There are several small mysteries that were not directly explained during Ryu ga Gotoku 2's story. We got to ask the game developers about these nitpicking doubts. Thank you so much for your cooperation!
■ A group of Chinese men descend upon Stardust at the beginning of the game. Who are they really, and why do they target Stardust? Do they perhaps have some kind of connection to the Jingweon or Omi Alliance?
■ They have no affiliation with the Jingweon or Omi. They're just punks who break into the club in search of money. In 2006 Kamurocho the town isn't under the rule of the Tojo Clan, and the emerging influence of foreigners grows, leading to these kinds of happenings. (Sega)
――The Tojo Clan certainly seems to have been much more powerful in the past. Amidst the prospering foreign organisations, the weakening Snake Flower members (refer to meeting with Master White Lotus in substory 075) are a rather sad sight... (Editors)
■ Kashiwagi has set up an office on the top floor of the Millennium Tower, but how is he so influential when the Tojo Clan is suffering the loss of 10 billion yen? Does he have some kind of personal fortune? Or perhaps rent in the Millennium Tower is surprisingly cheap?
■ This background has been around since the first game, but the Tojo Clan were actually deeply involved with the Millennium Tower itself, from its design to its construction (this is how they were able to do things like build a hidden safe inside Ares). As a result, it naturally led to a portion of the Kazama Family's front men performing repairs after the explosion. (Sega)
――Perhaps Majima was at the construction site too? But having the Florist, a member of the police, inside a building built by yakuza seems a little awkward... (Editors)
■ In the intro of the game, Kiryu and Haruka are living happily together. Who takes care of which chores around the house?
■ I won't comment on this. Some of it may have an effect on the view of Kiryu's personality or the universe, so this will remain a secret. (Sega)
――Since in a conversation at a cabaret club he mentions never having cooked before, the cooking is probably Haruka's job. Perhaps he once tried, but it tasted so bad that Haruka thought, "If I don't learn how to cook I'll die!" We await the day when Kiryu's daily life will be shown. (Editors)
■ What has Kiryu been working as since beginning life with Haruka? Does he have savings or something?
■ No comment on this, either. There are things here that would have a big effect on the world view, too. (Sega)
――How disappointing. You can imagine that it would be difficult to find honest employment as a former yakuza, but... From Kiryu's personality, whatever job it is he most likely takes it seriously and tirelessly works to earn money. However, it might be interesting if he was troubled by the amount of money taken from punks he's fought being far higher. (Editors)
■ Where abouts do Kiryu and Haruka live? The game seems to suggest that they're living away from Kamurocho...
■ On the outskirts of Kanagawa. (Sega)
――Unexpectedly specific info. Kanagawa is quite big, but perhaps the sukajan Haruka wears in a second playthrough is a hint at the location. They originated in Yokosuka, Kanagawa after all. Perhaps this is the area in which they live? (Editors)
■ When visiting the graves in the intro, Kiryu says, "I've gone straight now..." but when the Omi Alliance assassins show up soon after he says, "Time to teach you some yakuza etiquette!" Is he unable to let go of the feeling of being a yakuza?
■ Kiryu has returned to civilian life, but he is still the man who was once the fourth chairman of the Tojo Clan. Naturally, he understands and is devoted to the rules and manners that must be preserved as a yakuza. Since he's a civilian he doesn't get involved in Tojo Clan politics, but it's conceivable that even a normal person would be able to teach the ill-mannered Omi yakuza some manners. (Sega)
――Maybe, as Kiryu says often throughout the game, he intends to live like a normal person, but the circumstances he's placed in won't allow it. But the gaze from the start of the game when he looks at Haruka is that of a normal father. (Editors)
■ Who is supplying the money Daigo Dojima uses when he goes out every night at the time of Chapter 1? Is it an allowance from a surprisingly generous Mama Yayoi or something?
■ It comes from money Daigo and his companions obtain via unsavoury means. Sometimes he does drink himself into a stupor without paying, but this more of a thing his hanger-ons do than him himself. (Sega)
――It looks like even the cool Daigo has done some bad things. It's said that Bantam gets into debt from mismanagement, but maybe it's because of people like these guys who refuse to pay... (Editors)
■ There is a line in Chapter 2 about Ryuji not being an Omi Alliance executive, but if he is of a high enough status to be known as one of Omi's Four Kings why is this?
■ The executives are the brains behind the Omi Alliance and propel it to being a top organisation by settling its political affairs, starting with its overall policies. The members are generally selected by the chairman, Jin Goda, taking their individual abilities, suitability and position into account. Though Ryuji is an influential person and known as one of the Four Kings, the Four Kings themselves have no actual legitimate roles, and are simply titled followers. I wouldn't say that youth and his behaviour are in his favour, so Jin also judged that it was too soon to make him an executive. (Sega)
■ Why is Archive Room #13 on B3F of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police building nicknamed the "Room of Scandal"? Just from its location, I can imagine all kinds of things...
■ Since this archive room is on B3F, where it's almost hidden, it has often been used for private discussions or dealings that couldn't be made public. The place has given rise to a number of scandals, from which it got its name. It is also called the "sealed room" because the archive is always locked due to its ties to these sensitive dealings.
――If confidential talks were held there, it must mean that there are top secret documents stored there. Is it really okay to give Kiryu, a former yakuza, and Date, who is no longer with the police, full access? (Editors)
■ When Date is first asked to conduct an unofficial investigation of Kazuki, he hears a wiretapped conversation between Tsumura and Ryuji. Tsumura says, "I tap them, they don't tap me," so how was this so easily obtained by the authorities?
■ This was leaked on purpose by Kurahashi. His goal is to have Date and Kawara pursue Kazuki, and ultimately be killed at the Amano Building with Kiryu, so he leaks this bugged conversation and uses it to cast suspicion on Kazuki, an action essential to furthering his plans. (Sega)
――The sight of Kurahashi, who has spent so many years planning his revenge, not caring even if it costs him his position as Director of Public Safety, going to any lengths is a sad one. (Editors)
■ In Chapter 5, Sayama appears in front of Kiryu, who has returned from shopping, in only a bath towel. Is this okay for an unmarried girl, though?
■ It is a coincidence that she ends up coming out in front of him at this point, but it basically shows how, since she works in Division 4 in a male-dominated job, Kaoru isn't easily embarrassed. Whilst appearing defenceless, Kaoru is known as the "yakuza-hunting lady detective", excelling at making arrests and jujutsu. She is perfectly capable of resisting when the need arises. Her confidence in this strength is connected to Kaoru's actions as the kind of person she is. At this point, she also doesn't view Kiryu as a man. She probably doesn't find anything different about getting changed than she would at work (like during a stakeout), for example. (Sega)
――A shocking official comment on Sayama's shamelessness. Her drinking a beer bought by Kiryu after getting out of the bath, a fairly manly image, is also befitting. She seems somehow like she would make a good team with Haruka, who says, "Ahh, I can feel it running through my body..." after drinking a Staminan X in the first game. (Editors)
■ In the event at the Amano Building in Chapter 5, Kiryu is drawn out using Daigo as bait, and Date and Kawara head for the building in pursuit of the fake Kazuki. It looks like a plan to split Kiryu up from the others and kill him, but Date and Kawara's actions appear spontaneous, so how did they end up as part of the plan? Was it an impromptu trap set up after they showed up at Stardust?
■ The fake Kazuki leading Kawara and Date to the Amano Building was not a sudden action, but a planned one. From the start, the Jingweon's goal had been to make it look like Kiryu, Kawara and Date had shot and killed each other. Calling Kiryu on the phone, Kurahashi letting Kawara and Date hear the tapped conversation, and teaming them up to investigate Kazuki was all to ultimately accomplish this goal. Date and Kawara's actions appear spontaneous, but despite them having come to investigate Kazuki, if he suddenly ran away you would think they would chase him. Even if they had tried to press Kazuki using some other topic, if the fake Kazuki ran away they would end up chasing him, and as a result it would be possible to lead them to the Amano Building. By ultimately laying out the bodies of the real, framed Kazuki, Kiryu, Kawara and Date on the rooftop, they planned to erase all evidence of ties to the Jingweon. The real Kazuki has no ties to foreign organisations. Also, the fake Kazuki didn't make his infiltration six months before simply in order to set up the killing of Kawara and Kiryu, but also to gather information on Kamurocho. (Sega)
――A meticulous trap beyond imagining. So the Jingweon's hatred of Kawara, who killed their followers, and the Tojo Clan's Kiryu was that great. And to have been spying on Kamurocho on top of it all... But their entire careful plan being ruined by Sayama's intrusion alone makes me feel kind of bad for the fake Kazuki. (Editors)
■ On that note, when Sayama appears atop the Amano Building, it's said that this is because she dashes up there after hearing gunshots, but is this true? Perhaps she actually followed after Kiryu, being too worried to stay put?
■ The Amano Building isn't that tall, and gunshots are louder than you would imagine and echo more, so if she was at the bottom of the building she should be able to hear it just fine. As a police officer, she should be able to tell whether or not it's a gunshot, too. Also, the shot Sayama hears is fired when the fake Kazuki is uncovered. It takes Sayama about 70 seconds to run up to the roof after the shot sounds, so, taking into account the building's structure, you would think that it would be enough time for her to climb up from the first floor.
――Sayama rushes all the way up a five storey building without pause, and shoots dead-on. I had only ever thought that she had run up there after worrying about Kiryu, but it appears not. I'm a little disappointed. (Editors)
■ In Chapter 11, when you show the owner of Keima the shogi piece in place of an admission pass he says, "This is the work of Heinosuke Sugiura," but who is he?
■ He is a legendary craftsman of shogi pieces. He began carving pieces in his teens under the influence of his father, another piece-maker, called Heitaro Sugiura, establishing himself as a craftsman in his own right at the age of 23. His simplistic yet original works were filled with his youthful sentiment, charming many shogi fans. After perishing in a car accident at the age of 33, his works became rare and are currently valuable goods that are hard to get hold of. (Sega)
――Even minor characters who don't appear have detailed backgrounds! Amazing! (Editors)
■ Are the double-act from Substory #083 "The Troubled Comedy Duo" able to make their début afterwards?
■ They are scheduled to expand into the Tokyo market. (Sega)
――Even these two sub-characters have such detailed backgrounds!? If there's a sequel, maybe you'll be able to see them on the corners or giant TV screens in Kamurocho? (Editors)
■ The secretary who appears in Substory #097 "Councillor Saeiki: Yoshida's Battle" seems oddly strong - what was he training for, and what is his school?
■ He appears to have been studying yoga on a remote mountain in the Himalayas, but little to do with fighting. (Sega)
――Yoga is not what I had expected. But the reason for his strength remains unknown... I'd really like to see a substory based on that in the next game. (Editors)
■ What breed of cat is the one that appears in the main game and Substory #085 "Yukiko's Taste"?
■ It's a white Persian x Abyssinian crossbreed. (Sega)
――It's hard to tell from the in-game graphics, but you can imagine that it must be a rather beautiful cat, a combination of its parents. Guessing from their use of "crossbreed" rather than "mongrel", Sega's developers seem to be rather fond of cats. (Editors)
■ What is the title of the enka song sung by Chikamatsu in Substory #043 "The Enka Life"?
■ The song is called "Kamuro Setsugekka". Incidentally, you can hear a portion of the song playing inside sushi shop Sushi Gin. (Sega)
――I'm sure there are lots of people who hadn't realised that this song plays in the sushi place. It's expensive, but perhaps you should go in and have a bit of a listen. (Editors)
■ What are the title and plot of the doujinshi obtained in Substory #030 "Arcade Showdown"?
■ It's by the doujin circle "Condensed Milk Candy". They release doujin comics related to Sega, and their latest release is "Sakatsuku 3", the story of a man on heat. (Sega)
――The story of a man on heat... I'm worried about whether or not it's alright to accept this as an official comment. But I'd really like to see it made into an actual game. (Editors)
■The faker from Substory #056 "The Fake Kiryu" appears to have reproduced the old Kiryu quite faithfully. How did he obtain the information about his underling, Shinji, and his decisive line of "Looks like you're out of luck"?
■ He was active around the time of the incident a year ago, and Kiryu has become famous around Kamurocho. Some members of the general public have begun boasting about having fought or been beaten up by Kiryu. They obtained information on his lines and such from punks who were beaten up by Kiryu who, after learning who their opponent had been, boasted about the situation and Kiryu's behaviour, leading to it spreading. (Sega)
――Boasting about being hit - the complex psychology of a street punk. Is enemies, who stop attacking at the start after Kiryu reaches a certain experience level, reappearing without restriction from Chapter 15 them purposely gathering to be hit by Kiryu as he again becomes famous? (Editors)
■ What is the brand of the magnum bottle used by Yuya in his co-op heat move? It looks quite expensive, but what kind of alcohol is it?
■ In the setting data, it's meant to be a magnum bottle of Champagne White. In actuality, it was modified to make it easier to grip, so a bottle in this shape doesn't really exist. (Sega)
――Some people may have thought this at the "this kind" comment, but magnum bottles of champagne themselves do really exist. This is what 1.5-litre bottles are normally called, but apparently there are even some 6-litre ones. (Editors)
■ The "Super Spicy Chili Pepper Ice Cream" used by the gelato shop boss in his co-op heat move doesn't appear on the shop menu. Do they not sell it?
■ It was created trying to get in on a trend, but was so spicy that it triggered a flood of complaints and was removed from sale. The shop's stock room is piled high with it, and the boss spends each day trying to think of a way to use it up, which leads to Kiryu using it in fights... (Sega)
――It seems like a sort of heartwarming drama. But perhaps if he messed up and put it out in the shop, when the punk from Substory #077 "The Price of a Tooth" uses it to start a fight, saying, "Your ice creams made my tongue burn!" it would be hard to save him.
■ It looks like something is written on the steel placard used in the co-op heat move with the barmaid from Atenshi...
■ It has things like, "Commemorating the opening of a next-gen bar: for a limited time only, at 1980 yen, drink your fill, play your fill," written on it. (Sega)
――Calling it a "next-gen bar" shows how the Atenshi barmaid's good taste shines. But why would you use steel for a placard? Perhaps it's for use to defend yourself when it comes to it. (Editors)
■ Is the "Mysterious Martial Artist Assassin Matsukichi the Pickpocket" from the arena the same pickpocket from "Chase the Pickpocket", a substory in the first game? His strange fighting pose looks the same.
■ They're different people, but he's a fellow student of the one from the first game. Matsukichi's trademark is his deadly skill with his fists. The truth is that he heads for the arena after meeting with Kiryu at Ryugujo since he has heard the story of Kiryu from the guy from the last game and wants to test his bare fists on Kiryu. (Sega)
――I'm interested to know whether "fellow student" means the pickpockets have the same instructor, or if they're both students of ansatsuken. Perhaps there's a "suriken" using a pickpocket's movements, and Matsukichi uses a special move to swipe their wallet. (Editor)
■ Why was the Siddham character in the upper right portion of Kiryu's tattoo put there? When I tried investigating, it said that it was read "ban". It looks like it symbolises Vairocana...
■ Siddham is representative of the sexagenary cycle, and this character means "year of the ram" or "year of the monkey". Kiryu was born on 17 June 1968 in the year of the monkey, so this character was put into the tattoo. (Sega)
――That means Kiryu is a Gemini. Taking a look at several fortunes for him, they say that he excels in both adapting and thinking, delicately balancing being social and introverted, which does seem accurate. It also seems like he's a natural gambler and a cool playboy, which seems even more on the mark. (Editors)
■ Ryuji has blond hair - why does he bleach it? It seems to me like a yakuza in the upper classes having blond hair is a rarity.
■ Ryuji consciously tries to rebel against his father, Jin Goda. His blond hair shows his rebellious nature and hatred. Dyeing his hair blond, something not looked upon favourably in yakuza society, is a representation of both his strong opposition of the current yakuza society built by his father, and his desire to oust his father and change yakuza workings himself. (Sega)
――Acting surprisingly childishly at such an age is one of Ryuji's good bits. (Editors)
■ Is there some kind of reason for Daigo wearing the silver necklace he wears?
■ Daigo is famous for liking silver. The necklace he wears is one he bought at specialist silver shop Chrome Eyes on the backside of Kamurocho. He wouldn't say why. It seems like there's something he doesn't want to say. (Sega)
――It's like asking Daigo directly. It's an interesting comment, so I'd really like to see this hidden episode shown in a sequel. Perhaps we'd be allowed to explore the Kamurocho underground!? (Editors)
■ Does Haruka go to school? Seeing her take it easy in Osaka, even though she could be kidnapped by the Omi Alliance, makes me a little worried.
■ She goes to school. She only goes around Osaka at leisure for a day or two, and even if she takes time off from school it wouldn't be enough to worry about her grades or behaviour. By the way, Haruka's grades are excellent, and she is extremely well-behaved at school. (Sega)
――She does seem like a student who does very well at school. She gets caught up in dire incidents often, so maybe she's naturally getting used to it. (Editors)
■ Haruka says herself that her skill at household chores is so-so, but what about Kaoru?
■ Kaoru is good at household chores, and is particularly good at cooking. However, since Tamiyo takes care of the cooking at home, she hardly has the opportunity to do it herself. (Sega)
――This might be unexpected, too. To have the strength to outdo men, but also be beautiful and great around the house - she's like a perfect superhuman. I'm so jealous of Kiryu. (Editors)
■ It was this way in the first game, too, but Majima sustains grave wounds and collapses, only to get better immediately. Does he have an unusual constitution, or is it feigned stoicism?
■ Majima's healing capabilities are higher than those of an average person. He is also a skilled enough fighter to have been head of the Shimano Family's special attack unit, so he has developed a kind of immunity to wounds and pain, which is a reason why Majima is so tough. Even if part of him does feign stoicism, it's a very very small one. (Sega)
――He really is the last character you'd expect to die in a game. In the scene in which he dismantles a bomb, had he actually chosen the wrong wire to cut he would have been blown up, and even then he seems like he would simply have stumbled out of the rubble, saying, "Ah, I thought I was a goner..." (Editors)
■ Tamiyo Sayama says she was an acquaintance of Kaoru's mother Suyeon, but how do Suyeon, who worked in the nightlife industry, and Tamiyo, who was a nurse, get together? And why did she end up taking in Kaoru? Why did Kaoru survive when they were attacked by members of the Jingweon?
■ Suyeon finished up doing a bit of shopping and returned home, when she was attacked by the Jingweon. At this point Kaoru was sleeping soundly inside the house, and escaped harm. Suyeon didn't die instantly, so she was taken to hospital. Her nurse there was Tamiyo. Realising she was near death, Suyeon feebly told Tamiyo that she had a daughter, and everything that had happened so far, including things like the Jingweon code, and asked her to take care of her daughter with her dying breath. While in shock at the sudden occurrence, Tamiyo visited Suyeon's house. There she saw Kaoru's peaceful, sleeping face and decided to take on Suyeon's dying wish, raising the child herself. (Sega)
――This alone is moving enough to wish there had been a cutscene made for it. Tamiyo's niceness is amazing. (Editors)
■ The barmaid of Atenshi seems to know a lot about proverbs and idioms from classical literature; does this mean she has a history of being employed in that field (for example, as a language teacher)?
■ She was previously a professor at the famous T. University. (Sega)
――A shocking revelation! (Editors)
■ What kind of person is Goriki Terayama, the guy who's meant to be Cyclops Ohba's mentor?
■ He's kind of like the Karl Gotch of the underworld, having trained lots of underground wrestlers. He specialises in unusual 1 vs 2 bouts, creating several moves meant to trump a disadvantage, which are the moves Kiryu learns. Terayama took to Ohba soon after his joining due to his unusual strength, and he became the last and strongest wrestler under his tutelage. Goriki's special move is the one Kiryu learns. (Sega)
――Goriki's special move... That means "Essense of Goriki"? By the way, I'll explain simply who Karl Gotch is for those who don't know. He is a world-famous pro wrestler. Born in Germany under Nazi rule, he began wrestling at the age of 9. During his career he participated in matches in Japan, even drawing with Rikidozan. He later moved to Japan, becoming a coach of Japanese wrestlers. He taught the Manji-Gatame and German suplex to Antonio Inoki. Afterwards, he continued training and guiding several other wrestlers, with apprentices including Animal Hamaguchi and even Yoshiaki Fujiwara, the Florist's voice actor. (Editors)
■ The lady who announces the news of the Millennium Tower explosion is really pretty. Please give us her full profile!
■ She is Miki Kawaai, 29. She is in her seventh year as an announcer on WBN (West Broadcast Network), a key channel in Kansai commercial broadcasting. She was named the 16th annual Miss Campus at Onishi University of Foreign Studies, a prestigious private university, and joined WBN the following year. Pushed as an idol announcer by the station, she appeared mainly on variety shows. Later, she began expanding her experience in journalistic programmes, starting with hosting the morning news, being instated as main newscaster on WBN24, the evening news show, since last autumn. With her calm, knowledgeable demeanour, she receives tremendous support from middle-aged men the world over. Her voice actress is Kiyo Yoshizawa. (Sega)
――A background as detailed as expected. Maybe she was originally a character with an important role? If there's a sequel, I'd like to see her interact with Kiryu. (Editors)
■ Please give us some more details on Takako Sato, a fan of Date's from the police who appears in Chapter 4. Could she maybe serve as a potential future wife?
■ After his actions during the incident a year ago, Date has been treated like a hero at the station. Takako Sato also became a fan of his as a result, so she hasn't actually liked him all this time. If anything, think of it like she calls herself a "fan" jumping on the back of the fad. (Sega)
――What a shame for Date! He does seem to be focused on his daughter at the moment, though, so perhaps a love affair will have to wait? (Editors)
■ I'd like to know more about Sadaji from "Sadaji's Cooking Adventure", a video you can watch in a private room. That amazingly discouraged voice is great.
■ He was a chef who became famous through his TV show (Saddy's 90-Minute Cooking), but fell from grace due to an incidence of violence. (Sega)
――Perhaps he became involved with the yakuza after resigning? Besides that, 90 minutes does seem a bit long... (Editors)
■ If you leave the game running without touching the controller, Kiryu smokes a cigarette, then seems to stub it out. Does he have a portable ashtray?
■ To be perfectly honest, it's a mystery whether or not he has a portable ashtray. However, since he lives so a not to cause trouble for ordinary citizens, you could easily imagine him having those kinds of manners. He seems the kind who would even stub it out in his palm if he didn't have an ashtray. (Sega)
――That's cool, but it sounds pretty hot. I kind of feel a new heat move coming on... (Editors)
■ On which note, is smoking in public alright in Kamurocho and Sotenbori? There don't seem to be that many people smoking.
■ It isn't banned. If you look closely, you will see that there are actually plenty of people smoking around town as well. In particular, lots of the people standing by telephone poles and walls or squatting down are smoking, so check it out. (Sega)
――In this game there are more strange pedestrians doing odd things like dancing about, so maybe the non-moving crowd types don't stand out so much. It's interesting taking a close look at all kinds of people. Try zooming in with the R2 button. (Editors)
■ In the first game, Kiryu uses a mobile phone he gets from Date. Did he buy a new one after that?
■ Since the phone he got from Date is in his name, and all charges go to him, Kiryu buys a new phone in his own name after the resolution of the case a year ago. Since he has little idea about things like the functions of a phone, he leaves everything about the new purchase, like model choice and contract, to Haruka. His phone was chosen by Haruka after her discussions with a shop employee. (Sega)
――It does seem like Haruka would make the most informed choice regarding functions. What if she were to sneak a peek and see lovey-dovey messages from hostesses...? By the way, the design of the mobile that appears in cutscenes actually exists, in a cooperation with Nippon Electric Co. (NEC). (Editors)
■ On a second playthrough, Haruka's outfit changes into a sukajan. Does this have any special meaning?
■ A sukajan of the same design is sold by Sega Direct, and it is a tie-up with that. (Sega)
――I see. An editor doing solo investigation later found out that it is a sukajan by Cropped Heads, known as "the leading Japanese-style clothing brand". It is a gem with the game's settings Kamurocho and Sotenbori on the back, embroidered with a dragon and snake. It is priced at 23,800 yen. (Editors)
■ What is the connection between "Deadly Thumb Wrestling!", a video obtained from Kamiyama, and "Thumb Wrestling" showing at the cinema?
■ "Thumb Wrestling" is supposed to have been the movie version of late-night TV drama "Fighting Spirit! Thumb Wrestling", which garnered mysteriously high ratings during its reruns. This DVD is a previously aired TV special that was created in a time with low ratings and no popularity. (Sega)
――I really want to see it! (Editors)
■ There is a fighting game at the game centre called YF6. A quick glance at the logo and you would mistake it for Virtua Fighter, but what is the "YF" an abbreviation of?
■ Its codename (or, rather, development nickname) was "Yakuza Fighter", so it got its name from that. The initial idea was to have yakuza but make it a fighting game of a side-scrolling shooter in the style of Spartan X, but it was created with its current sci-fi feel to give it a different feel to the main game. It's a feel that can't be created in the normal world of Ryu ga Gotoku, so perhaps giving the graphic designer a break, it can show off things that had been held back (I recall the graphics being created abnormally quickly). So it ended up having absolutely nothing to do with yakuza, and the name was abbreviated, but not mentioned what it meant in the game. The "Y" looking like "V" is another reason. Also, the "MA2" logo and title screen were created properly with the approval of AM2. (Sega)
――To explain this just in case, AM2 is a nickname for Sega's second software R&D group, known for releasing such games as OutRun, AfterBurner and Virtua Fighter. For a time they split from the company, but have currently merged back with Sega and the brand is going strong. Yakuza Fighter has done quite well to get AM2's seal of approval. (Editors)
■ What general kinds of sweets are inside the Assorted Sweets package you can purchase?
■ A white chocolate cat's tongue cookie (white package) = a tasty chocolate sandwich cookie.
Brandy cookie (chocolate & orange - blue package) = chocolate cake including flavourful orange peel like Grand Marnier
Buttercream fruit crepe (brown package) = a rare item using fresh butter from Hokkaido, created through a collaboration with a famous fruit shop, containing lots of carefully-selected fruit (Sega)
――It sounds delicious! But to have background info of this much detail... Hats off to the developers. (Editors)
■ What is written on the label of the cat food you can buy?
■ Bon Vivant (meaning "enjoy life" in French). It's the brand name of the cat food. (Sega)
――The cat's face printed beside it is lovely☆ (Editors)
■ What is the effect of the mysterious item "Bear Strap"? It doesn't seem cute enough to be soothing, and the "大" ("big") mark shining on its chest is quite mysterious.
■ It's not soothing, but for luck. But as for whether it has an effect or not, the way you obtain it will leave you with serious doubts. It's styled on an alien wearing a bear costume. It's a university student (大学生), hence the "大". (Sega)
――An alien!? And the mystery deepens further... (Editors)
■ What kind of company does Robo Boss of the Robo Boss series in the crane game manage?
■ Nimura Co., a company that sells paper for laying out beneath cheese and cake. (Sega)
――That sounds like a really niche business. It might just have been thought up since the question was asked, but I love the way the developers answer so carefully. (Editors)
■ What are the brands of the weapon "Japanese sake bottle" and health item "Japanese sake"?
■ The health item sake is "Kamiya". It is a rare product from Gunma prefecture. The sake bottle used as a weapon is "Kimi no Sake". (Sega)
――Just as a note, these are both brands created by Sega's development team. But it also feels like if you search around a bit, you could find them. (Editors)
■ What are the four characters written on the Desperation Charm?
■ They're unreadable, so no one knows what it says. One theory is that it's Sanskrit, or maybe Siddham or Grantha. (Sega)
――So the Desperation Charm isn't a Japanese one... By the way, Sanskrit is the language used by ancient Indians. The characters used to write it are famous and called Brahmi script, or Siddham, but due to time and region there are several variations on the characters used. Grantha is one of these, said to be a kind of character used by the Aryan people of southern India. (Editors)
■ What is written on the milk carton item?
■ "Hachibuse Milk". It's taken from cows that are raised on Mt. Hachibuse in Kobe. (Sega)
――The milk is fictional, but Mt. Hachibuse is a real mountain. It stands at a height of 246m in the Rokkosan range, apparently also near to the battlefield of Ichinotani, famous from the Genpei War. (Editors)
■ The "Demonfire Knife" you obtain in the hidden room at Tojo HQ in Chapter 5 seems like it has some kind of backstory?
■ It was Majima's beloved dagger, with demon flames engraved upon the blade. The craftsman who engraved the blade with a design that was never to be engraved is said to have committed suicide using the knife after finishing work on it. It is unknown why it was returned to the Tojo Clan's hidden room. (Sega)
――Is Majima okay using a knife with such a shady history? I pray that he hasn't been cursed. (Editors)
■ Please tell us who is shown in the item Charismatic Photo that increases the encounter rate.
■ It's of a legendary yakuza who is said to have been in Kamurocho long ago. His name is kind of a secret, but he has lived through much bloodshed. Seeing that him being around is what brings trouble to the town, he left it. His current circumstances are unknown. (Sega)
――This person sounds quite similar in circumstance to Kiryu. They sound like they would get on well if they actually met. (Editors)
■ The barkers around town hand out tissues. They're really annoying, to be honest, but is there some meaning behind it?
■ This was a result of us trying to increase the number of locations in which they appear because we made a substory for which tissues are required. Maybe we put in too many. But it should also make it easier to evade enemy encounters than in the last game in turn. (Sega)
――These tissues actually have a surprising use. When your held items are full up and you can't sell or toss them, and would normally have to go to an item box to make space, you can find a nearby gentleman (or lady) and get tissues from them. They are forced into your inventory, so you can send an item to the item box there as normal. If you get as many tissues as you have empty spots, you can then throw them away. It's not very nice for the barkers, but it's rather convenient. (Editors)
■ Looking at the scenarios that had voices recorded for them, they seem to have been recorded for 26, 25, and 24 years ago, but why was this detail undecided?
■ Sayama and Ryuji's ages would change depending on how many years ago the incident occurred. If their ages were inconsistent with their histories, it would lose a sense of reality, so we recorded three different kinds in case of a worst case scenario in which it needed altering. Also, a lot of the recording was done in mid-late April-May. (Sega)
――Preparing so many kinds... The voice actors and scenario writer alike have all kinds of issues to deal with when making a game with so many people involved, it seems. (Editors)
■ Lots of famous people appear as voice actors including Tetsuya Watari and Hiroshi Tachi, but are there are other shock celebrity performances sneaked in there?
■ First of all, the voice of Chairman Yamazaki who appears as an opponent in the arena was provided as a cameo by Goichi Suda (*1). The leader of Cabaret Grand, Suzuki, and the voices of the youth around Kamurocho were also a cameo by Kazutoshi Iida (*2). (Sega)
――T-thse are quite some amazing cameos for game fanatics! These people are so famous that it would be shameful for long-time gamers not to have heard of them. For those who are unaware, refer to their detailed profiles below. (Editors)
*1) Born in 1968. Joining Human Inc. in 1993, he led creation of Twilight Syndrome, an adventure game that was the king of its time. Later, in 1998, he went solo and established Grasshopper Manufacture, creating several hits such as The Silver Case and Killer7. He is well-known as a competent director at the forefront of the gaming industry.
*2) Born in 1968. After graduating from university he joined Artdink, becoming famous in 1995 for planning, directing and working on graphic design for Aquanaut's Holiday, a title that broke out of the existing borders of gaming. Later, he worked on games with a unique worldview, such as Tail of the Sun and Doshin the Giant. He is a playful person who even wrote a short review of the game he made himself on Doshin the Giant's Amazon page.
■ It appears as though there were heat actions cut from the first game such as making a guy drunk by forcing him to drink alcohol; were there any interesting things turned down this time around?
■ What I remember of the dropped ideas is... pulling a red carpet laid out on some stairs and tripping up all of the enemies rushing down from above. Putting a tyre around them and leaving their arms immobile. Putting an enemy on a wheeled trolley and kicking it. Wrapping packing tape around their face and then ripping it off... things like that. They were all cut due to workload, effort needed and mood. (Sega)
――Thinking up lots of exciting and cool heat actions must also mean there are lots of difficulties. (Editors)