Tuesday 18 May 2010

Ryo Hazuki's Saturn

As a part of Shenmonth I've got a very special treat. I contacted Ryo Hazuki of the 'Shenmue' games and asked him to tell us about his Saturn collection! Enjoy!

The Saturn Junkyard (SJY): Hey bro!

Ryo Hazuki (RH): Hey Barry.

SJY: I'll get right to the point: What happened after Shenmue II?

RH: I'm sorry, I cannot discuss that.

SJY: Why not?

RH: I have a NDA with SEGA and Yu Suzuki. I can not discuss my early life experiences as I have an exclusive contract. SEGA makes games based off my life story and in return I receive a cut of their profits. If I disclose the events of Shenmue III my contract is void.

SJY: But there has not been a new Shenmue for nearly ten years, surly you could-

RH: Listen! That 'Sega and Sonic Racers' really helped both me and Nozomi! Those avatar jackets alone paid for our house!

SJY: So you're married to Nozomi!?

RH: Oh sh- um... how about we talk about the Saturn.

SJY: How about this: I don't tell SEGA you breached your NDA and you tell me, personally and secretly, the plot of Shenmue III.

RH: Don't you know that blackmail is way uncool?

SJY: ... I was only joking, Ryo.

RH: [laughs] I know! Let's get sweaty and talk about the Saturn!

SJY: [laughs] Alright bro! The first thing you have to tell us is how in the world did you own a Saturn in 1987?

RH: SEGA has always been ahead of the times. The Meganet modem for the Mega Drive, 3D gaming on the Master System and 128-bit graphics on the Dreamcast. In 1987 SEGA had already developed an early model of the Saturn and chose Yokosuka as a testing ground.

SJY: That's amazing! I had thought development began in 1993, but you're telling me SEGA began work as early as 1987?

RH: Yes, however the hardware was very different. My Saturn could only play arcade ports at the time. 3D capability was still being tested. My two games were 'Space Harrier' and 'Hang-On'.

 Low-res scan of Ryo's copy of Space Harrier

SJY: Which you won in a raffle at the Tomato Convenience Store?

RH: Exactly. In an effort to promote local businesses, SEGA gave a Saturn system to select households, but did not provide games. Instead we had to win games which in turn helped the local businesses. It was a unique idea, and it worked. I could play thousand dollar arcade machine games at home!


SJY: Do you still have the games and the system? They must be very rare!

RH:  I may be a 41-year old man, but I never outgrew my Saturn. I still have it hooked up in the basement. Iwao Jr. loves 'Hang-On'.

SJY: You have a son?

RH:  DAMN! Please don't spread that information around.

SJY: No problem. Maybe we can discuss a trade? I'd love to get that copy of 'Space Harrier'. Looking for anything Saturn related?

RH:  I'm looking for a black Saturn.

SJY: I have one, but I'm not willing to trade.

RH:  Have you seen a black Saturn?

SJY: I have seen one. I own it, but I'm not trading.

RH:  I'm looking for a black Saturn.

SJY: Thanks for talking Ryo, we'll talk again soon!

RH:  Excuse me.

SJY: Yeah?

RH:  It's nothing.

2 comments:

NebachadnezzaR said...

Man, this post is so full of win xD I laughed my ass off! So many little jokes, you got to play the game to get them

My hat's off to you, dear sir, for keeping this little corner of the internet's alive with awesome content ;)

elend said...

Hah, funny. Also: Great pic of the Saturn in Ryo's closet.