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[MvCSpiderman]

Both Shenmue and Ocarina of time are often considered the best games ever made, but that's a different topic.

My question is which of these two games are MORE deserving of the heaps of praise each received and still receive? Both have received accolades few games hope to have even in retrospect, but which do you feel was better game deserving of these accolades?

You have to think about the experience you had when you first played both, combined with your experience now to make this difficult decision.

Just the original releases not any remasters.

 

[LavitzSlambert]

Both Shenmue and Ocarina of time are often considered the best games ever made

I’m all for individual opinions, but what are you actually expecting when making this thread? Anyone reading this won’t get past this sentence, and we all know what the answer is.

 

[Phase]

I just finished Shenmue and loved it, but the answer is Ocarina of Time 100%.

 

[MvCSpiderman]

and we all know what the answer is.

Shenmue?

 

[01011001]

Ocarina of Time is actually a good game, Shenmue isn't. Shenmue was a cool new concept at the time, and the novelty of that made it what it is. it never was a good game tho. You have to really appreciate Shenmue for what it is in order to enjoy it, while Ocarina of Time is a very good Action Adventure that ALSO revolutionized 3D action gameplay in many ways, Z-Targeting being one of those things that basically every game nowadays adopted.

 

[bender]

 

[SF Kosmo]

I always thought Shenmue II was way better than Shenmue, but the ambition of that game was just insane.

OoT has certainly aged better but I think Shenmue deserved the praise it got.

 

[01011001]

 

[Trogdor1123]

I just finished Shenmue and loved it, but the answer is Ocarina of Time 100%.

Easily the correct answer. It's in a completely different league. One is a classic, one is in line for the goat.

 

[Portugeezer]

Shenmue is not highly praised.

 

[Rival]

I didn’t know anyone considered Shenmue in the greatest games ever made category. I was super hyped for it back in the day and dropped it after a couple of hours. Honestly hated it.

 

[Dream-Knife]

Ocarina by a mile. OoT revolutionized the 3d action genre and was an amazing game all around. Its essentially ALTTP but 3d and better.

Shenmue was on to something but the game was incredibly boring. Yakuza is what Shenmue should have been.

 

[alabtrosMyster]

As a Sega fan I am embarrassed by Shenmue, the game is boring.

OoT has some merit at least, but I don't like it neither is close to be in my top games of the area (different generations, but same time period).

 

[MvCSpiderman]

Ocarina of Time is actually a good game, Shenmue isn't. Shenmue was a cool new concept at the time, and the novelty of that made it what it is. it never was a good game tho. You have to really appreciate Shenmue for what it is in order to enjoy it, while Ocarina of Time is a very good Action Adventure that ALSO revolutionized 3D action gameplay in many ways, Z-Targeting being one of those things that basically every game nowadays adopted.

Z targeting lock on was in various other games it wasn't new. I only bring this up because it's brought up often.

Now for consoles specifically it's likely the first to have it.

 

[AJUMP23]

Shenmue is a garbage fire compared to Ocarina of Time.

 

[Phunkydiabetic]

Shenmue had some novel features I guess but overall the game was shit. It was shitty then and it's shitty now. The game is boring.

Ocarina of Time on the other hand was an incredible experience from beginning to end.

 

[Tschumi]

As far as i can tell the case for Shemue is pioneering allocation of arcade box style 3D graphics in the pre-ps2 era resulting in amazing visuals, and a carefully crafted and interactive map to host a good story.

That's all legit. I think if i had been lucky enough to play Shenmue in the late 90s, whilst understand what i was experiencing, i would have really loved it...

... But really, I've never heard these two games in the same breath before. I've done multiple polls with great input on greatest games ever and OOT won, like, all but one of them, coming a close second in that one.

 

[Ozzie666]

Zelda is really impressive from an artistic design, game play, cartridge size constraints. Unforgettable almost. Can't say the same from Shemue.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Shenmue series.

One of those franchises which is more fun to watch YT videos than actually play.

 

[Velius]

"I'm looking for a missing girl."

"No, I haven't."

 

[TexMex]

Anyone who thinks the first Shenmue is the best game ever made has a legitimate mental disability.

 

[Batiman]

I never liked shenmue when it came out and tried to give it another shot when it came to gamepass. It’s so bad IMO. I really wanted to like it too.

 

[ManaByte]

I’m looking for some sailors.

 

[K' Dash]

I can still play OOT and have an amazing time with it, if I had to play shenmue today again, I'd kill myself.

 

[Iced Arcade]

Ocarina of time is legendary status. My brain can't even put these games next to each other.

 

[InfiniteCombo]

Ocarina by a mile.

Yes.

OoT revolutionized the 3d action genre

YES!

and was an amazing game all around.

Still is, in 2021.

Its essentially ALTTP but 3d

In a way, yeah.

and better.

Uhhhh... you had me until that one. I don't know, having played both of them recently (also being my first ever playthrough of Link to the Past), I have to give the edge to Link to the Past. It's the better game.

Shenmue was on to something but the game was incredibly boring. Yakuza is what Shenmue should have been.

YES! I was introduced to Yakuza only a couple of years ago, and it's already my second favorite game series behind Resident Evil. So when I read that Shenmue was a spiritual predecessor, I checked out some YouTube footage. And.... nope. I honestly can't see OP's claim that it's "one of the greatest of all time." Ambitious for its time? Sure.

Shenmue, a good game?

 

[LordBlodgett]

I loved Shenmue, and I still vote Ocarina of Time easily. Shenmue was brilliant for its time, but has aged terribly. Ocarina of Time holds up very well....

 

[Xenon]

I had to go Shenmue. Ocarina of Time was good. But after 3 attempts, I never bothered to finish it.

 

[teezzy]

The one which wasn't overhyped trash about opening drawers and driving a forklift

 

[TheGodfather07]

ocarina of time is so special! even today i can still play and it and enjoy every second! its one of those games i can play to feel like a child again.

 

[STARSBarry]

As someone who played both of these at launch and there impacts on the industry... honestly Shenmu but only just, it showed at a time where the industry seemed to be stuck in a rut with what to do with 3D games that something completely unique and new could still be made.

Ocarina of time showed that the Zelda Franchise could be transitioned to 3D and transitioned extremely well, however it didn't blow me away at launch like when I got Shenmu a few years later, my mates where saying stuff like "thats a cutscene it's not real" until I handed them the controller, that might sound insane looking at it now, but that's just how it was for people who had seen an N64, PlayStation or Saturn game up until that point.

 

[Krizalidx11]

Shenmue, the 1st ever open world game

 

[Hitchyhero]

I love shenmue... But I played Ocrina for the fist time about 7 years after it launched (on the wind Waker bonus disc) and I was amazed with it.... So it still holds up.

 

[carlosrox]

Since when was Shen Mue considered one of the best games of all time? News to me.

I was super disappointed with it when I played it on release. The game felt so short and not at all what I thought I'd been promised after seeing this amazing trailer.

 

[deriks]

Shenmue was pretty great and open world games got a lesson, but didn't pass the test of time. Ocarina of Time has basically hardware issues, so it's fine

 

[ReBurn]

I liked Shenmue more than Ocarina of Time

 

[Kev Kev]

ocarina

duh

 

[Faithless83]

People grew up with ocarina, it's like talking shit about their dad.
I think ocarina is overrated AF, like most Nintendo output on n64.

Shenmue actually had a lot of "industry firsts" that are still implemented in games today.
Is Shenmue the better game? Depends a lot more on taste than anything else.

 

[Billbofet]

I just finally finished Shenmue about two months ago. With having the perspective of playing it 20 years later, I was blown away by its ambition and the way it delivered it's story. It makes me regret not playing it upon release as I would have been in complete awe, and I adore how quirky it is. The game drips ambition. Having said that, OoT is timeless. Shenmue is a incredible product of its time. I was nostalgic the entire playthrough. I personally think Wind Waker is the best Zelda game, but they are, for the most part, entirely in their own league. I vote OoT but would recommend Shenmue over it to most people I know.

 

[ethomaz]

Both.

 

[stranno]

Shenmue has incredible production values, but the story is bad, characters are barely likeable and gameplay is just a bland mix of exploration + Virtua Fighter RPG, and the change between both modes is rough to say the least.

I don't think Shenmue plays in the same league of Ocarina, Super Mario 64, Final Fantasy VII and many other games.

 

[Onironauta]

Shemue was incredibly ambitious for its time and deserves to be recognised for its merits, but it's not fun to play.

 

[Ezquimacore]

Which franchise is alive? Exactly.

 

[Ezquimacore]

People grew up with ocarina, it's like talking shit about their dad.
I think ocarina is overrated AF, like most Nintendo output on n64.

Shenmue actually had a lot of "industry firsts" that are still implemented in games today.
Is Shenmue the better game? Depends a lot more on taste than anything else.

Shenmue better game? You call yourself a gamer but you're comparing Ocarina and shenmue gameplay wise... Smh

 

[martino]

odd question and not surprised by the result.

 

[Spaceman292]

Both Shenmue and Ocarina of time are often considered the best games ever made

Are you high on DRUGS?

 

[Neff]

There's probably like four people who consider Shenmue the best game ever made.

I like Shenmue a lot, I always will, but it was never a classic by any measure, let alone the best game ever made, and revisiting it via the recent HD port highlighted just how hugely dull and flawed it is.

Ocarina of Time is an exemplary piece of software, even now.

 

[Faithless83]

Shenmue better game? You call yourself a gamer but you're comparing Ocarina and shenmue gameplay wise... Smh

They are very different games and yes I do prefer Shenmue over Ocarina, thanks.
I'm no gamer because I didn't like Ocarina?

 

[Ezquimacore]

They are very different games and yes I do prefer Shenmue over Ocarina, thanks.
I'm no gamer because I didn't like Ocarina?

No, you can even hate Ocarina. But mechanically there's no comparison, that's like comparing a david cage game with a kamiya game.

 

[Faithless83]

No, you can even hate Ocarina. But mechanically there's no comparison, that's like comparing a david cage game with a kamiya game.

You meant comparing an RPG with an action game?
It's the same Zelda formula but in 3d.
There was nothing like Shenmue on it's release.
Combat in Shenmue is a lot deeper than combat in Ocarina, for starters.
So there you have for the "mechanically" aspect.