Today Sega released a large batch of new screenshots and a video of the upcoming spin-off of the Yakuza franchise Yakuza Ishin, that will be released in Japan on February 22nd.

The screenshots showcase quite a few new elements of the game, starting with the real life brands like the discount stores chain Don Quixote, that will make an appearance in this chapter of the franchise like they did in previous titles. It may look a tad strange to see modern shops translated into the Bakumatsu period, but they're a staple of the franchise, so their inclusion is quite unsurprising.

More interestingly, we get a glimpse on another staple of the Yakuza series: the minigames, many of which can be enjoyed in the red light district.

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We find an Utagoe parlor, which is basically the ancient equivalent of a karaoke bar, featuring a rhythm minigame. Another rhythm minigame will be available at the traditional dance parlor, where the protagonist Ryoma Sakamoto will show off his dancing skills with the iconic Japanese fans. The udon stall will prompt Ryoma to prepare the traditional Japanese noodles for customers, while The chicken race is exactly what it says on the tin: an area where the player can bet on a wide variety of poultry in order to make it home with a nice lump of money.

Of course the center piece of the red light district is the Ageya, a brothel where the bold Ryoma will be able to "interact" with the local geisha through playful and sexy minigames like a drinking contest, a strip-jan-ken-pon (rock paper scissors) competition with quite obvious consequences (if Ryoma wins, the geisha will strip, if he loses, he'll have to shed his own clothes). A third minigame will prompt Ryoma to actually defend the geisha from the temptation of alcohol.

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I'm sure I'm not the only one that finds rather funny to see that there's a minigame aiming to get Ryoma's target drunk and another to prevent that, but that's perfectly in line with the lovely oddities of the Yakuza franchise.

In the video below you can see an interview with Anna Konno, a fairly popular Japanese actress and model that will play one of the geisha in the game. It also includes a few shots "in motion" of the lovely lady's in-game version.

Finally, three "training" minigames have been introduced as well. The Mannequin House will allow Ryoma to fight mannequins in sequence to earn rare materials, the Cannonball Challenge will let him cut and shoot cannonballs launched by a big piece of artillery, while some more money can be earned by helping an old man chop wood in the outskirts of the game's town.

Below you can see the new video and all the screenshots released today.

//www.youtube.com/embed/VsZFGgUQedM