Thanksgiving at the Hazuki House

Post date: Nov 22, 2010 6:38:48 PM

This morning I was suddely hit with an urge to play through Shenmue again. I finished the game a decade ago over a Thanksgiving weekend, and I've always associated this time of the year with the adventures of young Ryo Hazuki.

Of course, the problem now is that I barely have any time to play involved games like Shenmue. My kids need constant attention and supervision, so taking a few hours to lose myself in the world of capsule toys, searching for sailors, and making it to the arcade before curfew might be out of reach at the moment.

I actually tried to turn on my Dreamcast this morning, but my son loudly protested and requested we watch Wow Wow Wubbzy instead. Guess who won? I think the only way I'll be able to play Shenmue is to stay up far past my bedtime.

But, then again, who needs sleep? Perhaps I'll try to play an hour or so of Shenmue every night before bed. Easier said than done, especially with so many family obligations coming up with the holiday season. Also, Shenmue is the type of game where an hour of play at a time would be just enough to get you into it versus make any real progress.

Okay, so chances are Shenmue will stay back on the shelf for now. But should I feel inspired (and awake) tonight after my kids are asleep, I might take a journey back to mid-1980s Japan...