Gaming has always been secondary to anime on theOtaku and OB, but it seems clear to me that the two very much go hand-in-hand much of the time. It could be because the two often share a similar artistic approach (at least as far as Japanese games are concerned) or it could be because there's enormous cross-over between the two (just look at Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts as major examples).
I don't get very much time to play many games these days, but lately I've been setting up a room in my house where all my old game systems will go (I should get a picture of this to show you). I was digging around in storage looking for the old systems I had and I happened to find my Dreamcast, still in perfect condition (which is surprising, because it'd been sitting in my parents' garage and they had a lot of water damage - luckily it survived).
So I've been going through a bit of a Dreamcast renaissance lately. I only ever owned a few games for the system (from memory I have Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, Jet Set Radio and Shenmue). Part of the reason for this is that the Dreamcast was horribly supported in Australia. At the time of its launch, there was no SEGA subsidiary here - just a crappy company called Ozisoft, which distributed games for a few publishers. Luckily we now have SEGA Australia, although it's kind of too little too late.
After dusting everything off, I've already imported my first couple of games. Here's a bit of a rundown:
Shenmue 2: I played and finished the original Shenmue years ago. Hardcore SEGA fans seem to adore it, but general reviews are very mixed. If you haven't played it, all you really need to know is that it was originally intended as a "Virtua Fighter RPG" by creator Yu Suzuki. It kind of evolved into something far greater in scope and it was, without doubt, the most ambitious game released for its time.
Shenmue 2 only appeared on Dreamcast in Japan and Europe, but was subsequently released on Xbox. I haven't tried the Xbox version, but it might be easier for you to get if you're interested.
Right off the bat, Shenmue 2 immediately addresses a number of problems with the original game. The ability to save anywhere and to skip forward to critical moments automatically are really welcome additions.
Also, the sequel is definitely grander in scope. Where Shenmue was based around the relatively limited area of a small Japanese suburb (Dobuita/Yokosuka), Shenmue 2 takes Ryo (the protagonist) to Hong Kong. There are also generally more options available, especially in terms of work.
SGGG: This one's a bit difficult to describe. The game's official title is "Segagaga" and it classifies itself as a SEGA Simulation. I think it is simultaneously the weirdest and most awesome game concept I've ever come across.
Essentially, Segagaga is about SEGA in the year 2025. The company is locked in a furious battle for market share with a competitor called DOGMA (i.e. Sony). SEGA isn't doing too well in this battle and is rapidly losing market share. The solution? Recruit a couple of teenage fans to help save the company, of course!
Segagaga basically revolves around two teenagers who have to essentially work their way up within SEGA, in an effort to develop blockbuster games that will save the business. Achieving this involves two types of gameplay, that can be roughly divided into "simulation" and "RPG" components.
The RPG part is pretty cool. You literally battle your way through SEGA's offices. Your enemies? Over-worked, stressed out game developers who have essentially gone mad and who must be battled and subdued. Winning battles allows you to recruit these staff to your development team.
The other half of the game involves actually creating hit games. You can make all kinds of decisions here (and you're even helped by various SEGA characters from the company's history).
I'd tell you more, but I recommend looking this one up for actual impressions. At this stage there is no full fan translation available (at least, none that you can apply to the disc itself), so the game is still entirely in Japanese. Bummer.
I did get the above package though (this is not an actual photo, but all special edition packages from Japan are the same). I wanted the game, but I also wanted the cool stuff that comes with it!
Hopefully the fan translation is completed soon. I am in contact with the guy who is heading the team - it's basically a group of translators and former developers who are involved. Eventually you will be able to apply a patch to the disc, so you can actually play the game in English. Here's hoping it doesn't take too much longer!
