Shenmue Dojo

Who Really Cares? wrote:If they ever rebooted Shenmue i would love them to add a couple more areas to Shenmue 1 with a new area on the way to the harbor or something.

A playable wish road?
I would love to be able to choose to either walk or take the bus, it would make it that much more real.
That would be cool.

gotta go with shenmue 1, i hope its not because of nostalgia playing it first... but i always preferred the quaint, calm streets of sakuragaoka and the warmth of the hazuki residence over the bustling streets in S2. also i feel that S2 was more 'hollywood-ized', glam'ed up. but it did have more of that "epic adventure" feeling.

Lucky for us that because each game is so stellar, it doesn't really mean one is better than the other. It just comes down to what fits our mood more. It's like; hm, should I take the Porsche or the Lambo out for a spin today?

Shenmue 1 all the way, felt more honest to me.

Looks neck & neck amongst the Dojo

Nostalgia for Shenmue 1 doesn't really come into it for me. I bought S1 within days of it's release, and S2 on it's release, but they weren't so far apart that S1 feels like a significantly earlier time. it's been so long now they may aswell have been released on the same day for all I care

shenmuekidsx wrote:Looks neck & neck amongst the Dojo

I love that sig

Thanks, I think it's pretty hilarious meself

Shenmue II. Dreamcast version specifically.

Not to put down the original game, but I feel that II is the better game in terms of scope, gameplay, adventure, and the sheer amount of memorable moments. Of course, this is intentional, and what makes Shenmue 1+2 my favorite games - both tied - is the contrast between the two. But if I were to choose, it would easily be II, as a game it is a more rounded experience.

Yama wrote:It does look amazing via VGA, it's the only way I prefer to play.

Though Shenmue IIx also looked great via X-Box's HD component cables on a native 4:3 HD CRT. I miss mine so much.

Ahh, the good ol' days...

I need to get something like this. My Dreamcast won't play on my HD TV with the original wires.

Peter wrote: I mean the Kowloon building raid topic that was done when the game was released truely was fantastic.

Please find a link to this?

First game for me, SHenmue 2 is still absolutly amazing, but I keep coming back to the first game more. I prefer the more natural realistic graphics of Shenmue 1 than the bright, sometimes cartoony look of the second. Shenmue 1 uses alot of greys and just feels more realistic to play, I guess because of the slow paced nature of the game also I get this feeling.

Also with Shenmue 1 being much smaller it allowed me to appreciate the detail put into the game more so than Shenmue 2, where you don't take as much in whilst playing and tend to rush a little more through the game than the first. The detail was much more striking in the first game, with the phones you could use and all of the unique dialogue at different stages of the game, and alot of hidden scenes that you don't see each play through.

Shenmue 1 had a bit more gameplay vartiey aswell, what with the vehicles like the motorbike riding, forklift truck racing and working, kitten caring

Both are great, but with Shenmue 1, I love that I know the whole game off by heart, conversations and i'm filling in the sentances outloud before they speak, it's crazy how much dialogue you can remember, whereas I don't really have that connection with the second game, even after completing it like over 10 times.

Himuro wrote:

Peter wrote: I mean the Kowloon building raid topic that was done when the game was released truely was fantastic.

Please find a link to this?

Here ya go. Its a great read for nostalga

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8638&hilit=kowloon+building+raid

Shenmue 2 is the superior game but the original is a slightly better experience, if that makes any sense?

It's interesting how some of the forum members separate the titles. I was reading an interview recently from the creator of the TV show the Wire, David Simon and he weighed in about fans choosing their favorite seasons. As he put it they never viewed the show as separate seasons rather one continuous overarching storyline so he was miffed how fans could make such a clear distinction. I have a feeling Yu Suzuki may feel similar especially given the scope of Shenmue series being 16 chapters and having been written in advance.

I was fortunate than most because I was well behind the curve and when I purchased my Dreamcast I had Shenmue 1 and 2 together. For many years I viewed the sequel as vastly superior to the first game thanks to its increased size, new characters and the progression of story. However as many have noted there's a very special feeling the original game encapsulates that very few games seem to attain.