For the love of god, support the Shenmue 3 Kickstarter! << it's finally happening (;_;)


"He shall appear from a far Eastern land across the sea. A young man who has yet to know his potential. This potential is a power that can either destroy him, or realize his will. His courage shall determine his fate. The path he must traverse, fraught with adversity, I await whilst praying. For this destiny predetermined since ancient times... A pitch, black night unfolds with the morning star as its only light. And thus the saga, begins..." Shenhua Ling


#SaveShenmue Campaign - On the 3rd day of each month, gamers unite on social media to speak out for Shenmue, a defining series of videogames abandoned by Sega without conclusion at the turn of the century. Legendary designer Yu Suzuki remains keen to complete his masterpiece and satisfy the unwavering demand of customers left hanging by the tantalizing climax of Shenmue II on the original Xbox and Dreamcast. But he can't get to work without commissioning by Sega, who own the license and refuse to fund the project without investment from a major console maker. Help us increase the pressure on the parties who need to act in order for Suzuki-san to get his wish.

Origins
Shenmue is the first open world video game created and designed by Yu Suzuki for the Sega Dreamcast system. The concept of Shenmue originates way back in the early 90's when Yu Suzuki went to China to do research for Virtua Fighter. Over in China he and his team learned martial arts and studied Chinese culture. After the success of Virtua Fighter Sega asked Yu Suzuki to make a "killer title", they wanted a new epic rpg for their console. He then spent 2 years developing a prototype on the Sega Saturn, until it was later moved over to the Dreamcast. Before being officially announced it was code named Project Berkley, and often speculated to be a Virtua Fighter RPG. In the end Yu Suzuki delivered what would be an immersive open world game set in Japan & China during the late 80's.

In early stages of development the heroine of the game was modeled after Akira Yuki from Virtua Fighter. Later on his face would change and eventually his entire outfit, until he became Ryo Hazuki as we know him now.


Yu Suzuki
Yu Suzuki is a prolific video game designer who has made innovative Sega games like Outrun, After Burner, Virtua Fighter, and Shenmue. His games has earned recognition by the Smithsonian, and he's been inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame. In GDC 2011 he was given the Pioneer Award by his close colleague Mark Cerny. He has many personal interests that include drawing (has sold paintings), music (plays a guitar), driving sports cars (owns a Ferrari), playing billiards, and has even flown a real fighter jet. Before deciding to be a programmer which led him to Sega he considered becoming a dentist or illustrator.



Games

Shenmue
Platforms: Sega Dreamcast
Pre-release: Project Berkley Disc (VF3TB) | What's Shenmue Demo & VHS

The year is 1986, the place Yokosuka, Japan. The normally tranquil day to day life of Ryo Hazuki is suddenly and irrevocably shattered by uninvited visitors. A man wearing dark green Chinese clothes appears at the Hazuki residence with two black-suited thugs. The man uses a powerful martial arts, the likes of which Ryo has never seen. He tries to intervene and help his father, but the obvious disparity in power is too much. Ryo is beaten down and taken hostage as the man questions Iwao. "Where is the mirror?" Having no other recourse, Iwao reluctantly tells him. Once the mysterious item is in his possession, he again attacks Iwao "Do you remember Zhao Sun Ming?" From these words, Ryo learns that his father was responsible for killing someone long ago. Ryo pulls his dying father close and feels him take his last breath. "Lan Di"

Vowing to take revenge, Ryo embarks on a journey to unravel the mystery of his father's death and deliver justice to the man responsible.

Shenmue II
Platforms: Sega Dreamcast | Microsoft Xbox
Pre-release: Demo Disc (Rare)
Side Story Comics: Vol 1 | Vol 2 | Vol 3 | Vol 4

Seeking answers and vengeance, Ryo Hazuki arrives in the bustling metropolis of Hong Kong. Encountering new friends and foes alike, Ryo realizes he has much to learn and must master new martial art skills to prepare himself for his ultimate showdown with Lan Di, the man who killed his father. Each day brings Ryo closer to his goal of avenging his father's death and unlocking the mysteries of the Phoenix mirror.


Multimedia
Shenmue Music Compilations: Shenmue Original Soundtrack | Orchestra Version | Shenmue Online | Cutscenes | FREE | In-Game | Passport | Misc | Tape | Singles | Jukebox
Shenmue II Music Compilations: Aberdeen In-game | Aberdeen Cutscenes | Wan Chai In-game | Wan Chai Cutscenes | Kowloon In-game
Music Playlists: OST | Orchestra | FREE | Cutscenes | In-game | Misc | Passport | Tapes | Aberdeen | Wan Chai | Kowloon | Guilin | Misc | Shenmue Online | S1 Extended | S2 Extended
Video Playlists: Shenmue (English) | Shenmue (Japanese) | Shenmue II (Dreamcast) | Shenmue II (Xbox) | Mods | Passport Renders | Unsorted Game Videos
History: Yu Suzuki Interviews & Old Promos | Project Berkley | Shenmue Saturn | What's Shenmue Demo | What's Shenmue VHS | Shenmue Premiere
Fan Videos: Game Reviews & Retrospectives | Fan Played Instrumentals | Gang Edition Movies | Misc Fan Stuff
Misc: Cultural Influences | Character Voices | Comedy & Humour | Shenmue Online | Live Performances
Fan Games: Shenmue X Chapter 1: (Ryo's Story) | Shenmue X Chapter 2: (Fuku-san's Story)
Artwork: 3d Art | 2d Art | Wallpapers | Gallery | Download

FAQ

  • Q: Who needs Shenmoo when we got YAKUZA
  • A: UGH seriously please stop this; they're both amazing series for very different reasons, and confusing them does neither fanbase any good.

  • Q: Didn't this game cost like $70 bajillion dollars and sell 32 copies tho
  • A: Not that sales should be a metric for greatness, but part 1 did sell over a million copies on an amazing system which sadly had a small userbase & died way too early. Likewise, Suzuki claims the $70 million total was budgeted for the whole series, with $47 of that going into developing the F.R.E.E. engine & initial chapter/game. If you truly believe it was a significant factor in sinking Sega's hardware development, Eidolon's Inn (starting from at least the 32X section) should be most informative.

  • Q: What's the best way to play part 2, then?
  • A: I prefer importing the PAL Dreamcast version - it's still relatively cheap, and you don't even need a bootup disc, as I recall...plus, Japanese subs/no more bad dubbing! Others prefer the OG Xbox version which is also available for the price of beans. Alternatively, the DC emulation scene (i'm told) is pretty good these days.
Links & Resources
Official Site: Shenmue.com
Shenmue Dojo: Website | Youtube Channel | Facebook | Twitter | Forums
#SaveShenmue Campaign: Team Yu | Shenmue 500k | Shenmue Fans
Shenmue Master: Website | Facebook

(original GAF credits: Community banner designed by LelouchViBritannia & JCgamer60, much love to JC for this revised OP as well)
Top