Shenmue 2 For Dreamcast [Archive] - Retrogaming Roundtable

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Cambot

11-03-2006, 11:00 PM

I'm about halfway through Shenmue for Dreamcast and I'd really like to be able to play Shenmue 2. The problem is that I don't have and XBOX and I really don't want to get one just for the few games I'd actually play.

Also, I'm not really hip when it comes to importing DC games, either. If I were to get the European version of the game, would I need one of those boot discs to play it? I have a non-modded August 1999 Dreamcast. Thanks.

diskoboy

11-03-2006, 11:12 PM

Yes - you would need the Utopia boot disc.

And fortrunately - the image for the boot disc is quite easy to find.

Shenmue 2, on the other hand......

retroman

11-03-2006, 11:30 PM

or u could just use a old gameshark cdx for the dreamcast. Thats what i use for my Shenmue 2 which is also a Euro version

Cambot

11-04-2006, 02:19 AM

How about the save file? Same VMUs work fine?

InsaneDavid

11-04-2006, 02:23 AM

How about the save file? Same VMUs work fine?

Yes.

Pantechnicon

11-04-2006, 08:35 AM

How about the save file? Same VMUs work fine?

Yes.

I heard the opposite of this, but I'm more inclined to believe you. Partially because you know your stuff, but also because I'd prefer this to be the case.

And seeing as how I have a Utopia disc, a completed Shenmue I save file and a copy of Shenmue II, I suppose I ought to just get off my butt and see what happens.

ig88vsbobafett

11-04-2006, 08:50 AM

You can download the CDX demo disc here (free and works on all dreamcasts

http://dreamcast.dcemu.co.uk/cgi-bin/cfiles.cgi?0,0,0,0,8,375

Neo Rasa

11-04-2006, 11:10 AM

How about the save file? Same VMUs work fine?

Yes.

I heard the opposite of this, but I'm more inclined to believe you. Partially because you know your stuff, but also because I'd prefer this to be the case.

The majority of my Dreamcast games are imports and I have saves from Europe/US/Japan all on one card, so it's definitely not a problem.

What you won't be able to do though, is import your items/etc. from the first Shenmue to your Shenmue II save file, though with a dex drive-like device or other method of downloading saves off your computer this is possible on a US memory card. Not really worth the trouble.

The Utopia boot disk is alright but it doesn't stop the DC's drive from working when you switch disks. The DC-X is superior for this and because it lets you manually adjust for PAL/NTSC video (some European games like Rez won't detect this automatically, which results in flattened/garbled colors at points).

Pantechnicon

11-04-2006, 05:51 PM

[quote=Pantechnicon]
What you won't be able to do though, is import your items/etc. from the first Shenmue to your Shenmue II save file...

This is actually what I was referring to, albeit unclearly, when I spoke about something "not working"; That I could not migrate my NTSC Shenmue I complete file to Shenmue II without going through a bunch of hoops. So I must have got the right info the first time. Okay, then...(Sigh) A shame, but by no means a show-stopper for whenever I do get around to playing Shenmue II.

Ze_ro

11-07-2006, 06:49 PM

Sweater Fish Deluxe

11-07-2006, 08:33 PM

It's only a couple of hex addresses that need to be changed to make a US Shenmue 1 save file work with a PAL copy of Shenmue 2. If you don't have any way of getting the save off your VMU and onto your computer, there's a homebrew app for the DC called VMU Tool which has a hex editor built into it, so you'd probably be able to do the hex editing right on the Dreamcast if you really want to. However, Neo Rasa is right that it's not really worth it.

What is worth it is playing Shenmue 2, though. It's a fabulous game far far far superior to the first game, whihc I was a bit non-plussed at. From beginning to end (especially the end...fourth disc is beautiful), though, Shenmue 2 was probably one of the best gaming experiences I've ever had and I'm not usually even into RPGs and story-driven games. I cry to think what Shenmue 3 could have been, the story is only barely starting where Shenmue 2 leaves off and also the idea of playing a whole game in the countryside of mainland China like the fourth disc of Shenmue 2 is so enticing. But I suppose at this point it's pretty obvious that that thing will never be. Ah well, stupid beastly video game industry.

...word is bondage...

...word is bondage...

bangtango

12-09-2006, 07:38 PM

I spent something like $50 getting the european version of Shenmue II, and was quite happy with it... then a few weeks ago, I found the Xbox version for $5. It made me feel kind of stupid, but I'm a huge Dreamcast fan, so it doesn't bother me too much. It's entirely possible that we'll eventually get to the point where the price of the Dreamcast version is pretty close to the price of the Xbox version plus an Xbox system.

--Zero

Funny you say that. I'm more interested in playing a game like Resident Evil: Code Veronica for Dreamcast than I am for PS2 or Gamecube. I see your point.

About the second point, there are still a few of us stragglers waiting for a decent price drop on new (or used) X-Box's. I wish it would hurry up and get to "that point." I say that at the risk of sounding cheap.

BocoDragon

12-09-2006, 09:30 PM

Funny you say that. I'm more interested in playing a game like Resident Evil: Code Veronica for Dreamcast than I am for PS2 or Gamecube. I see your point.

About the second point, there are still a few of us stragglers waiting for a decent price drop on new (or used) X-Box's. I wish it would hurry up and get to "that point." I say that at the risk of sounding cheap.

I hear that.... I can't find an Xbox for anything less than $200 Canadian.... it should really be lower, shouldn't it?

bangtango

12-10-2006, 12:18 AM

I hear that.... I can't find an Xbox for anything less than $200 Canadian.... it should really be lower, shouldn't it?

I'd say so, that is the original X-Box you're referring to, right? $200 Canadian is high. I don't have much of an area to look in, here in Maine of the USA. However, I haven't had success finding one in good condition priced below $80 (US dollars) in my neck of the woods. Buying online comes with shipping so I really need to get one locally. It will be a long while yet, I bet. I'll already be waiting until after the holidays.

I mean I have the money to pay full price and am not cheap but I prefer to get the best possible price and all of my other game systems tend to fall into my lap (i.e. a complete Atari Jaguar with 2 controllers and Cybermorph for $20 shipped from Ebay), so I know that one of these days, I'll be lucky enough to get an X-Box the same way.