Shenmue fan is remaking the classic adventure in HD
Could Sega approve, as it did with Sonic CD's fan remake?
A Shenmue superfan is recreating Yu Suzuki's 2000 Dreamcast adventure in HD for a modern audience.
As spotted by Gamers Heroes, a Korean modder going by NoconKid on YouTube has been updating Shenmue's original asset to make them all nice and shiny.
NoconKid was originally just going to recreate the "Game You" arcade, but the project quickly escalated and now they've remade plenty of locations like the parks and tobacco shops, as well as added new arcade cabinets.
Since this is just a fan project, chances are slim that it will see a commercial release, but Sega has collaborated with fans this way in the past. The publisher's 2011 remake of Sonic CD was actually the work of a fan/coder named Christian Whitehead, who Sega decided to collaborate with on his masterful update. "Sega had done what few multinational companies of its size, age and resulatant inflexibility could have: made a fan a creative asset," wrote Simon Parkin in our Sonic CD review.
We've asked Sega if there's a chance it will follow suit with NoconKid for a Shenmue update, but haven't received any word about that. Granted this project is still in its early phases, but keep your fingers crossed as this sort of thing isn't unheard of with Sega.
Last we checked, Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki has been considering a Kickstarter for the frequently asked for third Shenmue game.