River City: Rival Showdown

River City: Rival Showdown for 3DS is the western version of Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari SP, a game that was released in 2016 in Japan. The game is a new entry in the Kunio-kun series that consists of various beat ‘em ups and unusual sport games.

Plot

The game presents a new adventure of the protagonist of the previous games in the series, Kunio. This time he participates in a weird situation – he was suddenly attacked by mysterious thugs and Riki’s girlfriend had gone missing. Both events are connected and the protagonist must solve the mystery in three days.

Mechanics

The gameplay in River City: Rival Showdown for 3DS is same as the one in other entries in the series. It is a two-dimensional fighting game with RPG features. The player travels through locations filled with various gangsters to defeat. They are beaten with punches, kicks and special attacks. The player can also use found weapons, including a wooden bat and an umbrella. Kunio is gaining experience during the fights. Thanks to that he becomes stronger and can face more powerful enemies.

The combat system isn’t complicated, but it requires the player to be fast and precise as he usually faces a few enemies simultaneously. The protagonist is described by two parameters, HP and SP. The first represents his health and the second represents energy required for performing “magic” attacks. During the game the player should constantly control both parameters.

Technical aspects

The style of graphics of Kunio-kun hasn’t changed for years. River City: Rival Showdown for 3DS doesn’t change that. The developers created varied locations and interesting special effects for some attacks, but the fans of the series will immediately feel familiar with the style of the game.

Last updated on 12 October 2023