yakuza
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PSP Fanboy Theatre: Volume 45
Gametrailers.com's Best PSP Game of 2007 (19.1MB) Also featured: Angry Video Game Nerd's Christmas Carol part 1 & part 2, Patapon and Yakuza 3.
Sex, swords and violence: a new Yakuza 3 trailer
We love the new Yakuza 3 (aka Ryu ga Gotoku KENZAN trailer. Why? Well, not only does it have awesome J-rap background music, it shows a lot of potentially fun gameplay. Yes, swordfights are good in any language. But, there's so much more than mindless killing. It appears that there are a number of traditional minigames for you to take part in. There's also a hilarious Leisure Suit Larry-esque romance aspect to the game as well. There's so much to seemingly do and see in the game -- this really is the Japanese equivalent of GTA. And unlike Rockstar's new effort, this one is exclusively ours. Nice! PS3 owners that have access to the Japanese PS Store are highly encouraged to download the HD version from the Store. For everyone else, check this trailer out now.
A lot people die in new Yakuza videos
Who doesn't want to be part of the Yakuza? Sega's PS3 exclusive Yakuza 3 looks to continue the series' legacy of brutal sword fights. Jeux-France has more than a handful of videos and new screenshots to peruse through. Watch out for some of the later pictures, though. The barely-clothed women may be considered NSFW for some.
Yakuza 3 fights display enemy 'strategy'
If you've ever wondered what it would be like to get into a swordfight with ancient samurai Yakuza, you'd probably imagine yourself in the middle of a crowd of bad guys who then back into buildings, then try to walk in a circle around you as you dispatch their comrades, right? Right? No? Well, the latest video of Yakuza 3 shows basically that level of enemy intellect, which is slightly discouraging. However, the game's still fairly early in production so they'll doubtlessly add some more artificial intelligence, but for now, we don't see much challenge in the game. We'll keep our fingers crossed for some improvement, though!
Yakuza 2, Dinosaur King, Mystery Dungeon coming to U.S. from Sega
It seems like it was just yesterday we were jealously watching the Yakuza 3 trailer, wishing that we could at least get our hands on the second game in the series. Now, it seems our prayers have been heard by benevolent overlord Sega, which announced last night that Yakuza 2 is among three Japanese developed games coming stateside in 2008. Needless to say, we're excited to get our hands on it, if only to try to make sense of the game's chronological relocation to feudal Japan in the three-quel. Either way, the press release promises "punching hundreds if not thousands of people really, really hard", so a good time will be had by all. Also included int the announcement were two DS games, Dinosaur King and Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer. Dinosaur King asks players to collect 100 dinosaurs, each with special moves, and battle them against each other. ("Not Pikachu, please don't sue!"). The other title, Mystery Dungeon is part of a massively popular franchise in Japan that hasn't made much of a splash in the U.S. ... save for Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. Is anyone else seeing a theme emerge?
There, in the distance, is a Yakuza 3 trailer
How long will it be until you get to play Yakuza 3? Well, let's see, when did Yakuza 2 come out here? ... Oh, that's right. It hasn't. So, you're at least one game away from getting your hands on Yakuza 3. Until this new trailer from TGS, that didn't seem like that big of a deal. Like rocket sneakers, we knew it was on the way, but it was so far off that we weren't troubled. Now, to continue the analogy, our rich neighbor just imported a pair. Maybe it's just us, be we love games with samurais and old men stopping swords with two fingers. So to say that we're intrigued by this trailer would be putting in mildly. Also, why is Yakuza in feudal Japan? The last time we checked it was about urban gangsters. If Yakuza 2 features some sort of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III time travel hi-jinx we just got even angrier that we haven't played it.
Yakuza 3 ain't your ordinary sequel
It's known that Yakuza sold like rotten bread outside of Japan which is why the second title didn't even make it overseas. However, in Japan, the two Yakuza titles by Sega have sold well, so we're glad to see a third iteration see daylight and hopefully, outside of Japan also. The funky thing is, this game takes place 400 years prior to the first one (so, that's 1605) and covers the journey of Kazumanosuke Kiryu, a bodyguard who takes any job for the right price. Wouldn't you know it, but he's approached by a girl named Haruka who asks him to kill Musashi Miyamoto, who is actually Kiryu's other self outside of the city. His past! His even darker half! Sega is employing an all-star voice-acting cast for the Japanese track (Japan has a lot more pride in their voice-acting). In addition to that, many upgrades are being made to the game. You'll have a huge, detailed city to explore and four different fighting styles to make use of (fist, blade, dual blade, broad sword). You no longer have to train with a master to gain moves -- you still can, but you'll also learn moves by observing events, like a dog jumping to catch a bone. There will be over 100 subquests and multiple minigames, also. It seems Sega is really pulling out the stops with this, so we'll keep you posted how it looks at the Tokyo Game Show!
Yakuza 3 trailer drops jaws, kimonos
It's looking awesome. That's really all we can say about this Yakuza 3 trailer, containing more samurai action you can shake your bamboo sword at. Our inability to understand Japanese is becoming more of an issue with all these excellent game announcements, but fear not, as we're hard at work taking some lessons so we can sound slightly more impressive. The announcement for this game was very, very recent, so already having this amount of footage means Sega has probably been hard at work for a while and we can expect something new at TGS next week.
Yakuza 3 revealed for PlayStation 3
Though the report in the latest issue of Famitsu (which brought us this Eternal Sonata exclusivity nugget as well) doesn't specifically mention the Xbox 360, and even though IGN claims that Yakuza 3 will be a PS3 exclusive, we're not quite ready to call it an exclusive just yet. Regardless of its status on that other console or its availability in a place that isn't Japan, Famitsu reveals that Yakuza 3 is indeed coming to the PlayStation 3 in Japan in the spring of 2008. And while they were at it, they thought you might be interested in knowing that it no longer takes place in the modern day, but rather in 1605 Edo period Japan. Don't live in Japan or own a PlayStation 3 but really want to play Yakuza 3? Don't know what to tell ya bub, we just work here. [Via PS3 Fanboy]
Yakuza 3 info revealed in latest Famitsu
As well as confirming our Eternal Sonata suspicions the latest issue of Famitsu contains a lot of information regarding Yakuza 3. The game will be a PlayStation 3 exclusive and will be set in 1605, as opposed to modern day as the previous games have been. Famitsu contains lots of pretty pictures of the characters and the real-life celebrities that they are based off. One naughty NeoGAFer has scanned in the pages showing all the info and images. We're excited about this game, even though we haven't played any of the previous ones. From the looks of things though, it promises to be Onimusha without the demons. Which is fine with us!
Rumor: Sega may be counting down to new Yakuza
A lot of Sega fanboys would cry out for Shenmue 3 at this point, but we don't think that's what's getting announced at the Tokyo Game Show in a matter of weeks. If you check out the official Japanese website for Yakuza 2, at least what we assume is Yakuza 2, a strange thing happens -- a knife stabs a piece of paper and a number, written in Japanese, pops up. It's the number 8, and it's apparently been counting down for a while. What's in eight days? According to IGN, the first Tokyo Game Show briefing. Will Sega announce a new entry into the surprisingly decent Yakuza franchise for the PS3? Rumors about that the game is supposed to move players beyond anything felt in recent games. Sega's most successful game to move players is arguably Shenmue. People weren't as excited over Shenmue 2, regardless, a third entry into the series has been desired by fans for years. But why would it be advertised on a Yakuza site? They are remotely related -- they've got similar gameplay and storytelling aspects. Whatever the ultimate result, we'll bring it to you on the 14th! [via IGN]
Yakuza producer brings two games to PS3
Yakuza producer Toshihiro Nagoshi (pictured, above) announced a couple of new PS3 games during the PlayStation Premiere event today. Senjou no Valkyrie (Battle Field Valkyrie) is a new game from the Sakura Taisen team that promises to combine action, strategy and RPG elements. The game will feature graphics that look like water color paintings, utilizing a new technique called "Canvas."After this announcement, Nagoshi hinted on two new projects he's working on for PS3. Apparently, the cosplay he's wearing is a hint of Nagoshi's next game. The project is called "my biggest production since I started working on consumer games." The game will be officially unveiled on September 14th, with a release planned for Spring. A second game was simply hinted at ... but we'll have to wait for the official announcement at a later date. Don't you love announcements of announcements?[Image source: Famitsu]
Red Steel 2 'confirmed' and denied
We already know it's coming, but Ubisoft has officially denied any announcements about Red Steel 2. Inpact Virtuel originally reported that Ubisoft had confirmed the game at the Interactive & Digital Entertainment Expo in Cannes.However, following a call to Ubisoft, they have found that nothing has been announced. At the moment, we have a game that we know people are working on, but officially doesn't exist. Spooky! It's like a ghost-game.[Via GoNintendo]
Sega's Yakuza goes from game to movie
Toshihiro Nagoshi walks with a swagger and dresses like a Japanese film star. A few years ago he was the Monkey Ball man; now he's the poster boy of Ryu Ga Gotoku (known in the West as Yakuza), and has achieved a Mizuguchi-like omnipresence within the Japanese game industry and media. The reward for all his hard work is this, the movie of his massively successful Ryu Ga Gotoku games. (More than 500,000 units of Ryu Ga Gotoku 2 have been sold in Japan since the PS2 game's December release.) Takashi Miike, who is reportedly one of Quentin Tarantino's favourite directors, has guided the production of Ryu Ga Gotoku: The Movie. Miike has previously directed flicks such as Ichi the Killer (a story of anarchic violence), The Guys from Paradise (a heartwarmer), and The Happiness of the Katakuris (a black comedy). Along with an A-list cast, Miike gives this game-to-movie transition more pedigree than most. Not that we have anything against Bob Hoskins... Ryu Ga Gotoku: The Movie will be showing at cinemas across Japan from March 3. Click through to see the movie's official Japanese website, which now features a (very promising) preview clip.
Here it is: Red Steel boxart
For a lot of people (read: people who are not obsessive gamers like us), the boxart is their only real window into what a game might offer. That tends to make it a little important in the grand scheme of things. And when it comes to selling an entire system, the boxart of a few key games becomes doubly important. Nintendo is facing something of a challenge when it comes to winning so-called "hardcore" gamers to its side in this round of the console wars, and this box for Red Steel may help shift the balance. There's nothing about this title that is juvenile in any way, but the same could be said for many GameCube games, and yet the notion that Nintendo is 'just for kids' lingered. Having this box prominently displayed next to the spankin' new Wiis come November 19 could win a few more fans for the House of Mario and their new benefactor Ubisoft. It's simple, yet gives the impression of frenetic motion -- something that is often seen on the covers of the better class of Hong Kong action films.How does it strike you? Give us your impressions.
More than one level in Red Steel after all
We were pleased to learn that Red Steel is actually a full length game (shocking!) and not just the same level we've seen dozens of times, with dozens of guys bouncing around a set and waving the Wiimote. Can't they find a woman for one of these? Where are your Frag Dolls now, Ubisoft? Or please, get the intense guy again. He was our favorite. And while this new video is quite the sizzler, we're insulted by the fact that the actor left perfectly good sushi just sitting there in favor of picking the game back up. Find the pause button, son. It's all about priorities.Keep going to check out the video.
A closer look at Red Steel
So how did a game like Red Steel come about? IGN has the answers, in a new in-depth feature that covers the artistic side of the development process. There's some discussion as well of the power of the console, and the artistic director, Stephane Bachelet, reports that while the graphical capabilities of the Wii were somewhat limiting, it spurred them to create a slick 'game noir' style that is heavy with shadows and framed in bright neon lights. Artistically, Bachelet says, they were shooting for something that would communicate the culture shock of a Western man thrust into a foreign environment, and how that shaped the atmosphere and setting. Look for a lot of traditional Japanese symbols not from a Japanese perspective, but from a Western perspective. Sounds a lot like what we've come to expect from Hollywood -- which is perfect for an action game so obviously inspired by action films.
Joystiq hands-on: Yakuza
A hit in Japan since it was released last winter, many of those who knew about Yakuza were ecstatic once they heard a version for the English-speaking crowd was coming stateside. Today, I was able to get up close and personal with a title that, on the outside, may resemble just another GTA clone, but really has the potential to be more than that. Taking players inside the hidden nightlife district of Tokyo, Yakuza is looking to position itself as one of the final standout games for the PlayStation 2 when it's released in the U.S. on September 5. But will it really pull that off based on hype alone?
Yakuza nabs celebrities, takes their voices
What do Michael Madsen (Mr. Blonde), Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor from Smallville), Eliza Dushku, (Faith from Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Rachel Leigh Cook (She's All That), and Mark Hamill (uhh, Luke Skywalker) all have in common? Yup, none of them are Japanese and all of them are lending their voices in Sega's American-ization of their Japanese crime-game Ryu ga Gotoku, now Yakuza. Thing is, none of em are playing Kazuma, the title's lead. For some more on the selection process, check out Gamespot's interview with Justin Lambros, the US producer. Hoping to keep the Japanese dialogue track for that authentic Ryu ga Gotoku feel? Tough luck, says Lambros, "We were hoping to include the Japanese dialogue as an alternate track, but unfortunately there just wasn't enough room on a single disc to put both sets of voice files."
Yakuza tale, Ryu Ga Gotoku, headed West
Sega's lauded Japanese Yakuza game Ryu Ga Gotoku ("Like a Dragon") is going to bring its distinct brand of gangster-infused street brawling to the US and Europe. Matt Woodley, Creative Director of SEGA Europe said: "We feel that the street brawling gameplay in particular will impress everyone... Getting this spot on in games has proven hard for some developers in the past, but the Yakuza team have pulled it off with great style. Add to that some of the most evocative locations seen in a game and we have a title SEGA are very excited to be releasing." The title has been described as a badass Shenmue, with similarly memorable city environs and a darker, more violent storyline. The game will be renamed Yakuza for its summer 2006 release on PlayStation 2. See also: Ryu Ga Gotoku prologue heads to DVD, no import plans Ryu Ga Gotoku Website Launched [Thanks, John]
