Sega Bringing Yakuza 2, Shiren To North America

Sega has announced three titles slated for a 2008 release in North America: Yakuza 2 for the PlayStation 2, and Dinosaur King and Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer, both for the Nintendo DS. Yakuza 2, a sequel to 2006's original, was announced last year, after the first Yakuza received wide critical acclaim for its 'realistic' portrayal of Japanese crime families. Sega says Yakuza 2 will continue the same storyline surrounding the Tojo clan, taking protagonist Kazuma across Japan to prevent an all-out gang war between the Tojo and the rival Omi clan. Dinosaur King casts players as either Max or Rex, members of a dinosaur-collecting team, as players travel to different territories, dig for indigenous fossils, and collect dinosaurs that can learn hundreds of special moves with the aim of defeating an evil scientist. Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer comes from the same team that created the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games and is set in a fantastical version of feudal Japan. The title character is a wandering Ronin named Shiren in search of El Dorado, the legendary city of gold. Using the mechanics of a classic turn-based RPG, the title is an update on the original SNES version that adds new graphics, sounds and monsters to its predecessor. Sega also showcased several other titles at Tokyo Game Show 2007: Nights: Journey of Dreams (Wii) Sonic Rush Adventure (Nintendo DS), The Golden Compass (Wii, PS2, PS3, PSP, Xbox 360 and PC), Virtua Fighter 5 (Xbox 360) and Sega Rally Revo (PS3, PSP, Xbox 360, and PC). Said Sega of America COO Simon Jeffery, "Sega's product development strategy in North America and Europe is to create great games for Western audiences using Western developers. In addition, we have the unique advantage of being able to tap into content streams from Sega's talented Japanese studios. We work closely with Japan to identify compelling games, such as these three titles, that we know Western audiences will enjoy."