I got this on release at Christmas 2000 at 14 years old. Still one of my most treasured games of all time. I went to Dobuita in Yokosuka to see it for myself!
If only it had gone more in this direction! I'd be lying if I said I never had fun with a GTA game, but those worlds really do feel empty compared to Shenmue
Glad to see a review for Shenmue that's done with respect instead of using it as content fodder to meme on it the whole time. I've never played Shenmue myself and this helped me understand it a lot more, thanks for another great review!
Thank you very much! I'm glad you enjoyed it 😊 I see a lot of meme reviews of this game so my intent was to be respectful and informative (and just throw in a couple of jokes haha)
The game is a time capsule from simpler times. It's perfect for people that like to do virtual tourism and just hang out. Any person that wants to rush the story is playing it wrong.
I had this game and I loved and appreciated the effort in making it! Playing it back when it was released was just what I needed back then. I played through it only once and the forklift races is for some reason what I remember most! Great video and I thank you!
Shenmue truly was ahead of its time and it's still very interesting to see how unique it was even today. Great video! Also out of curiosity given your name, is there any chance you'll ever cover Skies of Arcadia in a video? That game is sorely underappreciated and unknown and deserve so much more love than it gets these days.
Thank you 😁 And yes, as it happens I am working on a video right now called "Vibes of Arcadia" - it's a long way from finished but it's in the pipeline 😊
I played Shenmue for the first time ever just 3 months ago, and I fell in love. I rushed through it too fast, and never got to experience everything. It's such a beautiful and fun game to just chill in and explore everything. I'll definitely go back to it someday in the future. Before I do that though, I'll finish Shenmue 2 and 3. I'm on Disc 3 of Shenmue 2 right now on my Dreamcast, and I'm loving it as well. I think that both games have such a unique feel to them that are both great. Shenmue 1 is that small cozy Japanese town feeling, while Shenmue 2 is that grand world traveling adventure feel. I think I personally prefer Shenmue 1 for that small Japanese town feeling, but both are great!
That's awesome - really cool to hear that this game makes a strong impression all these years later! I still haven't played 2 & 3 so I really should get on the case with that
@@DreamcastEnjoyer I just got to the point in Shenmue 2 where it opens up and gives me the same joy that I felt exploring in Shenmue 1 yesterday. I'm loving it a lot more now, and get the amazing vibes of exploring just like in the first game. These games really open up once you get a job and have a reliable source of money lol. Shenmue 2 is great as well, and I'm so happy that I got lucky and found a Dreamcast copy as an American where we didn't get it.
It does indeed still slap sir, it slaps hard. I see its faults but in 2000, this was better than any game at the time. I always wanted to visit Japan. This game let me do just that. I was an otaku before otaku was a thing.
Does Shenmue still slap? Yeah baby! I think if I had to pick my top Dreamcast experience this would be it. As a pure gaming experience this leaves alot to be desired but I enjoyed every minute of milling through this strange little beautiful town.
Spot on there, I'd say. I think the fighting system is great but the rest of the gameplay stuff is neither here nor there... however, as a hangout sim it just knocks it out of the park!
What an iconic game, you had to be there day one to actually enjoy it, I think God, I was there, and I loved every bit of it. I was never, ever bored by all the criticism he gets today to me it was a top developed game with a wonderful story and virtual fighterish game play! I actually beat it, I loved it and I couldn't believe the cliffhanger ending waiting waiting many years until..... I was surprised that it actually came out on the Xbox and not the Dreamcast.. At the time, I didn't know it came out in Japan for the Dreamcast, but I didn't care I played that mfr!!! Like I was playing it on the Dreamcast and to my surprise another cliffhanger.... I haven't played the third one till this day to me, the franchise died after the second game. ❤
@@DreamcastEnjoyer It’s one of those games that have surely become slightly forgotten, but remains a great classic. Your overall review of Shenmue is awesome just to let you know. It’s good that there’s people out here that appreciate this game for what it is. Shenmue made a major impact on my life overall.
It's a wonderful game for it's time but for newbies...nah, defo not. To be clear, I Shenmue 1 and 2 countless times on Dreamcast (and happily purchased the re-releases) it was a technical marvel and my favourite videogame experience for the longest time. Encountering this game as a teenager was just magical. The attention to detail was incredible, just exploring Ryo's home was endlessly engaging.EDIT....sigh....alright I'll re-install it again, you twisted my arm lol Speak for yourself regarding the Martial Arts content, I spent ages mastering the moves, the evolution of the animations is really cool, it's a simplified version of VF3 but allows for great depth (despite it's clunkiness in-game), one of the worst aspects of Shenmue 3 was the combat IMO. Sifu's combat (which is essentially slightly expanded Arkham stuff) is very bland by comparison (and I love the Kung Fu style Pak Mei IRL) What I love about the move system is that the animations change (often featuring additional strikes) with Ryo's proficiency which was very cool and I wish more games adopted this kind of approach.
Absolutely a great game if you know what to expect. I found the modern PC port to be the ideal way to experience it though as the DC load times detracted from exploration as you'd have to be pretty intentional about going into shops and suchlike. The atmosphere was cozy like you say but also slightly edgy, I'd say to do with the ambient bgm which always made you feel something was about to happen. Wondering if you're gonna touch on Shenmue 2 (or even 3?) at some point which had a completely different feel - I think also good but in a different way
I actually haven't checked out the HD remasters yet but I do own them both so I'll probably play Shenmue 2 that way and see how it hits. Definitely gonna cover the rest of the series at some point, but I need to play them first haha. I've basically just been replaying this one for the last 25 years!
@@DreamcastEnjoyer Ah ok, nowt wrong with enjoying S1 all this time! I’ve played them both umpteen times. S2 is very different though so don’t expect the same cozy vibes, it’s also a lot bigger. Actually thinking about it though, I think you would really like last chapter of it, when he gets to Guilin. I don’t know if you know anything about it but I think the vibes would be right up your street
I had NO IDEA that the VMU displayed how many people you had defeated in the 70 man battle. So I learned something today!! Could you do me a favor, DreamcastEnjoyer? Would you mind covering Shenmue II, my FAVORITE Dreamcast game of all time! I also had no idea that the guys over at the Dojo had produced a working English patch.
This was my first Dreamcast game and I played it a lot back in the day. At the time, it was engaging because there wasn't anything like it during that era. These days though, I can no longer go back to it. I feel it's already been eclipsed by the more superior Yakuza franchise.
I always really want to get into the Yakuza games but I can just never make the time commitment these days. I think because I was a kid when Shenmue dropped, I just had a lot of free time to vibe with it and that stuck with me
Shenmue always felt like 2 games stapled together. I was also too young to engage with the combat properly when I played the game, but it was still jarring to go from a few hours of adventure game, to playing Virtua Fighter so suddenly. Maybe those games mesh better if the player properly trains on a regular schedule? This one is definitely on my replay list.
I found it worked pretty well replaying it this time, but yeah it's still jarring to jump between modes haha. If you train daily and spar with Fuku-San, you'll master the moves and have a good time :)
@@DreamcastEnjoyer thanks. I heard it before elsewhere and it was such a beautiful piece. I never got to really play this game. I'd watch my little brother play it and go around doing mundane tasks and I found it interesting. I really need to just play it for myself.
Great game that, even though it hasn't aged well nowadays, was way ahead of it's time. Ryu ga Gotoku Studios should do a Yakuza-styled remake of the first game, it would work so well!
Shenmue is an ICONIC game. The atmosphere of the game is unmatched, it really feels like being in 1980s Japan.
I got this on release at Christmas 2000 at 14 years old. Still one of my most treasured games of all time.
I went to Dobuita in Yokosuka to see it for myself!
Playing this game as a teenager was magic. One of my favourite pieces of interactive media of all times.
Snnzmsmz
Truly a legendary game. A look at what sandbox game design could have been.
If only it had gone more in this direction!
I'd be lying if I said I never had fun with a GTA game, but those worlds really do feel empty compared to Shenmue
Glad to see a review for Shenmue that's done with respect instead of using it as content fodder to meme on it the whole time.
I've never played Shenmue myself and this helped me understand it a lot more, thanks for another great review!
Thank you very much! I'm glad you enjoyed it 😊
I see a lot of meme reviews of this game so my intent was to be respectful and informative (and just throw in a couple of jokes haha)
The game is a time capsule from simpler times.
It's perfect for people that like to do virtual tourism and just hang out. Any person that wants to rush the story is playing it wrong.
Fully agree there! This is always a go-to game for me when I wanna relax and hang out
Yes it does! The game has a very unique feel, and the atmosphere of the small "village" is unmatched to this day imo. I absolutely adore Shenmue.
Short answer:
Yes!
Also Ryo's appearance in Project x Zone 2 is legendary.
Shenmue is an experience. Embrace the exploration.
Couldn't agree me - exploring Yokosuka is just so relaxing and vibey
No game will ever make me feel like shenmue did
She mue is mid JL BETTER
I love your channel and I want you to know that I really apreciate your work and dedication to the dreamcast.
Thank you so much - it means a lot to me that people are enjoying the stuff I put out 😄
I had this game and I loved and appreciated the effort in making it! Playing it back when it was released was just what I needed back then. I played through it only once and the forklift races is for some reason what I remember most! Great video and I thank you!
Glad you enjoyed the video - yeah the forklift parts were surprisingly satisfying haha
You are really making amazing videos
Thank you so much! 😁
Of course it still slaps
That was certainly my conclusion :)
Shenmue truly was ahead of its time and it's still very interesting to see how unique it was even today. Great video!
Also out of curiosity given your name, is there any chance you'll ever cover Skies of Arcadia in a video? That game is sorely underappreciated and unknown and deserve so much more love than it gets these days.
Thank you 😁
And yes, as it happens I am working on a video right now called "Vibes of Arcadia" - it's a long way from finished but it's in the pipeline 😊
I played Shenmue for the first time ever just 3 months ago, and I fell in love. I rushed through it too fast, and never got to experience everything. It's such a beautiful and fun game to just chill in and explore everything. I'll definitely go back to it someday in the future. Before I do that though, I'll finish Shenmue 2 and 3. I'm on Disc 3 of Shenmue 2 right now on my Dreamcast, and I'm loving it as well. I think that both games have such a unique feel to them that are both great. Shenmue 1 is that small cozy Japanese town feeling, while Shenmue 2 is that grand world traveling adventure feel. I think I personally prefer Shenmue 1 for that small Japanese town feeling, but both are great!
That's awesome - really cool to hear that this game makes a strong impression all these years later!
I still haven't played 2 & 3 so I really should get on the case with that
@@DreamcastEnjoyer I just got to the point in Shenmue 2 where it opens up and gives me the same joy that I felt exploring in Shenmue 1 yesterday. I'm loving it a lot more now, and get the amazing vibes of exploring just like in the first game. These games really open up once you get a job and have a reliable source of money lol. Shenmue 2 is great as well, and I'm so happy that I got lucky and found a Dreamcast copy as an American where we didn't get it.
It does indeed still slap sir, it slaps hard. I see its faults but in 2000, this was better than any game at the time. I always wanted to visit Japan. This game let me do just that. I was an otaku before otaku was a thing.
It's still an unbeatable experience, for me 😊
If anyone asked why they should buy a Dreamcast back in the days, show them shenmue 1. Best showcase of an original game on an original console
Personally for me its the best game series ever
Does Shenmue still slap? Yeah baby! I think if I had to pick my top Dreamcast experience this would be it. As a pure gaming experience this leaves alot to be desired but I enjoyed every minute of milling through this strange little beautiful town.
Spot on there, I'd say. I think the fighting system is great but the rest of the gameplay stuff is neither here nor there... however, as a hangout sim it just knocks it out of the park!
What an iconic game, you had to be there day one to actually enjoy it, I think God, I was there, and I loved every bit of it. I was never, ever bored by all the criticism he gets today to me it was a top developed game with a wonderful story and virtual fighterish game play! I actually beat it, I loved it and I couldn't believe the cliffhanger ending waiting waiting many years until..... I was surprised that it actually came out on the Xbox and not the Dreamcast.. At the time, I didn't know it came out in Japan for the Dreamcast, but I didn't care I played that mfr!!! Like I was playing it on the Dreamcast and to my surprise another cliffhanger.... I haven't played the third one till this day to me, the franchise died after the second game. ❤
Correction… Die Hard Arcade was the first for QTE…at least to my earliest memory. But overall SEGA altogether.
Oooo good call actually! I always forget that game even though it's great
@@DreamcastEnjoyer It’s one of those games that have surely become slightly forgotten, but remains a great classic.
Your overall review of Shenmue is awesome just to let you know. It’s good that there’s people out here that appreciate this game for what it is. Shenmue made a major impact on my life overall.
really well articulated analysis 👏Nice job as always
Thank you kindly 😊
It's a wonderful game for it's time but for newbies...nah, defo not. To be clear, I Shenmue 1 and 2 countless times on Dreamcast (and happily purchased the re-releases) it was a technical marvel and my favourite videogame experience for the longest time. Encountering this game as a teenager was just magical. The attention to detail was incredible, just exploring Ryo's home was endlessly engaging.EDIT....sigh....alright I'll re-install it again, you twisted my arm lol Speak for yourself regarding the Martial Arts content, I spent ages mastering the moves, the evolution of the animations is really cool, it's a simplified version of VF3 but allows for great depth (despite it's clunkiness in-game), one of the worst aspects of Shenmue 3 was the combat IMO. Sifu's combat (which is essentially slightly expanded Arkham stuff) is very bland by comparison (and I love the Kung Fu style Pak Mei IRL) What I love about the move system is that the animations change (often featuring additional strikes) with Ryo's proficiency which was very cool and I wish more games adopted this kind of approach.
Modern youth wouldn't have the patience for this masterpiece
Shenmue will always slap 🤚
Absolutely a great game if you know what to expect. I found the modern PC port to be the ideal way to experience it though as the DC load times detracted from exploration as you'd have to be pretty intentional about going into shops and suchlike. The atmosphere was cozy like you say but also slightly edgy, I'd say to do with the ambient bgm which always made you feel something was about to happen. Wondering if you're gonna touch on Shenmue 2 (or even 3?) at some point which had a completely different feel - I think also good but in a different way
I actually haven't checked out the HD remasters yet but I do own them both so I'll probably play Shenmue 2 that way and see how it hits.
Definitely gonna cover the rest of the series at some point, but I need to play them first haha. I've basically just been replaying this one for the last 25 years!
@@DreamcastEnjoyer Ah ok, nowt wrong with enjoying S1 all this time! I’ve played them both umpteen times. S2 is very different though so don’t expect the same cozy vibes, it’s also a lot bigger. Actually thinking about it though, I think you would really like last chapter of it, when he gets to Guilin. I don’t know if you know anything about it but I think the vibes would be right up your street
Shenmue was amazing, but Shenmue 2 was a revelation! 😍😍😍
I've been meaning to play it for so long! Hoping to fire it up soon
Spoiler alert: Yes it does
I had NO IDEA that the VMU displayed how many people you had defeated in the 70 man battle. So I learned something today!! Could you do me a favor, DreamcastEnjoyer? Would you mind covering Shenmue II, my FAVORITE Dreamcast game of all time! I also had no idea that the guys over at the Dojo had produced a working English patch.
Thanks, dude - always glad to help!
I'm fully intending to cover Shenmue II and III in the future so I'll keep you posted there 😊
it sure does ✨
Thanks for scaring the crap out of me 15:06
In retrospect, I did maybe overdo it a bit on the deep-fried audio
@DreamcastEnjoyer lol
The best game ever made! ❤🎮
shenmue will always slap
This was my first Dreamcast game and I played it a lot back in the day. At the time, it was engaging because there wasn't anything like it during that era. These days though, I can no longer go back to it. I feel it's already been eclipsed by the more superior Yakuza franchise.
I always really want to get into the Yakuza games but I can just never make the time commitment these days.
I think because I was a kid when Shenmue dropped, I just had a lot of free time to vibe with it and that stuck with me
Shenmue always felt like 2 games stapled together. I was also too young to engage with the combat properly when I played the game, but it was still jarring to go from a few hours of adventure game, to playing Virtua Fighter so suddenly. Maybe those games mesh better if the player properly trains on a regular schedule? This one is definitely on my replay list.
I found it worked pretty well replaying it this time, but yeah it's still jarring to jump between modes haha.
If you train daily and spar with Fuku-San, you'll master the moves and have a good time :)
The best. 👍👍👍👍
What's the name of the song that plays in the beginning of this video? 🥴
The Place Where the Sun Sets (Version 2)
I can't actually think where we hear it in game, but it is on the soundtrack
@@DreamcastEnjoyer thanks. I heard it before elsewhere and it was such a beautiful piece. I never got to really play this game. I'd watch my little brother play it and go around doing mundane tasks and I found it interesting. I really need to just play it for myself.
You aren't just playing a game. You're living someone else's life.
You're playing an awful awful life that only you can resolve.
I love Euro & American Truck Simulator
Hahaha I mean yeah, they got chill vibes too
@@DreamcastEnjoyer :)
Song name ?
Which one?
Great game that, even though it hasn't aged well nowadays, was way ahead of it's time. Ryu ga Gotoku Studios should do a Yakuza-styled remake of the first game, it would work so well!
Yes, especially since you bought merchandise
100 yen each, you gotta do it
It’s so outdated… love what it stands for and my memories…it was not fun when I tried it again. Need a true remake