Shenmue looks amazing in 1080p

Watch that video in 1080p. Right now.

Amazing, huh?

Sega Addicts linked to the above video recently, and fellow gamer CG pointed me in its direction. As an irrational Shenmue fanboy, that video showed how Shenmue 1 and 2 on the DC would look being played in 1080p without any fancy filtering happening… and it looks amazing.

If Sega re-release a HD version of those two games (as already rumoured), I can only hope it looks that good. For now, enjoy the amazingly beautiful video above – it not only looks pretty, but it is also an amazing video showcasing some amazing compiled footage from both games.

Shenmue tomfoolery

Shenmue still stands as one of the most hyped games of the last generation, and in my mind is one of the best games to come out of Sega’s stables. That doesn’t mean it’s without its faults – the English dubbing on the localised version of the game swings from acceptable to woeful. These days if I go back and play the game I normally fire it up my Japanese copy of the game – between my mediocre command of the language and having played through the game in English several times, I can normally get through it without any issues.

But as terrible as the dub was, it did give rise to some excellent memes. These are all a bit old hat, but they still make me smile, so I thought I’d share them 🙂

First up is Mega 64’s real-world interpretation of Ryo:

The next two were referred to me by one of the posters on Madman’s forums years back, so I’ve forgotten who the magic individual was. I’m generally not one for prank call entertainment, but I have a special place in my nerd heart for these two:

The best part of these is that it’s given my brother Tank and I more stupid ways to communicate with each other 😀

Now where’s Shenmue 3 Sega? The world needs it! Or at least a delightful bilingual HD remastering of Shenmue 1 and 2 to whet our appetites 😀

Journey’s “Any Way You Want It” in SID form

I’m quite comfortable admitting that I love Journey in all their cheesy arena rock spectacularity, so I’m understandably chuffed that someone hooked up two SID chips and brought Journey’s “Any Way You Want It” to life, C64-style.

Isn’t that all sorts of awesome? You can indulge in more 80s covers at kevinleerose’s channel. It’s okay, you’re allowed to admit to enjoying 80s arena rock.

And while we’re at it (on the topic of SID covers), I should also post this one up – it’s “Title Theme (Subsong 2)” from the C64 port of Turrican:

Yes, for those playing at home, that is an amazing SID track by the great Chris Hülsbeck… but it is actually a cover of the epic “The Escape” by Vince DiCola, from the animated spectacular of 1986 – Transformers: The Movie.

Fun fact – for our first X-mas, Wifey bought me the OST of Transformers: The Movie. Yes, she’s that awesome.

Oh, and if the name Chris Hülsbeck sounds familiar, its because he was a master of the SID. His original title track for R-Type on the C64 was also the inspiration for the first (and only :P) remix I’ve put together, which I posted up two years ago. I should get around to making a video for that with me failing horribly on R-Type or something and post it on YouTube. If nothing else, it’ll be funny 🙂

This post has turned into a gushing love-fest for the SID. This is a good thing. I blame it on Frank for getting me started on thinking about SID music after my previous post. But it’s the good kind of blame, because every time you listen to a SID, the world becomes a better place.

Truly.

The Last Gamer – essential viewing and reading

Just thought I’d plug a fellow gamer’s amazing series of videos and the recently announced website, Last Gamer.

The first video I saw by Joel was his Afterburner review, where he took us through the various ports of Afterburner over the years, and then finishes off with the amazing Afterburner 2 DX cab. But don’t take my word for it, take his:

His latest round of videos have documented, from start to finish, the building and move-in of his new console games room, and the thing is magnificent to behold! And because I’m such a nice guy, here they are in order:

Oh, and be sure to checkout the Q&A session for a great story about his early days running an import store and an amazing phone call with Capcom Japan 🙂

Well done on the amazing job done Joel, and congrats on getting the website up! Looking forward to the impending video, as it’s going to involve what might be my favourite console – the Saturn 😉