Shenmue City (シェンムー街, Shenmū Machi) is a social role-playing video game released for mobile phones in Japan. It was developed and published by Ys Net, directed by Yu Suzuki, and is a spin-off of the Shenmue series.
Development and Release The game was conceived by series creator Yu Suzuki as a way to relaunch the Shenmue franchise. Suzuki noted the popularity of the social game Mafia Wars on mobile phones and formed a plan that if Shenmue City were successful, its popularity could be used to fund a game that would conclude the Shenmue series. In an interview with Famitsu, Suzuki stated that he wanted to explore the series without the very expensive graphics and sound elements of the original games.
A beta began on September 21, 2010, on the Yahoo! Japan and DeNA Yahoo! Mobage network. The game was announced in late 2010 for both mobile phones and PC as a browser-based game, but the Windows version was cancelled. The mobile version was released in Japan in December 2010. The game was discontinued and shut down on December 26, 2011.
Gameplay Shenmue City is a social multiplayer game. Players control a resident of Yokosuka, Japan—the setting of the original Shenmue (1999). The main character is a follower of Ryo Hazuki and is guided by him to explore, attempt quests, and grow stronger through battle. There were plans to let players travel to other Shenmue locations, such as Hong Kong, in content updates. Characters from other Shenmue games make appearances, and much of the original Shenmue plot is retold.
Platforms
- Mobile phones (Mobage service)
- PC (browser-based; announced but cancelled)
