That’s why the state of online play is such a disappointment and quite possibly a deal-breaker for some players eager to re-live those glory days. Underground supports up to 4 player co-op both locally and online, which to a large extent is the heart of this title. Probably one of the biggest selling points on this game and part of the charm of the original is co-op gameplay. It won’t sound like you’re listening to a classic chiptune soundtrack, but much like the other references in River City Ransom: Underground, those in the know will appreciate it on another level. The soundtrack is a blast from the past as well, but instead of bringing back a classic Technos composer, the incredibly talented Disasterpeace updates things in a dramatic way while managing to keep the original style hidden just beneath the surface. One of the key selling points to this title in its Kickstarter was the involvement of River City Ransom creator Yoshihisa Kishimoto as a consultant and gameplay definitely feels like one of his creations. Your experience and level is cumulative, which is an even stronger case as to why if you have the choice to fight or run it’s almost always best to fight. If you die, it’s game over and you’ll be pushed all the way back to the last save point, which are limited to the hideouts scattered around River City. In the end it’s best to be tactical and try to take on everyone you meet so that you don’t get cornered and to benefit from the experience. That’s not to say the game will just let you run around without a fight because often times in fleeing an area of distress you’ll find yourself surrounded by an even more formidable group. The entire city is at your disposal with the only limitation being your ability to take on the enemies that you face, but unlike other brawlers you can merely leave an area if things get a bit too hairy. This allows you to be as flimsy or precise as you want to be about each encounter, not to mention makes it fun for experienced players and button-mashers alike. By the time you reach level six, which should take you an hour or less, you’ll have a robust list of attacks to choose from on top of the usual spamming of the two attack buttons. The classic leveling up system remains intact but the move set is greatly expanded upon. Graphically the game makes a visual leap into the 16-bit era and gets to reap the benefits in colors, enemies on screen, and of course the fidelity that comes with it. Any criticism weighed against the genre applies to Underground as well, but beyond those caveats I must admit the single player campaign really has none. You’re either a fan of the brawler genre – namely Renegade, Double Dragon, and of course River City Ransom – or you’re not, which only bears mentioning because Underground is cut from that cloth. Upon jumping into the present you are greeted with four new protagonists, each one with a distinct fighting style, and off you go. It’s much akin to the Dracula fight at the beginning of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night that re-hashes the battle from the end of Rondo of Blood. The game acts as a direct sequel to the original and has an appropriate prologue set on re-establishing the two leads, Alex and Ryan, as they confront and defeat Slick on the school rooftop. Those who remember playing the original alone or with a friend on the couch will be in for a treat, but if you’re hoping to utilize modern online gaming, this title is still a work in progress.įrom start to finish the mechanics of River City Ransom: Underground are spot on. The result has finally arrived with River City Ransom: Underground proving that it is possible to make a sequel to a 20-year-old game and do a great job at it. That’s when Canadian-based developer Conatus Creative decided to acquire the rights to make a River City Ransom follow-up. Since then Technos Japan has closed, been reborn as Million, and while Japan has received consistent releases over the past two decades there’s been almost nothing to show for it in the West. River City Ransom was the only action brawler in the series to make its way to the States and fans have been pining for another game in the series since the original premiered in 1990. A Western-localized version of Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari from Japan, Technos created a long-running series known best as “Kunio-kun” titles given that the lead, Kunio, appears in every game. To appreciate River City Ransom: Underground it’s probably best you know about its predecessor, River City Ransom, which is a beloved NES title with a cult following.
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