It's fair to say that many people's minds were blown when Yu Suzuki included fully playable arcade games in his Dreamcast magnum opus Shenmue, and while that series continues to this very day, the retro-gaming torch has passed to another Sega franchise: Yakuza (now known as "Like A Dragon" in the West).
Ever since Yakuza 5, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has included references to Sega's past via a series of arcade and console games, which are fully playable within each entry. These include some of the company's most famous arcade hits, such as Out Run, Space Harrier, Virtua Fighter, and Fantasy Zone, and are the cherry on top of what is already a mouth-watering series of video games.
Below, you'll find all of the Sega titles that are included in the franchise, which are playable within any of the 'Club Sega' amusement arcade venues you find in each game.
Sega Arcade Games
Space Harrier (1985)
A gloriously '80s action arcade title, Space Harrier puts Sega's Super Scaler arcade board to good use, dazzling the player with smooth-scaling sprites as they race across a fantasy landscape. Like a great many of Sega's coin-ops from this period, Space Harrier benefitted from deluxe "taikan" cabinets which moved along with the on-screen action.
Space Harrier was ported to several home formats and got a direct sequel on the Mega Drive / Genesis, as well as a spin-off in the form of Planet Harriers. Yu Suzuki's Air Twister is also considered to be something of a successor to this iconic game.
Out Run (1986)
- Yakuza 0
- Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
- Yakuza: Like a Dragon
- Judgment (remastered PS5 / Series X/S version only, playable in Yagami's office)
- Lost Judgment
One of Sega's most famous arcade games, Out Run caused quite a stir when it arrived in 1986. Using the second-gen version of Sega's 'Super Scaler' arcade hardware, Yu Suzuki's colourful racing title quickly became a firm favourite with coin-op fans, and was duly ported to a wide range of home systems, including the PC Engine, Mega Drive and Master System. It spawned a series which includes Turbo OutRun, OutRunners and OutRun 2.
Fantasy Zone (1986)
This cute side-scrolling shooter takes a large amount of inspiration from Defender, but has more than enough tricks up its sleeve to stand out on its own. A Master System sequel arrived soon afterwards, which was then back-ported to Sega's System 16 arcade hardware by emulation expert M2.
M2 would also release an enhanced version of the game for the 3DS as 3D Fantasy Zone: Opa-Opa Bros.
Super Hang-On (1987)
Yu Suzuki's love of speed wasn't just limited to four-wheeled travel, as Hang-On and this sequel prove. Another Super Scaler classic, Super Hang-On was ported to the Genesis / Mega Drive alongside a special career mode, which added greatly to the game's long-term appeal.
Virtua Fighter 2 (1994)
- Yakuza Kiwami 2
- Yakuza 5
- Yakuza: Like a Dragon
- Judgment (remastered PS5 / Series X/S version only)
- Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
The sequel to one of the most influential one-on-one fighting games of all time, Virtua Fighter 2 was hailed as a masterpiece when it was first launched. The texture-mapped fighters boast stunning animation, and there's a staggering amount of depth to the game engine.
While many of its rivals have faded with age, Virtua Fighter 2 (and its amazing Saturn home port) have stood the test of time.
Fighting Vipers (1995)
A companion piece to the more established Virtua Fighter series, Fighting Vipers adopts a more bombastic approach, with colourful characters clad in destructible armour. You can also cause additional damage in certain stages by slamming your opponent against walls. A sequel would follow a few years later.
Cyber Troopers Virtual-On (1996)
Sega's twin-stick robot combat title remains a cult classic, and has seen a few sequels over the years – the most notable being Cyber Troopers Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram. Playing without the twin-stick controller means you're not getting the full experience, but we'll take it regardless.
Sonic The Fighters (1996)
A few years before Nintendo decided it would be a cool idea to get Mario to fight a bunch of his chum in Smash Bros., Sega had the same idea with Sonic – but placed the character in a Virtua Fighter-style 3D game engine.
Amazingly, Sonic the Fighters wasn't ported to the Saturn, and instead had to wait until 200X before it was playable at home (as part of 2005's Sonic Gems Collection for GameCube and PlayStation 2).
Motor Raid (1997)
While Motor Raid appears to carry on the proud tradition of two-wheeled racing laid down by Super Hang-On and Manx TT, it is, in fact, closer in tone to EA's Road Rash – mixed with Disney's Tron. You race around on a futuristic motorbike, taking potshots at your rivals whenever possible.
Motor Raid was never ported to any home console, making its appearance in Judgment the home debut for the game.
Daytona USA 2: Battle on the Edge / Sega Racing Classic 2 (1998)
How on earth do you follow up on one of the most commercially successful arcade games of all time? Well, you do the same thing, but even better. Daytona USA 2 might not have enjoyed the same popularity as its predecessor, but it's one of the best coin-op racers of the '90s – and that makes the lack of a domestic port all these years all the more criminal.
Thankfully, Sega has seen sense and included it in Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name.
Fighting Vipers 2 (1998)
Developed for Sega's powerful Model 3 arcade board, Fighting Vipers 2 would be ported to the Sega Dreamcast in 2001. One of the most faithful of all Dreamcast ports, the game was only released in Japan and Europe, which makes its inclusion in Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name a pretty big deal for North American players.
Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown (2010)
An updated version of Virtua Fighter 5 – which originally launched in 2006 – Final Showdown showcases new character costumes and fresh animations.
It's not the most up-to-date version of the game, however; that honour falls to Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown, which launched on PS4 in 2021.
Taiko No Tatsujin (2011)
This is something of an outlier in this list, as Taiko No Tatsujin isn't a Sega arcade game, but a Bandai Namco one. Despite the title, this is actually the 15th iteration of the rhythm action series.
Puyo Puyo (2011)
The Puyo Puyo series can chart its history all the way back to the 16-bit era, and many Western players might know it via Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, a 1993 reskin of 1991's Puyo Puyo.
In recent years, the franchise has gained more fame in the West, and was even fused with Tetris to create one of the most unique puzzle games of all time.
ToyLets (2011)
One of Sega's most bizarre coin-op experiments, ToyLets was a device fitted to urinals in male toilets which allowed the user to play a series of minigames, the outcome of which was decided by strength and direction of urination. Eight games were released, and a global launch was mooted at one point, but never happened.
ToyLets was discontinued in 2016, but its legacy lives on via the Yakuza series.
Virtua Fighter 3tb (1997)
An update to the original Virtua Fighter 3, Virtua Fighter 3tb introduces a team-based mechanic similar to SNK's popular King of Fighters series. It was ported to the Sega Dreamcast, becoming the console's biggest launch title.
Sega Bass Fishing / Get Bass (1997)
As the title suggests, this is a fishing simulation. When it was ported to the Dreamcast, the arcade version's iconic fishing rod controller was replicated via an official peripheral.
SpikeOut (1998)
A 3D brawler developed by none other than Toshihiro Nagoshi himself, SpikeOut felt like a spiritual successor to Sega's Streets of Rage series when it hit arcades in 1998. It was followed by Slashout, a fantasy-themed take on the same concept, in 2000. Spikeout: Battle Street, a console sequel, was released on Xbox in 2005.
Fictional Arcade Games
The Yakuza series also includes several games that are based on classic Sega coin-op titles, or are entirely new experiences.
Kamuro Of The Dead
Boxcelios
Boxcelios 2
Boxcelios 2 Turbo
MesuKing: Battle Bug Beauties
Print Club
Sega Master System Games
Lost Judgment
Lost Judgment allows you to play Master System in Yagami's office.
Standard Games
- Alex Kidd in Miracle World (1986)
- Enduro Racer (1986)
- Fantasy Zone (1986)
- Quartet (1986)
- Penguin Land (1987)
- Secret Command (1987)
- Woody Pop (1987)
- Maze Hunter 3-D (1988)
- Snail Maze (1986) - Hold Up, Button 1, and Button 2 on the Master System startup screen to access
DLC Games
- Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa (1987)
- Global Defense (1987)
- Alien Syndrome (1988)
- Sagaia (1992)
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
- Alex Kidd in Miracle World (1986)
- Alien Syndrome (1988)
- Enduro Racer (1986)
- Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa (1987)
- Galaxy Force (1987)
- Global Defense (1987)
- Maze Hunter 3-D (1988)
- Quartet (1986)
- Flicky (SG-1000 version)