I also liked Shenmue 1 over the sequel. I didn't get sucked in the game as much in part 2. There were much more characters, so there was never a true sense of attachment to any of them for me (In S1, it was sad to see Tom have to move away, especially the part where Ryo looks up and sees a plane fly above him). The game also failed to raise as much of an emotional reponse from me as the original. That's probably because I find the music from S1 to be leaps beyond S2's.
Also, the ending to shenmue 2 was one of the most memorable endings I have ever witnessed. Rarely had I gone through such a simple yet refreshing videogame moment before. I found it rewarding just listening and watching Ryo walk the whole path to the village.
