[SEGA Dreamcast Start Up Sound]
On December 29, 1999, young Austin McConnell fired up his SEGA Dreamcast, and everything
changed.
The dying breath of the nineties brought with it the release of Shenmue, the action-adventure
masterpiece of Yu Suzuki.
To put it simply, nobody had ever seen a video game like this.
Set in 1986 Yokosuka, Shenmue follows the tale of teenage martial artist Ryo Hazuki
as he investigates his father’s murder by a name named Lan Di, the mysterious leader
of a Chinese cartel.
In the game, the player would search for clues to this mystery by exploring an open world
full of unique characters, locations, and events.
While that seems fairly run-of-the-mill these days, the game employed mechanics and featured
beautifully rendered graphics that were simply unheard of for the time.
These were the days when most AAA games consisted of simple 3D geometry and self-contained levels.
Shenmue was a major leap forward for console gaming, featuring a persistent world where
every single character, even NPCs, had a name, occupation, and a daily routine.
An in-game clock gave the universe a schedule.
There was a historically accurate weather system, shops would open and close based on
the time of day, buses would run on timetables, and certain areas would simply be inaccessible
if you arrived early or were running late.
Much of the game’s objects were interactive... able to be picked up, examined, searched through,
and even collected.
The main character Ryo had his own routine - he would receive a daily allowance, which
the player could choose either to save to assist in tracking down Lan Di, or, if they
so desired, blow it all on capsule toys or hanging out at the local arcade.
While Shenmue was often advertised as a fighting game, the true magic was in the game’s little
moments: walking around town, looking through Ryo’s house, taking care of the neighborhood
kitten, small talk with a wide cast of characters, and jogging back to Yamanose so that you’d
be home in time for Ryo's curfew.
Still to this day I remember spending hours running around certain areas of the game world
where it snowed more, just so I could hear the satisfying crunch of Ryo’s steps as
his feet would touch the ground.
Unlike most action titles, this was a game that embraced quiet, and the beats in between.
I could spend an embarrassingly-long amount of time talking about various moments in the
game (and deconstructing what made these scenes and sequences so great) but instead, I want
to highlight just one, and explain a bit about what it meant to me.
It’s my favorite moment in the entire game, and it takes place as the story is reaching
its final chapter.
Ryo wakes up in the middle of the night and decides to go for a walk to clear his head.
He’s been through a lot, thus far.
Over the course of the game, he’s managed to connect Lan Di with a gang of bikers called
The Mad Angels, and he’s kicked up enough dust at New Yokosuka Harbor that Terry, the
gang’s leader, is out for his head.
What seems like a much-needed moment of quiet soon takes a turn.
As he returns home, the housekeeper Ine Hayata informs him that Nozomi, his sort-of high
school crush, is missing.
Ine: Where you just with Nozomi-san?
Ryo: No.
Something happen to her?
Ine: Well, Ida-san just phoned, and it seems Nozomi-san hasn't come home.
Ryo: What?
Ine: Nozomi-san said she was meeting you.
Ida-san said she can't reach Nozomi-san...
(Phone rings.)
Ryo: Hello?
It's Ryo.
Evil voice: Eeeeehehehehe!
Terry's waiting!
Ryo: Who is this?!
Evil voice: ...You meet us behind Warehouse number 17!
Nozomi: Don't, Ryo!
It's a trap!
Ryo: Nozomi!
Evil voice: If you don't show, I'll make her cry!
Eeehahahaha!
Ryo: Don't you DARE touch her!
Evil voice: I'll give you four hours, or else!
Behind Warehouse number 17! Nyahahahaha!
(Click.)
Ryo: Ine-san, I gotta go.
Ine: Ryo-san!
Ryo quickly leaves his house and heads out to rescue Nozomi from The Mad Angels.
At this point, the game gives you control, and as you step out onto the street, you realize
the occasional calm and peaceful moments of the game are over.
Whether Ryo succeeds or fails to rescue Nozomi, from this point forward, his life will never
go back to normal.
Running through the neighborhood, the player is treated to sights that they have never
seen.
Throughout the game, Ryo’s curfew is 11:30 at night.
If he stays out too late, he’s immediately transported back home, and receives a scolding
from the housekeeper.
This means you only really get to see a few quick glimpses of the game world after the
sun goes down, as most of the other game’s characters are heading home for the night.
But now, for the first time, you’re outside after midnight.
You only have three hours to make it to the harbor.
Any longer, and it’ll be too late.
The player will naturally make their way to Dobuita in an attempt to catch a connecting
bus - the only way the Harbor can be accessed - but Ryo quickly realizes upon arrival that
the bus has stopped running for the night.
A quick phone call to Master Chen, Ryo’s mentor at the Harbor, turns up nothing.
Ryo is on his own.
This touches off a frantic three hour search to find a way to New Yokosuka, and in order
to do so, Ryo will have to venture into the seedy underbelly of Dobuita.
At this time of night, the normally bright and bustling city has become a relative ghost
town, with only a few drunks and the occasional goon staggering along the street.
Ryo, and, by extension the player, have never seen this side of the city before.
The shops are all shut and, save for the local Tomato Convenience Store, the only sounds
of life emanate from the downtown bars.
Still a young high schooler, Ryo reluctantly makes his way down the rougher side of town,
and begins searching for a way of transportation.
It’s here, in the dark, that Shenmue shines.
These streets, which the player has spent the entire game growing comfortable with,
now feel eerie - as if something in the shadows is just waiting to jump out.
We’re also given a glimpse into the game’s true nightlife - smoky bars, koaroke clubs,
characters who don’t walk the streets during the day are suddenly right before our eyes
- and these strange and unfamiliar faces are now our only hope.
The genius of this sequence isn’t just the outward design - but the internal clock.
As much as the player is pulled in by this new and alluring atmosphere - this desire
to search and explore these places we’ve never seen before, at least, not like THIS
- we’re frequently reminded as we glance down at Ryo’s watch: less than three hours.
In real time, only a handful of minutes to figure out how to get to the harbor, and Nozomi.
We can look around, but we can’t stay long.
During this moment, young Austin McConnell found himself stunned.
As a relatively unassuming and considerably geeky kid, I didn’t get out much.
When you grow up like I did, you spend every night at home.
You don’t really have any exposure to your town, or even neighborhood past a certain
hour.
The ability to see the other side of the world you live in is just not an option.
Dobuita is different after dark.
And, so is Springfield.
The city has a different feel.
The people walking around are different.
The sounds are different.
And, walking alone during the day just isn’t the same as walking alone at night.
Shenmue was the first time a video game set in the real world made me think about the
one outside of my own.
It was the first time I realized that, when done right, a video game can be beautiful.
It was a profound influence on a kid that couldn’t look past a TV screen.
It made me look outside my own window and, maybe in some small way, helped dispel the
fear of a life past 11:30pm.
To be clear, the nightlife of bars and seedy dark alleys just isn't for me... never has
been, never will be.
But, in some small way, I'm not afraid to be alone at night anymore.
After all, it's in the night where we find our deepest thoughts.
Eventually Ryo finds a family friend, Akemi, who works as a hostess at Bar Yokosuka, who
suggests he take a motorcycle.
This leads Ryo to Knocking Motorcycle Shop, where he manages to catch his friend Goro,
who runs the place.
He suggests Ryo check with his classmate Naoyuki, who just got his bike repaired.
With only minutes to spare, Ryo races back to Sakuragaoka, and Naoyuki’s house, buzzes
him, and after a quick ask, gets handed the keys.
With that, Ryo straps on a helmet, fires the bike up, and races towards destiny.
[Music]
Shenmue and its sequel have been remastered and are releasing on current-gen consoles
and PC today.
To be honest, I don't know if you'll "get it" once you start playing.
Whether it’s aged well enough for a modern audience remains to be seen, but I can’t
wait to get back to 1986 Yokosuka.
And, who knows?
Maybe I’ll run across December 29, 1999 on my way there.