Sega Surveying Interest In Fist Of The North Star Localization

Now that Yakuza 6 is out and fans of the series are immersing themselves in Kazuma Kiryu's latest and last adventure, Sega is asking western gamers how they want their next taste of Yakuza-style gameplay.

The survey, which was given out to purchasers of Yakuza 6, asks fans whether they would be interested in the Fist of the North Star-flavored game from the Yakuza team. Titled Hokuto ga Gotoku, or roughly translated to Like A North Star to play off the Yakuza series Japanese title of Like A Dragon, the game has been in sort of a limbo in regards to localization. This survey is the third time Sega has asked, indicating that they want to bring the game over but have not yet committed to it.

“While no localization has been announced at this time, how interested are you in the Fist of the North Star game created by the developers of Yakuza?” the survey question reads.

Like A North Star takes the Fist of the North Star license and wraps it around Yakuza gameplay, to the point where Kazuma Kiryu's voice actor plays protagonist Kenshiro, and an optional Kiryu skin can be used for the entire game. The game released last month on PlayStation 4 in Japan.

 

Our Take
This is kind of a rough one, because it's easy to see Sega's hesitance here. Fist of the North Star games have come to America before, but traditionally don't do very well. The series doesn't have the same mind share something like Dragon Ball Z does in the west, or even much less popular series. On the other hand, I do want to play it, so I hope it gets localized. I can see why Sega is polling on it so aggressively.