Summary
According to Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku, the recently releasedYakuza KiwamiNintendo Switch port is selling better than what both companies expected. During the August 2024 Nintendo Direct,Like a Dragonfans got a big surprise: the series is finally coming onto the Nintendo Switch, with the remake of the first game,Yakuza Kiwami, being the series' debut entry on the platform.Kiwamilaunched on the Nintendo Switch earlier this October, eight years after it was first released on PS3 and PS4.
Despite the popularity of the Nintendo Switch, there didn’t seem to be plans to bring theLike a Dragonseries onto the platform. Previously, formerLike a Dragonseries creator Toshihiro Nagoshi said he viewed the platform as something for “kids and teens,” playing down the series' chances on the Switch. Seeing asNintendo previously passed on publishing the originalYakuzagame, there is likely some merit to Nagoshi’s beliefs. While that sentiment might still hold true for the series, it appears thatYakuza Kiwamiis already doing better than expected on Nintendo’s platform.
Based on a recent live broadcast featuring Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama (translated courtesy ofInstall Base), the Nintendo Switch version ofKiwamihas sold much better than expected. Yokoyama says thatthe Switch port ofYakuza Kiwamiis “selling like hotcakes,” saying it’s apparently a good figure. Yokoyama says that when Sega executives were predicting the sales targets forKiwami, he was thinking too “conservatively.”
Yokoyama says Yakuza Kiwami on Nintendo Switch is “Selling Like Hotcakes”
Yokoyama went on to say that he had some doubts about the game’s chances, considering how it had been out for nearly eight years on other platforms, on top ofYakuza Kiwamibeing digital-only on Switch. Despite all that, he expresses how happy he is to see people buying and playingKiwamion the Switch, noting how difficult it is to sell an older game on a new system. Yokoyama even noted that he got his own copy of the game on Switch, saying how nice it is to have the game on the go.
Yakuza Kiwami’s release on Switch is a stark contrast to the last time that the series was released on Nintendo’s hardware. Back in 2013, the Wii U got a port ofRyu ga Gotoku 1 & 2 HD for Wii U, a set of HD remasters ofthe first twoYakuzagames on PS2, with this HD collection originally released on the PS3 the year prior. Despite the ports being received well, the Wii U version sold poorly compared to its PS3 counterpart, and has remained a Japan-only release.Yakuza Kiwamidoing well on Nintendo Switch bodes well for the future of theLike a Dragonseries on future Nintendo hardware.
Yakuza Kiwami
WHERE TO PLAY
Back and better than ever, the Yakuza series has been updated for modern gamers to experience the action, fun, and coolness of Kiryu and cohorts.1995, Kamurocho… Kazuma Kiryu, the Dragon of Dojima, takes the fall for the murder of a crime boss to protect his sworn brother, Akira Nishikiyama, and his childhood friend, Yumi.2005… Akira Nishikiyama has become a changed man. Yumi is nowhere to be found. Ten billion yen has gone missing from the Tojo Clan’s coffers, putting the organization on the brink of civil war. And Kazuma Kiryu is released from prison to a world he no longer recognizes.With enhanced gameplay, an expanded cinematic story, the return of the battle styles from Yakuza 0, more nightlife spots, and re-recorded audio by the series cast, Yakuza Kiwami is the ultimate and most “extreme” version of the original vision of the series, now optimized for PC with 4K resolutions, uncapped frame rates, customizable controls and ultra-widescreen support.
