Shenmue 2: A Masterpiece Revisited

November 27, 2016

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DF Retro - S1 - E19

John revisits Shenmue 2, checking out what made it special, how well it holds up today and the best way to play in the 21st century. Plus: all the Xbox vs Dreamcast graphics comparisons and performance tests you'll need.

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DF Retro: Season 1 - 21 Episode s

1x1 - Quake Sega Saturn Analysis: The Impossible Port
May 30, 2016
First in an occasional series where we take a look at some remarkable games from previous console eras. Here, John analyses Lobotomy Software's port of Quake. It shouldn't run on Sega Saturn, but somehow - it does.
1x2 - Shenmue: A Game Ahead Of Its Time
June 5, 2016
John revisits a genuine Dreamcast classic - Yu Suzuki's stunning Shenmue. But what made it so special, and what's the best way to play the game today?
1x3 - Duke Nukem 3D: Come Get Some... Ports!
July 3, 2016
DF Retro returns with a bang. This time, John takes a look at five different console ports of Duke Nukem 3D all ported by different studios. Does Duke hold up across all of them? Watch to find out.
1x4 - The Birth Of Unreal Engine On Console
July 10, 2016
John tackles Unreal Tournament on consoles. As the very first set of console games powered by Unreal technology, Unreal Tournament for PlayStation and Dreamcast mark the beginning of an era.
1x5 - Half-Life: The Shooter Redefined On PC, PS2 And Dreamcast
July 17, 2016
John takes a look back at Half-Life, one of the most influential shooters in history. What impact did it have on the industry, how were the console ports, and what's the best way to enjoy it today? They're waiting for you, in the test chamber.
1x6 - Castlevania Symphony of the Night In-Depth Analysis
July 23, 2016
John takes on Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. How did the game work on PlayStation and what went wrong with the Sega Saturn port? We seek the answer to this question and more within.
1x7 - The Nintendo Launch Spectacular: NES/SNES/N64/GCN/Wii
July 30, 2016
As a new Nintendo system draws closer to launch, John takes a moment to look back at some of the most impressive launch titles to grace each of Nintendo's consoles. From the original NES to the Nintendo 64 all the way up to the Wii, it's all here and captured on original hardware.
1x8 - Half-Life 2: The Shooter Evolved
August 6, 2016
John returns to the world of Half-Life for a look at its sequel - Half-Life 2. We revisit Half-Life 2 across every major platform from its original PC release running on vintage hardware to the Japanese exclusive arcade game and, of course, the various console ports including the original Xbox version. We even take the time to check out a couple mods for good measure including the Cinematic Mod. So grab that crowbar and tune in for our biggest episode yet.
1x9 - Rare's N64 Classics: GoldenEye and Perfect Dark
August 14, 2016
John takes a look back are the classic Rare shooters for Nintendo 64 - GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark. These innovative classics helped shape an entire genre on consoles but do they stand the test of time? We take a look at each game's accomplishments and performance in 2016 in addition to removing Nintendo 64's default anti-aliasing for a sharper image.
1x10 - Deus Ex is A PC Classic, But What About PlayStation 2?
August 28, 2016
John takes a look back one of the greatest PC games of all time - Deus Ex. Then we jump over and examine its port on PlayStation 2 - a port which should never have worked out but somehow manages to play very well. We finish it all up with some mod recommendations so be sure to stick around till the end.
1x11 - Ridge Racer 5 and Ridge Racer Type 4 PS2/PS1
September 3, 2016
John takes a trip to Ridge City for a weekend of racing action. We start with a look at PlayStation 2's first game which offers a wonderful blend of arcade racing, tight controls and a beautiful presentation. Then we move over to arguably the best racing game on the original PlayStation - Ridge Racer Type 4. We even take a quick look at the bonus disc included with the game for good measure.
1x12 - MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat: DOS/Win95/3DFX/PS1/Saturn
September 11, 2016
John steps back into the Activision classic MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat. We explore how the game looks in its various forms on PC and determine the best way to play it today. We also take a look at the completely different arcade style version of the game released on consoles.
1x13 - MDK: Shiny Entertainment's PC Masterpiece
September 18, 2016
John returns to examine Shiny Entertainment's PC masterpiece. It's a PC game by console developers designed to push the limits of the platform circa 1997 and it does so with a look all its own. We take a look at the original software rendered versions alongside a couple different 3D accelerated versions before. Then we stack it all up against Neversoft's PlayStation 1 port of the game - one of the studio's first releases before striking gold with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. Oh, and we discuss the best way to play MDK on a modern PC. All this and more is packed into this massive episode of DF Retro.
1x14 - Daytona USA and Why Frame-Rate Has Always Mattered
October 1, 2016
The forecast is calling for blue blue skies. That's right, it's Daytona USA. At the time of its release, Daytona USA was the single most technically impressive game ever made and we explore each of the major iterations of the game. Daytona also helped illustrate just how important frame-rate is and was during this time. So join us as we fire up the game on Saturn, Dreamcast, the PC, and even the PlayStation 3.
1x15 - Silent Hill 2: Horror Perfected on PS2/Xbox/PC/PS3
October 16, 2016
John pays a visit to Silent Hill for a look at this fan favorite. Silent Hill 2 remains one of the most revered experiences on the PlayStation 2 but it was also a technical masterpiece in its day. With impressive visual techniques and a disturbing art style, Silent Hill 2 still holds up even now. It was also ported to a number of different platforms and John explores each of these ports including the much maligned Silent Hill HD Collection.
1x16 - Origin Systems and the Crusader Series on PC/PS1/Saturn/PSP
October 23, 2016
John explores one of the most important developers in PC gaming history - Origin Systems. From Ultima to Wing Commander, Origin produced a wide variety throughout its existence but today we're going to focus on the Crusader series. Created by Tony Zurovec, Crusader is an advanced isometric shooter which delivered striking SVGA graphics in a time when most PC games were still 320x200. We also explore its semi-sequel, No Regret, along with the console iterations of the original game.
1x17 - Metroid Prime: First Person Action Redefined GC/Wii
October 30, 2016
John revisits Retro Studios classic installment in the Metroid series. Now in first person, Retro and Nintendo manage to perfectly translate the essence of the Super NES classic into full 3D. Metroid Prime delivers some of the richest visuals on the GameCube all at a rock solid 60 frames per second. We follow up with a quick look at the Wii version of the game and check out Metroid Prime running on the PC using Dolphin Ishiiruka.
1x18 - Tomb Raider Analysed on PS1/Saturn/DOS/Win95
November 13, 2016
John returns to Lara Croft's original adventure, comparing the Saturn and PS1 versions, along with the various PC editions - and what's the best way to revisit this classic on today's hardware?
1x19 - Shenmue 2: A Masterpiece Revisited
November 27, 2016
John revisits Shenmue 2, checking out what made it special, how well it holds up today and the best way to play in the 21st century. Plus: all the Xbox vs Dreamcast graphics comparisons and performance tests you'll need.
1x20 - Ico Revisited - The Ueda Collection: Part 1
December 11, 2016
To celebrate the arrival of The Last Guardian, Digital Foundry Retro revisits the Ueda Collection on PlayStation 2, starting with Ico.
1x21 - Shadow of the Colossus Revisited - The Ueda Collection: Part 2
December 18, 2016
John revisits Shadow of the Colossus, revealing early concept work, deep-diving into the brilliant technology, then moving on to the best way to play this PS2 classic today.

Shenmue 2: A Masterpiece Revisited

DF Retro - S1 - E19

DF Retro: Season 1 - 21 Episode s

1x1 - Quake Sega Saturn Analysis: The Impossible Port

1x2 - Shenmue: A Game Ahead Of Its Time

1x3 - Duke Nukem 3D: Come Get Some... Ports!

1x4 - The Birth Of Unreal Engine On Console

1x5 - Half-Life: The Shooter Redefined On PC, PS2 And Dreamcast

1x6 - Castlevania Symphony of the Night In-Depth Analysis

1x7 - The Nintendo Launch Spectacular: NES/SNES/N64/GCN/Wii

1x8 - Half-Life 2: The Shooter Evolved

1x9 - Rare's N64 Classics: GoldenEye and Perfect Dark

1x10 - Deus Ex is A PC Classic, But What About PlayStation 2?

1x11 - Ridge Racer 5 and Ridge Racer Type 4 PS2/PS1

1x12 - MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat: DOS/Win95/3DFX/PS1/Saturn

1x13 - MDK: Shiny Entertainment's PC Masterpiece

1x14 - Daytona USA and Why Frame-Rate Has Always Mattered

1x15 - Silent Hill 2: Horror Perfected on PS2/Xbox/PC/PS3

1x16 - Origin Systems and the Crusader Series on PC/PS1/Saturn/PSP

1x17 - Metroid Prime: First Person Action Redefined GC/Wii

1x18 - Tomb Raider Analysed on PS1/Saturn/DOS/Win95

1x19 - Shenmue 2: A Masterpiece Revisited

1x20 - Ico Revisited - The Ueda Collection: Part 1

1x21 - Shadow of the Colossus Revisited - The Ueda Collection: Part 2

DF Retro: All seasons

S1: Season 1

S2: Season 2

S3: Season 3

S4: Season 4

S5: Season 5