What at first looks like a joke of a game actually is one of the best NES brawlers out there.
The graphics on first inspection look like a joke. The characters look as if they compressed in a trash compacter. I managed to overlook how the characters looked when I saw how well they were animated. They at first don’t look like they can do much, but the punches and kicks look great, much to my surprise. The backgrounds are decently detailed and are surprisingly varied. There didn’t seem to be too much recycling of the backgrounds going on. Musically, River City Ransom is decent. It doesn’t particularly excel in this aspect, but there are some great moments; my favorite being the Double Dragon theme music towards the end of the game. The punches and kicks sound great and the sound of the bats and other weapons sound downright brutal.
River City Ransom controls well, but you start off weak and slow. This gets better as you beef up you stats though. River City Ransom is great for blowing off some steam and surplus aggression, though there is more to it than just bashing heads. River City does manage to throw some RPG elements to keep the game play fresh. You don’t gain experience, but you get money from fallen foes which, in turn are used to buy various food items and books that increase different stats. This little feature took me by surprise, since River City Ransom looked so ridiculous that it wouldn’t have any depth to it.
There are many examples where I have judged a game only to have it become one of my favorites. Most have come from a former friend that I don’t have any contact with due to differing philosophies about life. I can at least credit him with exposing me to some great games that I would of otherwise had nothing to do with.