How is your Dreamcast gaming going on?

[noiseredux]

mas, for some reason Last Blade has no blood in the US.

[ExedExes]

Shenmue 2's story is much more action packed, streamlined and diverse. They also added an option to skip time at certain points so that you don't have to wait for the next scene. I still prefer Shenmue 1 for the impact it had on me (and possibly nostalgic reasons), but objectively speaking Shenmue 2 improved on the first game in nearly every way imaginable. I think you should still give it a try.

You had a lot more to do in Shenmue 2. So many stores to check out, more capsule toys, more games, more fighting, After Burner & Out Run, and each new disc seemed to have a new area associated with it.

[Fragems]

Shenmue 2's story is much more action packed, streamlined and diverse. They also added an option to skip time at certain points so that you don't have to wait for the next scene. I still prefer Shenmue 1 for the impact it had on me (and possibly nostalgic reasons), but objectively speaking Shenmue 2 improved on the first game in nearly every way imaginable. I think you should still give it a try.

You had a lot more to do in Shenmue 2. So many stores to check out, more capsule toys, more games, more fighting, After Burner & Out Run, and each new disc seemed to have a new area associated with it.

Good to now. I'm at the point in shenmue where pretty much I have everything except a complete capsule collection. So all my free time and money is spent on my characters raging toy addiction lol. About all there is to do at the Harbor when your not working is playing darts or buying capsules . Not a ton going on there and 75% of the NPCs just tell you off if you try to talk to them .

Think I am within an hour or two of finishing hopefully I can complete it tonight or tomorrow if I don't get distracted.

[fastbilly1]

Children of the Atom! Ohwait, 2d Dreamcast fighting games...gogo Last Blade 2. Near perfection.

Last Blade 2 is also one of my favorites and possibly still my favorite weapon-based fighter. It's a shame the western version got censored.

Too true. I view it as nigh perfection in a 2d fighter. I am just terrible at it...

I actually just brought my Dreamcasts to my house from storage, I may have to give it a go tonight.

[Czernobog]

I just received a Japanese copy of Shenmue II in the mail yesterday (I found a Japanese Dreamcast for really cheap a few months back) and I started playing the game last night. I played Shenmue back when I was in High School over the course of a summer break and it drew me in unlike any other game. I ended up getting a PS2 instead of an Xbox however, and never actually experienced Shenmue II. I moved on to the Yakuza series as I grew older and never really looked back. Well, I'm amazed at just how quickly Shenmue II has pulled me back in. I just finished

getting my stolen bag back and am heading towards King's Street

so I've barely scratched the surface of the game, but I can already tell there's going to be so many distractions throughout the world. Pachinko machines for one thing. The game definitely started off more cinematic than the first, but still has a sort of tranquil tone when you're wandering around asking the same question repeatedly (no sailors yet though).

[Violent By Design]

Shenmue is boring in retrospect and looks more like an experiment , but we have to look at the time it was released. I never played it back then, but when the best graphics on the market was PSX and GTA3 was still not out, graphics was all the rage, and you get Shenmue ... it makes the top of the list for me.

Some parts are very boring and controls are awkward, but we have to compare it to its competitors back then.

Lets be honest here, there were plenty of people who thought Shenmue was boring when it came out. There's a reason why GTA took off.

[mas]

mas, for some reason Last Blade has no blood in the US.

Wow noise that's weird. It's like we got the snes version of mortal kombat while Japan got the genesis version.

[ExedExes]

I loved Shenmue II. As soon as you get off the ship you're already doing stuff. Wait till you get out of the first area and into downtown. The time warp feature was very handy for more remote areas with not much to do.

[Reprise]

Man, I really want to play Shenmue 2 again! But every time I replay it as of the last few years, I get bored at the 'airing books in the library' segment and give up. It made the forklift section from Shenmue 1 feel like a Michael Bay movie in terms of action

Every thing else in Shenmue 2 is awesome though. I loved how you felt much more 'on your own' and vulnerable in the game.

[ExedExes]

Man, I really want to play Shenmue 2 again! But every time I replay it as of the last few years, I get bored at the 'airing books in the library' segment and give up. It made the forklift section from Shenmue 1 feel like a Michael Bay movie in terms of action

Every thing else in Shenmue 2 is awesome though. I loved how you felt much more 'on your own' and vulnerable in the game.

Yeah, if you thought "oh cool, no jobs in Hong Kong, I got it made" well, you're in for a surprise. High action and no warm up racing either..... YOU'RE MOVING FREAKING BOOKS! (but hey, no having to run back to the house every night either!)