http://www.siliconera.com/2012/07/17/yakuza-1-2-hd-edition-set-for-november-release/ I want this so bad. Just bought both these games a few months ago. I got a few hours into Yakuza 1, but I would rather wait and play the HD version if that is down the road. Do you think it's likely they will localize this version for the west?

GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME! UGGGNNGH!

Cool. Gonna import these.

@pekoe212 said:

Do you think it's likely they will localize this version for the west?

It's a Yakuza game, so your only answers are "no" and "far later than you'd prefer".

I want this. Never played this series but always wanted too. Problem is finding the first game plus it hear it has a bad dub. Would like the option for Japanese audio if this leaves Japan.

playing 3 right now and absolutely loving it. how do its prequels stack up?

that's cool. i'm not crossing my fingers for a western release but it would be neat-o. if anything i would expect a release on the PSN store. also, it means more people get to play Yakuza 2.

Great, let's pick this topic up in two years when it comes here. If it comes here.

@ImmortalSaiyan: But then you'd miss Mark Hamill as Majima!! He is genuinely awesome and memorable. I've only played some of the first game, but I would say the problem with the English dub isn't so much bad acting (although there definitely is some) but that having all these American actors try to convince you they're Japanese and attempt to pronounce Japanese names is very jarring and doesn't feel believable, just supremely awkward. I think the social conventions and ways of expressing emotions are just different enough in Japan that American actors/the English language cannot approximate it consistently, it feels strained. I'm glad they went back to the Japanese language versions but please don't count this game out just because of the voice acting.

@pekoe212 said:

@ImmortalSaiyan: But then you'd miss Mark Hamill as Majima!! He is genuinely awesome and memorable. I've only played some of the first game, but I would say the problem with the English dub isn't so much bad acting (although there definitely is some) but that having all these American actors try to convince you they're Japanese and attempt to pronounce Japanese names is very jarring and doesn't feel believable, just supremely awkward. I think the social conventions and ways of expressing emotions are just different enough in Japan that American actors/the English language cannot approximate it consistently, it feels strained. I'm glad they went back to the Japanese language versions but please don't count this game out just because of the voice acting.

Really? I think Majima sounds terrible, it's pretty bad work compared to The Joker. I didn't even believe it was him until you just made that post.

I want these sooooo badly, I love 3 + 4 and would love to play the rest (hopefully soon).

I to would also like to have it just subbed instead of dubbed, or at least have the option. I definitely wouldn't skip the game because it's dubbed, I love the series too much to do something like that, but I have a profound dislike for dubbed foreign language media, no matter how good the voice actors themselves may be, I find it always sounds a little off.

I hope this comes out before Yakuza 5 so we have something to tide us over while we wait for that, which by the way, looks fucking awesome.

I've been hoping for a re-release of these games ever since the first HD collections started coming out so this news puts a smile on my face. Now just start inching your way to the west, won't you?

I like it when games localised for the west still let you select the original VO, it should be a standard. It tends to sound less awkward, and if the original acting sucks, I usually can't tell and won't get bogged down by it.

I like simple fact that it ticks off the food you've already eaten is used as a selling point for the series. Though in all seriousness it does help a lot. In any case that's awesome and now I want Yakuza 5 now.

Fist-fighting tigers in HD?!

Oh fuck yes!

Well hopefully if they do bring it out they'll rip out a bunch of content that they don't think is to "Japanesey", that westerners won't understand; and replace it with absolutely nothing.

@MyNameIsJoe said:

Well hopefully if they do bring it out they'll rip out a bunch of content that they don't think is to "Japanesey", that westerners won't understand; and replace it with absolutely nothing.

Yakuza 1 & 2 had all the same content for their western releases, Sega only took content out for 3.

I played through Yakuza 1 a couple years ago, and I really didn't love it. It was very repetitive, and the story didn't draw me in at all. The world didn't feel "alive" or particularly appealing. I kind of want to give the other games a try, though, based on other things I've heard.

If they fix the frame rate and load times I will just start mailing my money to Japan now.

@pekoe212 said:

http://www.siliconera.com/2012/07/17/yakuza-1-2-hd-edition-set-for-november-release/ I want this so bad. Just bought both these games a few months ago. I got a few hours into Yakuza 1, but I would rather wait and play the HD version if that is down the road. Do you think it's likely they will localize this version for the west?

When I clicked the link my avast gave me a malware warning...

http://ryu-ga-gotoku.com/hd_edition/

the official website is up with information. I really hope this makes it stateside, I would love to replay 1 with original voice acting and replay both with trophy support.