The upcoming Yakauza: Like A Dragon will be a departure for the long-running series in many ways. It introduces a new main character, Ichiban Kasuga, following the end of Kazuya Kiryu's story in Yakuza 6. It will also replace the series' trademark beat 'em up combat with turn-based battles.One holdover from the previous Yakuza games is mini-games. Like A Dragon will offer various side activities for players who want a break from the story. That includes classic Sega games playable in Sega themed arcades.Related: How the Sega Dreamcast Revolutionized Gaming

Multiple classic Sega arcade games will appear in Like A Dragon. Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown, Space Harrier, and Super Hang-On cabinets can be seen in a recent tweet from the game's developer, RGG Studio.

Out Run, Fantasy Zone, and Virtua Fighter 2 will also be playable. The Virtua Fighter games' inclusion makes sense, given their presence in previous Yakuza installments. Given that Sega recently teased the series' return as an eSport, it may also serve as an introduction to gamers that missed its heyday.

Arcades have been a part of the series since its PlayStation 2 days, first appearing in 2006's Yakuza 2. The featured games changed between installments, reflecting the time period each Yakuza game is set in. For instance, the '80s set prequel Yakuza 0 featured period appropriate games like Space Harrier and Out Run.

The arcades are based on real Sega arcades in Japan, like the one that recently closed in the Akihabara district. The Yakuza games set in modern times were called Club Sega. Yakuza 0 arcades were called Sega Hi-Tech Club and were patterned after the arcades of the time period.

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Early games in the series featured original games, like space shooter Boxcelios. 2012's Yakuza 5 was the first installment to feature actual Sega arcade games with VF 5 and the rhythm game Taiko no Tatsujin. Most of the games featured in Like A Dragon were featured in Yakuza 6, along with the classic puzzle game Puyo Puyo.

Spinoff game Judgement, which features a private detective protagonist, may have had the most robust selection of games in its arcades. In addition to stalwarts like VF 5 and Space Harrier, it featured oddities like Fighting Vipers and Motor Raid, which had never been ported to a console. It also included Kamuro of the Dead, an original zombie-killing light gun game in the vein of the House of the Dead series.

There's an argument that including arcade games goes beyond offering players a fun diversion. Video game preservation is an important topic for anyone who cares about the history of the medium. Backwards compatibility is one-way game preservation can be achieved, but it can only go so far.

Including old arcade games in an actual arcade setting in the Yakuza game not only gives gamers a chance to play them when there's no other legal outlet. It also plays them in their original context, which would be nearly impossible otherwise.

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Sega Yakuza Out Run

The Yakuza games' history of including arcade games also makes sense given its predecessor. The series is considered the spiritual successor to the pioneering open-world game Shenmue.

The original Shenmue games included playable Sega arcade games. Yakuza might also be paying tribute to Shenmue by featuring games designed by its creator, Yu Suzuki, including Space Harrier and Virtua Fighter. It could be a coincidence, given that it would be difficult to find a popular arcade game from Sega's glory days that he didn't have a hand in.

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