You only have three seconds

One of the cooler bonuses in Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise is the ability to play the game as Yakuza protagonist Kiryu Kazuma. It b??rings an entirely different light to the game that further cements its development by Sega's Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios. It also gives you a glimpse of what Kiryu might be if he were completely unchained from his strict m?oral code.

When Lost Paradise launched two weeks ago, Kiryu was offered for free as DLC. Sega set a deadline of two weeks for people to grab the skin and that grace period is about to end. Today will be your last day to grab Kiryu before the skin goes up to $4 USD. If you are in Europe, you'll have a few extra days since Lost Paradise launched on October 5.

I won't say Kiryu dramatically improves the experience, but it certainly is a kick to see him ?exploding heads left and right. If you're worried about buying the game so early just to get Kiryu, don't be: you can safely add the skin to your account without owning the game. Why not do that in case you ever get the itch to step into Kenshiro's boots?

The post Today is your last day to grab Fist of the North Star’s Kiryu DLC for free appeared first on Destructoid.

That's rad

While the Kiryu DLC for Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise was already confirmed to be heading West, we now know when you'll be able to nab it. Starting?? on launch day (October 2), Kiryu will be available for free for two weeks. There is no price for what he'll be after that period, but we'll remind you when he's about to disappear so you don't get busy and forget.

Yakuza Game [Twitter]

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You are already out of cliched subheaders

The demo for Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise is now available today. It will give you a slice of both the action and adventure parts of the ga?me by featuring the opening boss fight with Shin and a segment wh??ere you rebuild Kenshiro's buggy. It likely won't last long and that is fine since the game is only one month away.

If you were thinking of skipping the demo, though, you might want to change your tune. All players that download the teaser will be given a free PS4 theme for their troubles. Available on launch day (October 2), the theme features the cast of Lost Paradise making poses in fron?t of a purple background. It looks pretty fetching and I want it now!!!!

Thankfully, you won't need to have the digital version pre-ordered to nab the theme. Just grab the demo and? you'll be set. For those of us that want a disc copy, Sega mentioned that all physic??al "first-run" copies of the game will come with some decals that you can stick anywhere. I'm not a big fan of those, but the gesture is appreciated.

The post Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise’s demo comes with a nifty PS4 theme appeared first on Destructoid.

You are already downloaded

During Sega's panel at PAX West today, the company announced that a demo for the upcoming Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise would be hitting the PSN next week. You'll be able to get a taste of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios??' latest on September 4, roughly one month before the game releases in October.

Likely a copy of the Japanese demo, there won't be any ability to take your progress into the full game like Yakuza 6's demo. This is just a teaser to whet your appetite before the main course. Seeing as how I still haven't really had enough Yakuza (despite beating Kiwami 2 mere weeks ago), I'm champing at t??he bit for this.

Another cool bit of info is that the Kiryu DLC from the Japanese release will be making its way West. If you somehow don't want to feel like the absolute badass that is Kenshiro, you can tone it down a little and witness Kiryu finally killing people. I'm not sure if it will be a pre-order DLC type deal, but at least it exists (unlike Binary Domain's awesome crossover DLC).

Fist Of The North Star: Lost Paradise Getting A Demo In The U.S. Next Week [Game Informer]

Yakuza Game [Twitter]

The post Get a taste of ATATATA in Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise’s free demo next week appeared first on Destructoid.

You have already voted

[Update: It appears that the Hokuto ga Gotoku survey question has bee??n pulled as the team received an adequate sample size. So, here's ho?ping we get that localisation announcement real soon, right]

Today is a good day to be a fan of the Yakuza series. The delayed Yakuza 6: The Song of Life finally releases internationally, with Yakuza Kiwami 2 to follow later this year. However, it's been hard to overlook the elephant in the room, which is the absence of news about Hokuto ga Gotoku, the Yakuza team's upcoming game based on the legendary Fist of the North Star series.

As players have been starting up their brand new copies of Yakuza 6, they've been discovering a new survey that has come with the game, which ends on a question we all know the answer to: Are you interested in Fist of the North Star?

It's become clear, given that the subject has featured in multiple surveys, that it is still possible for Hokuto ga Gotoku to remain solely in Japan. To quote the survey itself: "While no localization has been announced at this time, how interested are you in the Fist of the North Star game created by the developers of Yakuza?" Fans can then answer on a five point scale, with "Would not buy it" being the lowest and "Day one! I would? pre-order it!" being the highest.

At this point, it can't be a matter of how well Yakuza titles sell, as we've had Kiwami 2 confirmed since the last survey. It has to be a concern over how well those sales will translate to another franchise, as not every Yakuza fan will necessarily buy Hokuto ga Gotoku. Sega will also have to take into account the expense of translating the game and having to deal with the license on an international scale. Anime and manga licenses aren't necessarily cheap to deal with, just look at Namc?o's shaky release history with its own licensed titles for proof.

Luckily, the link to the survey has been found, and you can take the survey yourself here. Be warned, however, that it is written with the assumption that you have purchased Yakuza 6. Regardless of whether you own a PlayStation 4 or not, if you like Fist of the North Star, or are a fan of the Yakuza series, just vote to help get this game out of Japan so, at the very least, fans of Fist of the North Star can have a good game to look forward to.

The post (Update) Interested in Fist of the North Star? Yakuza 6 wants t?o know appeared first on Destructoid.

Omae Wa Mou Shindeiru

Every time I see Hokuto ga Gotoku, I get more excited and hope Sega tells us that a localization is coming. I love Yakuza and seeing? the team work on something ne??w gets me really excited. Anyway, with the game coming out in mere weeks in Japan, Sega is getting people ready to jump into Kenshiro's boots with some new gameplay 101 trailers.

These videos cover "Beginner," "Intermediate," and "Advanced"? techniques. My favorite bit has to be grabbing the death quotes from fallen enemies and beating your foes with them. This is looking absurd in all the right ways and I love it. Kenshiro can also unleash the power of the Hokuto Shinken after filling a seven star meter (referencing? his seven scars).

『北斗が如く』の遊び方が分かる動く取扱説明書 バトル初級編 [YouTube]

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Ease my pain. Ease my loneliness.

Earlier this morning, Sega debuted an entire hour of gameplay from the upcoming Hokuto no Ken/Fist of the North Star ??title, currently in development from Yakuza Studio.

The lengthy footage shows series protagonist Kenshiro doing what his does best - popping heads and taking names - as he ventures through the post-apocalyptic wilderness of a barren Earth. We see him engage in battle with bitter rival Shin, and an appearance is also put in by spunky sidekick Bat. Obviously, the one h??our clip may contain minor spoilers.

Unfortunately Hokuto ga Gotoku is yet to receive a confirmed release for the West, but here's hoping, as it looks as though the game would be welcomed by fans of the Yakuza series, as well as Hokuto no Ken fans in general.

Hokuto ga Gotoku launches on PS4 on March 8 in Japan. A limited edition PS4 console is also available for pre-order.

The post An hour of Fist of the North Star’s Hokuto ga Gotoku gameplay right here appeared first on Destructoid.

Ah! Ah! Gimme my life. Gimme my energy.

Sega and Sony have teamed up to bring Japan an exclusive PS4 console emblazoned with artwork from the upcoming Fist of the North Star brawler, Hokuto ga Gotoku.

The console, which is available for pre-order on Japan's Sony Store, comes in 500GB and 1TB models, and also includes and exclusive Hokuto ga Gotoku theme and packaging. The 500GB model costs ¥33,480, while the 1TB model will set you back ¥38,480. Not including heft??y shipping and potential import charges, of course.

The PS4 is set for shipping on March 8 2018, to coincide with the release of Hokuto ga Gotoku.

Hokuto ga Gotoku edition PS4 [Sony Store Japan]

The post Hokuto no Ken PS4 console coming to Japan for those who aren’t already dead appeared first on Destructoid.

1986 Sega Master System game can be found in-game

The first gameplay of Hokuto Ga Gotoku was shown at the 2017 Tokyo Game show and it certainly looks like a Yakuza game. Kenshiro walks around the city of Eden and gets into some fisticuffs with other burly men. He even catches a crossbo?w-fired arrow between his fingers and flips back into the forehead of the shooter.

New details on story, characters, and gameplay have also been translated. Four newly announced characters include Jagi, Souther, Nadai, and Uighur (who I doubt is an actual Uighur). In a post-apocalyptic world, Kenshiro is "wa??s defeated by Nanto Seiken user Shin, and his beloved fiancee Yuria?? was stolen from him."  

Kenshiro tracks down Shin and defeats him, but learns?? from him that Yuria has died. ??However, while wandering the wasteland he hears that she may be alive. So he ventures to Eden, the City of Miracles, to find his love. 

Mini-games and play-spots including Hyahhaa Rally, Bartender Ken, Death Batting, Kenshiro Clinic and Black Suit Kenshiro. The Hyahhaa Rally is reminiscent of Mad Max, as Kenshiro traverses? the wasteland in an upgrada??ble combat buggy. There are enemy factions to be wary of as well as races to participate in.

Death Batting is this game's version of the Yakuza batting cages where you "hit a home run using the bike-riding scoundrels that come your way as balls." Kenshiro Clinic is rhythm-based mini-game where?? Ken helps patients using? pressure point treatment.

Black Suite Kenshiro involves defending a nightclubs proceeds and handling unruly customers as a de facto bouncer. Lastly, you can find a "Game Machine and Game Cabinet" in the wasteland, which when brought back to Eden allows you to play the 1986 Sega Master System side-scrolling action game Hokuto no Ken.

There's something about these Yakuza guys who just keep on going and selling me on a game aeons after I've already committed to buying and playing the games. It may be the same formula as the Yakuza titles, but it's a great and proven formula. The only downside is I'm not as familiar with the Fist of the North Star universe. I'd love it if they made something like this for Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star, or even Samurai Champloo.

Hokuto ga Gotoku details story, four new characters, ??and play?? spots [Gematsu]

The post First gamepla?y look at the Yakuza? Fist of the North Star game is very promising appeared first on Destructoid.

Vote on it!

Were you excited by the announcement of Yakuza: Kiwami 2 and that sick-looking Fist of the North Star game on August 26? Do you know someone who was interested in them? Are you looking for a way to express interest to Sega that you would throw money at them for those games besides screaming on social media and buying a dozen copies of Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza 6?

Wel??l luckily for you, Sega has the answer in th?e form of a four-question survey.

The survey is extremely simple compared to many others of its kind. It's just four questions, and no personal information is required. The questions ask if you had heard of any of the three games involved before taking the survey, and individual questions for how interested you are in Yakuza: Kiwami 2, Yakuza Online, and Hokuto ga Gotoku. You can see the exact contents of the survey below.

Remember, if you, or someone you know, is interested in these games, vote on the survey. The survey is for Sega to judge how much interest there is before localizing them. Everyone wins by getting more games out of Japan, and it potentially encourages Sega to take more risks down the road. Hell, when was the last time we had a decent Fist of the North Star game? ?It takes next to no time to vote, so if you have any interest at all, or want to help bring the games over for someone else, show your supp?ort. It's also not clear when the survey ends so get your votes in as soon as possible.

You can find the survey here.

The post Sega hosting survey in order to gauge intere?st about Yakuza: Kiwami 2, Fist of the North Star appeared first on Destructoid.

Yakuza style action and minigames

During Sega's Yakuza series reveal event in Akihabara, on top of Yakuza: Kiwami 2 and a Yakuza MMO for mobile and PC, they topped it off with Hokuto Ga Gotoku (Hokuto No Ken is Fist of the North Star, Ryu Ga Gotoku is Yakuza) for Pla?yStation 4. It's scheduled for a 2018 release in Japan. As the mixed named implies, it's somewhat of a mix between the two.

It is an original Fist of the North Star title and story with similar combat, exploration, and mini-games from the Yakuza games. Kenshiro will even be played by Kiryu Kazuma voice actor Takaya Kuroda. However, Producer Toshihiro Nagoshi reassured fans that it won't simply be a Yakuza game with new wa?llpaper, confirming there will be various new elements.

The post ??Yakuza team making Fist of the North S?tar action game appeared first on Destructoid.