Hello guys I suppose I better introduce myself. I am a huge Shenmue fan from the UK who has been lurking about reading the forums for a while and feel now is the time to sign up. Been a DC/Shenmue fan since day one and adore both games although slightly prefer 2nd.
I realize threads have been done in the past comparing xbox vs dc Shenmue 2 but after conducting a side by side test on various set ups I feel this may finally bring some closure or positive opinions to the debate. Before I start I will mention that Shenmue 2 is in my book the greatest game of all time and either format is a positive experience.
test 1
I have ran both versions side by side on a 26inch Sony Trinton ctr television that I purchased in 1999 and is of a very high standard, the picture is as good as the day I bought it and is the highest quality I have seen of any crt. Both consoles are using a high quality rgb scart cable, 2 of my friends and my wife all agreed the same thing as I.
The DC version looks crisper and the colours are more vibrant, the xbox version clearly has less slowdown and a higher polygon count but we all agreed it looked a bit washed out and all 4 of us agreed the dc game simply looked more nicer.
Nothing wrong with the xbox version mind and it wont bother you unless you have seen the dc one in action.
test 2
ran both versions through a 40inch HD Samsung tv on rgb scart and the image was pretty poor and unplayable to a fan such as myself. Tried the dc with a vga box and still the results were poor, also tried dc on 20inch lcd monitor with vga box and results were poor washed out and pixalated if that word exists.
Tried S2 on my 360 through HDMI and was actually impressed with how it looked, obviously not as good as crt but acceptable and nice to see on a big screen.
test 3
We all know how good dc games look through vga but I inherited from work a 20inch Mitsubishi crt flat screen diamond monitor which was a blessing. The dc's natural 640 output is way ahead of its time.
It simply looks breathtaking and is in my opinion the ultimate way to play Shenmue. I have noticed certain details in the graphics which I have not noticed before, it really is a sight to behold and I will argue the case against anyone saying they know of a better way to play the game. Remember if you can get hold of a vga box ( difficult for me as they were never relesed in the UK and it cost me £25) you really need to play it on a crt monitor, which thankfully can be found in charity shops and car boot sales (garage sales) for peaunts as nobody wants them.
so thats my verdict , no disrespect to the xbox version but S2 simply looks better on the dc, even through crt.