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| Case mock-up art by Shenmue Forever |
In this post, we present an improved version of the Kogami Shenmue Undub, brought to you by Shenmue Master and Phantom River Stone. Download using the links below, and read on for more information about the Undub: Definitive Edition!
March 2023 Update!
- Previously, a separate step was necessary to enable subtitles before starting play by selecting "Game Mode" via the main Shenmue settings menu. This is no longer the case!
Thanks to Derek Pascarella, the disc images have been updated so that Game Mode is set on by default meaning the subtitles will be displayed without this additional action. Many thanks to Derek! Check out his various Dreamcast and translation projects over on Twitter. - The information text for Disc 3 of the GDI version has been corrected (this previously incorrectly displayed as being GD-ROM2/4).
Download Shenmue Undub: Definitive Edition for the Dreamcast
Features & General Information
What is the Shenmue Undub (Definitive Edition) all about? Here is a brief list of features:
- Based on the Kogami Undub: this version builds upon the most complete fan-made Undub version, which was created by Kogami and runs on the Dreamcast.
- Full English subtitles: the official translated lines are used where available. A small number of the Japanese spoken lines (around 3%) which did not have English equivalent translations available have been translated by hand. A few small corrections were also made to fix specific lines that had incorrect grammar or meaning.
- Full Japanese audio with no down-sampling.
- PAL-compatible save files: saves can be carried over to the PAL version of Shenmue II.
- CDDA audio tracks included: recorded audio tracks play as expected during the game (e.g. the music that plays when Ryo rides home from the harbor with Nozomi on the back of his motorcycle).
- Coca Cola branding: the branding for the vending machines and soda cans in the game shows the Coca Cola branding, as seen in the Japanese version of Shenmue..
- Fixes for small glitches identified in the previous Undub version (e.g. conversations when Ryo knocked on house doors did not play out properly).
- Fits on standard CD-R discs: the images have been stream-lined to allow them to be played on a Dreamcast console using standard CD-R discs, with no missing or cut content.
Useful Notes
- Save files: Shenmue Undub loads and creates PAL (50Hz) compatible save files. Using a VMU that has NTSC save files may give an "Attempt to load game unsuccessful" error.
- ReDream emulator: this emulator runs the GDI version of the disc images (unzip these first). Under System Options, set the Broadcast setting to "pal".
Background
A few years ago we talked about a "100% translation" project that was underway by Shenmue Master and Phantom River Stone to produce an improved "Shenmue Undub" (Japanese audio + English subtitles) for the Dreamcast.
Previous fan builds of an Shenmue Undub had paved the way and already represented great achievements, and the Kogami version in particular was recognized as the most comprehensive version to date. There were however a few known issues still to overcome, such as a small percentage of subtitle lines that remained in Japanese for NPCs and a couple of minor glitches. Also, due to size requirements, the use of (notoriously-unreliable) 99-minute discs was necessary for playing on Dreamcast hardware.
The goal then for this project was to build on optimized version of Kogami's Shenmue Undub that would bring together a complete set of Japanese audio with a fully-translated set of English subtitles, and if possible fit these onto standard-capacity CD-R discs without compromising audio quality or loss of content.
Shenmue Master initiated the project, and reached out to Phantom River Stone to work together to achieve the goal. Work took place over a span of several months and a working version was achieved. However the project was subsequently put into hibernation, due to various factors.
The project team is now pleased to announce the result of the project effort: an updated Shenmue Undub which has been named the Definitive Edition.
Awesome!!! Thanks for finally releasing it! I'll burn the first one right away to play on real hardware, and I'll tell you if something goes wrong.
ReplyDeleteReally, thank you and all the team behind this!
thanks for this great work!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteAmazing work! - Tom from Dreamcast Junkyard
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment, it means a lot!
DeleteNice!! It's a shame there's no GDI version, makes using it with DreamShell impossible :c
ReplyDeleteThanks! There aren't immediate plans for a GDI version immediately, but it may be a possibility in the future.
DeleteCan I play this on an emulator?
ReplyDeleteYes, for example on Demul. Someone has also run it on Redream (after converting to cdi format).
DeleteI tried it on redream (android) but the background music is way too loud, anybody experiencing the same?
DeleteThis is fantastic, burning for my console now! I don't think a more definitive version of Shenmue is possible.
ReplyDeleteThat said I do have to echo the other comments, an emulator-friendly format would be appreciated too (not that you owe us a single thing).
Hope you enjoy it! Regarding emulators it has tried out on Demul and has also been reported to run with GDEMU (copy the images over manually and rename the MDS file to "disc.MDS").
DeleteIs there a conversion guide or tool that converts .MDF to .CDI?
DeleteFor now Redream nor Flycast doesn't load .MDF files.
As a suggestion, try a tool like AnyToISO (which has a free version available) to convert to ISO format which is supported by Flycast. For conversion to CDI, a method someone has used is to mount each image virtually with Daemon Tools and then use DiscJuggler to create a CDI image.
DeleteAnyone have success in converting and burning to CD? Mine have failed to boot on my Dreamcast. Also, is there a Checksum (MD5/SHA1) for the working images? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI've added checksums for the images in the post. The images have gone through a testing process on a real Dreamcast after burning to CD, but it would be good to get an independent confirmation from someone who has burned them successfully.
DeleteJasonX Write the discs using Alchol120% Free Editon and use the default settings and it should work perfectly, Also for good messure write using the slowest speed.
DeleteI've also heard that if your dreamcast has the number 2 on the bottom next to the pal\ntsc mark the selfboot copies don't work so make sure your dreamcast has the numbers 0 or 1 next to the pal\ntsc mark.
I hope you get the game working on your end :)
Theres the download link for Alchol 120% Free edition :)
Deletehttp://www.filefacts.com/alcohol-120-free-edition-info
Thanks for the replies. Will try the Alcohol route on a my XP machine (I was using AnyToISO on my Mac before).
DeleteGreat work! Is there any form of compression going on since "the images have been stream-lined"? Would it be possible to release a fully uncompressed version if so?
ReplyDeleteMyself and many others would be playing this on a GDEmu, so storage space isn't an issue. Please consider it, if it is technically possible.
There were some optimizations to reduce the size (by removing unused files etc) but there hasn't been any down-sampling or degradation of the content. You are still getting the full experience. :)
DeleteGlad to hear it! No reason to hold back from playing it then!
DeleteWell done is it possible to do a release with English voices ?
ReplyDeleteCan't wait the french version :-)
well done.
Hi, thanks for your comment! It's not planned although it's an interesting idea and technically would be possible. You wouldn't gain a great benefit over what is available with US Shenmue (mainly some minor extra translated text and Coca Cola branding).
DeleteSome good news for those who were asking: a GDI version is now available as a download link in the post, courtesy of Guillaume Nunes who kindly converted the images!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this Switch, plus thanks to Guillaume Nunes!
Deletecan someone provided an cdi version of this for dl along the mdf/msd & gdi versions?
ReplyDeleteBeen waiting for the last 3% to be done for years now. Can't believe it's finally out! Absolutely fantastic job! Thank you
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy it!
DeleteWill there be a Shenmue II one or we don't really need and the native version is just fine as is?
ReplyDeleteHi, if you play the European version of Shenmue II on Dreamcast it provides English text with Japanese audio, so it's effectively already an "undub".
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI've come across some lines with Kayoko (when she's playing at Sakuragaoka Park), in which she'll still reply using the official -and erroneous- English Dub.
ReplyDeleteHer original Japanese reply is 'はい' (Hai/Yes); in English it's "I won't" but out-of-context...
*Original Japanese*
Ryo: "Watch out for speeding cars."
Kayoko: "Haaai!"
*English Dub*
Ryo: "Watch out for speeding cars."
Kayoko: "I won't."
That "I won't" was meant for "Don't go off with any strangers".
Good catch! I remember running into a lot of cases during the What's Shenmue fan translation too, where the same line is reused in the Japanese but applies differently in English. In this case perhaps Kayako could reply with something like "Okaaay!" to cover both situations.
DeleteExactly.
DeleteIf there's an update, will it be featured just here, or also on ROMhacking.net?
They have the most extensive library of translated games, so it'd be good to have it archived on more than one domain.
We are certainly fine to have it archived in multiple places.
DeleteIs the third of the GDI version really the third CD? Looking at the binary data (of track03.bin file), I see it defined as GD-ROM2/4 instead of GD-ROM3/4.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment. We haven't had any feedback about any issues with the gdi disc 3 image, but if anyone is able to confirm it works as expected using an appropriate save file, that would be appreciated.
DeleteBy anychance can you confirm if this worked? was having the same issue where in gdmenu card manager undub disc 3 is listed as disc 2
DeletePlaying in redream emulator, space harrier runs slow despite showing 60fps, it's too easy too now.
ReplyDeleteHey, thanks so much for realizing this project! I remember when the Kogami Undub was the best at the time and the closest to an authentic experience, so it's really neat to see this definitive undub complete the dream. It's awesome that this fits on a standard CD-R, too! One question! Are there any plans to update this project with any small fixes caught after the initial release? I noticed someone pointed that there's a line at Sakuragaoka Park about watching out for cars that doesn't fit.
ReplyDeleteThanks again!
It's great to hear feedback on the Undub, as everyone involved poured a lot of spare time into it, so thank you! I have to say that there are no immediate plans as the members of the original team have moved on to various other projects. But if people can continue to report any small issues found here in the comments, that will be a good start for a potential future update.
DeleteI noticed the other day when Ryo speaks to a blonde woman in Dobuita she says that she doesn't speak much Japanese bit the caption was something totally different.
ReplyDeleteI'll try and reproduce it and report exactly what the mismatch is.
Sounds like a wire got crossed somewhere there! Any further information would be great.
DeleteYeah, I'm keeping my eyes open for the same woman every time I run down Dobuita main street - yet to see her again though!
DeleteHi, will you undub The Movie too?
ReplyDeleteHi, remaking The Movie as an undub would be an interesting project! But this project scope was just for the game.
DeleteHello! Any thoughts for 99mins(900mb) version near in future?
ReplyDeleteHello there! Is there something in particular you had in mind? This version should contain all the information that the old 99-minute version had.
DeleteI keep getting "Attempt to load game unsuccessful.Retry loading of the game file" message when I try to start a new game. How may I go about fixing this? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThis can happen if the VMU has a Shenmue save file on it from a non-PAL version of the game (e.g. Japan or US). Try a newly-formatted VMU, or one with a PAL region Shenmue save file on it.
DeleteI'm using redream and I currently don't have any save files of the game on my macbook which I'm emulating on. Thanks for the previous reply!
DeleteHm, is it the latest version of redream? I tried running it up on the latest version of redream (v1.5) and the new game started fine. That was on a Windows PC though. Perhaps the Redream discord could offer advice if you still get the message.
DeleteYou need to delete the VMU files:
Deletevmu_save_A1.bin
vmu_save_D1.bin
vmu_save_C1.bin
vmu_save_B1.bin
in the folder bios\dc
or press A+B+X+Y+Start buttons at the same time for soft-reset
check https://retropie.org.uk/docs/Dreamcast/ for details
Thsnks for this amazing work!! I'm relative new on Sega Dreamcast games, but I think Shenmue is one of the best game ever. Thanks again!!
ReplyDeleteI agree! (By the way, if you haven't yet played Shenmue III, it is going to be offered for free on the Epic Games store next week on 16 Dec 2021).
DeleteThank you for this release, but how on Earth to burn the MDF/MDS files?
ReplyDeleteI've spent the last 6 hours and 7 blank CDs trying to burn this old format. Tried to convert it to other formats too with no success. Any chance the files could be provided as .cdi or bin/cue?
Or a little guidance on how to burn would be helpful. All DC releases I've seen are in .cdi or bin/cue
OK I finally managed to do it. I'm on Linux and so had to try a lot of workarounds with VMs and with wine, but managed to install Alcohol 120% and run via wine and use that to burn the images. Now all works!!! Thank you for this project!!
DeleteGreat, glad you got it running!
DeleteThank you very much for this project!
ReplyDeleteOne small thing I notice is that the intro (that runs if you don't press Start at the beginning of game) isn't translated. The woman speaks Japanese but there are no subtitles
Translated subtitles are provided for this part as well, but you need to go into the Options screen first to turn on the subtitles setting, then return back out again.
DeleteAs a warning, this release of the game is NTSC but the save files generated will be in PAL format. So make sure to use the PAL Passport disc, because if you use the NTSC Passport it will tell you "Passport attempt to load Shenmue data unsuccessful" upon loading.
ReplyDeleteIt's a minor thing but too bad because there's a 99min version of Passport out there that's in NTSC with nothing downsampled, so you'll have to do with the downsampled PAL version of Passport.
(While you're at it, don't forget to patch your Passport CDI with the patch that unlocks the online section: https://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/08/shenmue-passport-unlocked-hack-to-skip.html )
I need to kjow how do you use cheats? And anyone can share save files?
ReplyDeleteeverytime I open the game on redream (using laptop) it says "this playdata is for 50Hz display only" , "it cannot be played on vga monitor" what should I do?
ReplyDeleteeverytime I open the game on redream (using laptop) it says "this playdata is for 50Hz display only" , "it cannot be played on vga monitor" what should I do? (downloaded GDI ver)
ReplyDeleteIt is dedication and generosity like this that makes me grateful to be alive in the era of the internet. How on earth would all but a handful of people, ever experienced this sort of community effort. Respect to all those involved. I owned Shenmue when it was first released, but I never finished it. 20+ years later, I'm able to play it again, in a more polished state, and in a 4k resolution (via Redream). What a way to start the weekend!
ReplyDelete*community effort when the game was first released.
DeleteJust noticed the old soda cans in Tomato convenience store refrigerator.
ReplyDeleteGood catch. The Tomato convenience store must still be in the process of clearing their old stock...
DeleteHow can i use the gdi files in redream? i extracted already but the emulador doesn't recognize the files
ReplyDeleteI gave it a test just now and they loaded fine on Redream for PC. Make sure to extract the individual disc zips as well.
DeleteCan someone help me burn this please? Been my dream to play this version but can’t get it to burn correctly in Alcohol 120% for use on my Dreamcast :( What settings should I use in Alcohol 120% to burn this fine? Would love a reply! Many thanks in advance!
ReplyDeleteThis is some previous advice (from GameHacKeR, who helped test the discs), in case you haven't seen it above. Hope this may be of help:
Delete"Write the discs using Alchol120% Free Editon and use the default settings and it should work perfectly, Also for good measure write using the slowest speed.
I've also heard that if your dreamcast has the number 2 on the bottom next to the pal\ntsc mark the selfboot copies don't work so make sure your dreamcast has the numbers 0 or 1 next to the pal\ntsc mark."
Hi, is it possible to get the links from the previous version back? This version gives me problems with the IP.BIn when I convert the GDI to CDI with Italian subtitles. Thank you
ReplyDeleteHi Donatello, I don't have immediate access to the previous version but may be able to get hold of it again next month if you still need it.
DeleteGrazie, me lo ha dato un amico, per fortuna non lo aveva cancellato.
DeleteThanks, a friend gave it to me, luckily he hadn't deleted it.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that!
DeleteThis is amazing! Thank you so much for this!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment!
DeleteNoob Question here, is there instructions how to burn this to a disc to play it on my Dreamcast?
ReplyDelete