Retro Active Podcast – Level 2: Dream On

Listen in as Eric Bouchard talks about his favorite console of all time, the Sega Dreamcast, in the return of the Retro Active Podcast.

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30 Reviews in 30 Days, Day 27: Shenmue

As I have said before, the Dreamcast is my favorite console. No, it does not have the horsepower of the 360 or the PS3, but there was something about it that just stood out.

For a system that had such a short life span, there were some amazing games made for it. I’ve already done reviews of two of them: Jest Grind Radio and Marvel VS Capcom 2. Granted, I did review the 360 version of the later, but it was based on the Dreamcast’s nearly flawless arcade port. There were many others, from Skies of Arcadia to Grandia II.

Still, one game stands out above all the rest. One game that, when I was able to get my second Dreamcast, I knew I had to get. One game that those of us who still own the console just cannot imagine not having in our collection.

That game is Shenmue.

Like nothing you have ever played

So just what is it that makes Shenmue so good? Well, it is a little hard to explain, but since this is my review of one of my tope 5 games of a;; time, I will try.

It all starts with the opening movie. Ryo Hazuki is returning to his family dojo when when he witnesses his father Iwao being attacked by a mysterious assailant. Ryo tried to intervene, but the man manages to take him down. He then threatens to kill Ryo if his father does not tell him where the Dragon Mirror is located. Iwao relents, and the mysterious man’s henchman track it down. The man then reveals himself as Lan Di, the student of a man he claims Iwao murdered. The two face off one last time, with Lan Di easily dodging the attacks of his older assailant and brutally attacking Iwao, leaving him for dead. As Lan and his henchmen leave, Iwao has just enough life left in him to apologize to utter a few last words to Ryo.

In Shenmue, you play Ryo, a 18 year old trying to avenge his father’s murder.

You awaken a few days later, still recovering a bit from the battle with Lan Di. The only clue you have about the man who killed your father is a vehicle some of your friends saw leaving the family home the day it occurred. As Ryo, you will explore the nearby town of Yokosuka, trying to put together the clues behind your father’s hidden past and avenge his death.

So the game draws you in from the beginning, helping you identify with the main character and giving you a reason to play. The strong story, however, is only part of what sets this game apart.

A questing we will go

The main part of Shenmue is spent on a quest to avenge your father. You do this by exploring the the nearby town and your family’s estates, trying to find clues as to what happened that day and where Lan Di can be found. These clues will lead you from the shopping districts to the dankest of bars, following a trail that gets more twisted as you go.

Of course, there is a downside to the questing. As you roam around the city, you will end up asking the same questions of the people there over and over again. All you need to do is say to anyone who has played the game “Do you know where I can find some sailors?’ and you will illicit a knowing smirk. Still, the conversation system was pretty sophisticated for its time. and your dialogue with the main characters in the game is fortunately much better than that.

Amazing graphics help you really get into the story, despite the sometimes repetative quests.

Now if all you did was the questing in this game, it would get pretty old pretty fast. Fortunately, Shenmue has a little more going for it.

Let’s get to the action

Shenmue was created by legendary Japanese developer Yu Suzuki, the creator of such games as Space Harrier and Virtua Fighter. Though it is not like me to name drop in a review, that lineage plays a major part in the gameplay of Shenmue.

At various points in the game, you will enter into combat. The combat plays out very similarly to that of Virtua Fighter, with the main difference being you are often taking on more than just one person at a time. You have to master different attacks and combos to make it through the battles, and the more you use the moves in combat, the more proficient your fighting becomes. You can also find areas to train scattered throughout the town and even in your own dojo. On top of that, you can find new move charts in shops that will make you a better fighter, and you will run across people in the game who will teach you new attacks and tactics.

Then there are the Quick Time Events. Shenmue may not have been the originator of these strategic button presses through cinematic sequences, but it did help pave the way for what is now commonly used in games like God of War.

Still, one thing truly sets this game apart. As you near the end, you are faced with one of the most impressive battles in any game ever.

70 man battle Royall!

You make some powerful allies in this game. You also make some powerful enemies. Near the end, you and a character by the name of Gui Zhang must fight side by side against a wave of 70 opponents!

Survive QTEs, traing for the 70 man battle, and even get a job.

No, I did not get that number wrong. You face off against 70 fighters in this battle, something that just makes many other games pale in comparison. If you are foolish enough, you can try to rush through this, getting to a point where you are being attacked from all sides. It is much better to take a more measured approach, however. If you stay next to Gui and only advance as you defeat the enemies around you, you will face smaller groups of attackers at once and have a chance to recover between fights. Being a little more deliberate in you approach will help you make your way through an experience unlike any other. This is where you really need the training and moves you have picked up throughout the game. I found one particular combo very effective in this battle, and mastering it helped give me the upper hand.

Oh, and the best part about this battle? Beating it and the game gives you the chance to play a new mode that takes you directly back to it.

The unfortunate fate of the franchise

Ask anyone who has ever played Shenmue, and they will tell you it left a lasting impression on them. The game was only meant to be one part of a much larger story, with Ryo leaving Japan for China at the end, left with more questions about Lan Di and his motives than answers. Unfortunately, only the sequel was ever completed, and Suzuki pulled out of the production when he learned it would not be released on the Dreamcast. As a result, Shemue 2 lacks the elegance of the original, though it is still a good game in its own right. There have been rumors of a Shenmue 3, but Suzuki himself has said production on what would be the final chapter has been put on hold. It is too bad, really. Shenmue was Suzuki’s pride and joy, and a legend like him deserves the chance to finish his story.

An amazing story, unique gameplay and the mother of all final battles make Shenmue a game worth playing. Heck, even the part later in the game where you get a job is fun. And I haven’t even mentioned the graphics, which put most PS2 and even some Xbox games to shame.  With equal parts fighting game, free-roaming RPG and cinematic experience, Shenmue gets a 5 out of 5.

2 down, 3 more to go. The 30 Reviews in 30 Days has just about come to an end.

30 Reviews in 30 Days, Day 20: Retroview – Jet Grind Radio

It’s no secret if you have been following the podcasts that my all time favorite system was the Sega Dreamcast. It was short lived thanks to not having a DVD player among other things, but it had some amazing games. Part of the reason for this is it ran a variation of Windows, which made programing games for the system a snap. One of the reasons the Dreamcast is loved by old school gamers is the creativity of several of the games for the system. There were some truly ground braking and trend setting games on the console, including the game many have credited with starting the Cell Shaded Graphics trend: Jet Gring Radio.

Crossing In Line Skating with…graffiti?

Jet Grind Radio takes place in Tokyo-to, a city loosely modeled off of Tokyo. The city is divided into three quadrants, each ruled by its own graffiti gang. Shibuya-cho is ruled by the Love Shockers, Benten-cho by the Noise Tanks and Kogane-cho by the Poison Jam. You start out as Beat, a runaway “rudie” who has decided to form his own gang, the GGs. After proving you can both skate and tag, you are joined by Gum and Tab. Your first mission: tag the Shibuya-cho bus terminal to prove to the Love Shockers that you intend to be the rulers of the area. That’s right, I said tag. Graffiti plays a big part in the game, As you skate throughout the game, you run across areas you need to tag. Sometimes, all you need to do is hit the button to spray a quick tag. Others,especially when creating a big bit of graffiti, require you to follow the arrows on the screen using the analog stick on the controller. Failure to do so will waste spray paint, and you cannot afford to do that, especially not in the latter stages. So the gameplay is basically just those two things: skating and tagging. Sounds a little repetitive and boring? Trust me, it is anything but.

The intricacies of the game

As you may imagine, there are people who are trying to stop you. One of these groups is the cops, lead by Officer Onishima. The main group of cops are…inept may be too nice of a term. Think the Keystone Cops of the silent film era and you have an idea of just how bad they are. Still, if they get a hold of you, they will slow you down. Onishima is another matter; he carries a rather nasty over sized pistol, and he will send you flying if he hits you with shots from it. If you can get behind him, however, you can tag him, keeping him from shooting you for a time. Then there are the gangs. First they will just try to tag over your graffiti; then they will start being more and more disruptive until finally it becomes time for a showdown. This showdown involves you choosing one of your team members to try and chase down the members of the other gang and tag them enough times that they give up and allow you to claim their turf. As you move on, things become more difficult. The police start to bring out riot cops with tear gas, tanks and helicopters that make it much more difficult to hit your tags before your time or you life bar run out. There is also something much more sinister at work, which you begin to uncover as the game goes on.

As you make your way through the game, you are guided by your ever present ruler of the airwaves, DJ Professor K. K runs Jet Set Radio, a pirate radio station reaching out to the the skating, tagging rudies like the GGs (you knew I had to define the term rudie at some point). He gives you updates on what the police are doing, what the other gangs think of what you have done and a little bit of an inkling to the rather sinister plot to suck all the unique character out of Tokyo-to. At once both entertaining and over the top, DJ Professor K helps tie the game together between missions, giving you the felling of being in a living, breathing world. Of course it helps that the graphics are just amazing.

This game is gorgeous

As I mentioned earlier, Jet Grind Radio was really the leader in the cell shading craze, and the game just looks amazing, even now. Seeing these cartoonish characters running thorough the 3D world of Tokyo-to is impressive. Each section of the city has its own feel. Shibuya is a shopping district bathed in daylight, Kogasne is a residential area built on the water that is always on the verge of sunset and Benten is the overnight entertainment district. You go from the waterways and playgrounds to the neon lights to the crowded malls, all without missing a beat.

The graphics for Jet Grind Radio set a standard that many other games tried to match.

Then there are the animations. Your character is never really standing still, always moving to the music even when you are just sitting there. Get enough air on a jump, and your character will go into beautifully animated tricks from spins to flips. Large tags are painted by your characters almost in a type of dance step. Even DJ Professor K’s exaggerated updates are just a joy to watch. The level of care taken with the graphics of this game is just impressive.

Not everything is as polished as the graphics

Unfortunately, not everything in the game is as well handled as the graphics. Though most of the controls are fairly well laid out, the camera will drive you insane, especially in levels where you are constantly making rapid turns. You will find yourself hitting the center camera button a lot, which doubles as your tagging button, which can be a bit of an issue. Then there is the one trick that is just really difficult to master: wall riding. Though you will not have to use it a lot, there are a couple of missions later in the game where you have to wall ride to reach certain tags, and one in particular that is just a pain in the but to reach. Try as I might, I really struggled hitting that one within the time limit of the level. Don’t let those issues keep you from playing this game, however. Oh, and don’t think you know all about this game if you have played Jet Set Radio Future. As interesting and fun as this sequel is, it cannot hold a candle to the original Dreamcast gem. Jet Grind Radio gets a 5 out of 5.

Three fives in a row. What can I say? I’ve just hit a high point in my reviews.

Retro Active: Dream On – The All Too Short Life of Sega’s Dreamcast

It was the late 90s. Sony’s Playstation had revolutionized gaming consoles. Sure, Nintendo was trying to compete with the Nintendo 64, but mostly to no avail. Sega was definitely on the outside looking in, with commercial failures of the 32X, Sega CD and Saturn. In 1997, Sega decided it was time to try something new, and thus was born the Sega Dreamcast.

Sega’s last stand in console gaming was a truly revolutionary console. For the couple of years that it was out, there was nothing that could really compare to it as far as quality gaming experience. And yet, merely 18 months after the console made it’s North American release, Sega pulled the plug on its “savior” and dropped out of the console business entirely.

So how is it that a console that was only around for a couple of years is considered by many, myself included, to be their favorite console of all time?

Sega’s Lost Reputation

Sega had made a huge splash in North America with the Sega Genesis, providing a true rival for Nintendo. Though the Super Nintendo did better overall in the US, the Genesis still managed to carve its mark into console gaming stateside, due at least in part to it being released before the SNES.

But then Sega started making reactionary decisions that began to turn gamers against them. Decisions like releasing the Sega CD, 32X and Saturn in rapid succession. Gamers were suddenly faced with the fact that, in order to keep up, they were going to have to fork out a ton of new money for consoles from Sega, and that coupled with the rising popularity of the Playstation really began to tarnish the name Sega in gaming console realms.

The Sega CD, 32x and Saturn all but ruined Sega’s reputation.

With this in mind, it was not surprising that gamers did not react well to the news in 1997 that Sega was killing the Saturn. It really looked like Sega was just about ready to leave the console business entirely, except for one thing: rumors of a new system in the works that was supposed to blow the competition away. Even as the details of this system were released, many critics questioned whether Sega’s reputation had been hurt too much by its recent failures to compete in the console market, no matter how good the system would turn out to be.

9/9/99 – Enter the Dreamcast

As the North American release of the Dreamcast approached, word started to get out that Sega may just have created the console that could win gamers back. Sega pushed the 9/9/99 release date and the tag line “It’s thinking” into the minds of gamers, while in store displays featuring launch titles Soul Caliber, Sonic Adventure, Powerstone and Hydro Thunder stunned critics. As the date drew near, gamers as a whole seemed to decide the newest Sega offering was worth picking up, with a record setting 300,000 units preordered. In the first two weeks after its launch in the US, Sega sold 500,000 Dreamcasts. It looked for all intents and purposes like Sega was back.

The Dreamcast was revolutionary in many ways. It was the first console to run Windows as an operating system, allowing programmers to create games without having to learn a completely new way of programming. The Virtual Memory Card had a built in screen, allowing for data swapping and play calling in sports games without giving other players in the room any idea what was called. It was the first gaming console to come with a modem included, allowing both for the system to be used as a web browser and for online gaming.

The Dreamcast seemed to have a lot of things going for it. Excellent launch titles, the introduction of online play and a phenomenal list of launch titles with more great games appearing consistently began to win over even the toughest of critics. Sega had even managed to turn what should have been its biggest handicap into a major asset.

The Dreamcastgained a lot of momentum, thanks to release titles like Soul Calibur and NFL 2k

EA Sports Meets Its Rival

When Sega announced it was pulling the plug on the Saturn, EA Decided it had had enough. The company announced it would not produce any sports titles for any new Sega consoles, including this Saturn. This meant that there was not going to be an NBA Live or Madden game for the Dreamcast, something that was not well received by gamers. Sega seemed to be out of options, since there were not many serious competitors to the EA Sports titles, especially when it comes to basketball and football. So Sega decided to do the unthinkable and make its own sports games.

While people may have been laughing when Sega first announced the 2K Sports Series, they were not laughing long. NFL 2K blew people away with its gameplay, graphics and online functionality. Not only did many people come to like the game better than Madden, but it outsold the EA powerhouse by 49,000 units in the first two weeks of release. NBA 2K surprised people as well, and it was not long before people began to realize that that 2K Sports was not just some quick fix Sega hoped would fill the void left by EA, but that Sega had truly worked to create a competitor in console sports gaming.

So with all of this going for the system, why did the Dreamcast Fail?

There were many factors, but in the end one thing more than any other lead to its downfall.

Sony Scores the Knockout

In March of 99, Sony announced plans for the Playstation 2. The system would not be out for another year, but Sony hoped announcing it would be enough to help hold in interest in the Sony branded console. The new console would have twice the graphical power of the PS1, and it would be able to play DVDs, a technology that was just getting started at the time. This was one of the key features of the system, especially since it would be introduced at a price that would make it one of the most affordable DVD players on the market.

Buzz about the PS2 built quickly. The only problem was Sony could not keep up with demand, and the company announced it would be cutting back its quantity for US release. Going into Christmas of 2000, people could not get a hold of PS2s, and Sega figured it could could capitalize on Sony’s misfortune buy convincing gamers to buy the Dreamcast instead. Thing is, it became apparent that people were more willing to wait for the PS2 than they were to buy the Dreamcast. Even a drastic price cut and offering to give the system to gamers for free for signing up for SegaNet could not stir up enough interest to keep the console going.

Despite offering huge discounts on the system and having amazing games like Jet Grind Radio, Marvel VS Capcom 2 and Shenmue, the Dreamcast could not compete with the PS2

January of 2001, Sega announced it would no longer be making Dreamcasts come March. The lack of DVD player and the poor reputation carried over from its previous failures was more than the company could overcome. Though Japanese games would still be made for the system as late as 2004, the last US release for the system was NHL 2K2 in 2002.

In the end, Sega was a victim of its own misfortune. Despite the fact the Dreamcast was ahead of its time, the lack of DVD support and gamers’ distrust thanks to the companies previous console mistakes doomed it to an early end.

So now you know why the Dreamcast failed. Why do we like it so much?

Well, that’s a whole different discussion. We’ll save that for the Retro Active podcast.