I opened mine up yesterday! Looks and plays lovely!
https://i.imgur.com/ZZcZXs2.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/tIrNlDp.jpg
It has a transparent look to it too which is a bonus :) and the Art Print you get is on solid card. What also suprised me is the high quality of the sleeve the record sits in, not just one of them lousy paper ones most records are in that need replacing. This is a great product and I can safely recommend it to all Shenmu fans into Vinyl.

Here's a YT video which plays both sides:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m6k1dSYmpI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m6k1dSYmpI

This is great. My two year old son is obsessed with vinyl and loves playing my original copy of this all the time. I've been wanting another one to keep in mint condition as a collectible.

Just got back to work after lunch, time to turn on Gradio and connect to a Japanese vaporware station in order to focus > 'Nightwave Plaza' https://plaza.one/ , nice.... All of a sudden a cover of Shenhua's theme start playing from Space Magic -- Winter Solitude. Totally random Shenmue encounter in rl. Uplifted, day made.

https://i.imgur.com/RstCyvm.png

Found it on yt:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3vMW72_h6s

Picked up Yakuza 6
https://media.playstation.com/is/image/SCEA/yakuza-6-the-song-of-life-essence-of-art-edition-product-shot-01-ps4-us-07dec17?$MediaCarousel_Original$

and Yakuza Kiwami
https://s.pacn.ws/1500/ss/yakuza-kiwami-steelbook-edition-518245.1.jpg?ooj7v3

and a new laptop for pc games i've missed over the last decade or so.
https://www.alternate.nl/p/o/p/MSI_GL62MVR_7REX_1062NL__15_6___notebook@@pl6mznc6_30.jpg

Aaaand I'm broke.

I picked up Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Gravity Rush 2 and Yakuza 0 today

However... where are the hidden gems of this generation? I see a lot of indie games but these have a tendency to look and feel quite similar between themselves as they adhere strongly to the "retro-inspired" trope. I haven't been able to otherwise identify too many, especially made in Japan games, and my "shopping list" right now has only two: Polybius and Dangerous Golf (none of which are japanese of course). I would definitely add Hollow Knight to that list as well, which I already have. Which others can you recommend? What am I missing?

Yeah, not sure what exactly criteria you are using but there are plenty either way... I've only completed a very few of these titles as for most of them I've only played to a certain extent, but I'm very confident they are gems: Planetary Annihilation (RTS and one of the best ever), Divinity Origin Sin 1 & 2 (probably the most faithful representation of pen and paper RPGs), Talos Principle (puzzle adventure not unlike the Portal series, but way better IMO). Rust (online survival FPS... you will not see the brilliance of this game with just a few hours of gameplay) and Wonderful 101 (such an underrated PlatinumGames title. Most see it as just an action brawler, but this game is more akin to a fighting game in its mechanics if you know what you are doing. Play Vanquish too while you are at it if you haven't).

If the budget must be rubbish like most in the indie scene and it has to be Japanese, then try this mobile shmup made by an ex-Cave employee, Aka to Blue. Though not Japanese, I also recommend Pathologic and Factorio.

The previous console generations all had a slew of "hidden gems", games that usually have modest sales that are either loved by the critics and hated by the public or vice-versa, that are usually not perfect but bring forward something new and original to the table, later evolving into another trope of the industry: the "cult classic". Shenmue of course is an obvious example.

Ive missed a lot of this generation. Coming in recently though I'm surprised to see a lot of love for these "cult classics". We're seeing re-releases of games like Okami and Rez (& Shenmue), the revival of series like MonsterBoy, Torment and Beyond Good & Evil (& Shenmue) and even Yakuza and Earth Defense Force are in the Playstation Hits line in the West. I think this is great, and probably a case of a critical mass of hardcore gamers that has been building up since the 90s, which now represents big business and can justify the investment.

However... where are the hidden gems of this generation? I see a lot of indie games but these have a tendency to look and feel quite similar between themselves as they adhere strongly to the "retro-inspired" trope. I haven't been able to otherwise identify too many, especially made in Japan games, and my "shopping list" right now has only two: Polybius and Dangerous Golf (none of which are japanese of course). I would definitely add Hollow Knight to that list as well, which I already have. Which others can you recommend? What am I missing?

For me those kind of games are on the Vita and 3DS.

Games like Lost Dimension for fans of hybrid RPGs (mixture of SRPG and Action, with a retro-futuristic art style), Mercenaries Saga Trilogy (also on Switch) if you're into SRPGs like Tactics Ogre/FFT, Soul Hackers if you like cyberpunk JRPGs, Azure Gunvolt if you like side scrolling action, Grand Kingdom (which is also on PS4) if you like board games, SRPGs and tactical action combat.

There's also what Bethesda have been putting out like The Evil Within 1 & 2 (which are different attempts of creating modern survival horror), Prey and Dishonored 2 which all have cult audiences and are fantastic games in their own right.

Then there's the recently released Vampyr which is building up a cult fanbase. Looks really good to me.

Knowing you since you're into Japanese adventure games like me, I can see you maybe liking the upcoming Jake Hunter game for the 3DS, Ghost of the Dusk, which has a gritty Japanese art style and is out at the end of August.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmCiisn0WbA

Plus there was also that game from former members of Cing released not too long ago which I need to play, Chase: Cold Case Investigations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI_h4W7Y_pY

Thanks for the recommendations, and keep them coming

Probably one of the most interesting and unique games I've played this gen is a little sleeper called Echo. It's stealth, and I'm not sure how you feel about that, but the mechanics are a good deal more individual than the genre usually aims for.
Basically the protagonist is trying to navigate her way through this strange sci-fi palace that seems to have scanned and created copies of her. As you make your way through an area, the palace takes note of what movements and actions you take -- running, ducking, jumping over things, opening doors, walking through water, shooting -- and begins to apply those actions to its copies. Essentially whatever you do, the copies learn to do as well, which means you can make things easier or harder on yourself depending on what actions you decide to utilize.
It's very odd and challenging, and as you can see the aesthetics are generally very unique and surreal as well. It's not horror necessarily, but there is a very unnerving quality to the whole thing.
I haven't finished it quite yet, but it still stands out to me as one of the best of the "unknown and underappreciated" this gen. It's definitely available on Steam and PS4 (I bought it for both). Not sure about the Xbox.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG5Lh7Uu-EA