"Home from the studio! And found out money is being raised! The S3 festival continues! Since it's a festival, here's a Shenmue treasure for the first time. A 'Iwao's letter' signed by Mr. Fujioka. It's from 1999. What an amazing life I've lived!"
Unfortunately, the image associated with this 2015 tweet is no longer available but we can imagine a physical reproduction of the in-game letter left for Ryo by his father. Murata's letter was even signed by the actor for the character of Iwao Hazuki in the Japanese version, Hiroshi Fujioka.
The letter left for Ryo by Iwao Hazuki in Shenmue.
Every month Phantom River Stone holds a poll among our patrons to choose a topic for the blog in the coming month. After tallying the votes (including accumulated votes from previous months), the winning topic that has been voted this time is:
"Character profile comparison: Shiro the dog English vs Japanese versions differ!"
The original Shenmue Passport provided detailed character profile descriptions for every character in the first game. These profiles (or abbreviated versions) were also published in various strategy guides and magazine features at the time. Until now it had been widely assumed that these profiles were identical between Japanese and English versions, but recently an exception has been discovered.
In the English profile for the white dog, whose name is given as Shiro, we are told that she is to be found wandering around the streets of the residential area of Dobuita.
Bio for the white dog (screenshot from the Suka Pass app)
However this profile raises a couple of small but puzzling points. One is that the background graphic for the dog in the Shenmue Passport shows New Yokosuka Harbor, despite her location being described as Dobuita. The second is that, in the game itself, this white dog can indeed be found wandering around the docks at the harbor.
Some light can be shed on this by inspecting the equivalent profile description for the Japanese version - it is in fact completely different from the English description, and gives Shiro's home as being at the harbor in Amihama.
In this post we will be translating the information presented in Shiro's Japanese profile, for comparison with the English version.
It is time to add to our Miao Village series with the announcement of an exciting discovery of a working section of cut game play, making this the first time we have ever experienced Miao Village cut content in a playable form!
This incredible finding was discovered by Brian Park, who runs the Shenmue Park account on X/Twitter, after intense efforts. On a recent Shenmue Dojo stream, Brian commented that he had "checked through thousands of entry points" (referring to the debug menu available on certain prototypes of the game) over the last few months before finding it.
The part of the story relates to Ryo's meeting with Zhang regarding the whereabouts of Yuanda Zhu, and Brian has made a video that captures everything. Not only does it contain a brand-new cut scene and QTE event, but (depending on the outcome of the event) it can even develop into a team battle with Ryo and Zhang taking on a gang of thugs!
The dialogue in the ending cut scene matches exactly with the Zhang meeting subtitle text for the Miao Village storyline that we examined previously. However we now see additional interactions between the two prior to this discussion - and it also reveals that their meeting place was not the Dou Jiang Diner, as had been assumed, but Lotus Park in South Carmain Quarter.
Video
Watch the incredible footage of the full cut scene from the Game Jam prototype, from Brian Park, which includes the QTE success & fail scenarios as well as other variations of the scene found on Disc 2 and in the unreleased US Shenmue prototype:
You'll note that the voices are not those of the official voice actors for the release. Due to the scene being still under development at this point, stand-in voices were used (for example, those of staff or developers) as placeholders until the scenes were finalized.
Credit for screen shots in this post to Brian Park (taken from his video).
Cut Scene, QTE and Team Battle: Synopsis & Dialogue Translation
Here is a synopsis of the interactions that occur in this extended cut scene, which also includes a QTE interaction and - depending on whether you succeed or fail at this - a team battle together with Zhang against the loan sharks!
Ryo enters Lotus Park, which appears to be empty, and looks around as if searching for someone.
A few seconds later, a man in a brown suit walks out from behind a tree, and bows. It is Zhang.
Welcome to the second part in our series of anecdotes from Shenmue composer Osamu Murata, continuing on from Part One, giving us fascinating insights into his experience.
Jan 22, 2024: How Shenmue's Sound Effects Were Crafted
The sound effects in Shenmue are subtle but contribute immensely to the atmosphere of the gameplay. Murata explains that most of these sound effects were created internally by the team, simulating real-world sounds with a large amount of custom data.
"Most of the sound effects for Shenmue were created in-house. I believe that all the sound creators involved in the project experienced making sound effects. We actually made Foley effects* and sounds that didn't exist, by experimenting together to get them right. Shenmue simulates the sounds of the world, so it needed a vast amount of data".
*Foley effects: custom sound effects created to match specific actions in a film, video, or game, like footsteps, rustling clothes, or clinking objects.
Jan 22, 2024: Adapting Sound to Player Movement in Shenmue
Murata points out the dynamic sound system in Shenmue that allows sound effects to change based on player movement.
"Dreamcast of course ran a 3D sound system, like the one present in Unity*. What's interesting about the changes in sound are the sounds of fountains and pigeons. When you chase pigeons in Aberdeen, the sounds change in various ways. The system where the sound changes, or continues to change, as you move closer to an object, is something that's unique to games".
*Unity, along with Unreal Engine, is one of the most popular software development platforms used to create 2D and 3D games and simulations.
Three-dimensional sound is employed effectively with the pigeons in Aberdeen
The musical talents of Osamu Murata have left an indelible mark on the Shenmue series, captivating players around the world with his unforgettable compositions.
Fresh out of university, Murata joined the AM2 Sound Section at SEGA in 1997 and quickly immersed himself in a number of arcade projects - more than 10 titles during his time there, including classics like F355 Challenge and Virtua Cop 3.
Murata's exceptional talent as a composer led him to create an estimated 800-1000 songs for the Shenmue project, pouring his heart and soul into crafting the atmospheric pieces that enrich the Shenmue experience. His dedication to his craft was so intense that he once blacked out at the piano during a grueling composing session (as he shared in an interview with Shenmue World magazine, Issue 2).
When Murata first joined the Shenmue project, he was also responsible for recording voice lines for many actors and is officially credited as Voice Recording Chief for US Shenmue.
Among his many compositions are such standouts as Nozomi's Theme, Xiuying's Theme, and Yokosuka Blues (Goro's Theme) which became instant classics, each adding depth and emotion to the Shenmue universe. Additionally, some of his compositions, from the vast pool of unused music from the original project, were selected for inclusion in the latest chapter, Shenmue 3.
In today's post, we share a selection of Murata's tweets from recent years, where he recounts anecdotes and memories from his time working on the Shenmue project as one of the music composers. These tweets offer an insightful look into the creative process behind one of gaming's most beloved series, directly from the perspective of one of the individuals who contributed to its music.
Let's dive into Murata's firsthand experiences and reflections below!
Note: Additional images and videos accompany some of the tweets for additional context.
Every month Phantom River Stone holds a poll among our patrons to choose a topic for the blog in the coming month. After tallying the votes (including accumulated votes from previous months), the winning topic that has been voted this time is:
"1999 Interview with Yu Suzuki and Kenji Eno (Famitsu)"
In the October 1999 edition of Famitsu magazine, an extensive interview was published with two great figures in the games development industry: Yu Suzuki (SEGA) and Kenji Eno (Warp Inc.), about their much-awaited upcoming titles that would see release in Japan a few months later in December of that same year.
Yu Suzuki and Kenji Eno
The interview has the following introduction, suggesting a mix of anticipation and frustration from gamers at the time:
Shenmue and D2: two titles that have been included in the Dreamcast's lineup since the console's announcement. However, these two games have continued to be delayed, much to the disappointment of many. While some devoted fans have patiently waited, the number of fans growing frustrated has also risen.
These two epic titles have finally begun to reveal their full scope. The timeline for their release has almost solidified. The more you see and learn about these games, the more you realize that they are not the kind of projects that could be completed in just a year or so. Both of these games possess the characteristic of moving movie-level realistic CG in real-time, interactively. For example, ten years from now, those who attempt to write the history of games as interactive entertainment will surely recognize that these two titles have irreversibly changed the quality and quantity of games as interactive entertainment.
Should we not humbly appreciate the fact that we are witnessing this moment in history?
We will be translating this extensive 6-page interview, from scans kindly provided by SkillJim.
This is the last part of our 4-part series comparing the 1980s' manga "Kenji" and Shenmue. In this post, we'll translate an interview with one of the developers of the hit arcade game Virtua Fighter, to gain insight into influences in its creation, to understand how the manga may have provided inspiration, and by extension may have helped to shape the game that eventually became Shenmue.
Part Four (this part) - Insights From a Virtua Fighter Developer
Virtua Fighter, Virtua Fighter RPG and Shenmue
Soon after the release of the first Virtua Fighter in 1993, Yu Suzuki went on a trip to China, primarily to gather materials for the upcoming Virtua Fighter 2 which was released in 1994.
Welcome to Part 3 of our analysis comparing the 1980s' manga "Kenji" and Shenmue. The previous part covered Characters and Themes. In this part, we'll look at how both stories follow the protagonist's journey from Japan to China, highlighting certain locations and scenes that shed light on potential influences between the two works.
Part Three (this part) - Exploring Parallel Paths: Locations and Scenes in Kenji vs Shenmue
Kenji vs Shenmue: Journey from Japan to China
A clear parallel can be seen in terms of the broad setting and locations of the stories. In both, a Japanese boy who has been brought up studying martial arts resolves to set out on an overseas journey by ship that takes him through locations in Hong Kong and mainland China.
In the case of Kenji, his parents are initially against the idea, but reluctantly give their permission after being persuaded by one of Kenji's adult martial arts mentors. Kenji is able to secure his boat trip for free thanks to the connections of his friend. His initial destination is Taiwan, from where he travels by plane to Hong Kong.
In Ryo's case, the main obstacles to his wish to go to Hong Kong are the permission of his housekeeper, Ine-san, and the lack of money for the boat ticket. Overcoming these obstacles - in particular, the second of these - is the focus of Shenmue's first chapter.
Leaving Japan by Ship
Kenji departs from Japan by ship from Yokohama, and is seen off by a group of friends and family.
Kenji's friends and family see him off at the port in Yokohama
In Shenmue, Ryo also leaves by ship a little further down the coast in Yokosuka. The cutscene that plays shows Master Chen and his son, Guizhang, watching his departure.
Ryo sets off on his journey from Yokosuka after saying farewell to Master Chen and Guizhang
