River Metropolis: Rival Showdown Overview – Overview

River Metropolis: Rival Showdown is an overhauled model of River Metropolis Ransom, one among my favourite NES titles. It initially got here to the 3DS in 2016 and now sees new life on Swap. Whereas it could be marketed as a remaster, there’s truly fairly a bit that’s modified in Rival Showdown in comparison with the unique River Metropolis Ransom. A day-night cycle, expertise factors and leveling, and a complete lot extra story beats make for an fascinating departure for this 2D side-scrolling brawler. It’s just a little tough across the edges in some spots, however there’s sufficient meat on this beat-’em-up bone to make for a reasonably satisfying expertise.

Rival Showdown stars highschool pupil Kunio, a self-confident however delinquent teenager who’d quite spend his time strolling the streets or sitting at an arcade cupboard than at a college desk. One of many major narrative threads that you simply comply with entails gangs at rival colleges wanting to claim their dominance, which finally culminates in a large brawl outdoors of Kunio’s Nekketsu Excessive Faculty. Throughout three separate days, you’re employed in the direction of uncovering secrets and techniques, plots, and rumors about what’s occurring in River Metropolis, and on the fourth day it’s mainly the Royal Rumble in entrance of the Nekketsu gates. You need to use your map to see which occasions are occurring through which a part of town, however you must fastidiously plan your strikes and hold your ears to the bottom to unlock the sport’s true ending. Luckily, there are a couple of different endings you’ll be able to earn as properly.

The gameplay loop sees Kunio working round River Metropolis as a clock on the high of the display screen shows the time. Days are divided into three segments–Day, Night, and Evening–and completely different occasions will happen throughout completely different segments, generally even at particular occasions. There are dozens of occasions to come across throughout the separate time durations, and it’s probably you received’t see all of them in your first few playthroughs. Listening to what people about city need to say and checking your map routinely will will let you discover out about most of what’s occurring in River Metropolis. As you make your approach from display screen to display screen, you’ll encounter a wide range of NPCs to speak to and all types of gang members dressed in numerous fits relying on their affiliation. It’s by no means clear at a look how highly effective your opponents are till the primary blows land, and the start of a brand new save file (the place you begin at Degree 0) can provide a impolite awakening as many of the foes you encounter have the capability to wash your clock very quickly flat.

Steadily, you’ll begin to stage up and distribute stat positive factors to completely different attributes, like Punch, Kick, and Endurance (no matter fits your playstyle). Equipping completely different items of clothes and accessories may also yield vital boosts to your stats, however it’s possible you’ll not discover gear straight away. If that’s the case, you should utilize the hard-earned forex you choose up from defeated enemies to buy consumable meals to revive well being, particular gear for various physique elements, and even books that may educate new expertise, corresponding to my River Metropolis Ransom staple, Dragon Toes. One of the crucial useful features of leveling up is that your well being and stamina are restored, permitting you to remain within the battle and hold unleashing devastating particular strikes.

I am a bit torn by way of the aesthetics and presentation for Rival Showdown. Visually, the mix of retro-looking sprites towards a extra detailed background actually works properly for respiration new life into the sport on Swap. The way in which menus, assaults, and completely different areas of town look is de facto eye-catching. On the flip aspect, the up to date soundtrack is an ineffective facsimile of the NES model. I stored it on for my first couple playthroughs earlier than falling by the wayside and switching to the unique, which is a really welcome function given how properly the NES music holds up at this time.

Rolling credit for the primary time unlocks a library of character and talent data, along with a sound take a look at. There are additionally three issue choices to unlock, coupled with an additional sub-story that tells a part of the narrative from a unique character’s perspective. I do want {that a} medium issue was accessible from the hop, however there’s something enjoyable about restarting your save file with your whole expertise, stats, and talents and being a complete badass on Day 1. It was additionally neat to see a playable preventing sport referred to as Double Dragon Duel, which is a part of the in-game world, as an possibility from the principle menu.

River Metropolis: Rival Showdown is an pleasurable departure from the NES title it derives from. It is acquired an apparent visible improve over the 3DS launch, and has added on-line play, too. It may be irritating to get caught with unwinnable occasion battles, however the penalty of shedding an in-game hour is not devastating. There’s undoubtedly a bit extra of a studying curve for anybody who’s solely performed River Metropolis Ransom, however the total package deal is a strong one for Kunio-kun and brawler followers alike, offered you do not thoughts a little bit of detective work.