GameShark | News | Yakuza Star Power

SEGA announced the celebrity cast for its upcoming video game, Yakuza. Slated for release on Sept. 5th 2006, the game is currently being localized for a western audience. To ensure a fully cinematic experience for players, the game will feature the distinctive voice work of Hollywood actors including Michael Rosenbaum, Michael Madsen, Eliza Dushku, Rachel Leigh Cook, and Mark Hamill to compliment its promise of stunning visuals and engaging storyline.

Yakuza, scripted by noted Japanese novelist Hase Seishu, features an intricate storyline driven by loyalty, honor, and revenge. The seasoned Hollywood cast will bring the widely varied characters to life with both subtle and impassioned performances. Adding his signature voice to the cast, Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs, Sin City) plays Shimano, a physically imposing Yakuza boss who relies on brutality to achieve his selfish goals; Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville) voices Nishiki, a ruthless Yakuza member who has turned against his childhood friend, Kazuma, out of bitter jealousy; Eliza Dushku, (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Bring It On) voices Yumi, who grew up with Nishiki and Kazuma in an orphanage, and is at the center of the mystery; Rachel Leigh Cook (She’s All That) plays Reina, owner of the Serena hostess bar, whose secret love leads her down a road of betrayal; and Mark Hamill (Star Wars, Batman: New Times) voices the insane Majima, a violent Yakuza boss with a twisted sense of honor.

Yakuza for the PlayStation 2 will ship September 5, 2006.

If NHL 2k9 were the only hockey game on the market it’d be an easy buy for any fan of the hottest game on ice. But even with exemplary competition on the shelf, this game still more than holds its own.

Going undercover just doesn't fly once you've raced the open streets of Los Angeles. We get one final look at the latest spin on the series before it ships later this month.