River City Ransom: Underground

River City Ransom: Underground is a modern sequel to the classic beat ’em up, set 20 years after the original. Players control members of a high-school gang known as ‘The Flock’ who are framed for a mysterious kidnapping in River City. Retired heroes Alex and Ryan suspect their old nemesis Slick is behind it, launching a new brawling adventure. The game features side-scrolling combat, RPG elements like experience and stat progression, explorable city environments, and the ability to purchase new moves and items from shops. It supports both single-player and multiplayer action for up to four players.

River City Ransom: Underground: A Brawler Reborn, A Legacy Honored

Introduction

In the annals of video game history, few titles possess the cult status and enduring charm of 1989’s River City Ransom. A quirky fusion of side-scrolling beat-’em-up action and light RPG mechanics, it carved a unique niche that remained largely unoccupied for decades. For fans, the longing for a true successor became a quiet, persistent hope. In 2017, that hope was finally realized not by a major publisher, but by a dedicated team of developers and a passionate Kickstarter community. River City Ransom: Underground is more than a sequel; it is a labor of love that meticulously preserves the soul of its predecessor while ambitiously expanding its scope for a modern era. This review will argue that Underground stands as a triumphant, albeit imperfect, resurrection of a classic, successfully capturing the spirit of 19XX while forging its own identity with deeper combat, a sprawling world, and a heartfelt reverence for its source material.

Development History & Context

The journey of River City Ransom: Underground is a testament to modern game development’s democratized landscape. Developed by the Canadian studio Conatus Creative Inc., the project was spearheaded by Director Bannon Rudis, Producer Daniel Crenna, and Lead Programmer Andrew Russell. Their vision was clear: create an authentic sequel that felt like a lost cartridge from the golden age of brawlers, but with the depth and polish expected by contemporary players.

A crucial element in achieving this authenticity was the involvement of Yoshihisa Kishimoto, the original creator of the Kunio-kun series (the Japanese franchise from which River City Ransom was adapted) and director of Double Dragon. Serving as Executive Producer, Kishimoto provided creative consultation, ensuring the game honored its roots while guiding its evolution. This bridge between the old guard and the new generation was a key factor in the game’s faithful feel.

The project was launched on Kickstarter in September 2013, a platform perfectly suited for a game with such a specific, nostalgic audience. It successfully raised $217,643, demonstrating the fervent desire for a true follow-up. The development was not without its hurdles, however. The studio navigated the complexities of licensing from Arc System Works (who held the rights to the franchise after the dissolution of Technos Japan) and faced a significant post-launch challenge when composer Alex Mauer filed a DMCA claim in July 2017, alleging unauthorized use of her music. This led to the game’s temporary removal from Steam before Conatus Creative replaced the entire soundtrack, a testament to their commitment to the project’s survival.

Released on February 27, 2017, for Windows, Mac, and Linux, Underground entered a gaming landscape very different from 1989. The beat-’em-up genre, once a arcade staple, had become a niche dominated by indie passion projects and retro revivals. Underground wasn’t just competing with memories; it was entering a space alongside contemporaries like Shovel Knight that also used modern technology to evoke a classic feel.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Set roughly twenty years after the original game, Underground immediately establishes a poignant theme of time’s passage and faded glory. The original heroes, Alex and Ryan, are now retired from their brawling days, running A&R Auto Shop. Their infamous nemesis, Slick, rots in jail. The peace is shattered when a new kidnapping rocks River City, and a new generation of fighters—a high-school gang known as “The Flock”—is framed for the crime. Recognizing the hallmarks of their old foe’s handiwork, Alex and Ryan come out of retirement to mentor the Flock and uncover the truth.

The narrative structure is a clever and affectionate Embedded Precursor. The game begins with an Action Prologue that recreates the final battle of the original River City Ransom, allowing players to control a young Alex and Ryan as they storm River City High to defeat Slick and save Ryan’s girlfriend, Cyndi. This serves a dual purpose: a nostalgic hook for veterans and an efficient tutorial for newcomers. The story then jumps to the present, where the aged heroes are pulled back into a world that has moved on without them.

Themes of legacy, mentorship, and confronting the past are woven throughout. Alex and Ryan are not the spry youths they once were; they sport Perma-Stubble and have traded street fights for grease monkey jobs. Their dialogue reflects a world-weariness contrasted by the raw energy of the Flock. The new protagonists—Glen (a Shotoclone), Bruno (a Luchador), Provie (a breakdancer), and Paul (a boxer)—carry the torch, each with their own distinct personality and fighting style.

The writing is packed with the series’ signature bizarre humor and self-awareness. Enemies shout “BARF!” upon defeat, characters break the fourth wall, and the dialogue is littered with pop-culture references and in-jokes. The overarching plot, involving a sinister conspiracy masterminded by the enigmatic Dr. D, embraces its own absurdity. Dr. D himself delivers a brilliant Title Drop during the final boss fight, lampshading the game’s own subtitle with metatextual glee: “Prepare to make this underground base your grave. Only now do you realize… that it wasn’t just a classy subtitle.“

Supporting characters from the original return, often in altered states. Roxy, Slick’s ex-girlfriend, now works as the receptionist at Alex and Ryan’s shop, serving as a Hint System. Cyndi and Ryan are now Amicable Exes, with Cyndi having moved on and started a family. These touches add a layer of melancholy and world-building, suggesting a living, breathing city where time has genuinely passed.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

River City Ransom: Underground is, at its core, an expansion and refinement of the original’s groundbreaking formula. It is an open-world beat-’em-up with deep RPG elements. The core loop involves exploring the interconnected districts of River City, battling gangs of enemies, earning experience and money, and using those resources to permanently upgrade your character’s stats and unlock new fighting techniques.

Combat is the heart of the experience and has been significantly deepened. The control scheme evolves beyond the original’s two-button setup. Players now have dedicated buttons for Punch, Kick, Jump, Block, and Grab. The addition of a dedicated grab button is a godsend, eliminating the finicky “walk into an enemy” mechanic of old. The combat system shares DNA with stylish brawlers like Guardian Heroes and Streets of Rage 2, encouraging combos and strategic move usage.

Each character has a unique fighting style and a vast movelist of over 500 unique techniques. These are unlocked by purchasing them at one of three dojos scattered throughout the city, often with Level Grinding requirements attached. This system encourages experimentation and specialization. For example:
* Glen’s “Shotokan” style allows him to perform a Shoryuken, Hadoken, and Hurricane Kick.
* Bruno utilizes Lucha Libre throws and slams.
* Provie uses Capoeira-inspired breakdancing kicks.
* Mike is a Combat Pragmatist who fights with untrained, powerful blows and dirty tricks like eye pokes and bites.

The RPG systems are intricate. Defeating enemies grants XP to level up, but leveling only increases the maximum cap for your stats. To actually improve Stats like Strength (normal attack damage), Attack (special move damage), Agility (recovery speed), and Stamina (health), you must purchase and consume items from shops—food, books, even video games. This creates a satisfying progression where every dollar earned feels meaningful. However, this also leads to Guide Dang It! moments, as the game does not show what stat an item will boost until after you buy and consume it.

The world is vast, with a new day and night cycle that affects shop hours and boss availability. A wanted system akin to Grand Theft Auto punishes players for attacking civilians or vandalizing property, bringing relentless cops into the fray. The game can be punishing; death sends you back to the last hideout (save point) and costs you half your money.

Multiplayer is a cornerstone, supporting both local and online co-op for up to four players. At launch, the online functionality was notoriously buggy, with progress unable to be saved—a significant flaw that was later patched. When it works, the chaotic, collaborative brawling is where the game truly shines, evoking the couch-co-op spirit of the original.

Despite its strengths, the gameplay has flaws. The enemy AI can be frustratingly defensive, often employing Artificial Brilliance to dodge and counter, but also Artificial Stupidity with poor pathfinding. Some characters, like the grappler Rudy, are severely underpowered compared to others, leading to balance issues. The sheer openness of the world can sometimes lead to confusion about how to progress the story.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Underground masterfully executes a Retraux aesthetic. It doesn’t mimic the NES’s limited palette but instead imagines what a 16-bit sequel might have looked like. The pixel art is exceptional, with detailed, expressive character sprites and fluid, impactful animation that far surpasses the original. The city environments are packed with life and little details, from the flickering neon signs of Sticksville Mall to the crumbling brickwork of the Old R.C.H.S.

The art direction successfully blends the goofy, exaggerated style of the Kunio-kun series with the more grounded (but still absurd) American localization. Characters like Principal Abobo (a Cameo from Double Dragon) are rendered with hilarious menace, bursting through walls to challenge the player.

The soundtrack, initially by Alex Mauer and later replaced, is a highlight. It captures the energetic, funky spirit of the original’s chiptunes while employing more modern composition techniques. Tracks like the hotel hideout theme are infectiously catchy, providing the perfect audio backdrop for the chaotic street fights.

The sound design is equally robust. Every punch, kick, and special move has a satisfying, crunchy weight to it. The cacophony of a four-player brawl, punctuated by the iconic “BARF!” of defeated foes, creates a uniquely chaotic and joyful audio landscape. The world feels alive through its sound, from the ambient noise of the city to the specific audio cues of different enemy types.

Reception & Legacy

Upon release, River City Ransom: Underground received a generally positive critical reception, holding a 72% average critic score on MobyGames and a 7.6 user score on Metacritic. Reviews praised its faithful expansion of the original’s formula, deep combat system, and charming presentation. Destructoid’s 85% review declared it “worth the wait” and a worthy entry alongside genre greats like Final Fight and Golden Axe.

However, criticism was directed at its initial technical issues, particularly the broken online multiplayer and occasional bugs. Some reviewers and players found the RPG mechanics opaque and the difficulty curve steep, leading to a divisive reception among those less patient with its old-school sensibilities.

Commercially, it found its audience among the dedicated fanbase that funded it, though it remained a niche title. Its legacy is multifaceted:
1. A Blueprint for Faithful Revival: It demonstrated how to modernize a classic without sacrificing its soul, influencing other retro revivals.
2. Community-Driven Development: Its Kickstarter success and the developers’ ongoing dialogue with players post-launch became a model for community-supported projects.
3. Bridge Between Eras: It helped reintroduce the Kunio-kun/River City franchise to a Western audience, arguably paving the way for the commercial success of the more accessible River City Girls series just a few years later.
4. Preservation of a Style: It stands as one of the last great 2D sprite-based brawlers, a testament to the artistic and mechanical potential of the genre.

Conclusion

River City Ransom: Underground is a fascinating artifact. It is at once a meticulously crafted love letter to a bygone era and a ambitious, sometimes flawed, attempt to evolve that era’s concepts. It is not a perfect game; its learning curve is brutal, its systems can be obscure, and its balance is occasionally shaky. Yet, these imperfections are almost inherent to its mission—it is unapologetically itself, a complex and deep brawler that demands investment and rewards mastery.

For fans of the original, it is nothing short of a gift. It understands what made River City Ransom special—the freedom, the humor, the satisfying grind—and amplifies it on every level. For newcomers, it offers a challenging but incredibly rich and unique experience unlike any other beat-’em-up on the market.

In the final verdict, River City Ransom: Underground secures its place in video game history not as a flawless masterpiece, but as an essential, passionate work of preservation and innovation. It is the sequel that fans dreamed of for over two decades, and against all odds, Conatus Creative delivered. It is a testament to the enduring power of a street fight, a stolen wallet, and a well-timed “BARF!”