The Original Gangsters! Perhaps the best game that was ever made for the original NES system.
It's more than just a beat-em-up. In fact, if it was just a beat-em-up, it would still be great. The action sequences are more fun to play than Double Dragon or any of the sega 2-D fighters, and even more fun than most of the modern scolling fighters, especially if you play in co-op. The arcade-style crazyness of sprinting towards your enemy, hurling a lead pipe at him, flipping over his head with one of your special techs, and then landing at his six and finishing him with a "dragon feet" flurry of kicks ... well ... it's something that never gets old, even 20 or more years on.
In so many ways, RCR was ahead of its time. It took the classic beat-em-up formula, and added RPG elements to the game, such as special unlockable skills, training, level-ups, coin collecting and more. Simply trolling the streets killing gangs to earn yourself enough money to buy the Texas Boots is an experiences I'll return to play through time and again.
And as if all of those special skills, pick-ups, and RPG characteristics weren't enough, the game is actually very funny, from the slapstick animations to the badly translated gang names and the music itself (being a sort of rockabilly 1950's theme throughout the game, which is so excellently composed you'll want to download many remixes of it).
Buy this game right now and understand what us retro geeks were so hooked on.
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Score Breakdown
Based on the non-story variation of the Mooncalf Reviews scoring system as shown on this blog post here:
http://uk.gamespot.com/users/MooncalfReviews/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=m-100-25395842
> > Story: N/A
> > Hook: N/A
> > Characters: N/A
> > Originality: 4
Revolutionary cross-genre gaming for the early generation of players, which was the first game ever to take a beat-em-up and add RPG elements to it.
> > Art: 4
A wacky celebration of 8-bit in all its glory, with a certain charming style throughout.
> > Voice Acting and Script: N/A
> > Music Score: 4
Although there are only really 4 or 5 songs in RCR, most of them rock so much harder than any of the modern game music. And I really do mean that.
> > Fun: 10
Co-op or single player, RCR was pure liquid fun considering the era in which it was made.
> > Freedom: 4
Unlike most scrolling fighters, you can go whereever you want, even back to the first level or town, and you have the chance to learn which skills you like and ignore the ones you don't.
> > Lifespan: 4
Not bad for its time, with plenty of re-playability.
> > Multiplayer: 4
Most games of this era didn't even allow you to play multplayer, let alone do it so well.
Total Points: 34 (out of a possible 40)
Gamespot converted rating: 8.0