Mario Party? I don’t know her.
From Super Mario Wonder‘s unforgiving unlockable rhythm gauntlet to babysitting shifts in Sonic Adventure 2‘s Chao Garden, gamers have long been able to find off-the-wall micro-adventures throughout their favorite games. If there’s an in-game Easter egg to be cracked, you can count on achievement hunters or completionist types to patrol the map’s perimeter ’til it’s found.
The superfluous side mission has been a cornerstone of gaming for decades, but few modern franchises have mastered in-game superfluities quite like SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s Yakuza IP.
The Yakuza game series, now marketed as Like a Dragon, first hit home consoles in the United States in the mid-aughts. While the organized crime-centered role-playing games are plot-heavy and, at times, a little dense, they somehow balance gruesome gang violence, climactic cutscenes, and full-blooded dialogue with offbeat, plot-tangential minigames. The 180-degree tonal shift makes each kooky side quest even sillier; after primary protagonist Kazuma Kiryu forces alley-dwelling ne’er-do-wells to swallow their teeth, he can head back to Pocket Circuit Stadium to compete in a high-stakes slot car race against the neighborhood kids.
Developer Ryu Ga Gotoku and publisher SEGA have released eight additional mainline games since the first landed on PlayStation 2 in 2006 — that’s in addition to a dozen spinoffs and three remakes. The most recent entry, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, serves as a microcosm of the crime-drama franchise and its bizarro je ne sais quoi.
I’m a steadfast fan of the franchise who, at this point, could probably navigate Sotenbori blindfolded. Just as Kazuma Kiryu helped Korean actor Il Yu-Jin through Kamurocho, I’ll lead you through some of the series’ best minigames.
Disco (Yakuza 0)
I did NOT spend all that time in Parappa the Rapper‘s driver’s ed course just to eat crow in Maharaja.
The Disco minigame in Yakuza 0 is far more challenging than you’d assume at first glance. When I searched for other players’ opinions on Kiryu’s disco endeavor, one of the first results was a Reddit thread titled, “Yakuza 0 Dancing: The Dark Souls of Minigames.” I’ve gotta admit that there’s some truth to that — ultra-precise movements, perfectly-timed button presses, an easily-fumbled Fever — but the high of humbling the Disco King truly made it worth it.
The music, as delightful as it may be, is a distraction at times. If you rely too much on audio cues to make your moves, you’ll likely find yourself a half-step ahead or behind. It’s hard not to get lost in Miracle Johnson’s “Friday Night,” I agree, but try to keep your eye on the grid rather than the groove.
Many of the tracks featured in the Disco minigame are heard later on in the series, thankfully. Passing a random store in Sotenbori? Yep, that’s “Koi no DISCO QUEEN” I hear down the alley. Get me a foldable Dance Dance Revolution playmat, pronto!
Cabaret Club (Yakuza 0; Yakuza Kiwami 2)
There are two very similar iterations of this bite-sized club management sim: Yakuza 0‘s “Cabaret Club Czar,” a Goro Majima-led minigame centered within Sotenbori’s Club Sunshine, and Yakuza Kiwami 2‘s “Cabaret Club Grand Prix,” which features Four Shine and its new manager, Kazuma Kiryu. Cabaret clubs do make appearances later in the series, but not quite in the same way. Depending on which series entry you’re in, either Kiryu or Majima will assume a role as the manager of an underachieving local cabaret club. The game is played in 3-minute “shifts,” wherein hostesses rub elbows and bat lashes to entertain paying patrons.
If you’re a sucker for character customization, business simulators, or Roblox’s viral “Dress To Impress,” you’d be a natural. Give the gals makeovers to alter their stats according to clientele preferences, and monitor the cabaret floor for girls’ discreet signals for help. Kiryu and Majima both make a killing by the end of the subplot, and if you find yourself in need of funds down the line, you can always head back and pick up another shift.
Build the girls’ experience and leadership skills by getting to know them. Make sure you pay attention, though, or these one-on-one nightcaps can get awkward quickly. The girls pick up on your sincerity, too, so be mindful of your wisecracks and crass comments. If Kiryu proves himself, your cabaret club staff will get serious skill buffs.
♫ I wanna be your giiiiirl ♫
Pocket Circuit (Yakuza 0; Yakuza Kiwami)
Between plot-progressing moments, Kiryu can venture to Pocket Circuit Stadium — an itty-bitty storefront in the northwestern-most part of Kamurocho — where he learns about slot car racing from overbearing hobbyist Pocket Circuit Fighter. Second only to Disco, “Pocket Circuit” is the franchise’s most recognizable minigame. The enthusiastic commentary, endless car customizations, track-building, and predominately “hands-off” racing make these an unpredictable hoot.
While it’s undeniably satisfying to absolutely smoke your opponents on the track, there’s something special about the minigame’s Test Run mode. I was never a toy car kid (or even a LEGO kid, really), but if it was anything like this, I probably should’ve been. Godspeed Gears and a High Speed Motor on my unsuspecting Killer Bee takes me back to my RollerCoaster Tycoon days. Much like my launch coasters set to inconceivable speeds, Kiryu’s heavily-modded ride stands no chance on the Beginner Circuit; the tiny toy car zooms directly off the track, as if in flight. See you, space cowboy…
Is it childish? Yes. Is it fun? You know the answer to that question.
Karaoke (Y0; YK1; YK2; Y3…)
Remember that Parappa skillset I referenced earlier? Turns out, it DID come in handy. Karaoke is probably the most widely featured minigame in the franchise; while some substories make an appearance in one or two games, Kiryu can sip Suntory and sing his heart out in several Yakuza releases. In Karaoke, players must press the corresponding buttons in time with the music and display. This is a pretty standard rhythm game, but the absurdity of it all really makes it special.
Kiryu’s got a bounty on his head, sure, but it’ll still be there after he takes everyone in Karaokekan to church.
Across the minigame’s multiple appearances, players will likely notice incidental changes — primarily the campy visuals and UI — but I’d argue most changes are for the better. Readability and aesthetics improve profoundly; the accompanying clips shown behind the scrolling bar get a noticeable bump in production value. Thankfully, the charming minigame and its killer OST don’t get pushed to the back burner. Each track is still an earworm (that you can probably find on your go-to music app, like, right now).
It’s still fun if you’re an audience member, too. If it’s Majima’s time to shine, Kiryu can opt for polite applause and subdued support with “Simple Interjections.” Aw, how kind!
If you wanna match Majima’s energy, pick the “Lively Interjections” — Kiryu will hoot, holler, and play the heck out of his tambourine. Chaotic, but on-brand.
Ichiban Confections (Yakuza: Like a Dragon)
Combat isn’t the only thing that changes in Like a Dragon; burgeoning business mogul Ichiban Kasuga also transforms an ailing mom-and-pop confectionery into a full-fledged enterprise. You’re there for every bit of it, too. There’s a chicken that, for some reason, is a reliable business asset? I know it sounds like a fever dream, but if that isn’t emblematic of the series itself, I don’t know what is.
As the leader of Ichiban Confectionery, your job is to apply each employee’s unique skill set to a proper position within your company. If you’ve stacked your deck appropriately, you’ll soon be swimming in yen. As your small-time shop rapidly expands into an empire, later known as Ichiban Holdings, Kasuga and his top performers are forced to routinely meet with investors and promise them continued growth at all costs. The goal is to top the list of most successful companies (players work up from rank no. 100 to the top spot), and by gum, you’re gonna work for it.
Ichiban Holdings is a business sim in every sense of the word, right down to the bureaucracy and red tape. Conduct strange and uncomfortable job interviews, foolishly invest in get-rich-quick schemes, hire and fire, invest in strong employees, run special ad campaigns, air corny commercials, and even offer benefits to your hardworking staff. If you don’t treat your employees fairly, they’ll notice. If an employee feels neglected enough, they’ll eventually tell you they’re accepting a higher-paying position elsewhere. You can top the competing offer if you’d like to keep ’em around, or you can send them on their way.
I could carry on about my other honorable mentions — Telephone Club, Majima Construction, Can Collection — but you’d be here all day, and frankly, my Cabaret Club isn’t gonna run itself.
The Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise has masterfully weaved a large-scale, gritty crime epic with zany, offbeat subplots for 20 years, and while some believe the games’ farcical side activities detract from otherwise profound storytelling, seeing our stone-cold protagonists play tipsy darts, go broke playing koi-koi in Purgatory, lose to children in slot car tournaments, and discuss business expenditures with farm animals somehow humanizes them.
Not only do we get to connect with player characters in a whole new way, but stateside players also get a better glimpse of Japanese culture. I’ve got a more profound appreciation for Japanese whisky, listen to more Japanese music, and even picked up a little Mahjong know-how. All in all, these games feel just as much about the journey as they do the destination. Whether on-screen or off, it really is about the friends you make along the way.
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A lifelong gamer raised on classic titles like Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, and Croc, Stephanie brings her expertise of gaming and pop culture to deliver unique, refreshing views on the world of video games, complete with references to absurd and obscure media.
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