Yakuza 1: Playing the PS2 Classic on AetherSX2

The "Four Horns" quest in MHP was so tough that I decided to take a break and play something else. To do that, I went around BookOff and HardOff and picked up Yakuza 1 and 2—the original PS2 versions. The PS3 remaster is basically the same experience as this smartphone emulator setup. While the remake, Yakuza Kiwami, is an option, playing on a smartphone while lying in bed using this emulator setup is the absolute best. By the way, I actually own a PS2 console—the slim white model. As I recall, the PS2 has tons of great games, and since you can easily dump them as long as your PC can read standard DVDs, it's super convenient.

Back in the day, I used to think it was just some trash game, but I figured if a series made it all the way to 8, the story and content must be pretty good. That piqued my interest, so I bought it.

The initial plot points stayed hidden all the way until the very end before finally paying off. It was a genuinely thrilling story—what you might call a classic old-school adventure game.

The combat scenes are pretty tedious and not much fun, which feels like it drags down the game's overall rating. Honestly, it might even be better off without them.

Still, the great story more than makes up for it. Plus, back on the PS2—a console that had just made 3D rendering possible—recreating the neon lights of Tokyo's downtown district must have been a remarkable technical feat at the time. Majima-senpai is so cool!

It even depicts a Chinatown like this—really impressive.

Man, I want to play through all the Yakuza games and all the Monster Hunter games, but there just isn't enough time. Maybe I'll save them for retirement.