Nintendo Switch Is More Than Mature Enough For Yakuza
Ryu Ga Gotoku studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama has said that Yakuza - or Like a Dragon as the series is now officially known around the globe - isn’t a good fit for Nintendo Switch. Apparently the life and times of Kazuma Kiryu are filled with far too much bloody violence and too many mature themes for the family friendly console, but that feels like a rather outdated view on the hybrid machine. It has long moved beyond that reputation, and Nintendo has been distancing itself from that saccharine image ever since the days of the Wii U.
I don’t think Yakuza as a series is too mature for Nintendo anymore, as Nintendo has actively embraced titles just like it for the better part of a decade. The Wii U is a console that launched with a determination to leave behind the wholesome image of its older sibling. This turned out to be a massive mistake, but the vision was clear when you look at launch games like ZombiU, Tekken Tag 2, Mass Effect 3, and Arkham City, and many others which couldn’t be further from the likes of Link and Mario. It wasn’t for kids anymore. Fuck them kids.
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These mascots would emerge eventually, but aside from Nintendo Land and a few familiar faces it felt like Wii U was targeting a conventional gamer while still trying to find a middle ground that it wouldn’t solidify until the Switch several years later. Future exclusives like Bayonetta 2 and Devil’s Third would highlight this mature perspective, and let’s not forget indie gems like Meme Run. Yakuza somehow not belonging on Switch doesn’t make sense.
Oh yes, and the first two games in the series were also remastered for the Wii U before they came to any other platforms. They were Japan
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