The Perfect Arcade Games to Play In The Yakuza Series

One of the most beloved aspects of the Like a Dragon/Yakuza series is the attention to detail in replicating real-life Japanese locations. Japan has always been known for its arcades, so it’s only natural to include them. Since Sega has a long history of making incredible arcade titles, the publisher put many of its games into the series.

It’s awesome that these stellar action and RPG games are also a great way to play these arcade classics that, in many instances, have never been ported before. To boot, many of these arcade games include a two-player option, so you can play with your friends.

10

Space Harrier

Sega’s Iconic 80s Shooter

Regarding Sega’s arcade games released in the 1980s, one of the first to come to mind has to be Space Harrier. The hectic ’80s shooter is still a fun, exhilarating experience, bobbing and weaving between enemy fire, and a great example of a hard arcade game done right.

Thankfully, Space Harrier is playable in a bunch of Like a Dragon games, including Yakuza 0, Yakuza 6, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and the two Judgment games. Be warned that mastering Space Harrier is required to 100 percent Yakuza 0, and you’ll likely have a rough time beating its challenges.

9

Virtual On: Cyber Troopers

A Great Game, But Missing One Crucial Feature

Only playable in the series in Yakuza Kiwami 2 is the 1996 mech game Virtual On: Cyber Troopers. The controls take a bit to get used to, but once you understand them, it’s a lot of fun for a 3D mech fighter. There’s only one problem: no multiplayer.

The arcade game did have multiplayer via the head-to-head cabinet setup shown in Kiwami 2, but even in the main menu, the game’s not there if you pick 2-player vs. minigames. This is a huge omission, and while the game’s still fun enough in single-player, you might want to buy the game on PS4 or Xbox 360 (backward compatible on Xbox Series X|S) if you want to experience it fully.

8

The Ocean Hunter

The Classic Underwater Rail Shooter

While Sega’s known for some of the best rail shooters of all time, the Like a Dragon series never included a real-life one until Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. Included in the game is the 1998 classic, The Ocean Hunter. Incredibly fitting for this sea-based Majima adventure, The Ocean Hunter tasks you with killing seven large bosses throughout the numerous world oceans.

A phenomenal late-90s rail shooter with great force-feedback guns and solid action, the game’s finally ported for the first time in Pirate Yakuza. Unfortunately, you can’t use any light guns. There’s not even PlayStation Move support on PS5.

7

Virtua Fighter 3

One Of The Greatest 3D Fighters Of All Time

Virtua Fighter 1 birthed 3D fighting games as you know it, but Virtua Fighter 3 just went to the next level. Not only did the core fighting system improve, but the big innovation was the stages. For the first time, low-ground and high-ground advantage mattered, and this was huge for 3D fighting games.

It heavily influenced later titles like Dead or Alive 2, which had the biggest and best stages yet. Both Virtua Fighter 3 and its update Virtua Fighter 3tb are fully playable in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii and are well worth playing today.

6

SpikeOut

One Of The Most Underrated Beat-‘Em-Ups

There’s a long list of amazing arcade beat-’em-ups, but not many in full 3D. That’s where SpikeOut comes in. An incredibly fun 3D beat-’em-up living up to the pedigree seen in Sega’s Streets of Rage titles, SpikeOut has to be one of the best examples of a timer actually improving the gameplay.

The countdown clock forces you to beat up thugs the best you can, and if you’re bad at the game, you’ll have a very rough time catching up. Exclusive to arcades for decades, you can finally play this underrated gem in both Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.

5

Sega Bass Fishing

The Best Fishing Game Ever Made

The first fishing game most will think of is Sega Bass Fishing, and for good reason. The original version with that fishing rod controller was so much fun, and it had that distinct 90s Sega charm. Even though there was no multiplayer, it was still a great time to spend 15 minutes and compete with another person playing the game to see who got the largest fish.

The game was available on Xbox 360 (backward compatible on Xbox Series X|S) and Steam for a while. Sadly, it got delisted fairly recently. Thankfully, the game’s still playable through Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

4

Fighting Vipers

Sega’s Other 3D Arcade Fighter

While Sega’s biggest fighting game series is Virtua Fighter, back in the 90s, they also had Fighting Vipers. A 3D fighting game, Fighting Vipers was notable for its caged-in setting, ditching Ring Outs completely, and its armor system, which led to more strategic gameplay.

It’s a solid time today, but most modern audiences will likely get bored with it rather quickly. You can still buy Fighting Vipers on its own on the Xbox store, but you can also play it through both Judgment games. That’s the only way to play it on PC.

3

Fighting Vipers 2

The First Port In Over 20 Years

Fighting Vipers 1 was already ported to numerous systems before appearing in Judgment. However, Fighting Vipers 2 never had a North American console release until Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. It’s awesome to have a console release after nearly 20 years, and not only is the game present in Gaiden but Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii as well.

Fighting Vipers 2 is about on par with the original, with some improvements, but it has a few oddities that would never happen in a fighting game today. You can singlehandedly win a game by performing a super knockout, which Sega nicely balanced, but a mechanic like this would never appear now.

2

Daytona USA 2

One Of The Best Racing Games Of All Time Is Back

Daytona USA has to come up at some point when discussing the best racing games of all time. It’s not just the nostalgia because Daytona USA still holds up and controls extremely well for an arcade racer. However, the sequel was even better. With better graphics, better tracks, and tighter controls, Daytona USA 2 is a noticeable step up from the original.

While the first game is still unavailable for most due to it being delisted from the Xbox store years ago, you can play both vanilla Daytona USA 2 and the Power Edition through Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name and Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. It’s been renamed to Sega Racing Classic 2 due to licensing issues, but it’s the same game.

1

Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown

The Newest Game To Appear In The Series

You’d think retro games from the 80s, 90s, and heck, even early to mid-2000s, would be the only arcade titles Sega would bring over to the Like a Dragon series. That isn’t the case as in Yakuza 6, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and two Judgment games, you can play Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown.

It’s wild that this 2015 version of Virtua Fighter 5 is playable at no additional cost in these games. VF5 is a phenomenal 3D fighting game that’s criminally underrated. Playing it through the select Like a Dragon games has to be the most valuable path forward, considering you get an entire action or RPG experience along with a fighting game that’s $15 on its own.