Yakuza: Like A Dragon ➔ Out Run

There are many top-quality games hidden in arcades within Yakuza: Like a Dragon, names like Virtua Fighter 2 and Super Hang-On just there to play in their entirety. But amongst them, the one we’re highlighting here is Out Run. Why? Because it’s just so bloody marvelous.

To find the arcades, you’ll want to head to either Sasaki in the Commercial District, or Club Sega in Chinatown. In the latter, a swishy place, there are cabinets offering Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown, Space Harrier, and Super Hang-On. In the more run-down Sasaki, there’s the Virtua Fighter 2 machine, alongside Fantasy Zone and the wonderful Out Run. A proper Out Run arcade machine, on which you sit down.

Sega’s Out Run originally appeared in arcades in 1986, before making its way to the likes of the Master System in ‘87, and home computers like the Atari ST and Amiga in 1988. It’s since then been ported to just about everything, from the Genesis in ‘91 to the Nintendo Switch in 2018. The enduring racing game was incredibly well polished, set in pretty scenery with bright blue skies, and most importantly, offered super-fast fun.

So yeah, those are my favorite secret games within games. Are there any missing here that are near and dear to your heart?