hosannainexcelsis
Member
That's Akagi, a great manga/anime about mahjong.
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Yakuza 4 |OT| Welcome back, hostess bars & proper boxart!
- Thread starter IrishNinja
- Start date
That's Akagi, a great manga/anime about mahjong.
R_thanatos
Member
Akagi reference. Akagi is an anime about majong that was quite popular during release . The location of the poster is spot-on..and overall the game have several well placed references in the city ..( references to animes/movies ) but also to several real life products .
The fun is in the attention to detail.. i guess
TheyTookOurJobs
Member
I still haven't played 3. Would love to dive into this though if I can find it for <=$15, and I loved the shit out of the first one when I rented it many moons ago. I missed the Wal*Mart black friday deal.
Still $15 at Newegg.
Yakuza 3: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16879257072
Yakuza 4: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16879257077
Yakuza 3: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16879257072
Yakuza 4: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16879257077
xXBetter Off DadXx
Member
+4.98 shipping
IrishNinja
Member
man, Dresden - i see you in like all my favorite game topics.
you got some good taste, man. i just had to say somethin'.
sammyCYBORG
Member
Started Saejima yesterday. Hell, his fighting style took me some time to adjust, it's such a contrast to Akiyama. Saejima has some cool essences though and I'm glad I can finally grab the larger enemies without being squashed or countered constantly.
R_thanatos
Member
it only get better on this point
The first chapter of saehima is indeed really distrubing ..going from teh uber agile akiyama to the slower but powerfull saejima style. i took a moment to adjust and that made this chapter quite difficult ( chapter 1 )
sammyCYBORG
Member
I will say that the fight on the beach with Kiryu took me way longer than I care to admit.
I've never played the previous ones and the demo bored me, but I'm so glad I gave the game a shot. I'm at the final section of last chapter and so far it's been a very enjoyable experience. Not only it's very different than regular JRPGs, the story is actually pretty well done despite holes here and there. I think the fact that there are multiple, good leads also helped to keep the game refreshing. I really hope the game sold good enough to warrant future translations.
IrishNinja
Member
yeah, amazing fight but that makes two of us - it really showed on the time trails, too.
still sorta bummed that it looks like 3 sold better, but we're getting Dead Souls, which is a spinoff, something we didn't have much hope for before, so i feel safe saying the mainline series shouldn't have a hard time coming over at least.
Wait til you get Tanimura. Counter system in Yakuza games are broken, so using him is like having Tiger Drop 24/7
R_thanatos
Member
it's not that broken , his grab moves however are pretty much a instant cheat ....Once you can upgrade the counter & grab time , he is just so fun to play ...
AcceptableGhost
Member
I have no clue why this series isn't more popular in the U.S.
IrishNinja
Member
it really would be a nice fit with the arcade action, but it's super japanese-y plus part 1 didnt live up for some, and while 2 was vastly superior on every level, shit was so delayed i think the series might've lost momentum for many by then, i could be wrong though. didn't it finally show in like the twilight of the ps2's lifecycle, way late?
nckillthegrimace
Member
I was hesitant to pick this up after the relatively tedious nature of Yakuza 3, but I'm really glad I did. I realized the glorious bastards who made Yakuza 2 were back in top form when I got to the end of Akiyama's section and
Please tell me the game keeps the crazy levels that high throughout.
the boss bursts through the door with a goddamn chainsaw.
xXBetter Off DadXx
Member
I just hit hour 60 in this game and I'm still finding little nooks and crannies in the game world that I did not know of before.
I think they really did a fantastic job with the four characters, making their fighting styles distinct from one another helps to keep the pace of the game moving along quite well, in that respect, for me, it has felt less repetitive than Yakuza 3(which I also really enjoy).
I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but I watched the first chapter online of Kenzan! yesterday....dammit, that looks the goddamn samurai game I've wanted to play for a long time. Here's to hoping if Dead Souls does decent enough that Sega might at least consider a PSN release for Kenzan!
I think they really did a fantastic job with the four characters, making their fighting styles distinct from one another helps to keep the pace of the game moving along quite well, in that respect, for me, it has felt less repetitive than Yakuza 3(which I also really enjoy).
I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but I watched the first chapter online of Kenzan! yesterday....dammit, that looks the goddamn samurai game I've wanted to play for a long time. Here's to hoping if Dead Souls does decent enough that Sega might at least consider a PSN release for Kenzan!
AcceptableGhost
Member
The problem with Kenzan! is that Sega would actually have to take the (fairly miniscule) amount of time thinking up trophies and implementing them along with the usual translation stuff. I think the best hope for Kenzan! is if a company outside of Sega published it in America, which I don't see happening. Dunno though, if Yakuza 3/4 sold enough to warrant release than there is no real reason why Kenzan! shouldn't be brought over.
Playing Yakuza 1 now (after playing 3/4). Amazing how much stuff they got right with the first release. Going to actually try to do all/most of the side quests in this game. The fighting is definitely a off compared to 3/4 and the dub is .... interesting I guess. Going to pick up Yakuza 2 soon too.
xXBetter Off DadXx
Member
Ah see I didn't know that Kenzan! did not already have trophies...but like you said it wouldn't be that hard I don't think for them to come up with some similar to the ones in 3 and 4(the usual beating the game, sidequests, etc.)
I guess I can see their angle as far as the main games in the series being about the Japanese mafia and then the more "western" appeal of Dead Souls with it being a shooter, then there's Kenzan!, which compares to what, Way of the Samurai series? In that respect I can understand their hesitation to bring it over here, doesn't mean I don't still want it quite a bit.
Back more directly on topic, I've started to get into the side missions involving the hostesses, very interesting stuff. I don't know how close this mirrors the actual trade of what being a hostess consists of.....but I do know that I got a kick out of Kazuma explaining to a hostess why adult men reading comic books is not strange at all.......MY MAN!
Decided to just beat the game first and then go back to mess around with side stuff, loved the epic presentation for the final battle! It was only a bit tedious and took a few retries because my Tanimura is a couple levels low and I wasn't carrying any healing items. I hope they never go back to single lead character in the future games.
sammyCYBORG
Member
I love Saejima's revelations. It is amusing to watch him carve little wooden statues
xXBetter Off DadXx
Member
I love Saejima's revelations. It is amusing to watch him carve little wooden statues
Haha, I'm playing as him right now and I agree, it's goofy little details like that that I really like about the game.
Speaking of Saejima, does anyone remember the side quest with the kappa? I have some food to lure it out, but I can't remember where I'm supposed to put it down at.
IrishNinja
Member
I love Saejima's revelations. It is amusing to watch him carve little wooden statues
haha, yes! that, and i love when he has to be reached manually for sidequests, cause he doesn't (know to) fuck with phones.
AcceptableGhost
Member
Picked up Yakuza 2 today, going to play it after I finish Yakuza 1 (obviously). The english dub in Yakuza 1 is so weird sometimes. The use of swears is so bad in that game - half the time, minimal emotion put into it (you mooooooootherfuuucker). I have certainly seen worse though.
I mean maybe the Japanese track may have horrible VA but I wouldn't know because I don't understand it.
I mean maybe the Japanese track may have horrible VA but I wouldn't know because I don't understand it.
SpikedGunner
Member
Oh God I remember that line, it was just painful. I think the dub would have been better if SEGA hadn't wasted money for certain actors. Though I will say having Goofy's VA as Date was interesting (Hamill as Majima was good too).
2 is my favorite of the 4 main games.
..and that's not counting the Tiger fights, why something like this was never attempted again I'll never know.
I'm playing through 1 right now and Date's voice is so terrible. I guess maybe I should say terribly miscast. He sounds like a nerd from the 50s or something when he's supposed to be this at least semi-tough homicide detective. I can't help but laugh every time he speaks.
YOU CAN SKIP CUTSCENES IN THIS GAME!?!?
I'm probably going to give it another go now. Some cutscenes really started to drag on very early on and I didn't want to explore the game much more at that point as a result. I wish I had taken my time earlier and checked the options menu for that, I just figured that if they didn't give it to me at the start that it wasn't available at all. What a weird way to go about optional cutscenes, Sega.
Does any other game operate their cutscene management in such a fashion? I can't think of any offhand.
I'm probably going to give it another go now. Some cutscenes really started to drag on very early on and I didn't want to explore the game much more at that point as a result. I wish I had taken my time earlier and checked the options menu for that, I just figured that if they didn't give it to me at the start that it wasn't available at all. What a weird way to go about optional cutscenes, Sega.
Does any other game operate their cutscene management in such a fashion? I can't think of any offhand.
R_thanatos
Member
Wow Amon ...
regenerative health ? HUGE Damage deal hammer ? changing styles on go and counter attacks ? 2 machine guns ?
And 2 set of health bars ?? Breaking my regular weapons ????
I'm impressed ...
What the hell with this hammer what the heck this difficulty ?
regenerative health ? HUGE Damage deal hammer ? changing styles on go and counter attacks ? 2 machine guns ?
And 2 set of health bars ?? Breaking my regular weapons ????
I'm impressed ...
What the hell with this hammer what the heck this difficulty ?
R
Retro_
Unconfirmed Member
Yeah I don't think many games have cutscene skip as a toggle that is default off
but that's why it pays to check the options menu before starting any game you play.
IrishNinja
Member
haha yeah, amon's no joke! the seajima regenerative battle took me a bit to sort out, too...i didn't fight him in prior games, no idea how he ranks in comparison.
R_thanatos
Member
Totally worthy of the gold trophy for beating him..
I went with my inventories expecting a tough fight but not expecting a challenge ... i will retry soon with better armor , better healing items and better skills ..Amon will go down ..soon.
a LV19 kiryu wasn't enough but i'm hoping that a LV 20 drunked kiryu might do the trick
Sickboy007
Member
I got it for 10 euro and started playing two days ago.
All i have to say is that Akiyama is a boss. His backstory reminds me of the protagonist of Homunculus, without all the sick fuckery obviously.
All i have to say is that Akiyama is a boss. His backstory reminds me of the protagonist of Homunculus, without all the sick fuckery obviously.
R_thanatos
Member
I just didn't expect the boss battle to be so cheap. He knocks you down and proceeds to fill his HEAT meter up at much as possible. When you get back up, no chance you're touching him.
R_thanatos
Member
The problem is that he doesn't use ( the boss ) anything that can't use in the games..
The taunt is a powerfull mecanic ( even now ) and kiryu has that ( more damage & resistance in blue aura ) hability since Y3 at least .
You're not aware of it ...yet maybe but in this game he ( kiryu ) has 2 finishes that START by a taunt .. And as a general rule , taunts work better when your opponent is scared or on the ground.
It's a vicious loop , but it's a loop that you can abuse yourself .. It feel cheap because you're with a slow (but powerfull ) character in front of a all rounder ( and powerfull ) ennemy ...in short you're at a total disadvantage
Last boss battle is so typically and annoyingly "Japanese". I had fun with everyone else though, except those SWAT assholes.
Great game, unfortunately the story was getting ridiculous with the death-defying nature of the characters. I forget who dies. They keep pulling the same stunts, it's pretty boring by now.
Also, Haruka has clearly been fed some type of anti-growth hormone throughout her life.
Great game, unfortunately the story was getting ridiculous with the death-defying nature of the characters. I forget who dies. They keep pulling the same stunts, it's pretty boring by now.
Also, Haruka has clearly been fed some type of anti-growth hormone throughout her life.
Riposte
Member
You could see the style of the final showdown to Yakuza 4 happening in a Hollywood action movie or comic book featuring a team of two+ heroes of equal stature and who have their own vendettas/villains. Vaguely describing things you found distasteful as "Japanese" is fucking annoying.
IrishNinja
Member
yeah, that last battle
was right out of an 80s flick for me, huh.
that said,
with the chief cowering behind SWAT
that said,
if one more person shoots themselves/someone that matters because kazzy doesn't bother checking for/stripping guns, i'm gonna scream. cmon man, you got all torn up in 3 when that shit went down, the only way i can see leaving a gun within the chief's reach was because you wanted him to do it.
R_thanatos
Member
Haruka does grew up across the game .. Y4 is only 1 year after Y3 . so teh change is not obvious but she does grow up ..The change between Y3 prologue ( chapter 1 ) & Y4 end is pretty obvious.
There aren't so many deaths in Y4.Many deaths are negated the minute after ( such as tanimura ) And you's be happy that at least
Some people use their kevlar vest at least ...
I totally disagree on the "same stunts part"...
I agree there is nothing "japanese" in this Finale except that their have to undress .. but that's a cliché of the serie itself ..
Yeah, fighting 20 SWAT soldiers at the same time is definitely not "Japanese" game style. And then there's the fat, old guy shooting you with his gun at the same time, which is even better.
I don't mind them undressing. I don't have issues with "Japanese" clichés in a Japanese game's story, I do have issues with weird difficulty spikes, which is typical in Japanese final bosses. The AI isn't smart, it's just a cheap way to make the battle harder.
Munataka would have been much more fun to play against if he knew some wacky Kung-fu variation, rather than 20 SWAT guys, some with weapons, chasing you down while you try to knock his teeth out.
Seriously? People have been dying and coming back to life in Yakuza for how many games now? This is Dragon Ball levels of silly.
Riposte
Member
I forgot about that. That's totally Japanese haha. The whole Yakuza-inspired obsession with showing your tats, etc. They've even applied to characters without them.
Oh fucking please. I've played enough FPSes, WRPGs, and so on (and Japanese games, for that matter) to know this is a bunch of bullshit. You can't even apply that logic to the rest of the final boss fights in Yakuza 4 or the rest of the series I've played. It was a very unusual final fight to say the least.
EDIT: In the series, it is not so much people come "back to life" / "fake their death", they just don't die immediately. And then of course they have gun nearby them (sometimes dropped carelessly by protagonists). These kind of moments really do need to stop happening because they are mood killing at this point.
EDIT: Though I will probably feel differently once Kashiwagi comes back to life to be a villain in 5 or 6. I mean, because really... you know that's going to happen.
R_thanatos
Member
I really don't see those weird difficulty spikes you're talking about .Imo in Y4 there are none .. I'm no battle expert in Yakuza games but i beat kiryu as seajima on my second try and i lost the first time because of my own carelessness. The only moments where you can have a hard time is when you're switching to a new character that focuses on a new way to play that you don't know yet ..and even then there isn't anything HARD ..Yakuza 4 has no cheap moments ( except hidden boss ).
AS for people dying ..i was refering to this game itself.. if you're talking about the serie i'd say not much.
In this game , the only one who faked his death ( during the playable story ) that isn't a main character was
the police chief
Y4 has 6 deaths of spoken characters 5 that were important to the plot.Those are not fakes.. 3 characters fake their deaths, one being a main character and the other 2 are confirmed alive less than 4 mns after.. talk about overused