River City Ransom is an open-world brawler released for the NES in 1990. Breaking away from strictly linear beat-’em-ups, players control Alex and Ryan as they freely explore the city, fight rival street gangs, collect money, and visit shops to upgrade their martial arts skills in a quest to rescue Ryan’s kidnapped girlfriend.
How to play
The objective is to fight your way through the city’s gangs and reach the final boss at River City High. For the NES controls, use the D-pad (arrow keys) to move around, and press A and B (Z and X) to punch, kick, or pick up weapons. Pressing Start (Enter) opens the status menu where you can use items or equip new techniques.
Tips
- Collect the coins dropped by defeated enemies and spend them at shops; buying food and books is the only way to permanently upgrade your stats.
- After buying a technique book, you must manually read it from your inventory menu to actually learn and equip the new moves.
- Using scattered items like trash cans or chains as weapons can deal massive damage and help you manage large groups of thugs.
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