Poll Result: Patrons' Choice Topic for November 2024

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:

"Project Berkley Bonus Disc: Dengeki Dreamcast Magazine (January 2000)"

January 2000 Dengeki Dreamcast Magazine cover

Japan's Dengeki Dreamcast magazine contained a huge 50-page Shenmue feature in its January 28 edition. Within this feature was a reflection on the intriguing Project Berkley bonus disc that had been released a year prior, that even today can be considered to hold an abundance of hints and glimpses as to how Shenmue's plot might once have been (and even could still be) going to unfold. 

Why "Project Berkley"?

In the late 1990s, SEGA's AM2 division, led by Yu Suzuki, embarked on an ambitious venture known internally as Project Guppy. Initially conceived with the title of Virtua Fighter RPG for the SEGA Saturn, the project subsequently transitioned to the SEGA Dreamcast and was renamed Shenmue, with the associated code name changing to Project Berkley. Code names were used to maintain confidentiality during development, adding an aura of mystery to the undertaking.

At his GDC 2014 post-mortem talk, Yu Suzuki reveals how the code name changed during development together with the game's title.

In recent years, Yu Suzuki has revealed the inspiration for the name "Project Berkley":

Q: At the beginning the game was given the codename “Project Berkley”, is there any special meaning behind this name?

YS: It’s actually like this [laughs]: because we realized at the start that this would be a completely different game to anything else on the market at the time, and its scale was unprecedented, we wanted to keep the project very confidential. Because of this we wanted to give it a very cool sounding name, like something from a spy movie. In Japan there’s this phrase bakkureru (ばっくれる) meaning to “pretend not to know” or “feign ignorance”, and by coincidence that there is a place in America with a similar sounding name, so we chose this “Project Berkley” codename.

A special feature of approximately 30 minutes, with the same name of Project Berkley, was included with the Japanese version of Virtua Fighter 3tb, released on Dreamcast in November 1998. Containing  a CGI trailer, an extended interview with Yu Suzuki and various concept art, it provided gamers with an early glimpse into the project's innovative vision, highlighting its potential to revolutionize gaming.

The Virtua Fighter 3tb release included a bonus disc

The bonus disc: "Project Berkley"

Summary of "Project Berkley" Disc Contents

CGI Movie

The feature starts with a CGI movie that lasts a few minutes, showing clips of characters and scenes  - some recognizable today as events from the first few games, and others not - accompanied by an orchestral score that includes the Shenmue theme. The movie finishes with a title of "Shenmue" in Japanese against a mirror design.

A scene from the CGI movie

Introduction and Vision

Yu Suzuki discusses the balance between advanced technology and game sense, which defines his creative style. He emphasizes providing players with a sense of freedom and realism, contrasting with the exaggerated mechanics of other games at the time (e.g., exploding vehicles upon collision).

Development Inspiration

Suzuki's early arcade game concepts explored realistic simulations, such as dogfights in fighter planes and immersive driving experiences (inspired by the movie Cannonball Run and Ferrari road trips). These ideas prioritized enjoyment over strict realism.

The transition to more narrative-driven games came from Suzuki's desire to create a title where story and characters take precedence over overly challenging mechanics.

Breaking Genre Norms

Suzuki was inspired by RPGs like Wizardry and Ultima but wanted to evolve the genre into something more accessible and universally appealing. He coined the term "FREE" (Full Reactive Eyes Entertainment) to describe Shenmue, focusing on interactivity and freedom within a believable world.

The game aimed to bridge cultural and linguistic barriers with universal themes like love, courage, family, and friendship.

Character and World Design

Extensive care was taken in designing characters, starting with rough sketches and evolving through clay and plaster models to achieve lifelike realism.

The game world was designed to be expansive, historically deep, and rich with diverse characters. Around 500 unique 3D models were planned for NPCs alone.

Concept art featured in the Project Berkley movie

Music-Driven Creativity

Suzuki introduced an innovative development process where the game's music was created first to inspire scenario writers and designers. This approach ensured a cohesive emotional tone throughout the project.

Philosophy and Legacy

The interview clearly conveys Suzuki’s ambition to create a game that goes beyond entertainment, embedding meaningful messages and immersive storytelling.

He envisioned Shenmue as a medium to connect people globally, emphasizing the value of friendship and shared human experiences.

The end of the Project Berkley documentary

Dengeki Dreamcast Magazine Article

We will be translating an article in the Dengeki Dreamcast magazine that highlighted several pieces of concept art and CGI scenes that had featured on the Project Berkley disc and speculated about what might be to come in the story. This should make for interesting reading as it was written just after the release of the first game. Have any of these questions yet been answered? 

Magazine page images kindly provided by SkillJim.

Coming soon to the blog!

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[Final Part] Shenmue Anecdotes from Composer Osamu Murata

This is the third and final part in our series of anecdotes from Shenmue composer Osamu Murata. For previous parts, see Part One and Part Two. 

Osamu Murata (profile photo from Twitter / X)

Shenmue III

Jun 16, 2015: S3 Festival Begins

スタジオから帰宅！と思ったらお金集まってる！S3祭りはまだまだ続く！お祭りなので、初出しシェンムーお宝。「巌の手紙」に藤岡さんのサイン。1999だって。すげー生きてきたなー、自分。

Translation:  

"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.

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Poll Result: Patrons' Choice Topic for October 2024

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.

Coming soon to the blog!

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[Part Eleven] The Secret of Miao Village: Working Cut Scene & Team Battle Event Discovered!

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.

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[Part Two] Shenmue Anecdotes from Composer Osamu Murata

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. 

Osamu Murata (profile photo from Twitter / X)

Sound Effects in Shenmue

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.

シェンムーの効果音はほとんど全てを内作で作っていた。しかも関わっていたサウンドクリエイターは皆効果音制作を体験していたと思う。実際フォーリーとか、ない音はみんなであーでもないこーでもないと作ってた。世の中の音をシミュレーションしたのがシェンムーだからね。そのデータは膨大。

Translation:   

"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.

Unityでいうところの3Dサウンド的なシステムはもちろんドリキャスでも動いていたのだけど、音の変化として面白いのは噴水の音とハトの音。アバディーンにいるハトを追いかけると様々に音が変化する。オブジェクトに近づくと音が変化する、もしくはし続けるというシステムはゲームならでわだね。

Translation:   

"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 

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[Part One] Shenmue Anecdotes from Composer Osamu Murata

The Musical Genius of Osamu Murata

The musical talents of Osamu Murata have left an indelible mark on the Shenmue series, captivating players around the world with his unforgettable compositions.

Osamu Murata (profile photo from Twitter / X)

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.

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Poll Result: Patrons' Choice Topic for September 2024

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.

Coming soon to the blog!

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The Manga 'Kenji' and Shenmue: Insights From a Virtua Fighter Developer | Part 4 (Final)

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.

Parts in this Series

• Part One - Unveiling Inspiration: Exploring the Manga 'Kenji' and Shenmue
• Part Two - Character Threads: Themes and Characters in 'Kenji' vs Shenmue
• Part Three - Exploring Parallel Paths: Locations and Scenes in Kenji vs 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. 

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Exploring Parallel Paths: Locations and Scenes in 'Kenji' vs Shenmue | Part 3

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.

Parts in this Series So Far

• Part One - Unveiling Inspiration: Exploring the Manga 'Kenji' and Shenmue
• Part Two - Character Threads: Themes and Characters in 'Kenji' vs Shenmue
• 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

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Character Threads: Themes and Characters in 'Kenji' vs Shenmue | Part 2

In this second part, we continue on our exploration of the 1980s' manga series Kenji in comparison to Shenmue. We will take a look at the personalities of the two main characters, and then explore themes and story connections between the two creations.

Previous Part: Exploring the Manga 'Kenji' and Shenmue

Kenji vs Shenmue: The Protagonists

The main characters of both Kenji and Shenmue - Kenji Goh and Ryo Hazuki, respectively - are Japanese school students with an interest in martial arts.

Their personalities, however, are rather distinct from each other, understandably as Kenji is still a carefree primary school pupil at the start of the series, as compared to Ryo who is a senior high school student who experiences the shocking loss of his father in the prologue of the game. 

In the initial chapters of the manga, we observe that Kenji is a good-hearted, cheerful child who often causes his mother despair at his mischievous ways. He has a great fondness for his grandfather, whom he loves to spend time with and learn martial arts moves and history. He is also quick to stand up to bullies and protect those weaker than himself. When he grows older, he is driven to travel to China in order to search for his missing grandfather.

Kenji's light-hearted nature can be seen frequently, such as when tries to balance a ruler on his head as he is scolded by his school teacher

In Shenmue, on the other hand, Ryo Hazuki also exhibits many of the same traits of determination and belief in justice, but is weighed down by his grief at the loss of his father. He tends not to open up easily to others around him trying to help, and keeps to himself. His motivation for his journey for China is thus for much darker reasons, as he seeks to locate his father's killer.

Grief takes a heavy toll on Ryo

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Unveiling Inspiration: Exploring the Manga 'Kenji' and Shenmue | Part 1

In the landscape of martial arts-themed storytelling, Kenji stands out as a beloved manga series that potentially paved the way for later works like Shenmue. Spanning from 1988 to 1992, the series chronicles the journey of the young Japanese protagonist Kenji as he develops both his character and skills in Chinese martial arts. Written during the years preceding the development of Shenmue, this manga has a strong connection to the world of martial arts, drawing inspiration from the author's personal expertise.

Throughout Kenji's adventures, readers are immersed in a rich tapestry of martial arts styles as he traverses locations such as Hong Kong and China. Along the way, he encounters formidable masters, forms lasting friendships, and confronts various challenges, all while honing his skills through diverse martial arts disciplines.

As far as I am aware, Shenmue's creator, Yu Suzuki, has not explicitly referenced Kenji as being a direct influence in published materials. However, given the timeframe in which Kenji was published, its popularity in Japan and its storyline set around martial arts themes, it would be a natural source of inspiration for similarly-themed creative works that followed.

In this initial post of our series, we aim to unearth parallels and similarities between Kenji and Shenmue. We will consider the narrative, characters, and thematic elements shared between the two works while also scouring interviews with development staff for any indications of Kenji's influence on Shenmue's creation.

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Poll Result: Patrons' Choice Topic for August 2024

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:

"Yu Suzuki Interview Excerpts from the Japanese Air Twister Booklet"

Following on from its original worldwide release via Apple Arcade for Apple devices in June 2022, Air Twister was subsequently released for consoles & PC in November of 2023.

Air Twister Special Edition (Japan)

One of the physical editions made available in Japan was a Special Edition that included a number of extras, including the soundtrack on double CD, a square card with Yu Suzuki's signature and a "Special Interview" booklet.

This 50+ page booklet (which can be seen near the bottom right in the image below) contains an extensive interview with Yu Suzuki, in which he talks about not just Air Twister but also his own background in the games industry - one of the games discussed being Shenmue, of course!

Contents of the Air Twister Special Edition set (Japan)

With the set being for the Japan market, the Special Interview booklet was only in the Japanese language.

Air Twister Collector's Edition (Strictly Limited Games)

For the overseas market, the Air Twister Collector's Edition has been announced by Strictly Limited Games, and is to feature a Yu Suzuki Biography booklet with its own unique cover design.

Yu Suzuki Biography booklet cover (Air Twister Collector's Edition from Strictly Limited Games)

While its exact content is not yet known, it is reasonable to assume that it contains the same material as Japan's Special Interview booklet.

 

However, this Collector's Edition has not yet been released. Originally slated to be released in "Early 2024", at the time of this post in August 2024 it is yet to be seen, with the expected release date given on the official website now reading "2024 (exact date TBC)". A brief product status is provided on the website, although this has remained unchanged since February:

"Production files have been approved by licensor and are now with Platform Owners. Once completed, files will be handed to production."

Interview Excerpt Translations

To ease the pain of the wait for the Collector's Edition to appear and discover Yu Suzuki's thoughts and anecdotes revealed in the interview, in an upcoming post we will be translating his comments about Shenmue and other selected excerpts from the Japanese interview booklet into English. (Scans of the interview pages have been kindly provided by SkillJim).

Watch for the post to come soon to the blog!

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Issue 3 of Shenmue World Magazine Announced on Kickstarter!

 

The much-anticipated third issue of Shenmue World, the fan magazine created by Shenmue Dojo co-owner James, has recently been launched on Kickstarter!

• Shenmue World Issue 3 - Kickstarter Project Page

Despite having gone live only a few days ago, backing has been rapid and strong with the magazine already almost fully funded, even though the campaign still has weeks to go, with the deadline on the evening of August 28th (BST).

As before, the reward for backing a magazine tier includes not only the magazine itself, which is packed with fan-submitted content, but also a number of other included items such as:

• An audio CD of Shenmue themed music from composer RyoX
• A hand-signed print from voice talent Lisle Wilkerson
• A folded poster of the magazine cover artwork
• A side-story Comic
• A set of 5 art prints
• A special artwork card
• and more!

Your backing will also help contribute to a special promotional campaign in the works that will promote the #LetsGetShenmue4 campaign.

Some of the many bonus items that come with Issue 3!

...and there's more! 

View the Overview Video

See SkillJim's video where he gives more details about the project and what you can expect in Issue 3:

Back It Now!

Head over to the Shenmue World Issue 3 - Kickstarter Project Page to find out more about this fantastic project and secure your own piece of Shenmue fan history!

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Unused Shenmue Map #2: Island Town

In this second part of our maps feature, we will be looking at another map from the 36-page art book that was available at the Shenmue Premiere events around Japan in late 1998 / early 1999. 

Cover of the Shenmue Premiere Art Booklet

In Part One, we looked at a map that could be identified as Suzhou.

This time, we turn our attention to a second unknown map that appears further down on the same page of the Shenmue art booklet. This one is displayed in black ink and depicts a town situated on - or, more accurately, around - an island.

Inspecting Unused Map #2: Island Town

This map is distinctive and appears to show an island location surrounded by a tightly-packed city of buildings built out upon water. Tall mountain peaks rise up from the island:

Page detail: island town map

As with the first map, certain buildings and features have been labelled with Japanese text and there are small black star indicators dotted around the water's edge.

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Poll Result: Patrons' Choice Topic for July 2024

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:

"Interview with Shenhua actress Hazuki Ishigaki in Dobuita"

In this post, we will be translating a feature about Hazuki Ishigaki, the voice actress for Shenhua in the Japanese version of the first two Shenmue games, from a magazine at the time.

Ishigaki was 21 years old at the time, and whose acting and voicing career started a couple of years earlier, with appearances on Japanese TV and radio prior to her work for the Shenmue games. Online information suggests that she retired from acting around March 2004.

The magazine feature was published in the Japanese Dreamcast Magazine of October 1999, and contains a series of Q&A as well as Shenhua cosplay photos taken on location around Dobuita St, Yokosuka. 

Although this was still a few months before the release of the first Shenmue game at the end of that year - and well before Shenhua would be properly seen in-game in the second game - the character of Shenhua would already have been a familiar sight to gaming enthusiasts from promotional material and magazine articles.

The introduction states:

"Thank you for waiting, Hazuki-chan fans. Shenhua couldn't wait any longer for her turn to come, so she has come to the streets of Yokosuka! What discoveries await her in this foreign land?"

Coming soon to the blog!

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Unused Shenmue Map #1: Suzhou City

During the 1998/1999 Shenmue Premiere showings in various cities across Japan, ahead of the game's original release on the Dreamcast, a 36-page art book was available as merchandise. It featured concept art, photographs, design diagrams, and other materials related to the game's development.

Cover of the Shenmue Premiere Art Booklet

In past posts on this blog we have analyzed some of the fascinating snippets of early design documents that can be glimpsed in this booklet, such as:

• Ryo's Arrival in Hong Kong: Shenmue II Design Document Translation
• Earning Money to Meet Ren: Shenmue 2 Flowchart #2 Translation
• Shenmue 1 Start of Game Flowchart: Early Design Document Translation

This booklet makes creative use of charts and drawings as decorative images to accompany the pages describing the making of the game.

Unseen Maps in the Art Booklet

On one page of the booklet, two maps can be found that don't match any of the places Ryo has visited so far in his journey. One map sits at the top left in blue ink, and the other, which lies to the right further down the page, is in black. (The maps are partially obscured by an image of an early map of Aberdeen/Wan Chai, and a photo of a computer monitor displaying a map of Dobuita).

The page containing the mysterious maps

In this post, the first in a two-part series, we will start to examine the maps and labels in detail to uncover hints about Ryo's initially-planned or potential future travels.

Image credits: thanks to James Brown for providing the booklet page images

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TBS Interview with Yu Suzuki: Arcade Game Development at SEGA (Feb 2022)

This post contains the contents of a TV interview held with Yu Suzuki and other guests on the Japanese TBS channel in February 2022. The interview was originally shown on TBS as an episode in a series called X年後の関係者達 ("X Years Later: Those Who Were Involved") where key figures reflect and comment on past accomplishments.

This time the episode featured Yu Suzuki, joined by three others from the game industry at the time, with the MC being Kazlaser, a Japanese comedian who is known for his love of Sega, who participated through a video link. Suzuki talks about the development of some of his hit arcade games at Sega in the 1980s through to the 1990s. (Shenmue also gets a mention!)

--- Start of transcript ---

Narrator:

Let's go back 37 years, to 1985.

In the world of arcade games, where tabletop cabinets once dominated, two revolutionary games emerged in succession. The world's first motion-sensing game, Hang On. And UFO Catcher, which still boasts immense popularity today. The name of the company reshaping the landscape of game centers with its ideas and development power was: SEGA.

What enabled Sega to consistently produce groundbreaking games one after another?

X years later, former members of Sega's arcade division gather for a reunion.

Yu Suzuki with the episode's participants

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Poll Result: Patrons' Choice Topic for June 2024

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:

"Weekly AM2: Translation of Next Issue (Vol. 12)"

The topic selected this time is a continuation of our translations of the official online magazine published by Sega's AM2 team back in the day, the Weekly AM2. This magazine published content about the Shenmue series from December 1999 through to around the release of Shenmue II in 2001, and a link to issues of the Weekly AM2 thereafter became a regular feature of the Shenmue.com website.

This time we will be translating a further edition of the Weekly AM2: Volume 12, published online on 29th February 2000 (yes, it was a leap year!).

The highlight of Issue 12 is a detailed background about the character of Guizhang Chen from the first Shenmue game, as told by the AM2 developers themselves.

Questions the developers answer about Guizhang include:

• How did the character of Guizhang Chen come to be created?
• What do you think is the reason he is so popular?
• Tell us about his upbringing.
• What are Guizhang's favorite foods and hobbies?
• What aspects would you like to draw players' attention to, when observing his character in the game?
• What did you have in mind in the design of his facial features and his distinctive appearance dressed in a suit?

This edition will be translated in a future post on the blog.

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Top 10 Shenmue Story Revelations | Shenmue Dojo & Phantom River Stone Interview with Yu Suzuki

Earlier this month saw the release of a brand-new, extensive interview with Yu Suzuki that was held in person by James Brown of the Shenmue Dojo and myself (Switch) for Phantom River Stone at the YS NET office in Japan. 

The full interview can be found at the Shenmue Dojo's website, who have also recorded an in-depth discussion stream but in this post we will focus in on summarizing some of the most surprising story details revealed during the interview, ending with new information regarding the leaders of the Chi You Men!

The Day of the Interview

On the fine Spring morning of the interview, we gathered at a local coffee shop in the vicinity of the YS Net office for a quick run-through of the topics we would be covering, and making sure reference images were at hand and ready. Having been granted such a precious opportunity to spend time with the legendary game creator, we wanted to be sure not a single minute in his company would go to waste due to lack of preparation.

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Poll Result: Patrons' Choice Topic for May 2024

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 for this time is:

"Examining Shenmue Storyboards from the Shenmue The Animation Event in Yokosuka"

In the Spring of 2022, a promotional event was held on location in Yokosuka in celebration of the anime adaption of Shenmue, Shenmue The Animation, which was organized by Yokosuka City in collaboration with SEGA and IGN Japan. Various pieces of concept artwork were exhibited at a number of shops in the area, some being from the anime while others were sketches and illustrations from the time of development of the first two games.

Among the artwork were reproductions of certain storyboards from the game, detailing the camera shots and spoken lines to guide creation of cut scenes in the game. 

The three storyboards exhibited at the event which will be covered are:

• "Encounter with Joy"
• "Xiuying's Tears"
• "Encounter with Shenhua"

In this upcoming post, we will be looking at these in more detail and translating any written notes and characters' lines, noting differences of interest between the storyboards and the final implementation of the cut scenes in the game.

Coming soon!

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Weekly AM2 Volume 11 [22nd Feb 2000] - Shenmue Wins the Dreamcast Magazine Best Game Award

In this series we translate Shenmue content from Weekly AM2, the official online magazine published by Sega's AM2 development team back in the day. These pages regularly featured news and information about the Shenmue series from the end of 1999 through to 2001 with the release of Shenmue II.

Vol. 11 celebrates various awards won by Shenmue in Dreamcast Magazine, including Best Game and Best Scenario. The Shenmue Original Sound Track double CD goes on sale, and a third "wallpaper" image is made available for download.

-Switch

 

Vol. 11: 22nd Feb. 2000

Hello, I'm Takuan.

I apologize for taking last week off. My tonsils were swollen, and I couldn't even drink water.

Please be careful not to catch a cold, everyone.

I'll keep up the momentum this week too, in my first week back!

Right, let's get started!

This week's contents:

• Shenmue receives the Dreamcast Magazine Best Game Award!
• Announcement of a live performance by Mr. Mitsuyoshi!
• Shenmue Chapter 1: Yokosuka Original Sound Track set for release!
• [omitted] Exclusive stories about Out Trigger!
• Shenmue Wallpaper Download Service: Wallpaper #3
• Shenmue illustrations wanted

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Poll Result: Patrons' Choice Topic for April 2024

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 for this time is:

"Shenmue Anecdotes from Shenmue Music Composer Osamu Murata"

Osamu Murata (profile photo from Twitter / X)

The musical talents of Osamu Murata left an indelible mark on the Shenmue series, captivating players around the world with his unforgettable compositions.

Fresh out of university, Murata joined AM2 Sound Section at SEGA and quickly immersed himself in a number of arcade projects, over 10 titles during his time there, including classics like F355 Challenge and Virtua Cop 3.

Murata's exceptional talent as a composer saw him produce a staggering estimated 800-1000 songs during the project, pouring his heart and soul into crafting the atmospheric pieces that enrich the Shenmue experience. Murata's dedication to his craft was such that he pushed himself to the brink, even blacking out at the piano during an arduous composing session (as related in his interview with Shenmue World magazine, Issue 2).

When Murata first joined the Shenmue project, he was also responsible for recording the spoken lines of a great number of voice 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. Also, a number of his compositions from among the vast pool of music that ended up unused during the original project were selected for inclusion in the latest chapter, Shenmue 3.

Xiuying's Theme, composed by Osamu Murata, which accompanies her instruction on the Swallow Flip move

In our upcoming post, we'll 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. Get ready to dive into Murata's firsthand experiences and reflections!

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Sega's Precautions with Phone Numbers in Shenmue

On its initial release in Japan in December 1999, Shenmue impressed players with its realistic settings and attention to detail.

One such detail was the accuracy with which phone calls were reproduced in order to check the weather forecast, speak with Nozomi or gain access to Warehouse No. 8. Local phone numbers even had the correct area code for Yokosuka city (0468). 

This proved to be a slight headache for Sega, as some of the eager players tried actually calling the numbers. While the numbers used in the game were said to have been reserved beforehand by Sega to prevent nuisance calls, nonetheless a warning was issued in the February 2000 edition of the Weekly AM2 online magazine (which we recently translated) asking players to refrain from trying to call the numbers.

"Attention: Regarding the phone numbers used in Shenmue

The phone numbers used in the game Shenmue Chapter 1: Yokosuka are intentionally designed not to allow actual calls. Recently, there has been an increase in attempted calls, leading to nuisances such as wrong numbers.

We kindly request your cooperation to refrain from making actual calls. Thank you for your understanding".

More on this topic was revealed in an interview with Shenmue game director Eigo Kasahara in Adam Sipione's Shenmue Documentary, "A Gamers Journey: The Definitive History of Shenmue" 

Eigo Kasahara: Yu-san wanted to display the proper area codes in the game. The problem we raised was that players would try to call them. And we couldn't just make something up. In which case, Yu-san proposed we get hold of those phone numbers. We wondered how many we should get. We ended up getting about five.

When he gave us that instruction, the first thing we did was to check whether there was anyone at Sega who lived in Yokosuka and in fact there was one person who did. So we approached that person and explained that we wanted to obtain five phone lines, with any costs of course being covered by Sega. His house already had a telephone connection, although it didn't have an actual telephone. So we were able to obtain four, I think it was, real phone numbers.

At that time, there was someone who actually tried calling the number for Master Chen. Apparently, when he heard a proper ringing tone, he got spooked and hung up! However, the phone numbers were all ones where definitely nobody would answer.

In truth, I had been thinking of having them connect in the future to something like "Shenmue Fun Facts", although that part didn't get implemented.

Those numbers were actually held for several years afterwards. Then the Sega employee who had let us obtain the numbers informed us that he would be retiring, and asked us to do something about those phone lines. So we actually went along and arranged the infrastructure work needed to deregister the phone numbers.

Eigo Kasahara was also in charge of the Shenmue I & II re-releases, and he explained that he took the opportunity to avoid potential problems by shortening the phone numbers used in the game by omitting the last digit:

Eigo Kasahara: These days, we don't know where they connect to, and registering phone numbers was out of the question at this late stage, so for the remake we abandoned that idea and dropped a digit instead. 

Wishing everyone a Happy Shenmue Day!

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