River City: Tokyo Rumble Preview
[Updated on 9/10/16 with release date]:
Good news for fans of the River City franchise! The latest game, River City: Tokyo Rumble is on its way to the Nintendo 3DS on September 27, 2016 in North America. It will be available digitally on the eShop and Natsume had made a limited amount of physical editions available via its Amazon storefront. Unfortunately, at the time of publication they were already sold out. No word if they will put up more before launch or not.
For those unfamiliar with the River City games, they are a combination of old-school beat’em ups like Double Dragon mixed with light RPG elements and inventory management. The first game on the NES was a cult classic and a fun 2-player simultaneous gameplay experience. Check out our preview of Tokyo Rumble for more screens and information.
Natsume Inc., a worldwide developer and publisher of family-oriented video games, has announced a release date for its upcoming RPG brawler River City: Tokyo Rumble for the Nintendo 3DS. River City: Tokyo Rumble continues the partnership established last year with Arc System Works, the owners of the River City franchise. The game will be available in both digital and physical formats when it launches September 27th. Players can will receive a limited edition Kunio keychain from the new Natsume Amazon store! River City: Tokyo Rumble will be the first product offered on the new Natsume Amazon store, with more Natsume titles to follow this fall.
“We are thrilled that River City: Tokyo Rumble will be the first item available in the new Natsume Amazon Store,” said Hiro Maekawa, President & CEO of Natsume. “Natsume fans will not only find our lineup of popular games all in one convenient location, but the store will also offer special, exclusive bundles and bonus items like our well-known plush and other unique items. Players should stay tuned as we release more information this fall.”
Fans who order River City: Tokyo Rumble from the Amazon store will receive a limited edition collectible keychain with their game when it launches September 27th. The keychain features the game’s main character, Kunio, a thug with a heart of gold who looks out for his pals and fights for justice…exactly the kind of guy you want on your side!
River City: Tokyo Rumble follows the story of a hot-blooded high school student named Kunio and his good friends. When a nefarious gang moves into Tokyo to try to take it over, it’s up to this self-proclaimed “fighter for justice” and his buddies to make sure the streets stay safe!
Players will punch, kick, and use a variety of weapons such as soccer balls, iron knuckles, chains, and even bicycles to knock some sense into those devious gang members. Taking on jobs, leveling up abilities, and stopping for a snack or two at local food joints are just some of the action-packed mayhem players will experience. Luckily, smiles are free!
[Updated on 8/5/16 with new screens & info]:
Great news River City Ransom fans! The pseudo-sequel is almost here! Natsume has revealed that River City: Tokyo Rumble should be hitting the 3DS next month. To celebrate, here are some localized screens of the game in action.
[Original Story]:
I still remember the glory days of the NES and playing River City Ransom with my family and friends. It was a fantastic 2-player co-op brawler in the vein of Double Dragon and Final Fight, but included light RPG elements to make for a much deeper and exciting experience. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the River City series, and although the original Japanese 3DS game has been available for a few years, we are finally getting a proper localization in the States.
Known as Nekketsu Kouha Kunio-Kun SP: Rantou Kyousoukyoku (say that three times fast) in Japan, the game’s title has been renamed River City: Tokyo Rumble over here. It retains the classic side-scrolling action that fans of the series will remember. You’ll be able to level up your character’s abilities to make him stronger throughout the quest. In addition to the main brawler there is a built-in 4-man Rumble mode and a dodge ball mini-game.
Natsume hasn’t shown off official screens or video yet. The game will be playable at this year’s E3 show (June 14 – June 16) and we expect a proper unveiling at that time. River City: Tokyo Rumble is scheduled to be released sometime this summer. As more information and assets are delivered, we will update this preview. Until then, take a look at the official trailer from a few years ago for the Japanese version of the game. It will give you a glimpse of what to expect.
Natsume Inc., a worldwide developer and publisher of family-oriented video games, announced today that it will bring River City: Tokyo Rumble to the Nintendo 3DS this summer. River City: Tokyo Rumble continues the partnership established last year with Arc System Works, who owns the River City franchise. River City: Tokyo Rumble will be one of several Natsume titles playable at E3 2016, taking place June 14th – 16th 2016 in Los Angeles.
“We know there’s a loyal fanbase of the River City series in North America who have been asking for more of these addictive games to play!” said Hiro Maekawa, President & CEO of Natsume. “Whether you’re a longtime River City fan or new to the series, there’s plenty of side- scrolling action to love.”
Originally launched as Nekketsu Kouha Kunio-Kun SP: Rantou Kyousoukyoku in Japan, the game is part of a long-running series of side-scrolling RPG brawlers, sports games, and more. North Americans were first introduced to the series with River City Ransom on the NES, with an updated take on the game arriving several years later on the Game Boy Advance. Multiple spinoff games, including volleyball and fighting games, have followed.
“River City its celebrating its 30th anniversary in Japan in 2016, and we’re excited to be part of the celebration,” said Minoru Kidooka, CEO of Arc System Works. “We’re very excited to be continuing our partnership with Natsume, which included Gotcha Racing and Brave Tank Hero in 2015.”
River City: Tokyo Rumble follows the story of a hot-blooded high school student named Kunio and his good friends. When a nefarious gang moves into Tokyo to try to take it over, it’s up to this self-proclaimed “fighter for justice” and his buddies to make sure the streets stay safe!
Punch, kick, use weapons such as soccer balls, iron knuckles, chains, and even bicycles to knock some sense into those devious gang members. Take on jobs, level up your abilities, and don’t forget to stop on occasion for a snack or two at the local food joints. Luckily, smiles are free!
Key Features of River City: Tokyo Rumble –
- Play as Kunio, Riki, and other famous fighters from the River City series!
- Take on jobs to earn extra cash, special moves, and more!
- Take a break from the main story to fight in a 4-man Rumble or dodgeball match!
- Take on your friends using Local Play and Download Play!
- Unlock new characters, stages, and songs as you progress through the game!
Players can follow the latest news for all of the beloved Natsume franchises
at www.natsume.com and by scooping all of the latest Natsume updates, contests, screen shots and more at www.natsume.com/facebook and www.twitter.com/natsume_inc.
Craig has been covering the video game industry since 1995. His work has been published across a wide spectrum of media sites. He’s currently the Editor-In-Chief of Nintendo Times and contributes to Gaming Age.
