Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name has a collectible side quest that may sound familiar to anime fans. Said request tasks Joryu with collecting all seven Gold Balls in Like a Dragon Gaiden, and here are their locations.
If you haven’t guessed already, yes, the quest is directly inspired by none other than Dragon Ball. In the anime series exists a set of seven dragon balls that, when gathered, summon the magical dragon Shenron who grants a single wish. Finding all the Gold Ball locations in Like a Dragon Gaiden, naturally, offers a similar reward.
Where to find all seven Gold Ball locations in Like a Dragon Gaiden
When you arrive in the game’s third chapter, you gain access to the ‘Gotta Catch ‘Em Balls’ request in the Akame Network. The quest sets you down the path of hunting and gathering seven balls to bring to a client known as… Shen. Of course. I wonder if his last name is Ron?
Even though the quest doesn’t appear until you’re fairly deep into the game, you can actually start gathering the balls rather early. Once you’re able to freely visit Sotenbori and The Castle, getting the lion’s share of the orbs can begin.
Gold Ball 1 – Ebisu Pawn Sotenbori
The first Gold Ball location is likely the first one you discover yourself in Like a Dragon Gaiden. I know I’m not the only person who visits the pawn shop right away after starting each game in the series. Right? Anyway, you can purchase the Gold Ball from the Ebisu Pawn shop on E Shofukucho St. for 77,777 yen
Gold Ball 2 – The tour boat man
There’s a good chance you may have heard the rumor of the dancing man on the tour boat. Well, it’s true. All of it. For the next Gold Ball, head to one of the footpaths that run along the Sotenbori River that splits the area in twain.
Tour boats travel the river during the day, and one of them will have a half-naked dancing man with, uh, something sparkling on his crotch. Press the grab button as he passes to get the Gold Ball. And maybe you should rinse it with water or something.
Gold Ball 3 – Kiss Shot Billiards
The next Gold Ball will take some actual work to earn. Head to the southwest corner of the map and enter Kiss Shot Billiards & Bar. You can purchase a Gold Ball by exchanging 777 pts. earned via winning a few rounds of billiards.
There are multiple games of billiards you can play, each offering a set amount of points based on your chosen difficulty. If your aim here is to just get the ball and run, I suggest playing a few rounds on the Beginner difficulty. You may lose, but that’s okay; losing will still award you a small amount of points. Just keep trying and you’ll eventually acquire the ball. I’m not too big on billiards, digital or otherwise, but I was able to get the Gold Ball in less than an hour.
Gold Ball 4 – Akame Shop
The fourth Gold Ball also takes a bit of work, but you can work toward it as you progress through the game. As you earn more cash and Akame Points (by completing side quests), you can invest both into the Akame Network to help it grow. Keep investing in the Akame Shop and soon enough a Gold Ball will appear for purchase (the third time you invest, I believe). You can then buy it for a paltry 777 Akame Points.
Gold Ball 5 – Stroll n’ Patrol mission reward
If you have six balls out of seven, then you may be wondering where the hell the final one is located. You’ll need to complete a specific Stop n’ Patrol mission that won’t appear until you reach the game’s fourth chapter. Once you have, head to this marker on the north footpath of the Sotenbori River to begin the ‘Solve the Mysterious Note’ request:
Speak to the ‘Young Man’ sitting on a bench underneath a parasol:
He explains how he found a ‘weird note’ with a puzzling message. The note reads: “Four turtles form the pillars of this city. Beyond their gazes, a glittering orb resides.” Oh, I bet I know what that orb is! To solve the mystery, you need to find four turtles somewhere in Sotenbori.
To find the turtles, head west from the Young Man and go south to cross the river. Turn left on Shofukucho St. Soon enough, you should stumble on the Syoufuku Turtle Hotel to your right. In front of the hotel are four turtle statues, each with stone pillars on top.
Look across the street from the turtles to spot an item you can grab:
Congrats, you solved the mystery and landed yourself another Gold Ball! Now, let’s head out of the city.
Two Gold Balls remain, but first…
The final two balls you need are located at The Castle. But before you head that way, you should swing by Akame’s place and accept the Gotta Catch ’em Balls request if you haven’t already. You will have to return to Akame once you have every Gold Ball in your possession.
Gold Ball 6 – Buff dude by the casino
Once you reach The Castle, head to the left of the Casino entrance and look for the dancers on conveyor belts. Stand at this spot to seek your prey:
And who might that be? Why, the super buff guy in the wrestling mask aggressively flexing at people, of course! He rotates around a small area near the back but soon gets close enough for the ‘Grab’ option to appear on his crotch (naturally). Press it to swipe the Gold Ball.
Gold Ball 7 – Ogre statue
The seventh and final ball on our list is once more located on something’s crotch. From the Casino, head right and travel toward the Coliseum elevators. On the map, the area you need to reach is the ‘Twin Ogre Gate’, named for the two massive ogre statues guarding the Coliseum.
Instead of using the elevator, turn right once you pass the gate and head upstairs. You’ll find yourself underneath the right ogre statue. Look up toward the ogre’s crotch and you should see the twinkling item hidden above.
Time to get your wish
After all seven Gold Balls are in your inventory, return and speak with Akame. After some playful innuendo, she’ll tell you to meet up with Shen-san over in the back alley of East Sotenbori St.
After you offer the Gold Balls to our friend, he allows you to make a wish. You get four options, and here’s what they offer:
- Peaceful Life
- As this is impossible for Joryu to obtain, Shen asks you to request a different wish
- Eternal Life
- The wish desired by most Dragon Ball villains only rewards Joryu with 100 Nourishment of the Sea King items — which is unfortunate, when you think about it
- Endless Riches
- Joryu gets 1 million yen
- Sexy Panties
- Tap into your inner Oolong and wish for… panties. You perv. But since Shen doesn’t have any ‘sexy panties’, he instead gives you his own golden undergarments
So, what’s the best wish reward? You may not like it, but the best wish you can ask to be granted is, in fact, Sexy Panties. You can take the gilded shorts to the pawn shop and sell them for 1.5 million yen. On top of the 1 million yen reward for completing the request, you can walk away 2.5 million yen richer.
