Top 10 things you had to see/do in Shenmue!
Lets take a good look at one of my all time favourite games, Shenmue for the Sega Dreamcast & 10 things you needed to see or do in it.
For starters this list could easily go into the hundreds, that should be a clue as to how much was going on it!
No. 10 – forklift races!
Once you have progressed to the point in the game of having the job of driving forklifts every morning you will be entered in forklift races. Every position you can end up in will award a toy trophy with the position number on it. Winning is easy, very easy but getting a 2nd place finish is harder.
No. 9 – feed the cat.
At the start of the game a young girl will ask you to help take care of a kitten whose mother was recently killed. Feed it dried fish for a minor plot point or tofu for the silent treatment. It serves no other purpose but I’ll bet you anything you continue to feed the cat for the remainder of the game….after all it’s on your route home. Oh & don’t forget you get to stroke it as much as you want!
No. 8 – spar with Fuku-San.
That you can only spar with Fuku-San & not beat the living snot out of him is a negative in the game. He is annoying as hell, a serious coward & tells on you when given the chance! Take the chances to spar with him & try & inflict some serious pain.
No. 7 – talk to the NPC’s of the Shenmue world!
There are so many wonderful & unique NPC’s spread throughout the world of Shenmue that you really should strive to meet as many as you can. Talk to them for clues & laugh at the bad voice overs. Oh & make sure you meet Tom at his hotdog stall, he is quite a unique fella.
No. 6 – gamble that money away on Dobuita Street!
There are many ways to spend your hard-earned cash in the world of Shenmue but what better way then spending it trying to win more!? There are a number of places you can go to blow your cash!
No.5 – rumble!
Shenmue is packed full of fighting opportunities as well as plenty of chances for training but its with the big battles that the game really excels. Be on the lookout for the chances, some occur in the park in Dobita near the bus stop to the docks. Get in there & kick some ass!
No.4 – gotta collect them all.
One of my favourite things about Shenmue is the amount of collectible you can find. From the toys & the desperate need to have everyone, to the trophies you win in races & games, to the tapes & types of food you can pick up in shops, this game had so much going on & it was very easy to waste days just going around & collecting everything.
No. 3 – stay up late.
Early on Ryo will start reminding you about the time, ignore him & stay out, only to see the transformation in the streets. People go home, shops close, the bars light up & houses that were empty now glow brightly in the night sky. It’s very beautiful….
No. 2 – play a game inside a game?
Shenmue had its own arcades where you could play classic games from yester-year including Hang-on, Space Harrier, Dart games & some QTE games. It sure felt strange playing a game where I spent some of that time playing other games!
No. 1 – it’s snowing!?
The thing that made me fall in love with Shenmue was its dynamic weather patterns & that first moment it began to snow. It’s a world transformed & well worth exploring to see the changes!
I hope you enjoyed reading this look back, expect plenty more Shenmue related articles in the future.
