A minigame (also spelled mini game and mini-game , sometimes called a subgame or microgame ) is a short game often contained within another video game . A minigame contains different gameplay elements and is often smaller or more simplistic than the game in which it is contained.
49-511: Shenmue is an action-adventure game series created, produced and directed by Yu Suzuki . Shenmue (1999) and Shenmue II (2001) were developed by Sega AM2 and published by Sega for the Dreamcast . Shenmue II was later released in 2002 to Western markets by Microsoft Game Studios and ported to the Xbox console. Shenmue III , developed by Suzuki's company Ys Net, was released for
98-534: A cult following , with Shenmue I and II appearing in several " greatest video games of all time " lists. Shenmue III , released almost two decades later, received mixed reviews for its similarity to the earlier games. Some critics described it as outdated, while others praised its faithfulness to the franchise. The series has received praise for its graphics, soundtrack, realism and ambition, but criticism for its controls, slow pace and voice acting; its realism and focus on mundane detail has divided players. Shenmue
147-627: A fantasy " setting. Tutankham , debuted by Konami in January 1982, was an action-adventure released for arcades . It combined maze, shoot 'em up, puzzle-solving and adventure elements, with a 1983 review by Computer and Video Games magazine calling it "the first game that effectively combined the elements of an adventure game with frenetic shoot 'em up gameplay." It inspired the similar Time Bandit (1983). Action Quest , released in May 1982, blended puzzle elements of adventure games into
196-446: A joystick -controlled, arcade-style action game, which surprised reviewers at the time. While noting some similarities to Adventure , IGN argues that The Legend of Zelda (1986) by Nintendo "helped to establish a new subgenre of action-adventure", becoming a success due to how it combined elements from different genres to create a compelling hybrid, including exploration, adventure-style inventory puzzles , an action component,
245-571: A monetary system , and simplified RPG-style level building without the experience points . The Legend of Zelda series was the most prolific action-adventure game franchise through to the 2000s. Roe R. Adams also cited the arcade-style side-scrolling fantasy games Castlevania (1986), Trojan (1986) and Wizards & Warriors (1987) as early examples of action-adventure games. Games like Brain Breaker (1985), Xanadu (1985), Metroid (1986) and Vampire Killer (1986) combined
294-716: A social game for the Mobage service. It was not released outside Japan and was shut down in December 2011. During Sony's presentation at the E3 conference on June 15, 2015, Suzuki announced a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for Shenmue III, having licensed the series from Sega. Shenmue III became the fastest-funded and the highest-funded video game project in Kickstarter history, reaching its initial $ 2 million goal in just over nine hours, and earning $ 6.3 million in total. It
343-767: A subgenre of open world action-adventure video games in the third-person perspective . They are characterized by their likeness to the Grand Theft Auto series in either gameplay or overall design. In these types of open world games, players may find and use a variety of vehicles and weapons while roaming freely in an open world setting. Metroidvania is a portmanteau of Metroid and Castlevania ; such games are sometimes referred to as "search action", and are generally based on two-dimensional platformers. They emphasize both exploration and puzzle-solving with traditional platform gameplay. Survival horror games emphasize "inventory management" and making sure
392-499: A 3D fighting system similar to Sega's Virtua Fighter series; Ryo can fight multiple opponents at once, and can practice moves to increase their power. In quick time events , the player must press the right combination of buttons at the right moment to succeed. Shenmue I and Shenmue II feature a level of detail considered unprecedented for games at the time of their release. Shops open and close, buses run to timetables, and characters have their own routines, each in accordance with
441-535: A Chinese man, Lan Di. Lan Di demands Iwao give him a mysterious stone artifact, the dragon mirror. When he threatens to kill Ryo, Iwao tells him the mirror is buried under the cherry blossom tree outside. As Lan Di's men dig up the mirror, Lan Di mentions Zhao Sunming, whom Iwao allegedly killed in Mengcun , China. Lan Di delivers a finishing blow and Iwao dies in Ryo's arms. Ryo's investigation leads him to Master Chen in
490-545: A choice of what to say. The NPC gives a scripted response to the player, and the game offers the player several new ways to respond. Due to the action-adventure subgenre's broad and inclusive nature, it causes some players to have difficulty finishing a particular game. Companies have devised ways to give the player help, such as offering clues or allowing the player to skip puzzles to compensate for this lack of ability. Brett Weiss cites Atari 's Superman (1979) as an action-adventure game, with Retro Gamer crediting it as
539-448: A complex text parser and no free-moving character. While they share general gameplay dynamics, action-adventures vary widely in the design of their viewpoints, including bird's eye , side-scrolling, first-person, third-person , over-the-shoulder, or even a 3/4 isometric view . Many action-adventure games simulate a conversation through a conversation tree . When the player encounters a non-player character , they are allowed to select
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#1732783917303588-543: A gang leader, Wuying Ren, a free-spirited motorcyclist, Joy, and a street boy, Wong, to find Yuanda Zhu, who sent Ryo's father a letter warning him of Lan Di's intentions. Ryo and his allies locate Zhu in Kowloon Walled City , but are ambushed by the criminal Yellow Head organization and Zhu is kidnapped. Ryo rescues Zhu as Lan Di departs by helicopter. Zhu reveals that Lan Di killed Ryo's father because he believes Iwao killed his own father. Zhu also reveals that
637-400: A local gang looking for the phoenix mirror. Ryo defeats two of the thugs, but is defeated by their boss, Yanlang. He convinces Sun, a local martial arts master, to teach him a powerful Bajiquan move, and uses it to defeat Yanlang. A village elder helps them discover a map to the treasure connected to the mirrors. Ryo fends off an attack from Chai, who reveals that Yuan and Xu have been taken to
686-711: A side-scrolling platformer format with adventure exploration, creating the Metroidvania platform-adventure subgenre. Similarly, games like 005 (1981), Castle Wolfenstein and Metal Gear (1987) combined action-adventure exploration with stealth mechanics, laying the foundations for the stealth game subgenre, which would later be popularized in 1998 with the releases of Metal Gear Solid , Tenchu: Stealth Assassins , and Thief: The Dark Project . The cinematic platformer Prince of Persia (1989) featured action-adventure elements, inspiring games such as Another World (1991) and Flashback (1992). Alone in
735-400: A single avatar as the protagonist . This type of game is often quite similar to role-playing video games . They are distinct from graphic adventures , which sometimes have free-moving central characters, but also a wider variety of commands and fewer or no action game elements and are distinct too from text adventures , characterized by many different commands introduced by the user via
784-557: Is a game that has enough action in it not to be called an adventure game, but not enough action to be called an action game." In some cases an action game with puzzles will be classified as an action-adventure game, but if these puzzles are quite simple they might be classified as an action game. Others see action games as a pure genre, while an action-adventure is an action game that includes situational problem-solving. Adventure gamers may also be purists, rejecting any game that makes use of physical challenges or time pressure. Regardless,
833-453: Is credited for pioneering several game technologies. Its large environments, wealth of options and level of detail have been compared to later open-world games including the Grand Theft Auto series, the Yakuza series, Fallout 3 (2008), and Deadly Premonition (2010). Shenmue is also credited for naming and popularizing the quick time event in modern games, which was featured in
882-464: Is directed by Sakurai Chikara, with Suzuki as executive producer, and adapts the events of the first two games. It was animated by Telecom Animation Film , with production management by Sola Entertainment. Ryo Hazuki is a playable character in Sega's mascot racer Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing . Ryo rides Naoyuki's motorbike and his special move features him driving a forklift, referencing his job at
931-424: Is heavily reliant upon the player character's movement, which triggers story events and thus affects the flow of the game. Popular examples of action-adventure games include The Legend of Zelda , God of War , and Tomb Raider series. There is a good deal of controversy over what actually constitutes an action-adventure game. One definition of the term "action-adventure" may be '"An action/adventure game
980-465: Is missing. Ryo learns that Lan Di's father, Zhao Sunming, once visited Bailu with Ryo's father to train under the local grandmaster. Zhao died under mysterious circumstances several years later. Ryo also discovers that the phoenix and dragon mirrors were created by Shenhua's great-grandfather at the request of the Chinese emperor. Ryo and Shenhua learn that Shenhua's father, Yuan, has been kidnapped by
1029-553: The Resident Evil , God of War , and Tomb Raider series. Several Shenmue soundtracks have been released. A promotional album, Shenmue Juke Box, was packaged with the limited edition of the original game in Japan and North America, containing ten select tracks from the in-game cassette tapes. A soundtrack for the first game, Shenmue OST: Chapter 1: Yokosuka , was released in 2000. In September 2015, Data Discs released
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#17327839173031078-650: The Uncharted franchise, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Ark: Survival Evolved . Minigame Some video games consist entirely of minigames which tie into an overall theme, such as Olympic Decathlon (1980). Minigames can also be used to represent a specific experience, such as hacking , lock picking , or scanning an area, that ties into a larger game. Some games are made up of many minigames strung together into one video game, such as Nintendo 's WarioWare series (which are called microgames in
1127-657: The Virtua Fighter series. In 1997, development moved to Sega's upcoming console, the Dreamcast , and the Virtua Fighter connection was dropped. By the time of the Dreamcast's release in Japan in November 1998, the game had been titled Shenmue . Sega advertised Shenmue as belonging to a new genre it termed "full reactive eyes entertainment" or "FREE". It became the most expensive game ever developed at
1176-470: The Great Wall of China . The creator of Shenmue , Yu Suzuki , joined Sega in 1983 and created several successful arcade games , including Hang-On (1985) , Out Run (1986) and Virtua Fighter (1993). In comparison to arcade games, where the ideal experience was only a few minutes long, Suzuki wanted to make a longer experience. In 1996, he and Sega AM2 began developing a Saturn RPG based on
1225-517: The PlayStation 4 and Windows in 2019. The Shenmue games consist of open-world 3D environments interspersed with brawler battles and quick time events . They include elements of role-playing , life simulation and social simulation games , such as a day-and-night system , variable weather effects, non-player characters with daily schedules and interactive elements, such as vending machines, arcades , and minigames . The story follows
1274-661: The Shenmue soundtrack on vinyl in three separate colored editions. In March 2016, the music of Shenmue was voted into the Classic FM Hall of Fame in 144th place. An anime adaptation of Shenmue was announced on September 4, 2020, at the virtual Crunchyroll Expo . It premiered on simultaneously on February 6, 2022, on the U.S. network Adult Swim 's Toonami programming block and the streaming platform Crunchyroll in English dub and Japanese sub, respectively. The series
1323-818: The "first to utilize multiple screens as playing area". Mark J.P. Wolf credits Adventure (1980) for the Atari VCS as the earliest-known action-adventure game. The game involves exploring a 2D environment, finding and using items which each have prescribed abilities, and fighting dragons in real-time like in an action game . Muse Software 's Castle Wolfenstein (1981) was another early action-adventure game, merging exploration, combat, stealth, and maze game elements, drawing inspiration from arcade shoot 'em ups and maze games (such as maze-shooter Berzerk ) and war films (such as The Guns of Navarone ). According to Wizardry developer Roe R. Adams, early action-adventure games "were basically arcade games done in
1372-490: The Dark (1992) used 3D graphics , which would later be popularized by Resident Evil (1996) and Tomb Raider (1996). Resident Evil in particular created the survival horror subgenre, inspiring titles such as Silent Hill (1999) and Fatal Frame (2001). Action-adventure games have gone on to become more popular than the pure adventure games and pure platform games that inspired them. Recent examples include
1421-517: The Yokosuka Harbor. Action-adventure game An action-adventure game is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Typically, classical adventure games have situational problems for the player to explore and solve to complete a storyline, involving little to no action . If there is action, it is generally confined to isolated instances. Classical action games, on
1470-636: The Yokosuka harbor. Through Chen and his son Guizhang, Ryo learns that the dragon mirror taken by Lan Di is one of two mirrors. He locates the second, the phoenix mirror, in a basement hidden beneath his father's dojo. He defeats a local gang connected to Lan Di's organization, and Master Chen tells him to seek the aid of Master Xiuying in Hong Kong. Ryo boards a boat to China. In Hong Kong, Ryo finds Master Xiuying Hong, but she refuses to help him, considering his quest for vengeance reckless. Ryo teams up with
1519-546: The action-adventure label is prominent in articles over the internet and media. The term "action-adventure" is usually substituted for a particular subgenre due to its wide scope. Although action-adventure games are diverse and difficult to classify, there are some distinct subgenres. Many games with gameplay similar to those in The Legend of Zelda series are called Zelda clones or Zelda -like games. Popular subgenres include: A Grand Theft Auto clone belongs to
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1568-545: The city of Niaowu. In Niaowu, Ryo and Shenhua learn that a local gang, the Red Snakes, is holding Yuan and Xu hostage. Shenhua is tricked by a Chi You Men leader, Niao Sun. Ryo and his allies infiltrate the Chi You Men's castle and rescue Shenhua and her father. Ryo confronts Lan Di, but Lan Di easily defeats him. Niao Sun betrays Lan Di, and has her men burn the castle. Ryo, Ren and Shenhua continue their journey along
1617-496: The earlier games. An anime adaptation of Shenmue , co-produced by Crunchyroll and Adult Swim , premiered in February 2022. In the Shenmue games, the player controls the teenage martial arts pupil Ryo Hazuki as he investigates his father's murder. The player explores the Yokosuka, Hong Kong and Guilin open worlds , searching for clues, examining objects and talking to non-player characters for information. The games feature
1666-417: The first Final Fantasy (1987), in which a 15 puzzle in the form of an Easter egg can be uncovered by entering a specific sequence of inputs while piloting a ship. It was added into the game by programmer Nasir Gebelli despite it not being part of Squaresoft 's original game design. The PocketStation for PlayStation and VMU for Dreamcast accessories allowed the user to download minigames from
1715-451: The focus on mundane detail divided players. The games attracted a cult following , appearing in several lists of the greatest video games of all time , and are credited for pioneering game systems, including quick time events and open worlds. However, they were commercial failures and further installments entered development hell . In 2004, Sega announced a spin-off massively multiplayer online role-playing game , Shenmue Online , but it
1764-436: The game's persistent clock. Ryo receives a daily allowance which can be spent on objects including food, raffle tickets, audio cassettes and capsule toys . There are several minigames ; for example, Ryo can throw darts or play complete versions of Sega arcade games, or earn money from minigames including driving forklift trucks , gambling, arm wrestling, fishing and street fighting. The Dreamcast version of Shenmue II allows
1813-406: The gameplay still follows a number of adventure game genre tropes (gathering items , exploration of and interaction with one's environment, often including an overworld connecting areas of importance, and puzzle-solving). While the controls are arcade-style (character movement, few action commands) there is an ultimate goal beyond a high score. In most action-adventure games, the player controls
1862-540: The mirrors will lead to the resurrection of the Qing Dynasty , the last imperial dynasty of China. Zhu advises Ryo to continue his search in the village of Bailu in Guilin , where Lan Di is also heading. In Guilin, Ryo meets a teenage girl, Shenhua Ling, whose family is connected to the legacy of the dragon and phoenix mirrors. She leads Ryo to a stone quarry on the village outskirts to meet her father, but discovers he
1911-478: The other hand, have gameplay based on real-time interactions that challenges the player's reflexes and eye-hand coordination . Action-adventure games combine these genres by engaging both eye-hand coordination and problem-solving skills. An action adventure game can be defined as a game with a mix of elements from an action game and an adventure game , especially crucial elements like puzzles inspired by older adventure games. Action-adventures require many of
1960-489: The player has enough ammunition and recovery items to " survive " the horror setting. This is a thematic genre with diverse gameplay, so not all survival horror games share all the features. The Resident Evil franchise popularized this subgenre. Action-adventure games are faster-paced than pure adventure games, and include physical as well as conceptual challenges where the story is enacted rather than narrated. While motion-based, often reflexive, actions are required,
2009-435: The player to import their save data from Shenmue , carrying over money, inventory items and martial arts moves. IGN described Shenmue as a "revenge epic in the tradition of Chinese cinema ". According to Suzuki, the three games cover around 40% of the story he has planned. In 1986 Yokosuka , Japan, the teenage martial artist Ryo Hazuki returns to his family dojo to witness a confrontation between his father Iwao and
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2058-439: The same physical skills as action games, but may also offer a storyline, numerous characters, an inventory system, dialogue, and other features of adventure games. They are typically faster-paced than pure adventure games, because they include both physical and conceptual challenges. Action-adventure games normally include a combination of complex story elements, which are often displayed for players using audio and video. The story
2107-472: The series would cover four or five games. Shenmue III includes a letter to fans from Suzuki expressing his hope to develop Shenmue IV . In 2020, Suzuki told IGN he had created Shenmue III "for the fans", and that he planned to give Shenmue IV more mainstream appeal. In 2024, fans purchased a 15-second advertisement on a Times Square video billboard to campaign for Shenmue IV. The Shenmue series has received mostly positive reviews and has attracted
2156-601: The series), Universal 's Video Action , David Whittaker's Lazy Jones and the mobile game Phone Story . Some similar games specifically developed for multiplayer are considered party games , such as the Itadaki Street series by Square Enix and Nintendo's Mario Party series. In party games, minigames usually involve performing an activity faster or collecting more of a specified item than other players to win; some may be entirely luck. The Final Fantasy series includes minigames in every entry, since
2205-526: The teenage martial artist Ryo Hazuki as he travels through 1980s Japan and China in pursuit of his father's killer. The original Shenmue was the most expensive video game ever developed at the time, with an estimated production and marketing cost of US$ 47 to $ 70 million, though some of the development also covered Shenmue II . Shenmue and Shenmue II received mostly positive reviews. Critics praised their graphics, soundtrack, realism and ambition, but criticized their controls, slow pace and voice acting, and
2254-528: The time, reported to have cost US$ 70 million; in 2011, Suzuki said the figure was closer to $ 47 million including marketing. The development also covered some of Shenmue II (2001), which was completed for a smaller figure, and possibly groundwork for future Shenmue games. Shenmue was released on December 29, 1999 in Japan, November 8, 2000 in North America, and December 1, 2000 in Europe. Shenmue II
2303-476: Was not released. In 2010, a social game , Shenmue City , was launched in Japan; it was shut down a year later. In 2018, Sega released high-definition ports of Shenmue and Shenmue II for multiple formats. Following a successful crowdfunding campaign, Suzuki developed Shenmue III independently. It was released for the PlayStation 4 and Windows in 2019, and received mixed reviews for its similarity to
2352-516: Was released for Dreamcast in 2001 in Japan and Europe only. An Xbox port followed in 2002 in Japan, Europe and North America. Despite attracting positive reviews and a cult following , neither game made a profit and Shenmue III entered development hell . Suzuki worked on various projects which failed to see release, including Shenmue Online , a PC MMORPG announced in 2004. He established his own development company, Ys Net, in 2008 and left Sega in 2011. In 2010, Sega announced Shenmue City ,
2401-852: Was released on 19 November 2019 for PlayStation 4 and Windows . Sega began developing remasters of Shenmue I and II featuring new models, textures and lighting, but it was canceled in 2017. Sega said that "working with original animations and characters but meshing them with enhanced HD visuals gave us a game that we felt would not meet the standards that Shenmue fans expect and deserve". Instead, in August 2018, Sega released high-definition ports for Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One . The ports include new graphics and control options, improved user interfaces, and Japanese and English voices. Some details, such as product placement , are omitted, and cutscenes are presented in their original aspect ratio due to technical limitations. In 2015, Suzuki said he hoped
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