TGS '07: Yakuza 2 coming to US

TOKYO--Kazuma Kiryu is taking another trip to America, with the sequel to the action adventure Yakuza finally announced for the region.

Yakuza 2 follows on from the events of the first game, which saw Kazuma retiring from Yakuza life. However, the head of his former gang, the Tojo Clan, is assassinated by members of the Oni gang, and Kazuma finds himself drawn back into the violent gangster world as he attempts to prevent a full-scale gang war.

Yakuza was set in Kamuro-cho, a fictional Tokyo district, which was modeled on the real-life red-light district Kabuki-cho. Yakuza 2, however, will get an extra area--it will be set in both Western Japan and Kamuro-cho.

The sequel, which Sega is calling "fully upgraded," will have Kazuma dealing with the police, chatting up the ladies, and bashing lots more bicycles over people's heads. Already released in Japan in December 2006 as Ryu go Gotoku 2, Yakuza 2 will be for the PlayStation 2 only and should arrive on North American shelves next year.

Sega also announced two more Japanese-developed games for the US: Dinosaur King and Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer--both for the Nintendo DS. In Dinosaur King, which sounds like a Pokémon-style game, players collect more than 100 dinosaurs (each of which has its own special abilities) from five different territories across the world and then battle with the mysterious Dr. Z.

Originally released on the Super Nintendo, Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer comes from the creators of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon and takes place in feudal Japan. The hero of the game is a Ronin named Shiren on a quest to discover the Land of the Golden Condor. The game will be a classic turn-based role-playing game and features a tutorial mode for new users.

As with Yakuza 2, Dinosaur King and Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer are expected to release sometime in 2008.