Few NES games were quite as delightfully experimental as the original River City Ransom. Combining a side scrolling brawler with RPG stat mechanics, players marched their way through the titular River City, visiting cafes and reading books, all in an effort to take down the villainous “Slick” and rescue the girlfriend of one of the protagonists.
Some players might not know that River City Ransom was the third in a series over in Japan, known as “Kunio-Kun”, which is an extended saga following the conflicts between rival school gangs. Some of these other games were localized too, such as Renegade and Super Dodge Ball, but direct references to the overarching story and Japanese culture were mostly removed.
Now, for the franchise’s 30th birthday, Arc System Works is developing a remake of River City Rampage, or “Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari”, for the 3DS, and you can check out its first trailer below:
In addition to the photo-realistic backgrounds, the remake will feature new events, areas, combos and abilities. It is planned for an April 28th release in Japan.
Could we see a localization? After all, last year saw the release of River City Super Sports Challenge for PS3 and Steam, meaning the franchise is seeing some popularity in the West. Considering the even more blatant Japanese backdrops in the remake, however, we might end up seeing a more direct translation, rather than a remake of the original NES game.
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Written by Tom Brown
Whether it’s an exciting new entry in a series long established or a weird experiment meant only for the dedicated, Tom is eager to report on it. Rest assured, if Nintendo ever announces Elite Beat Agents 2, he’ll be there.
