Shenmue also keeps track of where you've been, and Suzuki pulled up a frighteningly long travelogue of one game's progress, which featured times, dates and other reference information. Maps of the entire game world are available and areas you explore are circled. If you select an area you've already visited, Shenmue Passport gives you a snapshot of the area and a brief write-up.

Think you're unbeatable at classic Sega games like Hang-On and Space Harrier? Since all of these games are perfectly emulated in Shenmue's Game Center, you can pit those talents against everyone else on the planet with the mini-game ranking system. Through the wonderful invention known as the Internet, your top scores are shuffled off to Sega's main server where they're placed individually in the Top 1,000, complete with your full name and home town. Ranked games include Space Harrier, Hang-On, Quick-Time Event mini-games, slot machines, and a scrumptious-sounding Seventy Man Battle.

After impressing the masses, Suzuki launched into the playable world of Shenmue, demonstrating how the player can buy Virtua Fighter trinkets from toy machines. Despite the fact that this has nothing to do with actual gameplay, the crowd ate it up as the game's hero, Ryou, bought a tiny model of Akira from the original Virtua Fighter. Collect 'em all, kids - the entire cast of Virtua Fighter 2 and Virtua Fighter Kids are available for your hoarding pleasure.

Suzuki quickly demonstrated a forklift racing sequence, before he was shooed off the stage by the MC. As the crowd dispersed, it became clear to us all that Suzuki had made his point: Shenmue's got stuff. Lots of stuff. And darn it, we want it now. Especially those little plastic Pai trinkets.


Courtesy of IGN.com