Release Date: April 25, 1989
Developer: Technos Japan Corp.
Publisher: Technos Japan Corp.
When I wanna wind down from a day of stress, I often look to video games to help me unwind. Recently, I’ve been using The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on my Wii U. I have a review coming up on it. Here’s a small spoiler: it is AWESOME!
Back in the day, I would turn to beat-‘em-up games to soothe my frustration. The satisfaction of pummeling a group of toughs felt so satisfying after a day (or 3) of stress. In my earlier days, my game of choice was Technos’ River City Ransom. Though it didn’t have the name recognition that Double Dragon did, a tip from my friendly neighborhood video game rental place tipped me off to this gem. It is, to this day, one of my favorite beat-‘em-up games, right next to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time for the SNES and Streets of Rage II for the SEGA Genesis.
The plot for River City Ransom is as simple and shallow as most NES games of the time. The game’s protagonist, Ryan, has to rescue his girlfriend, Cyndi, who has been captured by Slick. Ryan and his buddy (in two-player mode), Alex, set off through River City, fighting some of the city’s nastiest gangs, in an effort to rescue Cyndi.
With that simple premise set, one or two players get to travel through the streets and back alleys of River City, pummeling anyone who dares to impede them. The standard methods of battle, including fisticuffs, jump-kicking, and using objects like garbage cans and brass knuckles laying around, are available to both combatants. When enemies are defeated, they often drop money which can be used at malls to restore health, improve combat abilities, and build up their stats.
Yes, there’s an RPG-like stats system in River City Ransom. The malls have upgrades that can improve these stats, and books that teach new maneuvers help pad stats further. And these upgrades will be needed. There are nine total gangs in the game, and each has their own bosses that need to be dispatched as well.
One of the things that I thoroughly enjoy about this game even today is that the game is not as linear as most beat-’em-ups. Players are allowed to wander through the city without being funneled through linear levels. This level of exploration was a great alternative to games like Double Dragon and Battletoads. The ability to go down back-alleys and alternate routes will introduce you to new gangs, identifiable by their different-colored shirts, and new secrets to find.
Also among my favorite things in the game is the silly things that enemies said as they got pummelled into submission. Nothing like a declaration of “BARF!: or “Mamaaaa” to punctuate the beating you gave them.
Best of all, the combat was absolutely seamless. Whereas games like Double Dragon suffered from technical limitations that marred the gameplay, River City Ransom had no such limitations. Two players are able to team up and pummel gang members with only minor slowdowns when too many brawlers populate the screen. The ability for two players to even play together was a wonderful change of pace from Double Dragon, who did not have two-player co-op.
The graphic style was a Technos trademark. The characters retained the character model style from its two previous games, Super Dodge Ball and Renegade. All the character models retain the super-deformed look of the previous games. They are very well animated, showing pain and anger quite well for the technical limitations the NES had.
Those technical limitations highlight the few drawbacks in River City Ransom. The detail in the characters taxed the graphics chip, producing the flicker that plagued so many titles. Along with those flickers were the slowdowns that often occurred as well. They aren’t the game’s fault, but the game was punished by them. The chiptune music was also nothing to write home about. Some of the tunes had a catchy vibe, but after an hour of hearing it, the monotony will wear on you.
So will the combat, eventually. One of the inherent drawbacks of beat-‘em-ups is the repetitiveness of the gameplay. Beating up gang members can be a great stress reliever, but not for an hour straight. Sooner or later, the monotony will wear on you. In short bursts, however, River City Ransom is a great game to play.
Does it still hold up? Quite well, in fact. Whenever I pop the cart in, I feel a rush as I jump into Ryan’s (or Alex’s if I have company) shoes and lay the smack down on foolish gang members. Beating the bosses feels satisfying even today. I haven’t beaten the game in one run; the repetitiveness grates me even to this day. Fortunately, the game’s password system lets me pick up where I left off whenever I get the urge to brawl again.
Brawlers today are able to play River City Ransom easily. The original is available to download via the Wii and Wii U Virtual Consoles. The Nintendo 3DS and Game Boy Advance have enhanced versions of the game which allow you to recruit characters, including defeated bosses, to your cause. I haven’t tried those versions out but am intrigued. For fans of beat-‘em-ups, River City Ransom should be on your short list of must-have games.
Good: Fun combat; great graphical style; fluid control; branching paths
Bad: Some flickering and slowdown; gets pretty repetitive after a bit
Final score: 8.5/10
