<s>
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
is	O
a	O
role-playing	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Sacnoth	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
titular	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
series	O
,	O
it	O
acts	O
as	O
a	O
sequel	O
to	O
the	O
1999	O
video	O
game	O
Koudelka	B-Application
,	O
being	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
world	O
and	O
featuring	O
recurring	O
characters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
story	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
is	O
set	O
in	O
1913	O
and	O
follows	O
Yuri	O
Hyuga	O
,	O
a	O
human	O
with	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
capture	O
and	O
transform	O
into	O
monsters	O
,	O
as	O
he	O
protects	O
Alice	O
Elliot	O
from	O
the	O
machinations	O
of	O
an	O
evil	O
magician	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
began	O
following	O
the	O
completion	O
of	O
Koudelka	B-Application
in	O
1999	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Koudelka	B-Application
art	O
director	O
Matsuzo	O
Machida	O
acted	O
as	O
director	O
and	O
wrote	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
scenario	O
,	O
inspired	O
by	O
the	O
works	O
of	O
H	O
.	O
P	O
.	O
Lovecraft	O
and	O
the	O
manga	O
Devilman	B-Device
by	O
Go	O
Nagai	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
,	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
:	I-Application
Covenant	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
is	O
a	O
role-playing	O
video	O
game	O
(	O
RPG	O
)	O
where	O
players	O
take	O
control	O
of	O
main	O
protagonist	O
Yuri	O
Hyuga	O
and	O
a	O
party	O
of	O
companions	O
as	O
they	O
progress	O
through	O
a	O
linear	O
storyline	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
is	O
set	O
in	O
an	O
alternate	O
reality	O
,	O
taking	O
place	O
during	O
1913	O
and	O
1914	O
and	O
mingling	O
historical	O
events	O
and	O
people	O
with	O
supernatural	O
elements	O
including	O
divine	O
beings	O
and	O
cosmic	O
horror	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
story	O
takes	O
place	O
across	O
China	O
and	O
Europe	O
,	O
with	O
particular	O
locations	O
including	O
Shanghai	B-Device
and	O
London	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
narrative	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
connects	O
to	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Koudelka	B-Application
,	O
taking	O
place	O
after	O
the	O
latter	O
's	O
"	O
Bad	O
"	O
ending	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
leads	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
are	O
Yuri	O
Hyuga	O
,	O
a	O
Harmonixer	O
capable	O
of	O
absorbing	O
the	O
souls	O
of	O
monsters	O
and	O
shapeshifting	O
into	O
them	O
;	O
and	O
Alice	O
Elliot	O
,	O
a	O
young	O
exorcist	O
who	O
helped	O
her	O
father	O
banish	O
harmful	O
spirits	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Returning	O
characters	O
from	O
Koudelka	B-Application
include	O
its	O
titular	O
protagonist	O
Koudelka	B-Application
Iasant	O
,	O
a	O
gypsy	O
medium	O
and	O
mother	O
of	O
Halley	O
;	O
and	O
the	O
true	O
Roger	O
Bacon	O
,	O
a	O
12th-century	O
philosopher	O
who	O
achieved	O
imperfect	O
immortality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
her	O
father	O
's	O
murder	O
,	O
Alice	O
is	O
forced	O
to	O
accompany	O
a	O
Japanese	O
escort	O
to	O
Shanghai	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
their	O
journey	O
to	O
Shanghai	B-Device
,	O
they	O
are	O
hunted	O
by	O
the	O
Japanese	O
army	O
and	O
Dehuai	O
,	O
who	O
each	O
want	O
to	O
control	O
both	O
China	O
and	O
the	O
powerful	O
Alice	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shortly	O
after	O
their	O
arrival	O
in	O
Shanghai	B-Device
,	O
Alice	O
is	O
kidnapped	O
by	O
Dehuai	O
,	O
who	O
intends	O
to	O
use	O
her	O
powers	O
in	O
a	O
forbidden	O
summoning	O
ritual	O
which	O
will	O
destroy	O
Japan	O
and	O
give	O
him	O
dominance	O
over	O
Eurasia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
run	O
into	O
Halley	O
,	O
whose	O
mother	O
Koudelka	B-Application
—	O
the	O
voice	O
in	O
Yuri	O
's	O
mind	O
—	O
was	O
taken	O
to	O
an	O
asylum	O
and	O
is	O
being	O
tortured	O
by	O
Simons	O
in	O
an	O
attempt	O
to	O
use	O
her	O
powers	O
to	O
fulfil	O
his	O
plans	O
after	O
Alice	O
escaped	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
save	O
her	O
son	O
,	O
Koudelka	B-Application
allows	O
Simons	O
to	O
take	O
her	O
,	O
revealing	O
his	O
true	O
identity	O
to	O
the	O
group	O
before	O
they	O
leave	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
summon	O
the	O
deity	O
,	O
Simons	O
needed	O
the	O
powers	O
of	O
either	O
Alice	O
or	O
Koudelka	B-Application
to	O
activate	O
the	O
Float	O
,	O
a	O
stronghold	O
built	O
by	O
a	O
pre-human	O
civilization	O
which	O
acts	O
as	O
a	O
beacon	O
for	O
the	O
deity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
deity	O
's	O
defeat	O
,	O
the	O
group	O
go	O
their	O
separate	O
ways	O
;	O
Zhuzhen	O
returns	O
to	O
China	O
,	O
Keith	O
to	O
his	O
castle	O
,	O
Margarete	O
to	O
an	O
unknown	O
location	O
on	O
a	O
new	O
assignment	O
,	O
and	O
Halley	O
with	O
Koudelka	B-Application
to	O
find	O
his	O
father	O
in	O
America	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
began	O
development	O
at	O
Sacnoth	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
(	O
PS2	B-Device
)	O
following	O
the	O
completion	O
of	O
Koudelka	B-Application
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
in	O
1999	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
directed	O
and	O
written	O
by	O
Matsuzo	O
Machida	O
(	O
credited	O
as	O
Matsuzo	O
Itakura	O
)	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
acted	O
as	O
art	O
director	O
for	O
Koudelka	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
concept	O
behind	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
was	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
grand	O
RPG	O
outside	O
the	O
typical	O
fantasy	O
worlds	O
of	O
the	O
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Judgement	O
Ring	O
was	O
inspired	O
by	O
the	O
button	O
combinations	O
of	O
beat	B-Application
'	I-Application
em	I-Application
ups	I-Application
,	O
although	O
that	O
genre	O
's	O
complex	O
combinations	O
were	O
replaced	O
by	O
timed	O
presses	O
of	O
a	O
single	O
button	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
scenario	O
was	O
inspired	O
directly	O
by	O
Nagai	O
's	O
manga	O
Devilman	B-Device
,	O
which	O
impressed	O
Machida	O
in	O
his	O
youth	O
due	O
to	O
its	O
dark	O
tone	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Similar	O
to	O
the	O
ambiguous	O
tone	O
of	O
Devilman	B-Device
,	O
Machida	O
did	O
not	O
want	O
the	O
scenario	O
's	O
characters	O
to	O
be	O
clearly	O
divided	O
between	O
good	O
and	O
evil	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
villains	O
having	O
understandable	O
or	O
even	O
laudable	O
motives	O
behind	O
their	O
actions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
title	O
"	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
"	O
represented	O
the	O
darker	O
aspects	O
of	O
humans	O
often	O
ignored	O
in	O
fiction	O
but	O
useful	O
in	O
accomplishing	O
real-life	O
tasks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Yuri	O
was	O
directly	O
inspired	O
by	O
Devilman	B-Device
protagonist	O
Akira	O
Fudo	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
meant	O
to	O
contrast	O
with	O
the	O
standard	O
JRPG	O
protagonist	O
of	O
the	O
time	O
;	O
he	O
struck	O
a	O
balance	O
between	O
the	O
androgynous	O
norm	O
of	O
Japan	O
and	O
the	O
more	O
muscular	O
builds	O
found	O
in	O
Western	O
games	O
,	O
and	O
his	O
silly	O
and	O
sometimes	O
stupid	O
attitude	O
both	O
represented	O
his	O
purity	O
and	O
set	O
his	O
personality	O
apart	O
from	O
other	O
genre	O
protagonists	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
background	O
environment	O
designers	O
made	O
up	O
the	O
largest	O
group	O
within	O
the	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
development	O
team	O
,	O
numbering	O
eleven	O
at	O
its	O
height	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
music	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
was	O
composed	O
by	O
Yoshitaka	O
Hirota	O
,	O
with	O
additional	O
contributions	O
by	O
Masaharu	O
Iwata	O
,	O
Yasunori	O
Mitsuda	O
and	O
Ryo	O
Fukuda	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hirota	O
wanted	O
emulate	O
Hiroki	O
Kikuta	O
's	O
music	O
for	O
Koudelka	B-Application
,	O
creating	O
a	O
score	O
that	O
was	O
"	O
beautiful	O
yet	O
destructive	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
ending	O
theme	O
"	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
"	O
was	O
composed	O
by	O
Hirota	O
and	O
sung	O
by	O
Hiroko	O
Kasahara	O
,	O
with	O
lyrics	O
in	O
English	O
and	O
Japanese	O
by	O
James	O
H	O
.	O
Woan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
2CD	O
soundtrack	O
album	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
Original	O
Soundtrack	O
Plus1	O
,	O
was	O
published	O
by	O
music	O
label	O
Scitron	O
Digital	O
Contents	O
on	O
June	O
18	O
,	O
2001	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
was	O
first	O
announced	O
in	O
January	O
2001	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
among	O
several	O
notable	O
PS2	B-Device
games	O
exhibited	O
at	O
the	O
March	O
2001	O
Tokyo	O
Game	O
Show	O
,	O
alongside	O
Final	O
Fantasy	O
X	O
and	O
Devil	B-Application
May	I-Application
Cry	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
its	O
Western	O
release	O
,	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
was	O
published	O
by	O
Midway	O
Games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
Koudelka	B-Application
,	O
which	O
used	O
English	O
voice	O
work	O
across	O
all	O
regions	O
,	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
was	O
dubbed	O
into	O
English	O
from	O
Japanese	O
with	O
subtitles	O
for	O
different	O
regions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
translation	O
was	O
done	O
by	O
Jeremy	O
Blaustein	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
previously	O
worked	O
on	O
the	O
Pokémon	O
anime	O
series	O
,	O
Valkyrie	B-Application
Profile	I-Application
and	O
Metal	B-Application
Gear	I-Application
Solid	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
launched	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
on	O
December	O
12	O
,	O
2001	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
2001	O
,	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
had	O
sold	O
nearly	O
104,000	O
units	O
,	O
being	O
among	O
the	O
top	O
100	O
best-selling	O
games	O
of	O
that	O
year	O
in	O
the	O
region	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
contrasting	O
official	O
statement	O
from	O
Midway	O
described	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
as	O
having	O
"	O
a	O
proven	O
audience	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dean	O
Mortlock	O
of	O
Official	O
UK	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
Magazine	O
enjoyed	O
the	O
gameplay	O
and	O
its	O
simplicity	O
despite	O
a	O
lack	O
of	O
innovation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
RPGFans	O
Mike	O
Bracken	O
noted	O
that	O
—	O
aside	O
from	O
the	O
Judgement	O
Ring	O
mechanic	O
—	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
followed	O
too	O
many	O
traditions	O
of	O
the	O
RPG	O
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bracken	O
said	O
the	O
graphic	O
quality	O
was	O
comparable	O
to	O
that	O
of	O
Koudelka	B-Application
when	O
the	O
latter	O
game	O
released	O
,	O
noting	O
that	O
it	O
still	O
fell	O
short	O
compared	O
to	O
other	O
recent	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
,	O
Sacnoth	O
was	O
rebranded	O
as	O
"	O
Nautilus	O
"	O
,	O
continuing	O
to	O
work	O
on	O
both	O
the	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
series	O
and	O
Aruze	O
's	O
pachinko	O
business	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Their	O
next	O
game	O
,	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
:	I-Application
Covenant	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2004	O
and	O
acted	O
as	O
a	O
direct	O
sequel	O
to	O
the	O
normal	O
ending	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
,	O
continuing	O
Yuri	O
's	O
adventures	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Much	O
of	O
the	O
team	O
later	O
worked	O
on	O
the	O
2005	O
spin-off	O
title	O
,	O
Shadow	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
:	I-Application
From	I-Application
the	I-Application
New	I-Application
World	I-Application
.	O
</s>
