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River City Ransom Underground ALPHA NOW!
This is totally on my computer right now!
That’s all I can say.
River City Ransom Underground – Replica NES Cart Bonus!
Anyone who follows me knows how excited I am about the upcoming River City Ransom Underground, from Conatus Creative. They’ve been sending out some of their backer gifts lately in preparation for their full game launch. Anyone who was a backer from Crate Expectations on up was set to receive a replica NES cart featuring RCR: Underground art. Well as it turns out, it’s way more than a mere replica. After opening the box, I noticed that there was in fact a board inside the cart. And as I was debating on whether or not it was just a dummy board for looks, or it actually did something, I saw on the back that it had standard NES security screws officially used by Nintendo on all their carts. So I took out my bit, opened it up and lo and behold, there was an actual board in there with EPROM chips on it. Curiosity piqued, I threw it in my NES and was playing the original classic River City Ransom, which was made using all new hardware, chips, boards, shells, etc.
These carts were limited to only 300, but apparently Conatus Creative does have about 30 left. So if you weren’t a backer but you are still interested in getting this cool replica, there’s still a chance. I don’t think they’ve officially announced out how to get them yet, so keep your eyes open.
Willford Brimley Battle Playthrough
Yes I know you can already check out this video on the NES Reproductions page, but I’m posting it here for the sake of completeness.
Anyway, this is Maximilyn and myself playing through Wilford Brimley Battle – a ROM hack of River City Ransom for the NES.
Money Can Buy Happiness; A Good Time to BARF
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.
This Game Makes Me Want To Barf
Awhile ago, back in July of 2011 to be specific, I found out that River City Ransom 2 was in production and was set to be released later that summer in Japan and sometime in 2012 here in the states. Well it’s the spring of 2013 now and it looks like the game has been put on hold indefinitely. *sigh*
About a month ago, indie game developers, Combit Studios, fellow fans of River City Ransom, announced that they will be making an official follow-up to River City Ransom. *rejoicing*They will be working closely with Million Co., publishers of 2004’s River City Ransom EX for the Game Boy Advance.
Set to release summer 2014, there really isn’t much to say or show yet as the game has only just begun the early stages of development. However, if you share the same eternal love for the River City Ransom that I do, you can sign up on the coming soon RCR site for email updates,
River City Ransom 2 FINALLY!!!
By Kali’s multi-armed bosom!
Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari 2 (River City Ransom 2 in US)
This game is finally coming out! Yes this information has been available for a few months now and yes, that was the only picture I could find for it. If you never heard of River City Ransom 1, that’s because it was originally released on the NES in 1989, and then nothing for 15 years until a remake came out for the Game Boy Advance in 2004. I can’t possibly imagine the game didn’t do well. Or maybe I can, it was way ahead of it’s time. The world simply wasn’t ready for a game of this magnitude yet. It was a brawler that incorporated RPG elements. In 1989, brawlers had only just begun to take a serious foothold with games like Golden Axe and Final Fight and RPGs still weren’t widely accepted, so the combination of the two was nearly unheard of. The Scott Pilgrim game out now on XBLA and PSN is pretty much a spiritual copy, and owes its entire existence to River City Ransom. It took them over 20 years to even attempt to duplicate the magnum opus that is River City Ransom, but here, soon, 22 years later, we are finally getting a true sequel. And when I say we, I really mean Japan. The Wii Virtual Console will see this game some time this summer, with a PC release later on. However, the rest of the world might not see this game until 2012.
In the meantime, let’s take a look at a few points real quick on how River City Ransom revolutionized the brawler genre.
- The stage by stage gameplay structure was exchanged for a more open world feel, which almost no game had in this era. Aside from the occasional boss fight, you were free to roam around the city at your leisure.
- RPG style stats. You didn’t gain levels per se, but you could get stronger/faster/tougher/etc. from eating at any of River City’s fine dining establishments.
- Inventory. Again a trait usually reserved exclusively for RPGs. You could carry food with you so you didn’t have to run to a store to replenish your health, you could purchase a variety of footwear, and you could carry books and scrolls with you which granted special techniques and power-ups.
- Password save feature. Although the password save wasn’t a new idea, it had never been used in a brawler that I know of. Usually you either got all the way through the game with 3 lives and maybe a few continues, or you failed completely. There was no picking it up from where you left off.
- Javelin Man. You’ll just have to play to figure out what that means. But it is to this day one of my favorite features in a game ever.
Although the Kunio-Kun series, to which River City Ransom is part of, is popular in Japan, we’ve had a very limited reception of their titles here in the States. We did get somewhat recently, River City Soccer Hooligans on DS, which I recommend even if you don’t like soccer. No! Especially if you don’t like soccer. We never got the hockey one though, which makes no sense to me because America holds far more hockey fans than it does soccer fans. A couple years ago I found out they turned River City Ransom into an MMO, but much to my chagrin, it’s only available in Japan. I was FURIOUS when I couldn’t find a way to play it, and believe me, I tried for days. But basically you either need to live in japan to play or you’re S.O.L.
River City Ransom has some of my favorite music on the NES. The soundtrack stays in constant rotation on my playlist. Year200X, a video game tribute band, does an excellent metal version of the River City Ransom boss music.
What other games combine evil rival high school girlfriend kidnappers, Mao’s Chinese restaurant, Zeus’ wand, enemies that actually say “Barf” when you defeat them, Merv’s Burger Joint, get free smiles, 
and get a sauna for just $3.50? The answer is none. So River City Ransom 2 better deliver.
There is no homepage that I can find for this game yet, which further worries me about its release schedule. Believe me though, I shall remain vigilant. Oh! Also, if anyone finds a way to play the MMO, TELL ME IMMEDIATELY!!!
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