Kurohyō: Ryū ga Gotoku Shinshō

Kurohyō: Ryū ga Gotoku Shinshō (Japanese: クロヒョウ 龍が如く新章, "Black Panther: Like a Dragon New Chapter"), codenamed "Project K", is a video game developed by Sega along with syn Sophia[1] and released by Sega for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) in 2010.[2] The game was introduced on April 21, 2010 by Famitsu and is a spin-off of Sega's Yakuza series.[3] An adaptation of the game was televised from October 5 to December 21, 2010, on Tokyo Broadcasting System.

Kurohyōu: Ryū ga Gotoku Shinshō
Japanese cover art
Developer(s)Sega CS3
Syn Sophia[1]
Publisher(s)Sega
Producer(s)Toshihiro Nagoshi
Writer(s)Toshihiro Nagoshi
Composer(s)Hidenori Shoji
Hyd Lunch
Yukie Sugawara
Hideki Naganuma
SeriesYakuza
Platform(s)PlayStation Portable
Release
  • JP: September 22, 2010
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Plot edit

On September 22, 2010, street punk Tatsuya Ukyo attempts to rob the Chinese mafia while posing as a Tojo Clan enforcer, but accidentally kills a Tojo Clan yakuza, Naoki Toda, during his escape. He is caught and brought before Toda's patriarch, Ryutaro Kuki, who introduces him to Dragon Heat, an underground fighting circuit where spectators bet on the victor. Kuki gives Tatsuya an ultimatum: earn his freedom by winning ten consecutive matches there, or be handed over to the police for murder. With no alternative, Tatsuya enters Dragon Heat.

Gameplay edit

The gameplay is focused on 1-on-1 brawling and martial arts, rather than the beat-em-up gameplay of the main Yakuza series. The combat is modeled after Def Jam Fight for NY, made by AKI Corporation (now syn Sophia), combined with elements of the main series' titles such as heat actions, overworld enemy encounters, and picking up weapons scattered around the arena. The 3D rendered gameplay uses the same kind of fixed camera system as in the first two Yakuza games on the PlayStation 2.

Content edit

Though on PSP, the game has similar mini-games to the main series, such as bowling, claw machines, and a batting center. Hostess clubs feature an interaction for a Kiss, which depends on how highly hearted the hostess is. Part-time jobs have been added for gaining money, as it is purposefully scarce in the game compared to other franchise titles.[citation needed]

Communication mode edit

As part of the game's multiplayer mode, a custom character is required to play online. This mode consists of missions to unlock items for character customization, and can be played either solo or cooperatively with another player. A standard VS mode can also be played among other players and teams. Fighting styles and stats are carried over from offline mode, and are based on the player's progress in the game.[citation needed]

TV drama edit

A television series based on the game began airing on TBS on October 5, 2010 and ended after 11 episodes.[4] The series spawned a sequel in 2012 based on the game's sequel, the series also ran for 11 episodes[5]

Sequel edit

 
Kurohyō 2: Ryū ga Gotoku Ashura hen being advertised at the Shinjuku Don Quijote store, a virtual version of which appears in the game

A sequel, Kurohyō 2: Ryū ga Gotoku Ashura hen (Japanese: クロヒョウ2 龍が如く 阿修羅編, lit. "Black Panther 2: Like a Dragon Ashura Chapter") was introduced for PSP by Ryū ga Gotoku series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi in Weekly Famitsu[6] and released in Japan on March 22, 2012.[7][8]

Legacy edit

Although the game, along with its sequel, is one of the few entries in the Yakuza series which has never received an international release, interest from fans has led to the development of fan translations for both games.[9][10][11]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "クロヒョウ 龍が如く新章". Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  2. ^ Anoop Gantayat (May 12, 2010). "Project K Named and Dated". Andriasang. Archived from the original on August 14, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  3. ^ Takeshi Hiraoka (April 21, 2010). "Yakuza expanding turf to PSP". GameSpot. Archived from the original on June 3, 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  4. ^ "クロヒョウ 龍が如く新章|ドラマ・時代劇|TBS Cs[Tbsチャンネル]". TBS. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  5. ^ "クロヒョウ2 龍が如く 阿修羅編|ドラマ・時代劇|TBS Cs[Tbsチャンネル]". TBS. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  6. ^ Anoop Gantayat (August 31, 2011). "Yakuza 5 in Development, Black Panther Sequel Due for PSP". Andriasang. Archived from the original on December 4, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  7. ^ "KUROHYOU 2: RYU GA GOTOKU ASHURA HEN". Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  8. ^ "『クロヒョウ2 龍が如く 阿修羅編』トレイラームービーTGS .ver". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Japan-Exclusive Yakuza PSP Game Gets Fan Translation". Kotaku. 2021-01-12. Archived from the original on 2022-11-06. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
  10. ^ "A Yakuza Fan is Translating the Series' Rare PSP Games". Digital Trends. 2022-01-12. Archived from the original on 2022-11-06. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
  11. ^ "One Of The Yakuza Games For PSP Now Has A Full English Fan Translation". Kotaku Australia. 2022-01-14. Archived from the original on 2022-11-06. Retrieved 2022-11-06.

External links edit