Cabaret clubs, massage parlours, show pubs... This adult-oriented game contains several night spots that became topics of conversation. Let's look at their changes, and go behind the scenes of their creation.
"Ryu ga Gotoku? Oh yeah, that's the game where you can go to cabaret clubs, right?"
Promotions manager Uemura said he heard this often from company PR people. That was how strong of an impact the adult-oriented areas appearing in a video game had had on the public. The player becomes Kiryu and visits cabaret clubs, enjoying conversations with the cabaret girls. They can win over their hearts by giving them expensive presents or communicating well with them. If they are successful, they can even share a sweet moment with the girls in the hotel district. However, they will also fall into the trap of incurring all kinds of costs, such as the set fee for entering the establishment and a charge for choosing a girl, as well as ordering champagne worth several hundred thousand yen to make her happy...
The massage parlour is another part of Ryu ga Gotoku aimed at adults that led to widespread recognition. A sexy woman talks suggestively as she performs her massage, curing Kiryu's fatigue.
However, it also underwent tough criticism in its platform review during development.
"We wanted to record an actual girl's sexy heavy breathing, but there was no way it would get past the review so we had to cut it." (Yokoyama)
In RGG2, as well as cabaret clubs there is a host club. Kiryu ends up becoming a host, and is the one being charmed by female patrons. Kiryu's dancing during the champagne call, something unthinkable of the former fourth chairman of the Tojo Clan, is a must-see. Since RGG3, there has been a game in which you try to make a number one cabaret girl. By scouting girls you see around town and coordinating her outfit and makeup, you raise her to be a top-class cabaret girl. This was surprisingly popular with female players, too. This was probably down to the enjoyment of changing the cabaret girl's clothing to make her look stylish. Aside from this, show pubs in which sexy dancers perform bewitching dances have also been present throughout the series. Kiryu standing right in front of the stage staring intently at the dancer was a source of amusement.
Nagoshi was insistent that the main story should be completable without playing through the night spots. The player isn't required to show any interest in cabaret clubs or massages. Some players may feel that spending money at cabaret clubs to get women's attention isn't what men do, or that it's not very yakuza-like. These people can proceed through the game without going to the night spots. The ability to choose created the best balance within the game.
"If there's a Kiryu who, when his comrade Date is in trouble and needs saving, goes to a cabaret club, then there is also a straight-laced Kiryu who has no interest in cabaret girls. There is a violent Kiryu who spends the whole time beating up thugs around town to earn money. Each player has their own different side of Kiryu." (Nagoshi)