River City Ransom
1989 · Beat 'em up / RPG · NES
Overview
River City Ransom (1989) is Technos Japan's open-world beat 'em up, in which Alex and Ryan fight through River City's gangs, buying fighting techniques in shops along the way.
Deep Dive
Alex and Ryan cross River City to rescue Ryan's girlfriend Cyndi from a villain called Slick. The city is non-linear, and the fighting resembles Double Dragon, with weapons such as steel pipes to pick up. Nine gangs, from "The Generic Dudes" onwards, each have a boss. Fighting techniques such as Grand Slam, Stone Hands and Dragon Feet are bought as books in shops, and progress is saved with a password.
Developer Story
Directed by Mitsuhiro Yoshida and Hiroyuki Sekimoto, with music by Kazuo Sawa, it was released in Japan on 25 April 1989 and in North America in January 1990. It was the first Kunio-kun game made specifically for the NES, and a remake, River City Ransom EX, came to the Game Boy Advance in 2004.
Did You Know?
- In Japan it is Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari, the third Kunio-kun game on the NES.
- A Kickstarter-funded follow-up, River City Ransom: Underground, was released in 2017.
Sources & further reading
- River City Ransom — Wikipedia
