The only other game I’ve played that I can remember with an action-RPG-slash-beat ’em up presentation was the now defunct English-version Dungeon Fighter Online. Still others blend in layers of orientalism, reminding you that this is exactly like one of those Japanese high school animes.īook techniques and raising stats through consuming food and such is a neat element to bring into a side-scroller beat ’em up. However, there are some standout tracks with energetic street-jazz sound and others which sound like they could belong in Mega Man. A lot of it is just high-pitched, ten-second-loops of warbling and bleeping. Most of River City Ransom’s OST isn’t very good, sorry to say. Also, the funny little animations the lead characters do when entering shops are adorably out-of-place in a game with as much bare-knuckle brutality as River City Ransom. While there isn’t much dissimilarity between the enemy sprites, they threw in a bag of minute details like glasses, spit-curls or unibrows to keep things lively. The backgrounds are also fairly detailed. Several other NES titles lacked sprites with black outlines, but River City Ransom’s characters pop because they are thus defined. This is one of the best beat ’em ups from the NES, and it is still really, really fun today. The side-scrolling beat ’em up genre has been in the decline since the old days but I’ve always loved it for its accessibility and immediately fun gameplay. Oh the power of reading! “Rr! Rr! Rr! Rr! Rr! Rr! Rr! Rr! Rr! Rr!”įast-paced and savagely fun in its cartoonish violence, the action is ramped up to heart-attack-inducing levels once a friend picks up that second controller, making River City Ransom’s multiplayer one of its best features. Javelin Man enables you to pick up a fallen opponent and toss them as if they were a mere plaything. Fatal Steps allows you to stomp on a knocked down enemy. Acro Cicrus allows you to do a spinning somersault, rendering you invincible in the air. Stone Hands, Dragon Feet and Grand Slam are book techniques that replace regular punching, kicking and weapon attacking with three quick strikes in a row. You’ve got to master these skills if you’re going to save Ryan’s main squeeze.

Yet another reason why the world doesn’t need the Batman: you can teach yourself the art of self-defense through the miracle of literature. Your flying kick-gotten gains can be traded in for a number of menu items that restore energy or textbooks that teach you martial arts. Many people have speculated that if we knew exactly why they barf before dying in River City Ransom that we would know a lot more about the nature of the Universe than we do now. Defeated rivals and gangsters drop coins, usually after barfing. The game is further deepened by the opportunity for Alex and Ryan to learn new skills. Because the game is non-linear and open-world, Alex and Ryan can tag team anywhere they want and confront most of the bosses in a number of different orders. In fact, that’s pretty much an apt summary for River City Ransom, and it would be satisfying in the moment but horrifically boring in the long run if not for its additional features. “Here comes a slam dunk of pain, brother!” The boss fights usually revolve around cornering someone and beating them senseless with a baseball bat, brass knuckles, chain, rocks or trashcan. Don’t expect much from such imposing names. There are several mini-boss and boss fights: Moose, Benny & Clyde, Rocko, Blade, Turk, Mojo, Thor, Ivan, Otis, Tex, Randy & Andy, and the big man himself, Slick. The bosses of these gangs await you, cracking their knuckles with testosterone-fueled, pubescent glee. The gangs which confront them throughout their various “turfs” all possess intimidating street names like “the Frat Guys” and “the Generic Dudes”. Together, Blue-Shirt-White-Pants bro and White-Shirt-Blue-Pants bro will insert fists in the hideously caricatured faces of River City’s riff-raff. Ryan’s girlfriend has been kidnapped by “Slick”, voiced by John Travolta, and Ryan will bring his third wheel along for the ride: Alex, who evidently has no girlfriend to be kidnapped because of his stupid flat-top haircut. Since its original appearance on the Nintendo Entertainment System, the game has seen numerous remakes and re-releases, and I’ve been able to re-enjoy it on the Wii Virtual Console.įollow two burly high school students played by actors in their thirties, Alex and Ryan, through Riverside, California… er, I mean, River City city. It is a startlingly unique blend of gameplay, considering its age, fusing together into a delectable blend its multiplayer, action-RPG, open world, side-scrolling beat ’em up flavors. River City Ransom was Technōs Japan’s third game in its Kunio-kun series. Step aside Arkham Knight, there’s a new crew cleaning up the criminal filth of the cities of America and their names are Alex and Ryan.

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