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By Anthony Swinnich on April 29th, 2008
Back when the Powerglove was "bad" and Zelda was the subject of rapping commercials, Technos released a game for the NES called River City Ransom. While similar to Double Dragon at face value, RCR took great liberties with the beat ’em up genre by adding RPG stats and a game world open to exploration. The game didn’t perform well in the states but its quality helped it achieved cult classic status. Now that it has been released on the Virtual Console anyone who missed it can find out why it has developed a well-deserved following, and at an affordable price to boot.
"... there’s more to this game than meets the eye. "
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The game puts players in the shoes of main characters Alex and Ryan, who are forced to fight River City’s 11 gangs in the streets. At first the combat seems shallow – it seems that with only two buttons there’s not much you can do, but there’s more to this game than meets the eye. While the two face buttons are used for either a punch or a kick, pressing both will jump. You can run by double tapping in a direction and perform jump kicks. Weapons are strewn about the town, either brought along by enemies (pipes, brass knuckles) or laying about in the streets (garbage cans, rocks) that add another wrinkle to combat. The true depth, however, lies in the game’s RPG elements. Enemies drop money when defeated. This money can then be used to purchase items in the many malls found in River City. While gamers can buy items to restore health, they can also buy items to learn new combat maneuvers or boost their stats. Dragon Feet increases the tenacity of kicking, giving you a sharper edge when surrounded by enemy forces. You can also buy boots or other clothing items to increase stats like strength and stamina as well. Increased stats and special attacks are crucial in the later parts of the games, especially when taking on bosses, so it’s important to power up as much as possible. This means that fighting the hordes of enemies and reading their hilarious dialogue has value.
"Co-op is one of the game’s greatest strengths."
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Even with the power-ups, RCR is a challenging game. The gangs aren’t afraid to fight dirty with bike chains or punch you from behind. You’re not required to fight fair though, so bring a friend along and even the odds. Co-op is one of the game’s greatest strengths. Both characters start out with identical attributes, but can end up playing radically different by the end of the game.
The massive city allows you to go anywhere at anytime, and you’re sometimes required to return to previous areas to take on a boss. There are offshoots of areas, like parks, that aren’t on the main path. Some of these spots contain optional fights, but some are important later on, so it’s important to learn the levels. The developers included a password based save system for those who don’t have enough time to explore the city one sitting, but it was apparently modeled after James Joyce’s stream of consciousness segments in "Ulysses" so it doesn’t make sense. The fact that the game is on the Virtual Console means that you can "save" anywhere you choose, so you don’t have to log the insanely messy password. This eliminates the original cart’s major flaw, allowing gamers to explore the city at their leisure. River City Ransom is one of the best games ever released for the NES, and its availability on the Virtual Console means that any brawler-fan worth their salt has no excuse to overlook it. It still rests toward the top of the heap in the beat ’em up genre despite its age, and shouldn’t be missed by anyone. | 
