Top 10 Shenmue Achievements (If Only)

Imagine if the achievement system we all know & love so well existed for games of yesterday? Think about some of the tougher tasks you did…there was nothing but your sense of pride to indicate what you’d just done (or a save file).

So imagine you could add 10 achievements to an older game…what would you add? What challenges would you place in front of yourself?

Here are my top 10 achievements that should be in Shenmue…

10 – Go out in the snow for the first time.

A nice easy one to start you off…enjoy the first time Shenmue’s dynamic weather patterns decides it’s time to snow.

9 – Spend Christmas in Dobuita.

Another easy one…get to the in-game date of December 25th & then visit the shopping area of the game to see Christmas in all its splendour!

8 – Help the stray cat get healthy.

Early in the game you come across 2 local kids who are looking after a sick cat whose mother was killed by Lan-Di’s car. You are given the option to feed it by taking some food from the altar. As the game progresses you can visit the cat & give it more food & milk until it is healthy enough to move around.

7 – Get the ‘bad’ ending.

Simple…don’t finish the story. Let the game time elapse to April 1987.

6 – Play 3 hours of arcade machines (real time).

In Dobuita, at home & at the docks there are arcades with several games that can be played…Hang-On, Space Harrier, a few QTE games & a darts game. Any combination of games across a period of time totalling 3 real time hours will unlock this one. Trying to complete Space Harrier will see this time speed by.

5 – Train for an hour each day for 30 days in a row (real time).

Across the Shenmue landscape are a number of areas Ryo can train such as the Dojo or the park in Dobuita. To unlock this achievement spend an in-game hour honing you’re moves for 30 real time days in a row.

4 – Finish the game in less than 10 hours.

A speed run should see this one gained with ease. The game looks deceptively large but with prior knowledge of where to go & who to speak too it can be streamlined.

3 – Collect every toy/model available in the game.

A collectible one was inevitable & the sheer scale of just how many different toys/models there are make it a daunting one. As well as having to win races & perform well at Arcade machine to get certain other toys this should be the achievement that really takes the most time.

2 – Get through the entire final melee without taking any damage.

Near the end of the game you have to take on the entire harbour gang in a number of big fights. This is probably the hardest achievement in the game as not taking damage would require huge amounts of skill.

1 – Fill the notebook completely.

How tough would this be? The notebook gets filled in as Ryo gets information on his quest be it from talking with people or other notable events. The possibilities of missing one small nugget of information from one of the many NPC’s are high but the challenge would be a lot of fun.

So what ones would you have included & what old game should get the top 10 achievement treatment next?