The Yakuza series started all the way back in 2006 for western audiences and has grown ever since, with the franchise’s popularity booming in recent years. The release of the most recent episode, Yakuza: like a dragonmarked the first time a Yakuza title did not debut as a PlayStation console exclusive, and the game was also available on Xbox Series consoles at launch this time.
The Yakuza titles have always made for fun arcade-style battles, with engaging storylines and plenty of quirky Japanese humor. Some of the funniest parts of the games come from the sidequests and minigames, of which there are plenty to choose from. While there are plenty of games to keep fans engaged, the best minigames in Yakuza really stand out.
Updated on September 6, 2022: While there’s still no word on exactly when Sega will release another Yakuza game, that’s not to say there aren’t still plenty of reasons for fans to be excited. With all mainstream Yakuza games now available on PS Plus Extra and Premium, it seems safe to assume that the series’ popularity will continue to rise, which in turn should lead to bigger budgets for future installments. In the short term, this will also give players the opportunity to check out some of the earlier Yakuza titles, many of which flew under the radar when they were first released in the west. These past entries mark the debut of many of the best Yakuza minigames, thus serving as a piece of history for hardcore Yakuza fans.
10 Survival Can Collection
Despite the somewhat unusual premise, Survival Can Collection can be a lot of fun. As the name suggests, it instructs players to collect cans while riding around on a special bike, with a number of different courses available and plenty of great rewards.
Much of the best Yakuza In mini-games, the playable character stands still in a certain spot, which can get a bit monotonous after a while. Survival Can Collection instead allows players to explore the environment and put their local knowledge to the test.
9 golf
The Golf minigame appeared in quite a few Yakuza games, with Kiwami 2 and Yakuza 5 both have driving ranges and Yakuza 4 and Yakuza: Dead Souls with full-fledged golf courses. Like other sports-themed minigames in the series, Golf is particularly difficult to master and players can easily become frustrated.
It’s one of those games that takes a while to get the hang of, but for those into the sport, it serves as a fairly faithful rendering, all things considered. Sometimes there’s just no better way to blow off steam in a Yakuza then play by hitting the driving range, which probably explains why the minigame appears in so many Yakuza titles.
8 batting cages
The Batting Cage is the baseball minigame that challenges the player to hit the ball at just the right time to land a home run. This minigame has appeared in all numbered main titles, as well as in the spin-off Yakuza: Dead souls, though it varies slightly throughout the series.
This minigame is one of the hardest to master, but is arguably one of the most lifelike side activities in the game. Yakuza spell. Battle centers are incredibly popular in Japan, especially in and around Tokyo, where most of the action of the series takes place. There are four difficulty levels, as well as a hidden fifth difficulty that players can unlock after mastering all the others.
7 Ichiban Confections (Business Management)
Yakuza: like a dragon has added a slew of new mini-games for fans to enjoy, and one of them is Ichiban Confections, otherwise known as the Business Management game. It is essentially a business management sim game in which players build the small Ichiban Confections store into a huge business company.
Players liked this game and it also earned bonus points because it was a great way to earn a lot of money. For the most committed players, reaching the top 100 in Management Mode will see Eri join Ichiban as a new party member.
6 dragon card
For fans who loved the Pocket Circuit minigame from previous titles, where players built small kit cars to race on various tracks, Yakuza: like a dragon decided to raise the bar with Dragon Kart, essentially life-size Pocket Circuit, or rather – a Mario Kart clone.
Despite its lack of originality, this minigame is still super fun and offers players the chance to get their Mario Kart fix on non-Nintendo consoles. However, the one main criticism most players have of this minigame is the lack of variety when it comes to tracks.
5 Darts
Darts is a minigame that appears in many of the Yakuza games, but it’s honestly a mixed bag. In some titles, such as Yakuza 0, it’s a pretty decent game to play and it’s not too hard to get the hang of. This comes as a surprise, as many of the other “physical sports” minigames, such as golf and baseball, are difficult to master.
However, in YakuzaKiwami 2 and Yakuza 6, the Darts mini-game seems to have a bit more trouble and so players may find it a bit more annoying. Anyway, the game is made ridiculously easy once a player unlocks the correct darts, so it’s a moot point.
4 Disco
The Disco minigame was introduced in Yakuza 0 and showed players their favorite characters parading on the dance floor. The Disco game is based on rhythms, although it has a different setup than the franchise’s karaoke mini-game.
Some players may not like the Disco minigame, as the timing often seems a bit odd, especially when compared to that of karaoke. Once mastered, however, the Disco mini-game is quite simple. The selling point of the minigame is to see the cheap and hilarious moves the characters pull off.
3 Pocket circuit
Pocket Circuit debuted in Yakuza 0 and continued in Yakuza Kiwami also. It is an interesting game where players create their own custom karts to race on different tracks. Besides just being fun, Pocker Circuit also has some hilarious story content attached to it.
While the minigame can be quite in-depth, there are some really easy-to-follow guides online that explain which setup to use for which race. These make the whole minigame quest an absolute breeze.
2 Karaoke
Karaoke has appeared in all Yakuza titles. Well, technically it wasn’t there Yakuza or Yakuza 2but it did appear in their Kiwami remakes. Everyone loves a good rhythm-based game, and the Karaoke mini-game offers just that.
The karaoke minigames often yield hilarious scenes not only of the characters performing, but also montages of their lives. For avid fans, many of the karaoke songs reappear in the series, although sometimes under different names.
1 cabaret club
There are two Cabaret Club minigame variants, Cabaret Club Czar from Yakuza 0 and Cabaret Club Grand Prix of Yakuza Kiwami 2, both of which are very similar. As the name suggests, players run a cabaret club with a whole team of hostesses who want to please the customers and make as much money as possible.
Players can give the hostesses makeovers, both their makeup and hair, and they all have their own different strengths and weaknesses. Additional hostesses can be unlocked, some of which depend on the side missions. This mini game is a lot of fun and also an easy way to earn a lot of money.
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