Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Reveals New Details About Pokémon Parody Minigame

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the next game in developer RGG Studio's long-running Like a Dragon (formerly Yakuza) series. Not only is bringing Kazuma Kiryu back into the fray alongside Ichiban Kasuga, but it's also taking players outside of Japan for the first time. Players will find themselves on the island of Hawaii, trying to find Ichiban's mother and give Kiryu one last ride. Because Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is an RGG game, players can expect all kinds of side activities in addition to the main story. One of the biggest side adventures is the Pokémon-like game called Sujimon, and RGG has finally pulled back the curtain to show players exactly what they should expect.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Sujimon Battles

The new information about Sujimon battles in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth was revealed on the Japanese version of the game's official website. Thankfully, Gematsu came through for the community and provided a full translation. Sujimon battles will take place via 3-on-3 competitions, with you putting together your team to compete against the best trainers in Hawaii. Your final goal will be to best the Discreet Four and the Sujimon Master to take your place as the champion of the Sujimon world. 

RGG also revealed that one of Ichiban's jobs for the main story combat is earned through Sujimon battles. Eventually, you'll unlock the Sujimancer, which lets you use your Sujimon in story battles to buff your party. As you acquire more powerful Sujimon, you'll level up that job, making your main party even stronger.

Finding new Sujimon is relatively easy. All you need to do is fight thugs in the streets of Hawaii, and sometimes, a recruiting opportunity will appear. If you offer them a Suji Gift, there's a chance they'll accept your request and join your crew. There are also raids that sometimes appear on the map, which give you a guaranteed chance to recruit a new Sujimon. Finally, there are Sujimon Gacha locations around Hawaii where you can gamble cash or gacha tickets to win new Sujimon.

Once you get into a Sujimon battle, you'll want to take advantage of the various types to make sure you have a well-rounded team. For instance, you might need a healer in the team to keep heavy-hitter alive, or you might want to protect one of your weaker Sujimon with a tank-like character. Either way, you'll want to ensure you're constantly training them to increase their level and even evolve them into more advanced variants. One great to do this is by taking them to Dondoko Island where they can be used in the Animal Crossing-like minigame to help improve the island while powering themselves up.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth releases on January 26, 2024, for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms.