Poll Result: Patrons' Choice Topic for July 2025

Every month Phantom River Stone holds a poll among our patrons to choose a topic for the blog in the coming month. After tallying the votes (including accumulated votes from previous months), the winning topic that has been voted this time is:

Famitsu.com article: 25th Anniversary Shenmue Reunion with Key Former Developers

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Shenmue's release on the Dreamcast in Japan, Famitsu.com invited several former project members to reminisce over dinner about their experience of working to create the masterpiece that is Shenmue and reflect on the game's legacy.

Left to right: Takeshi Hirai, Eigo Kasahara, Makoto Wada, Keiji Okayasu, Kenji Miyawaki, Takashi Matsuda, Toshiyuki Kurooka

The participants consisted of key members from the original Shenmue development team:

• Eigo Kasahara, who served as Planning Director for Shenmue I and II, and also worked on the Shenmue Passport and the PS4 remaster.
• Makoto Wada, a programmer on Shenmue I and lead programmer on II.
• Takeshi Hirai, the main system programmer on Shenmue I.
• Keiji Okayasu, the Assistant Director on Shenmue I, II, and III.
• Toshiyuki Kurooka, a programmer on Shenmue I, who focused on events around the Hazuki residence & the basement. 
• Takashi Matsuda, a CG designer on Shenmue I and II who created many of the game's NPCs. 
• Kenji Miyawaki, a graphic designer responsible for character designs and UI across the series.

The discussion is full of fun stories and inside jokes, while at the same time revealing just how intense the work environment was at the time, and the immense dedication shown by the development team to bringing the games to life. Not to mention the startling revelation that a PS2 port of Shenmue I was developed internally but never released...

"I didn't go home for two months." - one of the dinner participants.

"This isn't that kind of game!" - Yu Suzuki, upon discovering that the developers had implemented boob jiggle physics.

"We created Yokosuka from scratch in just one year - after the game's announcement (at the Shenmue Premiere)" - Takeshi Hirai.

Coming soon to the blog!

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Shenmue Content Discovered in Dreamcast Email Software "DreamFlyer"

After all these years, it's only now - through a news item in our recent translation of Weekly AM2 Vol. 13 - that I've learned Shenmue's graphical content was available for Dreamcast owners to use back in the day, inside a software program called DreamFlyer.

What Is DreamFlyer?

DreamFlyer is a software program that was designed to allow for easy sending of multimedia emails between Dreamcast users who had an internet connection. 

The cover of DreamFlyer for the Dreamcast

Here's how it was described in a press release at the time (November 1999). As noted, it was also possible to send the emails to users of PCs and Macs with the use of viewer software:

"DreamFlyer allows users to send stylish, graphical emails simply by selecting one of over 150 card designs, entering text, and adding an email address.

The software also includes over 1,000 different stamps with phrases like "Perfect!" and "Looking good!", making it easy to express your feelings even without writing a full message. Animated stamps are also available, and you can even create your own custom stamps.

Additionally, DreamFlyer features a "UkeMelo" editor that lets you create original sound effects to attach to your emails. When the recipient opens your email, they'll hear the custom sound you’ve designed.

Even if the recipient doesn't have DreamFlyer, they can still receive emails using Dream Passport 2. Plus, Windows and Mac users can download a viewer program to display DreamFlyer's visual emails, making it accessible across platforms.

DreamFlyer will be available for 2,800 yen".

 

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Weekly AM2 Volume 13 [7th March 2000] - DreamFlyer Announcement

Vol. 13: 7th March 2000

Hello! Recently, I started my second playthrough of Shenmue, and I've been spending most of my time practicing the Elbow Assault move.

I'm actually about to reach the advanced level.

My Ryo's days are filled with endless Elbow Assault practice - and plenty of time spent turning the dial on capsule toy machines. Elbow Assault, capsule toys, Elbow Assault, capsule toys...

I'm sure he'll end up both strong and with a massive collection of capsule toys!

Okay then, let's get started!

This week's contents:

• Shenmue Director Mr. Okayasu's TV Appearance Information
• Chance to Win Tickets to Watch the TBS Radio Show Anime Donburi Recording [not translated]
• DreamFlyer Download Announcement
• Hazuki-chan's Internet Show Appearance Information!
• Virtua Fighter National Tournament Announcement [not translated]
• Special Interview to Celebrate the Release of Virtua Cop 2 for Dreamcast [not translated]

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Poll Result: Patrons' Choice Topic for June 2025

Every month Phantom River Stone holds a poll among our patrons to choose a topic for the blog in the coming month. After tallying the votes (including accumulated votes from previous months), the winning topic that has been voted this time is:

What's on the Menu in Dobuita: Yamaji Soba Noodles restaurant

Dobuita's many restaurants have been crafted in realistic detail, offering a variety of different cuisine and dishes, despite not being critical to the game's story. We have previously examined the many dishes available at Manpukuken Ramen, and this time will be visiting Yamaji Soba Noodles.

With its calm, traditional interior, Yamaji Soba Noodles provides the perfect place to workers in the district to stop in for a quick lunch or a meal before returning home.

Susumu Aketagawa preparing fresh soba noodles

What particular dishes do they serve here? We'll be checking out what's on offer.

Coming soon to the blog!

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The Project Berkley Bonus Disc | Dengeki Dreamcast Magazine (January 2000)

A mysterious scene from the CG movie on the Project Berkley bonus disc

Japan's Dengeki Dreamcast magazine contained a huge 50-page Shenmue feature in its January 28 edition. Within this feature was a reflection on the intriguing Project Berkley bonus disc that had been released a year prior and even today can be considered to hold an abundance of hints and glimpses as to how Shenmue's plot might once have been (and even could still be) going to unfold.

Magazine page images kindly provided by SkillJim.

Why "Project Berkley"?

In the late 1990s, SEGA's AM2 division, led by Yu Suzuki, embarked on an ambitious venture known internally as Project Guppy. Initially conceived with the title of Virtua Fighter RPG for the SEGA Saturn, the project subsequently transitioned to the SEGA Dreamcast and was renamed Shenmue and the associated code name changed to Project Berkley. Code names were used to maintain confidentiality during development, adding an aura of mystery to the undertaking.

At his GDC 2014 post-mortem talk, Yu Suzuki reveals how the code name changed during development together with the game's title.

In recent years, Yu Suzuki has revealed the inspiration for the name "Project Berkley":

Q: At the beginning the game was given the codename “Project Berkley”, is there any special meaning behind this name?

YS: It’s actually like this [laughs]: because we realized at the start that this would be a completely different game to anything else on the market at the time, and its scale was unprecedented, we wanted to keep the project very confidential. Because of this we wanted to give it a very cool sounding name, like something from a spy movie. In Japan there’s this phrase bakkureru (ばっくれる) meaning to “pretend not to know” or “feign ignorance”, and by coincidence that there is a place in America with a similar sounding name, so we chose this “Project Berkley” codename.

A special feature of approximately 30 minutes, with the same name of Project Berkley, was included with the Japanese version of Virtua Fighter 3tb, released on Dreamcast in November 1998. Containing a CGI trailer, an extended interview with Yu Suzuki and various concept art, it provided gamers with an early glimpse into the project's innovative vision, highlighting its potential to revolutionize gaming.

The Virtua Fighter 3tb release included a bonus disc

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Poll Result: Patrons' Choice Topic for May 2025

Every month Phantom River Stone holds a poll among our patrons to choose a topic for the blog in the coming month. After tallying the votes (including accumulated votes from previous months), the winning topic that has been voted this time is:

Feature Translation: A Year and a Half Following Shenmue (March 2000)

Not long after the release of Shenmue ~Chapter One: Yokosuka~, the Shenmue Complete Guide, with its distinctive black cover, was published in Japan by SoftBank under the Dreamcast Magazine brand. Included in this guide was a special in-depth feature that looked back on the game’s ambitious development.

In this post, we will be translating the full piece into English. It's a fascinating glimpse into how Yu Suzuki and his AM2 team transformed an experimental RPG prototype into what would become one of the most groundbreaking titles in gaming history.

Across several pages, the article traces the project’s evolution - from its early days as Project Berkley to its eventual release as a new kind of interactive experience, dubbed FREE (Full Reactive Eyes Entertainment), reflecting Suzuki’s goal of letting players live the story rather than just read it.

This article captures a rare retrospective on the Shenmue project, written just a few months after the first game's release. While much of it reflects on the development journey, it also looks ahead to what was already underway at the time: the next chapter set in Hong Kong, and beyond that, mainland China. 

Coming soon to the blog!

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Yu Suzuki & Kenji Eno on Shenmue, D2 and Game Development | October 1999 (Famitsu)

In the October 1999 edition of Famitsu DC magazine, an extensive discussion was published between two great figures in the games development industry: Yu Suzuki (SEGA) and Kenji Eno (Warp Inc.), about their much-awaited upcoming titles that would see release in Japan a few months later in December of that same year.

Yu Suzuki and Kenji Eno, 1999

The article starts with the following introduction, suggesting a mix of reactions from gamers at the time: anticipation for the upcoming releases, and frustration at delays:

Shenmue and D2: two titles that have been part of the Dreamcast's lineup since the console's announcement. However, these two games have been continually delayed, much to the disappointment of many. While some devoted fans have waited patiently, the number of frustrated fans has also grown.

These two epic titles have finally begun to reveal their full scope. The timeline for their release has almost firmed up. The more you see and learn about these games, the more you realize that they're not the kind of projects that could be developed in just a year or so. Both of these games employ realistic, cinematic CG that is animated in real-time. Picture ten years from now, for example: it will be clear that these creators are writing a new chapter in the history of games as interactive entertainment, and that these two titles have irreversibly raised the bar for both quality and quantity.

Standing at the brink of history in the making, this is something we should humbly appreciate.

This extensive discussion totals 6 pages - thanks to SkillJim for providing the page scans.

Let's get started!

Yu Suzuki - Profile

Director of Sega Enterprises' Second Software Research and Development Department. A game creator with a large fan base, who made "AM2" (his old department name) common terminology in the industry. He has worked on 3D fighting games like the Virtua Fighter series and has created arcade hits such as Hang-On and Space Harrier. In his private life, he is a guitar enthusiast, with a deep love for his Peavey Eddie Van Halen* model and a collection of large Marshall amplifiers.

* Note from Switch: the Peavey Eddie Van Halen Wolfgang guitar series is a collaboration between guitarist Eddie Van Halen and Hartley Peavey's company, Peavey Electronics manufactured between 1996 and 2004.

Kenji Eno - Profile

CEO of video games development company Warp, with his first hit game being D. Afterwards, he worked on titles like Enemy Zero and Real Sound: Kaze no Regret. Three years ago, he started on D2. Its originally-planned platform, M2*, was canceled, so the project had to be entirely reworked for the Dreamcast. In addition to his duties as CEO, he also took on production, direction, composition, and performance. For D2, he was responsible for all of the music.

* Note from Switch: the Panasonic M2 was a planned video game console platform developed by 3DO and then sold to Panasonic. However plans to release as a console were canceled in 1997 and instead Panasonic released M2 as an Interactive Media player in 1998. 

Kenji Eno passed away at the age of just 42 on February 20, 2013, due to heart failure brought on by hypertension (Wikipedia).

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Shenmue 2 Interview with Yu Suzuki | DoriMaga May 2001

This interview with Yu Suzuki about the upcoming release of Shenmue II for Dreamcast was published in the May 2001 edition of Japan's DoriMaga magazine. It took place following Sega's decision to cease production of the Dreamcast a couple of months earlier in March 2001.

The translation begins below.

DoriMaga: There was a huge turnout at SEGA's recent event, Game Jam*, reaffirming the great anticipation for Shenmue II. What plans are there for the Dreamcast in future, and what is the significance of Shenmue II? Let's hear a message from Yu Suzuki to the readers of the new-look DoriMaga magazine and users of the Dreamcast.

*Note from Switch: Game Jam was a trade event held in Tokyo by SEGA the previous month, in April 2001, and featured preview gameplay of Shenmue II.

Suzuki: Game Jam was fantastic. While we apologize for any inconvenience caused due to the crowded space, we are delighted that so many people attended. Seeing such a large number of attendees makes us very happy. Seeing so many attendees on that day made me think, "It's a shame we're giving up on the Dreamcast..."

DoriMaga: The event featured the first-ever demonstration using actual hardware, but how far along is the development of Shenmue II at this point?

Suzuki: Well, as of the end of March, it's mostly been bug fixes. That means we've essentially locked in the program code, and from there, it's mostly about replacing data and focusing on debugging. Since April, we've been diving into that work, and at the moment, we're at a stage where it's nearing the finalization process. At this stage, if we are able to iron out any critical bugs, we'll be looking at finalization in just a few weeks.

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