Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a video game that tells the story of Goro Majima's time as a pirate captain in Hawaii. Beginning on a beach desperate for a drink of water and without any memories, he meets a boy named Noah Rich and his Tiger Goro, who inform him that he washed ashore on Rich Island near Hawaii. Quickly besieged by swashbuckling pirates led by Keith, they begin on a journey.

The game takes place as an action adventure, featuring exploration in a 3D environment with seamless cuts to combat, which is itself a mixture of Beat'Em Up and Hack and Slash style gameplay. Majima's skills can be improved and leveled up to make gameplay easier.

This video game was developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio as part of the broader Like a Dragon series and was published by their parent company Sega in February 2025. Get it on Steam for Microsoft Windows here. Get it for Xbox One and Xbox Series X and Series S here. Get it for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 here.

• Abusive Parents: Jason Rich generally means well for his son, but in a drunken rage he nearly strikes him before being stopped by Goro Majima.
• The Alcoholic: Jason Rich is an alcoholic bar owner by the time Majima meets him. His daughter implies he drinks the profits away.
• Amnesiac Hero: Goro Majima describes his time waking up on the beach as him being a "Total blank slate", unable to remember how he got there or who he was to the name. He quickly begins to remember inklings of his past after he is forced into violence.
• Bears are Bad News: Majima has to fight a bear after he acquires his first Pirate Booty.
• Blade of Fearsome Size: Masaru Fujita wields a giant cleaver as his weapon.
• Boarding Party: Majima can lead one onto other pirate ships.
• Comically Missing the Point: Noah insists his Tiger Goro is not a tiger and just a normal pet cat.
• Console Cameo: A playable Sega Master System makes an appearance in this Sega published game
• Cool Big Sis: Moana is one to Noah.
• Cool Boat: The Goromaru is a pirate ship commandeered by Goro Majima.
• Die, Chair, Die!: Certain decorative objects can be destroyed by Majima.
• Doppelganger Attack: Part of Majima's fighting style enables him to use this after the madness gauge is filled.
• Double Jump: Majima can jump up in the air vertically, then lunge forward.
• Drunken Master: Jason Rich is said to be much better at fighting when he is drunk compared to when he is sober.
• Dual-Wielding: Majima eventually gets two pirate swords he uses at once.
• Eyepatch of Power: Majima wears an eye patch even before he becomes a pirate.
• Fetch Quest: Noah tasks Majima with gathering four potatoes, then bringing them to his bonfire.
• Gaiden Game: The story is related to the events of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
• Game Within a Game: The shack Majima finds himself staying in the first night has a Sega Master System, with the playable games Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Alien Syndrome, Fantasy Zone, and others.
• Gold Makes Everything Shiny: The title screen features the logo of the game gleaming in a golden shine.
• Heel Face Turn: Masaru Fujita is first seen working for Jack the Collector, but switches to working for Majima after Jack proves he Would Hurt a Child.
• Ill Boy: Noah is a sickly boy at the start of the game, and the idea of running into pirates causes him to need his inhaler.
• I'm a Humanitarian: Jack the Collector comments that he would like to eat Majima instead of Masaru's previous attempts at cooking. He soon makes sure to clarify that it was just a joke.
• In the Hood: Disciples of Palekana wear yellow hoods with a symbol on the side.
• Lethal Chef: The "Amiable Pirate" comments that 10% of the time, Masaru's cooking is this.
• Level Map Display: One is displayed when out of combat on land. A map of the nearby waters is shown while sailing.
• Life Meter: One is displayed on the upper left hand side of the screen.
• The Merch: Aloha Beer sells a sticker themed after Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii for their "Froot Lupes" beer, which itself appears in the game under more normal packaging.
• More Dakka: The forward machine guns of a ship unleash a hail of bullets on whatever lies ahead.
• Multiple Life Bars: Some enemies have these, displayed as one bar that changes color to the next bar as the current bar depletes.
• Nice Hat: Goro Majima eventually acquires a pirate hat when he becomes a captain.
• Nitro Boost: The ship can be given a boost of speed on command.
• Older Is Better: After Keith looses to Majima, he ups the ante when he fights him again by bringing an antique mace from the Age of Discovery with him.
• One-Man Army: Goro Majima regularly takes on hordes of pirates, and even comments about liking odds like 30 to 1.
• Outlaw Town: Madlantis is described as a place that harbors outlaws.
• Pass Through the Rings: While sailing, rings can be passed through to catch a stronger breeze and boost the ship.
• Period Piece: The gameplay starts on an island near Hawaii in August 2024.
• A Pirate 400 Years Too Late: The game opens by introducing Goro Majima as a pirate captain. The first pirates he encounters are also of the swashbuckling variety, though occasionally they'll wear modern clothing or use machine guns. Lampshaded by the "Easygoing Islander" early on, commenting that it's weird to see pirates like that in the 21st century, even in the middle of nowhere.
• Pirate Booty: Can be found by pursuing the map left behind by Jack the Collector. Story wise the treasure wreck of the Esperanza is important, containing billions of dollars worth of gold as well as an elixir of eternal life that can cure any disease.
• Product Placement: Majima can purchase Aloha Beer varieties in game, including Alpha Blonde, Froot Lupes IPA, and Mellow Waves, all of which were real beers.
• Rewarding Vandalism: Some barrels containing gold give money when broken by Majima.
• Rule of Cool: You can drift the Goromaru like it's a car.
• Ruthless Modern Pirates: While most of the piracy is of the A Pirate 400 Years Too Late sort, pirate ships do use forward mounted machine guns for when they cant unleash a broadside with their cannons, and Majima does carry a rocket launcher while on the ship.
• Scenery Porn: The beaches of Rich Island near Hawaii are lush and the oceans waters are vibrant and crisp.
• Supreme Chef: The "Amiable Pirate" comments that 90% of the time, Masaru's food is great. It's implied that Masaru regularly is forced to deal with low quality ingredients and must regularly get creative to make due, resulting in a less consistent success rate.
• Sword and Gun: Jack the Collector uses a sword and gun against Majima in one fight.
• Talk Like a Pirate: Keith's pirates talk like this.
• Tattooed Crook: Majima is a former Yakuza, and the game intro features him lying down on a beach showing off an impressive full tattooed back of a Hannya.
• Team Chef: Masaru serves the role of Ship's Cook for the Goro Pirates, as well as the pirates he served before them.
• This Is a Work of Fiction: The game starts out with a disclaimer of this sort.
• Throwing Your Sword Always Works: Not only can Goro Majima throw his pirate swords while in swashbuckler style, they can return to him like boomerangs.
• Treasure Map: Goro Majima gets one that leads to the Pirate Booty of Jack the Collector.
• Vendor Trash: Items like paper plates, cigarette butts, and pocket tissues are stated to have no other use than to sell.
• This Is My Story: The game begins with Goro Majima sitting down to tell his story, starting in August 2024 - six months before the current time.
• Would Hurt a Child: The Pirate Keith slaps Noah after he tells a bad lie about Goro Majima being a relative, followed up by his henchman kicking him.
• Wreaking Havok: Certain items are physics enabled and can be knocked down if Majima runs into them.
• Yakuza: Jason Rich pegs Goro Majima as Yakuza when he enters his bar.