Majima fans have been waiting years for the Mad Dog of Shimano to make his return as a main story character. After his protagonist run in Yakuza 0, the Majima Everywhere system in Yakuza Kiwami, and the short-lived but very satisfying saga ending in Yakuza Kiwami 2, fans of the beloved character have probably spent a chunk of their free time screenshotting and recording every frame of his appearances in the games, holding on to the little moments we can have with him.
The years of waiting around have finally come to an end. Ryu Ga Gotoku (RGG) studio has released a seven-minute announcement trailer of its newest title Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii where Majima shines again, and this time as the sole protagonist. Even though RGG has been releasing full-length games almost yearly, even longtime fans probably weren’t expecting another game so soon or predicting Majima to return as a protagonist and a pirate. Plus, Yakuza’s beat-’em-up combat and the series’ best minigame both return–this is shaping up to be a great game!
As we saw in the trailer released last weekend, the game takes place six months after the events in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Majima wakes up on a beach with no memory of how he got there or even his name. He is approached by a young boy, Noah (and his pet “cat” that is definitely a tiger) who tells him they are on an island near Hawaii called “Rich Island,” before the duo are quickly confronted by pirates. Majima then meets Noah’s dad, Jason, and learns about Nele Island–a dumping ground for waste and pollution that Majima and the yakuza are somehow involved in.
To recover his memory and solve the Nele Island problem, Majima must travel between the different islands of Hawaii as well as a new area called Madlantis–a hideout for gang members and criminal organizations run by a new character, Queen Michelle. He then, in true Majima fashion, takes over a pirate ship as the new captain and sets sail to solve the mysteries of these dilemmas.
It wouldn’t be a true RGG title without an absurd premise, and what could be more absurd than Majima waking up on an island with memory loss and immediately becoming a pirate? Majima has had a lifetime of odd jobs: from Cabaret owner to construction manager to harassing Kiryu under different disguises, so it only makes sense another bizarre occupation would come along eventually. He’s already got the eye patch, so why not conquer the sea as well?
Majima was built to be a pirate.
Following the trailer release and the story reveal, I had lots of questions regarding the gameplay with a playable Majima again. Thankfully I got the opportunity to play a brief demo.
It seemed like the turn-based combat style would become the norm for Like a Dragon games, but Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii brings back the Yakuza series’ original beat-’em-up roots, including the iconic Heat moves. This style of combat feels more natural for Majima, whose outrageous personality might have been stilted in turn-based combat. In the demo, we are introduced to two of Majima’s fighting styles: his signature Mad Dog fighting style and the new, Pirate “Sea Dog” style.
Majima may be 60 years old now, but that doesn’t stop him from dancing around his enemies as if he was on the streets of Kansai again. The combat is just as over-the-top and wild as players would expect, with an added feature to use jump attacks in battle. The Mad Dog style is a modernized version that feels like a dream combination of his styles from Yakuza 0, using both his fists and tanto as weapons. There is also a new ability that allows Majima to “clone” himself to create doppelgangers, which are useful for taking down large groups of enemies.
The new Sea Dog style is somehow sillier than his signature style. By seamlessly switching to this stance, Majima transforms into a pirate, which mirrors how the characters in the previous Like a Dragon games transform into their “jobs” during battle. Majima is equipped with two cutlasses, a flintlock pistol, and a wire hook as weapons, and can easily switch between them for fun combos. I can only imagine how ridiculous the Heat moves will be in this style and I’m looking forward to exploring it more.
RGG games are famous for their abundance of side content and minigames to enjoy outside of combat, so, of course, the first thing I did after the battle demo was head straight to the karaoke bar. There were only a few songs on the playlist–there are brand-new songs like “The Sun at 36.5 C,” and a few returning songs from previous games such as “As Long as You’re Happy.” I’m sure more songs will be added later, but Majima fans will be happy to know that Yakuza Pirate brings back the crowd favorite “24 Hour Cinderella” with the same glowing, rollerblading goofball serenading us. This time, however, we see him rocking the outfit as a 60-year-old man. I can honestly say that brought a tear to my eye.
Like a Dragon: Yakuza Pirate also brings back one of my favorite minigames in the series: Dragon Kart. I only got to explore one racetrack, but it was really fun to race around Hawaii with new characters and experience some of the new items featured in the game. It felt a little janky and intense in some turns, so hopefully it will be more polished before the game’s official release.
Madlantis is an incredible sight.
I also got to briefly explore Madlantis. Similar to the secret cities of previous titles, the streets of Madlantis are filled with neon lights and illegal gambling. I was impressed by the design of the fake city; the added shipwreck and pirate themes to the area made it feel like a fantasy land for organized crime.
One of my favorite new additions was the grappling hook, which I could use around the city. In certain areas of the map, Majima can grapple himself onto higher platforms to collect treasure and discover new heights. I loved using the spider grab in Like a Dragon Gaiden so it’s pretty cool to see this mechanic updated. It also provides access to new areas to explore in the familiar Hawaii map.
Although my preview was short-lived, I got to experience a number of exciting new features and I adored playing Majima again. Though the game is brand new, it felt nostalgic running around the streets as the Mad Dog and I’m sure old-school fans of Majima will feel the same.
Majima continues to be the most ridiculous man ever.
I didn’t get to explore the story much so I’ll save my analysis on that for now, but it’s been years since we’ve witnessed a more serious side of Majima and so I do have some wishes. I would love to see more soft moments with the character again. I really hope there will be some references to the side stories in Yakuza 0 and possibly some reunions with characters from previous Yakuza games. Maybe there will be some heartfelt moments with Kiryu too, or perhaps a run-in with a certain character that longtime fans know now resides overseas.
Whether the story will finally conclude the Mad Dog’s saga or not, fans will be impressed with the new features Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii has to offer, which also finally scratches that itch for more Majima. The combat feels effortlessly fun, there seems to be a plethora of side content to explore, and, best of all, we can finally see the old Mad Dog shine once again.
