Kurohyō: Ryū ga Gotoku Shinshō

Tatsuya Ukyo is an aimless youth on the streets of Kamurocho who is framed for an assault that left a young boy comatose. He drops out of high school during his second year and lives a hoodlum's life with Tenma (his only friend) and Saeko, his sister who raised him for nine years after their mother's death. Hearing about a large sum of money held by a loan shark, Tatsuya, and several other hoodlums break-in at night. Tatsuya defeats Naoki Toda, not knowing he killed him.

After Toda's death, Tatsuya receives an ultimatum from a member of his gang: win ten consecutive fights or be arrested. Tatsuya agrees, and as he fights underground he bonds with trainer Kudoh Saki and physician Amamiya Taizan.

He is shocked to find that Toda is still alive. Through the Florist of Sai, Tatsuya learns that Toda had a body double, was responsible for the Champion District arson and was presumed murdered when police found his body outside the city. He also learns the truth behind the fight that landed him in juvenile hall for two years was from another acquaintance of Tatsuya who delivered the crippling blow after defeating his father.

Amamiya Taizan (Nogi Tooru) is Tatsuya's biological father and Saeko's foster father. When Saeko's parents were killed in the Champion District arson, Tooru and his wife adopted Saeko. When his wife died in another fire, he disappeared. Fifteen years earlier Naoki, needing money, helped commit insurance fraud by setting the Champion Street fire. He was paid by Tsutsui Masatoshi, a bullying land developer. Tatsuya defeats eight other fighters, beats Hyuga Shou twice, and also defeats his father. He wants to learn what happened so Tsutsui will be arrested for the murders, and learns that Masatoshi once belonged to the Dragon Heat with Amamiya Taizan. When Taizan throws his final match after taking a vicious blow to the arm as an act of spite for being denied a rematch, Masatoshi sends Shinjoh, a secretary he personally trained in his fighting techniques, against them. Although Tatsuya defeats Shinjoh, his father sacrifices himself by taking a blow intended for him. Despite the arrests of Tsutsui and Shindoh, they were unable to find information about the true mastermind behind the conspiracy as the data about the extent of the conspiracy was lost and all leads to the case are dead. In post-game credits, the final conspiracy member is disclosed: Tsurumi Tadashi, secretly working with Naoki to take over Kamurocho.

The gameplay is focused on 1-on-1 brawling and martial arts rather than the beat-em-up gameplay of the main series. The combat is modeled after AKI Corporation's Def Jam Fight for NY combined with elements of the main series Yakuza titles such as heat actions, enemy encounters in the overworld and picking up weapons scattered around the arena. The camera is on a side perspective rather than the full 3d perspective of the console Yakuza games.

The control layout is somewhat similar to the main games. Basic attacks from the main series is now a punch button while the heavy attack button is reserved for kicks. Attacks have a lower variant by holding the D-Pad or joystick down while pressing the attack buttons. There are also singular attacks that launch the player towards the enemy by pressing left or right while attacking. You can also perform a wake-up attack while on the ground or kneeling by pressing the attack buttons. Charge attacks can be performed by holding either attack button. Dodging, blocking and grappling remain on the same buttons as their console counterparts. Taunting is now achieved by pressing the kick button while holding the grapple button due to the fact the PSP has no R2 button. Unlike most of the main games, raising heat by taunting is a default skill as well as counters. The lock-on is replaced with a target switch since you're locked on to the opponent at all times. Holding the target switch button locks you off the enemy when walking around. Holding the dodge button allows you to run around the arena.

Counters have been revamped from the main games. One counter is catch counter. It is achieved by pressing any direction on the d-pad/joystick and the block button simultaneously as the opponent is attacking. Another is the dodge counter. Dodging at the right time creates a brief moment of slow motion which can be added with a punch by pressing either attack button. Both counters raise heat.

Unique to this game compared to other fighting games is the fact that there is no health UI present in combat. Health can be seen through the pause menu. An indicator for halfway health is a red flashing overlay on all corners of the screen. A tired stance and walking animation is an indicator towards near death.

The game has a stamina mechanic. The more you attack, run and dodge, the more tired the player gets. A clear sign is the heavy breathing that gets cloudier the more tired the player gets. Stamina rebuilds by walking or standing. If the tiredness reaches its peak, the player or enemy stops to catch their breath momentarily. Getting caught in a dodge counter can also have stamina reach peak tiredness.

Limbs categorized in Head, mid-Body, Arms and Legs can be damaged. Unlike other games where the display of limb damage is a graphic of a body, it is represented with kanji for each body part that change color the more damage received. Colored kanji past white show up at the bottom left corner of the screen when damaged. Colors go from Yellow, Orange, Red and flashing white and red. Head damage knocks down the fighter to the ground more. Mid-body damage knocks down the fighter on their knees more. Leg damage leads the fighter to be more susceptible to being tripped when targeted. And arm damage has guards becoming easier to break. Limb damage can be recovered with health-kit items mainly bought at shops such as the drugstore.

Heat actions have been changed lessening their context sensitive nature. Heat actions are performed by grabbing the opponent and pressing the dodge button as the X-button prompt shows up. Heat is separated in 3 levels. Blue, yellow and red in order. Yellow heat are environmental heat actions while blue and red are fighting style specific. Heat actions have certain body parts more susceptible to damage.

Players can choose multiple fighting styles throughout the course of the story mode. Many styles can be unlocked by doing certain substories, achieving a level threshold of specific fighting styles, and required story elements. Various fighting styles specialize in certain attributes such as raw punching (or kicking) power, power of grapples, quick countering, weapon power, etc. Though the player cannot switch styles during combat similar to Def Jam Fight for NY.

Upgrading is entirely different from the console Ryū ga Gotoku games. Experience points for Tatsuya and the fighting style equipped are separate. Level 30 (50 for Premium New Game) is the max level for Tatsuya which increases overall health. Certain fighting styles have a cap of level 5, others at level 3 and the rest at level 2 (which take longer to increase.) Higher levels for certain fighting styles increase attributes like number of combos present, attack power, etc. Attributes such as Punch, Kick, Grab, Heat and Stamina can be increase at the Tsukahara Dojo located behind the drugstore. These attributes require money to increase these levels. The higher the level the more expensive the upgrade. Level cap is 30 (50 in Premium New Game.)

Over at the Tsukahara Dojo is where Punch and Kick charge attacks can be bought leading to beating a practice dummy with the charge attack equipped. Various charge attacks are unlock with a certain criteria such as story elements and substories to be purchasable at the dojo. Some can be performed with a full circle motion followed by a press from whatever attack button is required.

Though on PSP, the games content of Kurohyo has similar mini-games to the main series with bowling, claw machine, and batting center. Hostess clubs have returned now with an interaction for a Kiss depending on how highly hearted the hostess is. Part-time jobs have been added with the purpose of gaining money as it is purposefully scarce in the game compared to other franchise titles.

The game has a multiplayer mode with a custom character required to play online. The modes consist of missions to unlock items for character customization that can be played solo (though can be played with another player for co-op). A standard VS mode can also be played among other players and teams. Fighting styles and stats are carried over from whatever Tatsuya's is from the story

In the drama Naoki Toda is shot to death by Haruto, a member of Tatsuya's gang whose mother was killed in a gang war. In retaliation he kills Tatsuya's sister, tries several times to kill Tatsuya and frames him for Toda's death. In Tatsuya's final fight he is shot several times before Saki shuts off the power, allowing Tatsuya to defeat Haruto. Haruto, realizing he is about to be arrested, commits suicide with the final bullet in the gun.

Two years after the Toda conspiracy, Tatsuya boxes for the Tetsu Gym and returns to Kamurocho. He is met by the Ashura, an Osaka gang which attacks Shinji Tetsuji and Yuta Mikami. After a brawl with former fighter Tomoki, Tatsuya considers leaving until the Ashura try to take over the Dragon Heat and cripples Shinji, who was their only worthy fighter. He again fights in the Dragon Heat, defeating Shinobu Okita.

The Ashura is heavily invested in Kamurocho and Soutenboori. Meteo Suzuki sells modified air guns as dangerous as pistols and Oba Shunsuke is behind OS Production, a show-business agency which is a Ponzi scheme. Nioka hires an assassin to kill Yuuta's father and a loan shark, but Tatsuya foils his plot.

When the Ashura kidnaps Saeko, Makoto delivers the ransom and sacrifices himself for her when the building in which she is held blows up by taking bullets meant for her. Tsurumi mobilizes his law-enforcement team to seize the city. Winning the final fight in Osaka against Akita, he says that Nogizaki Ryou, Makoto's childhood acquaintance, has the real power before a sniper silences him and the Ashura frames Tatsuya for the murder. He returns to the closed Dragon Heat and Ryusho, who is furious at Nioka for using the police to seize power. Tatsuya persuades Ryusho to save the ring, disclosing that Nioka had been betrayed by Tsurume and confronting him. Ryou arrives with Tsurume's brother to expose Tsurume's involvement in the death of his lover, Shizuka. Tatsuya defeats Ryou to keep him from killing Tsurume. Ryou takes bullets meant for Tatsuya, and he and Tsurume commits suicide through a self-inflicted gunshot wound and jumping off the Millennium Tower after being exposed. Tatsuya, putting the Ashura conflict behind him, continues his journey.

Kurohyō 2: Ryū ga Gotoku Ashura hen being advertised at the Shinjuku Don Quijote store, a virtual version of which appears in the game.

A sequel, Kurohyō 2: Ryū ga Gotoku Ashura hen (Japanese: クロヒョウ2　龍が如く 阿修羅編, lit. "Black Panther 2: Like a Dragon Ashura Chapter") was introduced for PSP by Ryū ga Gotoku series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi in Weekly Famitsu[4] and released in Japan on March 22, 2012.[5][6]

• Official website
• Official TV drama website