Shenmue I & II News
March2022
News This 10-Inch Shenmue Ryo Hazuki Statue Might Aid You in Your Quest for Sailors
Showcases "every crease, frown, and facial feature"
Shenmue is one of Sega's most iconic franchises. It started life on the Dreamcast over two decades ago and was one of the most expensive video games ever made; it was followed by two sequels and has legions of fans all over the globe. Now, Numskull Designs has created the ultimate gift for any...
January2022
News Shenmue the Animation Legitimately Looks Amazing
Father!
Here’s one way to get this author to watch anime: adapt Shenmue into an all-new series. While this is re-treading the plot beats of the Dreamcast originals, it’s unbelievably exciting to see the games transformed like this. Many will lament the loss of the cheesy OG voice acting – especially when they’re reading an almost identical...
October2018
News SEGA Cancelled Full Remakes of the Shenmue Games
Changed its mind
Wow, another wrinkle is added to the Shenmue saga today, as it’s emerged that full remakes of the first two games in the franchise were in production up until the end of last year. Digital Foundry has obtained footage of Shenmue I & II that’s different to the PlayStation 4 re-release we received earlier in the year. The...
August2018
Guide Shenmue II - How to Learn 15 Combat Skills
Master
Over the course of Shenmue II, you’ll encounter characters who will teach you combat skills. These essentially comprise moves that you can perform during free battle. You’ll earn the following Trophies on the way to the ‘Master’ Trophy, which is awarded for learning 15 combat skills: Apprentice (one combat skill), Adept (five combat...
Guide Shenmue II - How to Easily Make Lots of Money
Cash for Cool Z
There’s a moment early in Shenmue II where you’ll lose all of your money, and there’s nothing you can do about it. From that point, you’re going to have to try and make some cash if you want to purchase toy capsules or play arcade games. There are various jobs you can do to make some dollars, including carrying crates and...
Guide Shenmue II - How to Win 5 Arm Wrestling Matches
Strongarm
One of the first things that will happen when you arrive in Aberdeen in Shenmue II is that you’ll be challenged to an arm wrestling match. This first bout is easy to win, and you’ll be awarded the ‘Challenger’ Trophy for your efforts. Each time you win, however, the stakes will be increased – and winning the $50 bet is almost...
Guide Shenmue II - Master the Wild Throw Move from the Kung Fu School in Wan Chai
Back to school
Shenmue and its successor Shenmue II are essentially coming of age stories, and protagonist Ryo Hazuki will absorb a ton of information across the course of both games. One thing that the character learns are new moves, but these can be missable at times. One move in particular, the Wild Throw, will be taught to you at the Guang...
Guide Shenmue II - How to Straighten the Man's Sign Near the Come Over Guest House in Wan Chai
Good Samaritan
An easily missable sequence in Shenmue II involves a man who needs help straightening his sign near the Come Over Guest House in Wan Chai. In order to be a Good Samaritan, you’re going to need to ensure that you’ve progressed the quest involving Wong and your bag swiftly, because you’ll need to have got in your room and packed...
News There's a Free Shenmue PS4 Theme in North America
This is cool
SEGA’s celebrating the launch of Shenmue I & II on the PlayStation 4 with a free dynamic theme in North America. Available to download now, the animated wallpaper includes a sketch of Ryo Hazuki on the top layer, and a panning shot of the Dragon Mirror on the bottom layer. There’s also some new music from the franchise’s...
Guide Shenmue - How to Get into Warehouse 8 and Meet Master Chen
Break and enter
Once you reach New Yokosuka Harbor in Shenmue, one of your first tasks is to break and enter Warehouse 8 so that you can meet Master Chen – but this can be a bit of pain. To begin with, there are two warehouse districts, and you’ll need to pay a visit to the Old Warehouse District in order to infiltrate the Warehouse 8 that...
Soapbox 5 Things I Wish I Knew About Shenmue Before Playing for the First Time
About that day...
Thanks to the HD re-release of these two Dreamcast classics, many of you will be experiencing Shenmue for the very first time. I'm one of those people too, and after receiving my pre-order a fair few days early, I've been able to make a decent amount of leeway into my search for the killer of Ryo Hazuki's father, the...
Hands On Is Shenmue I & II a Knock Out on PS4?
The day the snow turned to rain
Even in 2018, there’s something unusual about Shenmue. While most games strive to create lush, idyllic fantasy worlds, mid-80s Yokosuka is a claustrophobic dive, inhabited by everyday people living uninspiring lives. It’s this slice of life format that’s made the series a mainstay in gaming culture for almost...
Guide Shenmue - How to Find the Flashback in the Dojo
Treasure your friends
Your main goal in Shenmue is to avenge the death of your father, and so in the early exchanges the game goes to great lengths to depict Ryo Hazuki’s relationship with Iwao. Much of this is achieved via flashback scenes, and in this guide we’re going to show you how to find the flashback in the dojo, which will unlock the...
Guide Shenmue - How to Find Charlie in the Tattoo Parlor in Dobuita
Needle in a haystack
One of the early objectives in Shenmue is to find Charlie in Dobuita, a man who wears a leather jacket, black sunglasses, and has a tattoo on his arm. The problem is that not many of the locals have heard of him, so we’re going to help you to track him down in the local tattoo parlor. Once you’ve found him, you’ll be able...
Guide Shenmue - How to Find the Flashback in the Kitchen
Yummy meal
Throughout the course of Shenmue, Ryo Hazuki will reminisce about his relationship with his father, and the lessons he taught him. Specifically there are a sequence of cut-scenes throughout the campaign which act as flashbacks, in which Iwao imparts valuable information to his son. In this guide, we’re going to show you how to find the...
Guide Shenmue - How to Find the Flashback in the Yard
Simpler times
Shenmue is a revenge story, wherein Ryo Hazuki seeks vengeance for the murder of his father, Iwao. In order to highlight the protagonist’s relationship with his parent, there are a series of flashback cut-scenes to find throughout the campaign, which can be triggered by looking at an object or even standing in the right place. In...
News Shenmue I & II Scores a Gorgeous Japanese Collector's Edition
Only on PS4
Shenmue I & II will not release in Japan until 22nd November, but fans’ patience will be rewarded in the form of a stunning Collector’s Edition only available overseas. The pretty PlayStation 4 exclusive will cost ¥5,990 (~$54) and will come with a copy of the game and a 40 song soundtrack in a special presentation package...
July2018
News Ryo Hazuki Recaps Shenmue's Engrossing Storyline
Maybe another time
In the latest of a string of Shenmue I & II promotional videos, SEGA’s roped in Ryo Hazuki’s voice actor Corey Marshall to offer some insight on the story. Yu Suzuki’s innovative adventure game is perhaps so beloved because it was one of the first games to really emphasise story-telling and cinematics – something...
News Revisit Shenmue's Famous Dobuita Street in the Flesh
Through the power of YouTube
Dobuita Street is perhaps the most memorable location from the original Shenmue game. Home to Tom’s hot-dog stand, Nozomi’s flower shop, and… Like, a car park, it’s the central shopping district in the first instalment. It’s also a real-life place with real-life inspirations, as explained in this excellent...
News Shenmue I & II Sure Have Scrubbed Up Nicely on PS4
New trailer celebrates release date
It took one small screenshot of Shenmue in EDGE magazine to sell 11-year-old Sammy on the Dreamcast, and it still holds up today. Okay, so this trailer for the PlayStation 4 version of Shenmue I & II looks like it’s stepped out of the early 2000s – but it was a handsome title back then, and it remains so...
News Shenmue I & II PS4 Release Date Revealed
Race ducks and drive forklift trucks in August
Though no official confirmation has been made by SEGA, the release date for Shenmue I & II appears to now be set in stone. According to the bundle's listing on the PlayStation Store, the PS4 ports of these influential Dreamcast adventure games is 20th August in North America and 21st August in...
April2018
News Shenmue I & II Will Not Add Time Skip to the First Game
Changed my mind
Back when Shenmue was first announced, SEGA leaned heavily into a buzzword: FREE. An acronym, the term stood for “fully reactive eyes entertainment”, and it was essentially used to describe the type of gameplay that we more commonly consider open world today; it meant that the title enabled you the freedom to go anywhere and do...
News You Won't Need to Win Many Games of Lucky Hit to Afford Shenmue I & II
Collection will cost $29.99
The Shenmue series includes a variety of ways to make in-game money, whether it’s operating a forklift, gambling, or moving crates (yes, seriously). In real-life, you won’t need to spend too much time grafting to afford SEGA’s anticipated compilation collection, as Shenmue I & II will retail for $29.99 in the...
Soapbox Why You Should Play Shenmue I & II on PS4
But why you need to be very careful
If you could hear beyond my screams of elation, the announcement of Shenmue I & II for PlayStation 4 overnight brought with it murmurs of excited curiosity: a new crop of gamers are finally going to get their opportunity to try out this cult series for themselves. That’s a good thing, as Ryo Hazuki’s...
News Shenmue I & II Searching for Sailors on PS4 in 2018
The day the snow turned to rain
Wow, we never thought we’d see the day. SEGA has followed up on its promise of a “huge surprise” by announcing that Shenmue I & II will be coming to the PlayStation 4 later this year. Considering we’d written off the possibility of this ever happening, that’s a pretty gigantic surprise indeed. This...
