Table of Contents
Pocket Circuit is featured prominently in Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. It’s a slot car racing game where you build and customize miniature RC cars to compete on intricate tracks. The cars race autonomously, but you intervene strategically with Boost and Focus. Boost is intended for speed bursts and Focus you use to stabilize the car on jumps or turns, preventing disqualification.
General information
Races take place at CourStar, a bar located in Sotenbori. You get access to them in Chapter 2 after rescuing Hanawa. To participate in the minigame you ought to talk to Ran at the counter. She’ll present you with several options:
- Enter Race. 15 regular races that increase in difficulty, starting with Introductory and ending with Grand Masters.
- Rival Match. Races against 15 specific rivals found in Sotenbori. Some require story progress or other minigames.
- Time Attack Beat gold times on courses for extra points.
- Customize. Here, you can build your own frankencar.
- Test Run. Test your custom build
- Tutorial. Basics on how to play the minigame.
- Ask about Pocket Circuit. Help section.
The point of the pocket circuit is to build a proper car for a specific race. The car is made out of 7 parts that affect speed, balance and other stats. You start with basic set and as you complete races and progress further in the game, more parts become available. There is 100 of them in total, some can be bought at CourStar for points (you get them for winning races), some are sold at various shops around Sotenbori, some collected from lockers and as a reward for completing minigames. For those interested, there is a dedicated article that lists all car parts and where one can get them.
Controls
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
 | Hold Right to fast-forward the race Hold Left during Test Runs to rewind |
 | Confirm selection |
 | Cancel selection Tap to Focus/Stabilize |
 | Change camera |
 | Use Boost |
 | View controls |
 | Exit minigame |
Stats
- Speed. Maximum speed your car can reach. Every part affects Speed. However, sometimes being too fast is not a good idea.
- Balance. Keeps your car upright and prevents easy flipping/tipping. Affected by Tires, and once unlocked, Suspension. It should always be above 50.
- Acceleration. How quickly your car ramps up to top speed. Affected by your choice of Motor, Gears and Battery.
- Downforce. Reduces jump height (essential for loops/jumps to avoid flying off). Affected by Suspensions and Front Wings, which you unlock in the late game.
- Grip. Prevents flipping/skidding at high speeds or on tricky surfaces. An absolute must for tracks with patches of grass. It is affected by Wheels.
- Cornering. Helps maintain track position through turns/curves. Affected by Frames and Side Stabilizers.
- Weight. Heavier means slower but more stable; lighter means faster but less stable.
Key parts
♦ Tires. The unsung heroes (or villains) dictating your ride’s Weight, Grip, Acceleration, Speed and Balance.
- Slick Tires. Your vanilla ice cream. Decent all-around, but won’t wow anyone.
- Slim Tires. Speed freaks’ dream for raw velocity, but they flop hard on twisty tracks like a drunk at a ballet.
- Soft Tires. Grip gods who sacrifice Speed for stickiness; lightest of the bunch with peppy acceleration.
- Low Profile Tires. Chonky cousins to Slicks – beefier Weight, superior Grip, but Balance is wobblier than a Jenga tower.
- Spiked Tires. Best acceleration, snail top speed. If there’s grassy section on a crouse, use these.
Upgrade for tires provide better Balance, which is important on later courses.
♦ Frames. The chassis outlining your mini-beast. It’s all about Weight vs. Cornering. Heavier means huggy turns, but you’ll crawl like a sloth on espresso withdrawal. If we go from better Speed to better Cornering, then gradation looks like this: Rocket > Speed > Metal > Balanced > Rubber (ultimate drifter). Frame upgrades affect only Weight.
♦ Motors. Speed and Acceleration overlords, all have same Weight.
- Power Motors. Torque titans for quick launches and hill-crushing swagger.
- Speed Motors. Flat-out flyers for open straights.
- Balanced. The Switzerland of motors.
High Torque amps power, Godspeed chases pure speed. Pro tip: Torque > Speed; hard tracks hate show-offs anyway.
♦ Gears. Motor sidekicks for Speed/Acceleration tweaks. All gears have same weight, perfect for patching anything that a Motor compensates for too much.
- Boost/Godspeed. Ludicrous speed mode.
- Power/Balanced. Torque heroes.
- Regular. Meh middle.
♦ Battery. Your car’s stamina juice. Ditch the starter Regular (it’s a heavy lump). Use High Speed for short sprints (≤8 laps), High Capacity for marathons (12+ laps).
♦ Side stabilizers. Give penalty to your Cornering and Weight. Upgrades improve Cornering but cap at 99.
♦ Suspensions. Balance/Downforce wizards with fixed Weight hit. Mandatory for jump traps (looking at you, Pro-am). “Heavier” ones don’t actually affect Weight but increase the Balance and Downforce more.
♦ Front Wings. Or jump tamers. Pure Downforce, light as a feather, no Balance drama. Late-game lifesaver so your speed demon doesn’t yeet off-track. Upgrades gives more smoosh, less heft.
♦ Decals & Color – Pure swagger (no practical effect). Make your whip look like a boss – no stats, all flex. Style points forever!
Races
Regular Races. Builds
These races have 4 cars participating. There are 15 in total and they unlock one by one only if you have completed the previous course. If you complete at least 9 races, you’ll get a bronze trophy.
|
Pocket Circuit Pro |
|
| Introductory Race | Rookies Welcome | Rookie Race |
|---|---|---|
| Slick Tires Balanced Frame High Torque Motor Mark II Regular Gears Regular Battery | Slick Tires Balanced Frame High Torque Motor Mark II Regular Gears Regular Battery | Spiked Plus Super Balanced Frame Speed Motor Plus Balanced Gears Plus Regular Battery |
| Standard Race | Pro-am Race1 | Veteran Race |
|---|---|---|
| Extra Spiked Tires Extra Metal Frame High Torque Motor Mark II Extra Balanced Gears High Capacity Battery | Extra Low Profile Tires Extra Speed Frame Extra Speed Motor Extra Regular Gears Regular Battery Light Suspension | Spiked Plus Super Balanced Frame Speed Motor Plus Balanced Gears Plus Regular Battery |
| Expert Race | Official Race | CourStar Race |
|---|---|---|
| Super Soft Tires Super Speed Frame High Torque Motor Mark II Godspeed Gears Plus High Capacity Battery Front Wing | Super Spiked Tires Super Speed Frame High Torque Motor Mark II Godspeed Gears Plus High Capacity Battery Front Wing | Ultra Slim Tires Ultra Metal Frame Godspeed Motor Godspeed Gears Plus Regular Battery Medium Suspension Flat Wing |
| Invitational Cup | Champions Cup | Expert Cup |
|---|---|---|
| Ultra Spiked Tires Ultra Balanced Frame Godspeed Motor Super Godspeed Gears Regular Battery Heavy Suspension Box Wing | Ultra Soft Tires Ultra Rubber Frame High Torque Motor Ultra Balanced Gears High Speed Battery Heavy Suspension Rainbow Wing | Ultra Slim Tires Ultra Rocket Frame Godspeed Motor Ultra Boost Gears Regular Battery Heavy Suspension Rainbow Wing |
| Professional Cup | Masters Cup | Grand Masters Cup2 |
|---|---|---|
| Ultra Low Profile Tires Ultra Metal Frame Ultra High Torque Motor Ultra Godspeed Gears Regular Battery Heavy Suspension Rainbow Wing | Ultra Soft Tires Ultra Rubber Frame Ultra Godspeed Motor Ultra Boost Gears High Speed Battery Heavy Suspension Rainbow Wing | Ultra Low Tires Ultra Speed Frame Ultra Godspeed Motor Ultra Godspeed Gears High Capacity Battery Heavy Suspension Rainbow Wing |
- Use boost at the last loop before reaching finish line (after the wiggly part of the track) ↩︎
- Must beat Ran at her Rival Race to unlock. Requires luck. Use boost at last 2 loops. ↩︎
Rival Matches
After completing first couple of races, Ran will tell Kiryu about rival races. These are optional 1v1 showdowns against 20 unique trash-talking enthusiasts scattered across Sotenbori. In order to compete with them, Kiryu, however, must first find them. Rivals pop up as Stroll n’ Patrol icons on your map after beating the Rookie level race. Each rival mirrors main cup courses, though some have their own.
Winning rival races will net you circuit points for shop parts and exclusive rewards (e.g., Godspeed Motor Mk II from Momozo). Some unlock story beats, final cups or advanced foes. Builds from main courses often work with them too! Also, winning three rival races will get you a bronze trophy.
|
Left in the Dust |
|
Rivals Locations
Core 15 opponents unlock progressively; later ones need story progress/minigames. Builds from main races often carry over. Prioritize torque/balance/downforce for jumps. Early ones are pushovers (20c budget), late-game beasts demand max parts (45c+).
Below are the locations of all the Rivals.
Kensuke – Right outside CourStar. Available after 2nd main race.
Kanami – East of Osaka King. Available after 2nd main race.
Yusuke – Basement of Yotsudera Kaikan. Available after 2nd main race.
Hammerhead – Have him join the Joryu Clan. Available after 2nd main race.
Kazuko – Just north of Akame’s Office, near Café Miel. Available after 2nd main race.
Shiori – In front of Four Shine, west of Akame’s Office. Available after 2nd main race.
Toru – First, defeat Kazuko. After that you’ll find Toru on the river footpath southeast of Bishamon Bridge.
Saburo – Castle Coliseum, on the first floor, north of the elevators. Available after 2nd main race.
Akame – Complete Drink Link Level 2.
Yuko – Bunzaemon Outdoor Mall, southwest of CourStar.
Masasahi – First, complete the CourStar Race, then find him northeast of Iwao Bridge.
Masaru – First, complete the CourStar Race, then find him northwest of CourStar, near Iwao Bridge.
Katsuyuki – Castle Casino.
Tomoya – Outside Mizorogi’s Workshop.
Keiko – First, complete the CourStar Race and defeat Tomoya, then find her near the Cabaret Grand on West Sotenbori St.
Momozo – First, defeat Toru and complete the CourStar Race, then find him in central Shofukucho, near the Turtle Hotel.
Ami – First, complete the CourStar Race and reach Platinum Rank in the Coliseum. She’s upstairs in the Castle Casino.
Gou-ou – First, complete the CourStar Race and reach Gold Rank in the Coliseum. He’s in the VIP Lounge.
Ran – Complete the Expert Cup and she’ll challenge you.
Manager – Complete the Grand Masters, then walk to the back room.
Rival Matches. Builds
| Rival | Laps | Cost limit | Prize (points) | Build |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One star races | ||||
| Kensuke | 8 | 20 | 5,000 | Soft Tires Rubber Frame Speed Motor Power Gears Plus Regular Battery |
| Kanami | 8 | 20 | 5,000 | Slick Tires Rubber Frame Speed Motor Balanced Gears Plus High Speed Battery |
| Yusuke | 12 | 20 | 5,000 | Extra Soft Tires Rubber Frame Super Speed Motor Balanced Gears Plus High Capacity Battery |
| Hammerhead | 8 | 20 | 5,000 Essence of Decals (decal) |
Extra Soft Tires Rubber Frame Super Speed Motor Balanced Gears Plus High Capacity Battery |
| Two star races | ||||
| Kazuko | 8 | 25 | 10,000 | Extra Spike Tires Super Balanced Fram Hight Torque Motor Mk II Extra Balanced Gears High Speed Battery |
| Shiori | 8 | 25 | 10,000 | Extra Soft Tires Rubber Frame Super Speed Motor Extra Balanced Gears High Capacity Battery Medium Suspension |
| Toru | 8 | 30 | 10,000 | Super Slick Tires Super Balanced Frame Extra Speed Motor Extra Regular Gears High Capacity Battery |
| Katsuyuki | 8 | 45 | 10,000 | Ultra Slim Tires Ultra Balanced Frame Godspeed Motor Ultra Power Gears High Capacity Battery Side Stabilizer Medium Suspension |
| Three star races | ||||
| Yuko | 8 | 30 | 30,000 | Super Soft Tires Extra Rubber Fram High Torque Motor Mk II Godspeed Gears Plus High Capacity Battery Medium Suspension |
| Saburo | 8 | 30 | 30,000 | Super Spiked Tires Extra Rubber Frame High Torque Motor Mk II Godspeed Gears Plus High Capacity Battery Medium Suspension |
| Tomoya | 12 | 35 | 30,000 | Ultra Slim Tires Extra Rocket Frame Godspeed Motor Extra Godspeed Gears High Capacity Battery Heavy Suspension Flat Wing |
| Akame | 8 | 45 | 50,000 Side Stripe (decal) |
Ultra Soft Tires Ultra Balanced Frame Godspeed Motor Ultra Power Gears High Capacity Battery Side Stabilizer Medium Suspension |
| Four star races | ||||
| Masashi | 8 | 40 | 50,000 | Ultra Spiked Tires Ultra Rubber Frame Godspeed Motor Super Godspeed Gears High Capacity Battery Side Stabilizer 3.0 Medium Suspension |
| Keiko | 4 | 40 | 50,000 Alpha Cool Striker (car) |
Super Soft Tires Super Balanced Frame Super Power Motor Ultra Boost Gears High Speed Battery Heavy Suspension Rainbow Wing |
| Momozo | 8 | 45 | 50,000 Godspeed Motor Mark II |
Ultra Slim Tires Ultra Rocket Fram Godspeed Motor Ultra Boost Gears Regular Battery Heavy Suspension Rainbow Wing |
| Five star races | ||||
| Ami | 8 | 45 | 80,000 | Ultra Slim Tires Balanced Frame Plus Godspeed Motor Ultra Godspeed Gears High Capacity Battery Side Stabilizer 3.0 Heavy Suspension Rainbow Wing |
| Gou-ou | 4 | 45 | 80,000 | Ultra Slim Tires Balanced Flame Plus Godspeed Motor Ultra Godspeed Gears High Capacity Battery Side Stabilizer 3.0 Heavy Suspension Rainbow Wing |
| Masaru | 8 | 50 | 80,000 | Ultra Spiked Tires Ultra Speed Frame Ultra Godspeed Motor Ultra Boost Gears High Speed Battery Heavy Suspension Rainbow Wing |
| Unique rival races | ||||
| Ran | 4 | 45 | 80,000 Ability to create courses |
Ultra Spiked Tires Rubber Frame Plus High Torque Motor Mk II Ultra Godspeed Gears Regular Battery Heavy Suspension Rainbow Wing |
| Manager | 8 | 50 | 100,000 Golem Tiger (car) |
Ultra Slim Tires Ultra Metal Frame Ultra Godspeed Motor Ultra Godspeed Gears High Capacity Battery Heavy Suspension Rainbow Wing |
Time Attacks
Time Attacks are solo time trial challenges on unlocked tracks, no AI rivals, just you vs. the clock (and physics RNG). You can get some extra points from it, but it’s not really necessary unless you want to test yourself.
| Course | Build |
|---|---|
| Simple | Slick Plus Tires Balanced Plus Frame High Torque Motor Mk II Balanced Gears High Speed Battery |
| Beginner’s | Slick Plus Tires Balanced Plus Frame High Torque Motor Mk II Balanced Gears High Speed Battery |
| Basic | Spiked Plus Tires Rubber Frame High Torque Motor Mk II balanced Plus Gears High Capacity Battery |
| Extra | Ultra Spiked Tires Ultra Speed Frame Ultra Godspeed Motor Ultra Boost Gears High Speed Battery Heavy Suspension Rainbow Wing |
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