Shenmue is the newest adventure game for the Dreamcast. It features a system where you can do almost anything-buy some music, train in martial arts, talk with friends, feed a cat, ride buses. Lots of stuff. I was really enjoying Shenmue and I honestly was playing the way I was supposed to. (Well, I had over-fed the cat until it resembled a pre-liposuction Carnie Wilson, but other than that I was strictly by-the-book). You play young Japanese student Ryu Hyzuki who wants nothing more than to find the man named Lan-Di that murdered his father, and I was close to getting my revenge, until something happened that brought my whole Shenmue world crashing down around me. I found the arcade. Ill never forget the day. It was December 8, 1986. (Shenmue has a running calendar, as well as real weather, and the whole look of the game changes with the time of day to boot, all unassailably cool features). I was running to meet a gang of kids who had some information about Lan-Di. But as I ran through town I realized I had no reason to hurry, the kids would be there till noon. So I decided to stop and smell the roses, sort of suss everything out. When you pull the right analog trigger on the Dreamcast controller you go into a first person perspective that allows you to look around at your environment. The game automatically focuses your perspective on important objects. When your focus is on these items you can usually play around with them unless its a store then you will see the name of the store and the time it closes. There is a name for this new system called FREE (yes, Im embarrassed to admit I do know thats an acronym for Free Reactive Eyes Entertainment, however I dont know what that means but cmon its the Japanese-what can you do?) I liked FREE until it focused on a building called You Arcade I didnt understand why anyone would call it that but I did understand I needed to go in there right away. It was beautiful. I was beckoned by original arcade cabinets of Space Harrier, Hang-On!, two new arcade games specifically to help in my martial arts training, and two electronic dart machines. At that point Lan-Di could have been lying on the floor unconscious and unarmed and I still wouldnt have walked across the room to punch him in the throat to exact my revenge. I had games to play. I decided I would give darts a spin. After all, the games only cost 100 yen per play, and I get an allowance of 500 yen a day from some old lady that (for reasons unbeknownst to me) lives at my house. I had moderate success after which my brother informed me that I could win a Mini Dart Set if I scored high enough. 17 games later I had won my precious mini dart set (which, I should point out, serves no practical purpose whatsoever) but I was also bankrupt. And I was pretty sure those informative gang of kids had left, as had been in the arcade 11 hours. Did that stop me? Hardly. As I was poking around my house looking for more of that old ladys money I had anotherrevelation. Under my TV I found a Sega Saturn. Well, to be more specific it was apparently a time-traveling Sega Saturn, as Saturns wouldnt be invented for another ten years. I didnt even have to leave the house to get my fix! After six hours of Space Harrier the old lady and I had this following in-game cinema sequence: Old Lady: (ducking her head in my room)Ryu, arent your supposed to be finding your fathers killer in order to exact your swift, deadly revenge? Me: Uhhh oh yeah in a minute. I think I hit rock bottom on Disc 2 when I was given 40,000 yen by old lady in order to travel to Hong Kong. This was crucial for my success. Without this ticket all my hopes and dreams of revenge would be dashed on the rocks like so many glass bottles. But as I ran to the travel agency I passed the You Arcade one last time No  I thought. I couldnt If I spent this money in the arcade my game was over, old lady would be heart broken, and it would dishonor the spirit of my father forever. I had to decide. Was I going to bum around at the arcade all day? Or was I going to fight back against evil and avenge my fathers murder? Right then and there I made my choice. sorry dad So, if you have spare Yen lying around so a young bankrupt Japanese man can get to Hong Kong please send it to: Ryu Hyzuki 101 The Old Ladys House Sakagoroka, Japan I promise not to spend all of it on video games. Promise.