Like a Dragon

From WE Computers Museum
Revision as of 20:37, 22 August 2023 by Jenni (talk | contribs) (slight change in wording)
Like a Dragon logo.png
Like a Dragon
Developer NE R&D Dept., Ryū ga Gotoku Studio, Sega CS1
Publisher Sega
Platforms As noted below
Released 2005-present
Added to
Museum
As noted below

Like a Dragon (龍が如く, "Ryū ga Gotoku") is a multimedia series by Ryū ga Gotoku Studio consisting of video games, films, a television show, magazines, books, comics, and music.

Yakuza logo.png

The series was known outside of Japan as Yakuza until the official reveal of in-progress projects by Ryū ga Gotoku Studio on September 14, 2022.

It was spun-off into the Judgment series.

Fictional character biographies

Most games in the series focused on a former Yakuza named Kazuma Kiryu, the Dragon of Dojima. Kiryu took the blame for a murder that he didn't commit, and spent ten years in prison. He became the sixth chairman of the Yakuza's Tojo Clan until he left to raise the daughter of his only love, who was murdered by her ex-husband, a crooked politician.

In Like a Dragon Online, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the main series protagonist is Ichiban Kasuga, the Rock-Bottom Dragon. He was a low-level Yakuza, who was abandoned at birth and raised in the streets of Tokyo. Like Kiryu, he took the blame for a murder he didn't commit. However, when he was released from prison eighteen years later, he was shunned by his former yakuza family.

Other playable characters include:

Video games

Title Developer System Release Added to museum Notes
Yakuza Sega New Entertainment R&D Dept. PS2 2005 Not yet Takes place in 2005, with former yakuza Kazuma Kiryu as the playable character.
Yakuza 2 Sega New Entertainment R&D Dept. PS2 2006 Not yet Takes place in 2006, with former yakuza Kazuma Kiryu as the playable character.
Like a Dragon Kenzan! Sega CS1 PS3 2008 October 26, 2018 Takes place in 1605, with the historical rōnin Miyamoto Musashi as the playable character. Released in Japan only.
Yakuza 3 Sega CS1 PS3 2009 October 26, 2018 Takes place in 2009, with Kazuma Kiryu as the playable character.
Yakuza 4 Sega CS1 PS3 2010 October 26, 2018 Takes place in 2010, with Kazuma Kiryu, Masayoshi Tanimura, Shun Akiyama and Taiga Saejima as the playable characters.
Black Panther: Like a Dragon - New Chapter Sega CS1
Syn Sophia
PSP 2010 September 6, 2021 Takes place in 2010, with Tatsuya Ukyo as the playable character. Released in Japan only.
Yakuza: Dead Souls Sega CS1 PS3 2011 August 6, 2020 Takes place in 2011. A zombie shooter with Shun Akiyama, Goro Majima, Ryuji Goda, and Kazuma Kiryu as playable characters.
Black Panther 2: Like a Dragon - Ashura Chapter Ryū ga Gotoku Studio
Syn Sophia
PSP 2012 September 6, 2021 Takes place in 2012, with Tatsuya Ukyo as the playable character. Released in Japan only.
Like a Dragon 1&2 HD Edition Ryū ga Gotoku Studio PS3 2012 Not yet Japanese-exclusive remaster of Yakuza and Yakuza 2: Takes place in 2005 and 2006, with former yakuza Kazuma Kiryu as the playable character.
Yakuza 5 Ryū ga Gotoku Studio PS3 2012 October 26, 2018 Takes place in 2012, with Kazuma Kiryu, Shun Akiyama, Taiga Saejima, Haruka Sawamura, and Tatsuo Shinada as the playable characters.
Yakuza Kiwami Ryū ga Gotoku Studio PS4 2013 July 17, 2018 Remake of Yakuza: Takes place in 2005, with former yakuza Kazuma Kiryu as the playable character.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 Ryū ga Gotoku Studio PS4 2017 October 18, 2018 Remake of Yakuza 2: Takes place in 2006, with Kazuma Kiryu as the playable character. The unlockable Majima Saga adds playable chapters as Goro Majima.
Like a Dragon: Ishin! Ryū ga Gotoku Studio PS4 2014 October 26, 2018 Takes place in 1863, with the historical samurai Sakamoto Ryōma as the playable character. Released in Japan only.
Yakuza 0 Ryū ga Gotoku Studio PS4 2015 October 24, 2018 Takes place in 1988, with playable characters Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima. Released on PS4 worldwide and on PS3 in Japan only.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life Ryū ga Gotoku Studio PS4 2016 July 17, 2018 Takes place in 2016, with Kazuma Kiryu as the playable character.
Yakuza 3 Remastered Ryū ga Gotoku Studio PS4 2018 August 21, 2019 Remaster of Yakuza 3: Takes place in 2009, with Kazuma Kiryu as the playable character.
Like a Dragon Online Ryū ga Gotoku Studio Android 2018 January 20, 2019 Takes place in 2018. An online turn-based RPG with gatcha mechanics, with Ichiban Kasuga as the main character.
Yakuza 4 Remastered Ryū ga Gotoku Studio PS4 2019 August 21, 2019 Remaster of Yakuza 4: Takes place in 2010, with Kazuma Kiryu, Masayoshi Tanimura, Shun Akiyama and Taiga Saejima as the playable characters.
Yakuza 5 Remastered Ryū ga Gotoku Studio PS4 2019 August 21, 2019 Remaster of Yakuza 5: Takes place in 2012, with Kazuma Kiryu, Shun Akiyama, Taiga Saejima, Haruka Sawamura, and Tatsuo Shinada as the playable characters.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon Ryū ga Gotoku Studio PS4 2019 August 13, 2021 Takes place in 2019. A turn-based RPG with Ichiban Kasuga as the playable character.
Yakuza Remastered Collection Ryū ga Gotoku Studio PS4 2019 August 21, 2019 Remaster of Yakuza 3, Yakuza 4, and Yakuza 5: Takes place in 2009, 2010, and 2012, with Kazuma Kiryu, Shun Akiyama, Taiga Saejima, Masayoshi Tanimura, Haruka Sawamura, and Tatsuo Shinada as the playable characters.
Like a Dragon: Ishin! Kiwami Ryū ga Gotoku Studio Xbox One 2023 February 21, 2023 Remake of Like a Dragon: Ishin!: Takes place in 1863, with the historical samurai Sakamoto Ryōma as the playable character.
Like a Dragon: The Man Who Erased His Name Ryū ga Gotoku Studio PS4 2023 Not yet Takes place between 2016 and 2019 with Kazuma Kiryu, as Joryu, as the playable character.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Ryū ga Gotoku Studio PS4 2024 Not yet Takes place in 2024 with Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu as the playable characters.

Films

Title Production company Distributor Release Added to museum Notes
Like a Dragon: Prologue Art Port Sega 2006 July 27, 2020 Prequel to Yakuza.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon Art Port Toei 2007 August 1, 2020 Based on Yakuza.

Television series

Title Production company Distributor Release Added to museum Notes
Black Panther: Like a Dragon - New Chapter TBS Television TBS Television 2010 Not yet Adaptation of Black Panther: Like a Dragon - New Chapter.
Black Panther 2: Like a Dragon - Ashura Chapter TBS Television TBS Television 2012 Not yet Adaptation of Black Panther 2: Like a Dragon - Ashura Chapter.

Other games with Like a Dragon characters as playable characters

Title Developer System Release Added to museum Notes
Everybody's Golf 6 Clap Hanz PS3, Vita 2011 Not yet Kazuma Kiryu is a DLC character in the Japanese version of this golf game.
Binary Domain Ryū ga Gotoku Studio PS3
Xbox 360
Windows
2012 December 23, 2018 Kazuma Kiryu, Shun Akiyama, Goro Majima, Taiga Saejima, and Ryuji Goda were available as DLC in the Japanese version of this third-person shooter set in 2080 in a Tokyo that has been ravaged by global warming.
Project X Zone 2 Monolith Soft Nintendo 3DS 2015 Not yet Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima are in this crossover tactical role-playing game with characters from franchises by Bandai Namco, Capcom, Sega, and Nintendo.
Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise Ryū ga Gotoku Studio PlayStation 4 2018 October 26, 2018 A Kiryu skin is available as DLC.
Streets of Kamurocho Empty Clip Studios Windows 2020 October 20, 2020 Beat-em 'up in the 16-bit Streets of Rage style, with Kazuma Kiryu, Goro Majima, and Ichiban Kasuga as the playable characters.

Pachinko games

Title Developer Release Added to museum Notes
Like a Dragon Kenzan! 2
Ryū ga Gotoku Kenzan! 2
(龍が如く 見参!, "Like a Dragon Arrives! 2")
Taiyo Elec 2014 Not yet Pachinko game.
Like a Dragon: Of the End
Ryū ga Gotoku OF THE END
(龍が如 OF THE END, "Ryū ga Gotoku")
Taiyo Elec 2015 Not yet Pachislot game.

Soundtrack albums owned by WEC Museum

Title Studio Release Added to museum Notes
Dragon Song: Like a Dragon - Karaoke Best Selection Sega 2011 August 15, 2022 Preorder bonus for Like a Dragon Of the End.
Dragon Song: Like a Dragon 5 The Best Songs Selection Sega 2012 August 15, 2022 Preorder bonus for Like a Dragon 5.
Like a Dragon Series: Best Soundtrack Sega 2014 August 15, 2022 Preorder bonus for Like a Dragon Ishin!.

Magazines owned by WEC Museum

Title Publisher Release Added to museum Notes
Kamutai Magazine: December 2006 Sega 2006 August 15, 2022 Preorder bonus for Like a Dragon 2.
Kamutai Magazine: March 2008 Sega 2008 August 15, 2022 Preorder bonus for Like a Dragon: Kenzan!
Kamutai Magazine: February 2009 Sega 2009 August 15, 2022 Preorder bonus for Like a Dragon 3.
Kamutai Magazine: March 2010 Sega 2010 June 20, 2023 Preorder bonus for Like a Dragon 4.
Like a Dragon: Hot•Dog Press Sega 2015 August 15, 2022 Preorder bonus for Like a Dragon 0.