YES! It’s finally happening.

Just listed on Kickstarter yesterday, Conatus Creative, a Canadian based indie developer and all around super fans of River City Ransom, somehow managed to obtain the license and are creating one hell of a sequel over 20 years in the making!

Before I get into all that, allow me to refresh your memory on a few things. Over 2 years ago I first caught wind that they were going to be making a River City Ransom 2 – that never happened. I look back at that post now and laugh at the estimated summer 2012 release date (River City Ransom 2 FINALLY!!!).  Then, earlier this May, I heard another developer was working with the publisher of the GBA re-release to create an official North American sequel to River City Ransom. They had nothing but a sad little site asking you for your email to sign up for more information (This Game Makes me Want to BARF).  I was a little concerned this attempt at a sequel was going to be another shattered dream. BUT a week ago I got an email from them stating they would be up on Kickstarter the following week! OH JOY! After checking out the Kickstarter page, I couldn’t be happier with the direction this game is taking.

So, first off, they are treating it as a true sequel to River City Ransom – River City Ransom: Underground. Not Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari 2, the Japanese version which features Kunio, main character in the long running Kunio-kun series.  This is Alex and Ryan, about 25 years after taking on the girlfriend-abducting Slick and his endless army of high school gang members.  Alex and Ryan are pushing middle-aged now, still friends, and run their own business together, and more importantly, still kick ass together.

It’s looking like there will be a great deal more playable characters other than just Alex and Ryan and unlike it’s predecessor, there will be a slew of different moves unique to each character. But they say they want to keep what made RCR great and not pervert the essence of its awesomeness. Like what Capcom did to Final Fight when they tried to make another one of those. There will be new moves, new shops, new items, and I’m sure new updated game mechanics, but as fans of the NES classic, they have every intention of staying true to the original. They’re going to be letting backers in on some small aspects of the game development such as gang member names, streets, and shops, and if you have considerably deep pockets, even put your likeness into the game as a boss.

I feel like a little kid waiting for Christmas. Set to be released this time next year, we have a bit more waiting to do than a nativity calendar would afford, but if it’s been since 1989, what’s one more year?

So you want the bottom line? Funding this game on Kickstarter will make the world a better place. River City Ransom is the best brawler ever. Yeah, I just made that claim, and if you disagree then you’re just wrong. So if these guys at Conatus Creative share even 1/100 of the love I have for RCR, then this game will be so good, it will probably cure cancer!

If you haven’t figured it out already, you can click either of the pictures or HERE if you want to go to their Kickstarter page, and YOU DO WANT TO.