Introduction:

River City Ransom is one of the funniest action games for the NES and is considered one of the most famous games on the NES system.  Similar in style to Double Dragon, this game will be enjoyable for most people.  Humorous objects and encounters will leave you with a grin on your face. It is also one of the earliest games with a nude person in it.

Story:

Not much to the story.  The main character's girlfriend is kidnapped and locked in a
classroom. This in itself is the worst form of torture a person could be subjected to.  To make matters worse, a whole bunch of gangs have hit the streets and they wish to protect their turf.  The hero has to rescue his girlfriend, find the mysterious leader behind the kidnapping, and defeat the gangs.

Gameplay:

Well, what can I say about gameplay. Your character can attack the gang members with punches and kicks.  You also learn special moves by reading books, so maybe this should be called an educational game.  You can buy hundreds of different items in stores for powerups and some of the items have hilarious descriptions. Just check out the pictures in the screenshot section.  You can pick up items on the ground to attack such as tires and brass knuckles.  This game is for one or two people, and you can team up with your friend to make special moves.

I give the gameplay: 10/10

Graphics:

The graphics are decent for an NES game. The people look like people, the trees look like trees, and most importantly the money looks like money.  Some of the people look alike, such as gang members and townspeople but besides that the characters look different from each other.  There are many different backgrounds for the game and over 32 scenes to explore.

I give the graphics: 8/10

Sound:

The sounds become a little repetitive after a while but for the most part are enjoyable.  The music was decent and a little catchy, but not impressive.  After a little while you should find some music you enjoy and mute the sound.

I give the sound: 8/10

Replayability:

Well, there are many ways to kill people but there is only one path to the end.  However, it is a fun game to play and you should keep playing until you finish.

I give the replayability: 8/10

Challenge:

This is a challenging game in terms of fighting. Many of the bosses are very smart and will do a ton of damage if you aren't prepared for them. You need to buy powerups so you can become stronger and last longer.  With a little strategy, determination, and persistence you will eventually triumph over your opponents.  It takes a little while to understand the basics, but soon it all becomes very familiar.

I give the challenge: 9/10

Frustration:

Value:

This games has been one of my favorite NES games I have ever played and I will probably play it again in the near future.  I laughed so many times when I found powerup items such as a thong.  You can probably find this game for dirt cheap in a used game store.

I give the value: 10/10

Overall:

Overall one of the best games you can find.  It averages very high in all areas and doesn't falter in any area, which makes it one of the top 10 games for the system in my book.

I give River City Ransom: 10/10

Written By: Vitani
E-Mail Address: bmbarry@smcm.edu
Date Submitted: January 7th, 2006

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