughs)

Oe: Even Takimoto shows up as a character! He kept saying “make me an F1 racer!!” but he ended up as some guy living near a construction site. (laughs)

Suzuki: Kasahara is responsible for the Shenmue Passport disc.

Kasahara: For Shenmue, we actually created detailed backstories for all the characters and locations. With the Shenmue Passport players can learn about the details and connections that we couldn’t show in the game. There’s a lot of hidden relationships, for example.

Takimoto: The cat Ryo finds is actually modeled after my cat. I had a picture on my desk of him when he was a little kitten, and one day a designer came by and asked if he could borrow it. The cat’s name was Sasuke, by the way.

Suzuki: Ah, I remember that. We called him Sasuke during the planning phase too. We knew it had been modeled after Takimoto’s cat, so we wanted to leave the name as Sasuke, as a remnant of that. (laughs) But eventually someone was like, “Who named this cat Sasuke?!” and we had to change it. (laughs)

The orphan cat in Shenmue, designed after Takimoto’s own kitten,“Sasuke” (interestingly, the one name Ryo cannot give the cat in-game!)
https://i.imgur.com/yfPPYGC.png

Working with an Interior Designer

Suzuki: Takimoto assisted us with the interior design for the world of Shenmue. Since the player can walk around this world freely, we thought having an architecht design the buildings would help us achieve a totally new level of realism.

Takimoto: The first thing I did was make several conceptual sketches for the buildings, and once those designs got approved, I helped out with various details as the work progressed, checking things here and there.

Suzuki: After that we had him stick around in the development room, as a player. (laughs) We wanted the perspective of someone who’s not in the game industry.

Oe: The work Takimoto does in the design industry is actually very close to what we did here: he creates the conceptual illustrations that match people’s vision, and then others do the modeling and finishing work.

Takimoto: I began working on the Shenmue development around March of 98. I took the basic designs they had and made a variety of sketches on them, about 200 in total I think.

Suzuki: The first thing we wanted to know Takimoto’s design process. We had a lot of questions about the “rules” of interior design.

Takimoto: Imagine you enter a room and no one is there. But you want to have the player recognize, through the “traces” left by objects in the room, that someone was here. It was sort of like, “how do we create the scent of a human here?” (laughs)

Suzuki: Ryo’s house is designed to look like an actual house from 1986. Conceptually, our image was a Japanese buddhist temple (otera). We wanted the building itself to evoke the image of a 500 year old temple.

Oe: And we also added various touches that would make players feel the nostalgia of that era. Put all that together and you’ve got the Hazuki residence!

Producer Yu Suzuki at the Shenmue announcement event in December 1998.
http://shmuplations.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/shenmue01.jpg

The Sounds of Shenmue

Suzuki: Since Shenmue is a game you play at a relaxed pace, we wanted music that wouldn’t be too noisy or distracting to the player. That’s why I told Mitsuyoshi, “why don’t you try listening to some sutras first.” (laughs) For example, take the babbling of a stream, the sound of footsteps, or a bird’s warbling… these are sounds that no one is bothered by, and they have no melody to them. But to the extent that there is a melody, after listening to it for 3 or 4 hours, it will start to wear on your mind and annoy you… as such, my closest image for the music of Shenmue was buddhist sutras. There’s something mysterious about them, and I asked Mitsuyoshi to try and match that image.

Mitsuyoshi: What I tried to achieve for Shenmue was not “Takenobu Mitsuyoshi’s music.” Rather, I tried to find the melody that lies in the sound effects themselves, something that used sound effects for melody and rhythm. When you design the music for an arcade game, your goal is to get the customer in the game center to stop and take notice of your game. Basically, it's kind of like you’re trying to make a “commercial” for the game: how many people can you draw in, in the short span of time they hear the music? That was what I pursued, compositionally, in my previous work.
With Shenmue I’m creating the total opposite. It’s music that you don’t really notice, but if it wasn’t there, the scene would feel barren. It was very nuanced, detailed work, and very challenging in many ways. But because the scale of this project was so large, it did afford me a lot of opportunities to experiment. As a composer I feel like I leveled up in a big way.

Suzuki: We had a huge number of requests for the sound effects this time too.

Mitsuyoshi: Yeah. Actually, this was the first time we hired and worked with an outside company that specializes in sound effects. They created the sound effects, then we would figure out how to add them to the game. This is a small thing but I think it shows how Shenmue has raised the bar for us in terms of the game development process. This sound fx company’s approach is very different from ours, you see. They do sound work for movies and dramas, so they have a totally different perspective from us, and I think we learned a lot about sound from them.

Suzuki: Thanks to all the voicework, the biggest struggle for us was the amount of memory.

Okayasu: Which is funny, since we started off saying how easy it would be! (laughs)

Suzuki: Yeah… we miscalculated there for sure. I don’t know who made that estimation, but they were off by an order of magnitude: we needed a full 20x more space! At first we said it would all fit one disc maybe, then 2 discs, then 3… and we kept adding new things to the game, it was getting crazy.

Okayasu: All of a sudden things got really busy, and there were a lot more people on the team. (laughs)

Suzuki: Yeah, now that you mention it, that’s true.

Okayasu: No one ever explicitly said we were ramping up… it just happened without anyone noticing. (laughs)

Oe: Everyone was really excited at the announcement party though. We put a lot of effort into that!

Suzuki: It was certainly a long project though. We had to pull many overnighters and weekend trips together as a team.

Kasahara: Every Friday was our regular “Shenmue Weekends.” We’d use the lodging Sega had in Zushi and work on it all weekend.

Working with Yuzo Koshiro

Koshiro: Actually, back when I was a gamer I created a Spacer Harrier-ish doujinshi . (laughs) I brought it to Sega and showed it to Yu Suzuki. Even though I was just some random player, he listened to me like I was someone close to him. That left a huge impression on me, just how attentive he was to players, and how important that is. As for the Shenmue team, I joined in August 1998. Mitsuyoshi asked me to be his pupil. (laughs)

Takenobu Mitsuyoshi and Yuzo Koshiro.
http://shmuplations.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/shenmue05.jpg

Mitsuyoshi: Hah, no way, it wasn’t like that. (laughs) I talked with Yu Suzuki about bringing Koshiro on board, and it went from there. Before Shenmue started, I had met Koshiro once before when we shared the stage at a Roland event. After that Suzuki asked me, “Do you want to try working with Koshiro?” And of course I did! I’ve long admired Koshiro and thought he was cool. I’ve followed his work pretty closely for the last 10 years. (laughs)

Koshiro: This time I did an arrange version of Mitsuyoshi’s Shenmue theme. I wish I had more time to work on it though.

Mitsuyoshi: We didn’t have much time to record these songs, and I remember you had difficulties with the recording environment.

Koshiro: It was my first time making music with headphones. I knew I’d be playing with other musicians here at Sega so it made sense, but normally I always listen to the sound through speakers in my sutdio as I write. So using headphones exclusively was a challenge, but I think it was a good experience for me.

Mitsuyoshi: Koshiro came to Sega about once a week. He knows a lot about hardware, so amazingly he was able to complete songs entirely on his own and bring them in, ready for playback on the Dreamcast.

As for the composition process, I would say it was less sequencer-based, and more track-based with waveforms, like you’d do in a DAW .

Koshiro: It worked out alright–I mean, I get bored if I always do the same thing. (laughs) I like to try out as many new approaches as I can.

Mitsuyoshi: We’d have “sound meetings” every week, and everyone would present the songs they’d finished that week. Everyone was writing their own songs. Koshiro would come in with a song and it was like, “oh, he was thinking of the same scene.”

Koshiro: For Shenmue, the music was written before the scenes were completed, you see. When I was writing we only had some preliminary mock-up images. But it was like, what are we supposed to do with these? (laughs) No one knew. One picture they gave us, for instance, was of a drainage ditch covered with old boards. What song is supposed to match this? No one knew. Since it’s these dirty old boards, should it be a “dirty” song..?

Shenmue 2

Suzuki: Shenmue 2 will be the next evolutionary step for the Shenmue series; I think of the first game like an egg, in that sense. The egg of a new genre. I want to take this new direction and go further for Shenmue 2. I also want you to be able to carry your data over from the first game. The things you do in Shenmue, therefore, will affect the events in Shenmue 2. Of course you’ll be able to start from the sequel too. If you’re someone who has played this first chapter, though, the sequel will deepen your experience. That’s our plan.



Source
by masterchan777
Thu Jul 19, 2018 1:39 pm
 
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Shenmue 2 Full English Mod Meta-Fix for Dreamcast / Redream

Original Shenmue 2 Full English Xbox Speech mod for Sega Dreamcast (aka Smith releases) which can be found here has incorrect disc information data (aka meta-data), and this data is usually used by Dreamcast hardware as well as emulators and some debuggers to correctly detect the played disc. This can be useful in correctly identifying game title, region and disc number etc ...

With the original Smith release, discs cannot be correctly identified and that could cause some issues in some cases, so I made this simple fix for that.

After applying the fix, the correct meta-data is restored to each disc so emulators (like Redream) can correctly identify each disc, download the correct title cover and sort it in the correct order in the library.

I've basically made three patches for the 80min, 99m, and 1GB versions of Smith release. I've also made another three patches to correct discs meta-data and add Esppiral's widescreen fix as well.

To use the patch:

1- Make sure to download the correct patch for your Smith release from the download links below.

2- Extract the zip file and copy the four cdi image files from the correct Smith release into the extracted folder.

3- The patch uses the original disc names as they were originally included in Smith release, if your disc image files are named differently please rename them before applying the patch.

4- Run patch.bat file .. and follow on-screen instructions.

5- Fixed discs will be created in "fixed" folder.

Download links:

For Smith 80min version : Meta-Fix , Meta-Fix and Widescreen Fix
For Smith 99min version : Meta-Fix , Meta-Fix and Widescreen Fix
For Smith 1GB version : Meta-Fix , Meta-Fix and Widescreen Fix
by masterchan777
Sat Jul 21, 2018 8:06 am
 
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