Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii was almost a fish 'em up called Like A Dragon: Tuna

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Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii was almost a fish ‘em up called Like A Dragon: TunaThere’s always next time

There’s always next time

Image credit:Sega

Kiryu hooks in a puffer fish off the shores of Okinawa, with “congratulations!” signalling his success, in Yakuza 3 Remastered.

A new PlayStation blog (thanks cheery fanzinePCGamerfor the spot) has provided some illuminating info on the upcomingLike A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii, and in many ways, the LAD series as a whole. The biggest takeaway: the fact pirateYakuzawas, at one point, going to be a fishing game called Like A Dragon: Tuna.Sachie KobariinterviewedRGG studio director and LAD executive producer Masayoshi Yokoyama, alongside RGG’s chief producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto, about LAD: Pirate Yakuza’s origins. Right from the off, Kobari asks how the game came to be - and the response is gold.Yokoyama says that onceLike A Dragon: Infinite Wealth’s (Yakuza 8) development came to a close, they wanted to create a “blown-up sub-story” for the game, as a sort of spin-off that stars characters besides the main protagonist Ichiban Kasuga. Turns out that “for quite some time”, Yokoyama wanted to make a game called “Like A Dragon: Tuna”, where Kiryu, “as a tuna fisherman, sets off to sea to fight against fishing boats”. In the end it didn’t come about, obviously, but Yokoyama says that words like “ship”, “sea”, and “fighting” were “engraved in his head”. And it’s this mixture of themes that eventually bore piracy.Image credit:SegaIt’s interesting that they ditched Kiryu and went with Majima. Presumably, it’s because Kiryu stars in a lot of their games - most recently semi-spin-off,Like A Dragon Gaiden- and Pirate Yakuza is an opportunity to give the fans what they want: control over the absolute weapon that is Goro Majima, with his wise-cracking and his stylish moves. He’s a cracking character, with some real trauma powering that outward ‘madness’ and, believe it or not, a soft heart capable of love. All of which we’re introduced to in the brilliantYakuza 0and then it’s built on slightly inYakuza Kiwami 2with a fateful reunion. Seriously, I don’t think I’ve recovered.Pirate Yakuza is hopefully the first of many daft spin-offs. Back in 2018 (or 2021 on PC) we hadJudgmentas the action sidepiece to LAD’s turn-based battles, starring a kickass lawyer and his pals fighting crime from the inside. Sadly the Judgment series seemingly came to a halt when the actor Takuya Kimura, who plays the main character Takayuki Yagami, got into some rights issues (Japanese link to those rights issueshere). You know what I’d kill for? A spin-off of the next LAD game, but it’s Haruka oranyonepursuing a J-Pop dream. God, that section ofYakuza 5was mint.Oh and also, Kiryu’s taxi driver shenanigans in Yakuza 5? Also great. Just spitballing here RGG, but I wouldn’t be mad if Like A Dragon went a bitCrazy Taxi.You can learn more about Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii fromour coverageof its initial announcement. And you can find it over onSteam, too.

Sachie KobariinterviewedRGG studio director and LAD executive producer Masayoshi Yokoyama, alongside RGG’s chief producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto, about LAD: Pirate Yakuza’s origins. Right from the off, Kobari asks how the game came to be - and the response is gold.

Yokoyama says that onceLike A Dragon: Infinite Wealth’s (Yakuza 8) development came to a close, they wanted to create a “blown-up sub-story” for the game, as a sort of spin-off that stars characters besides the main protagonist Ichiban Kasuga. Turns out that “for quite some time”, Yokoyama wanted to make a game called “Like A Dragon: Tuna”, where Kiryu, “as a tuna fisherman, sets off to sea to fight against fishing boats”. In the end it didn’t come about, obviously, but Yokoyama says that words like “ship”, “sea”, and “fighting” were “engraved in his head”. And it’s this mixture of themes that eventually bore piracy.

Image credit:Sega

Pirate Majima blasts a scallywag with his dual flintlock pistols.

It’s interesting that they ditched Kiryu and went with Majima. Presumably, it’s because Kiryu stars in a lot of their games - most recently semi-spin-off,Like A Dragon Gaiden- and Pirate Yakuza is an opportunity to give the fans what they want: control over the absolute weapon that is Goro Majima, with his wise-cracking and his stylish moves. He’s a cracking character, with some real trauma powering that outward ‘madness’ and, believe it or not, a soft heart capable of love. All of which we’re introduced to in the brilliantYakuza 0and then it’s built on slightly inYakuza Kiwami 2with a fateful reunion. Seriously, I don’t think I’ve recovered.

Pirate Yakuza is hopefully the first of many daft spin-offs. Back in 2018 (or 2021 on PC) we hadJudgmentas the action sidepiece to LAD’s turn-based battles, starring a kickass lawyer and his pals fighting crime from the inside. Sadly the Judgment series seemingly came to a halt when the actor Takuya Kimura, who plays the main character Takayuki Yagami, got into some rights issues (Japanese link to those rights issueshere). You know what I’d kill for? A spin-off of the next LAD game, but it’s Haruka oranyonepursuing a J-Pop dream. God, that section ofYakuza 5was mint.

Oh and also, Kiryu’s taxi driver shenanigans in Yakuza 5? Also great. Just spitballing here RGG, but I wouldn’t be mad if Like A Dragon went a bitCrazy Taxi.

You can learn more about Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii fromour coverageof its initial announcement. And you can find it over onSteam, too.