The player begins by naming their bancho and school name as well as choosing a location in Japan as their hometown and each location grants a different starting special move. The player must then challenge rival banchos from other towns/schools and defeat them in order to become number one. The player can travel through the streets of Kyouto during the day, as this game is
sandbox, or free roaming, and pick fights with "shabazo" (weaklings) by using the "Menchi Beam" to stare them down. After participating in a trash-talking quick time event, the player can then initiate battle, the player can also immediately initiate battle by attacking enemies off guard but this will have an effect on the player's Bancho rating. The game also uses an RPG system that allows the player to level up their bancho to learn new moves and make him stronger. If the player wins a battle against another Bancho, the Bancho will become the player's peon (partner) and will assist in battle if called using the
cellphone. The player has access to a large variety of outfits, moves and weapons which can be changed from the player's room in the inn. A variety of items can be obtained and used to restore the player's health, energy, and spirit as well as temporarily increase their stats. The amount of items the player can carry depends on the number of pockets the character has which is influenced by the character's clothing. The player can travel to different districts either on foot or through various modes of transportation (for a small charge). Over the course of the game, the player can obtain itineraries that details the various Bancho leader's locations depending on the time of day which is needed in order to make finding rival banchos easier. These itineraries can be gained by defeating shabazos. In normal mode, the game runs on a 7-day time limit, depending on the players actions, they can earn various endings, the game can then be replayed as a
new game plus that carries over everything the player has earned except for their peons. There is also a more casual mode called "Night Out". This mode does not have a fixed time limit and allows the player to fight as many opponents as they like before quitting (a quick-play style of mode) however, players are limited to only a few districts, fewer sets of enemies and will not be able to call on peons for help nor be able to sleep to restore health and stamina. Players also will not be able level up in this mode, instead enemies will randomly drop glowing experience orbs known as Bancho Souls (in normal gameplay, leveling up will also allow the player to earn bancho souls) which will allow the player to strengthen their Bancho or sell for cash. Players will find themselves using this mode often as enemies gradually get stronger as the player levels up in normal gameplay not to mention to obtain the various item and money drops to help prepare. This mode can be played with a friend locally via
ad hoc. ==Reception==