River City Ransom is one of the best games on Virtual Console, and one of the greatest beat-'em-ups ever made.
User Rating: 9.5 | Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari NES
River City Ransom is not only one of the best games on Virtual Console. It may as well be one of the best beat-'em-ups ever made. It's a beat-'em-up made in the tradition of Final Fight, Double Dragon, and Streets of Rage, but with a few differences that give RCR an identity all it's own. You can go wherever you want, skip groups of enemies you don't want to fight, and heal by eating at restaurants. Whenever you go into battle, the gang at an area is random, and the combat is solid and fun to play. It's a simple, non-linear(for it's time), and most importantly, fun game. I recommend it to anyone with a love for classic 2D beat-'em-ups.
Concept 9: A 2D beat-'em-up without painfully linear gameplay.
Graphics 9.5: One of the best looking NES games, with lush scenery and detailed(for it's time) character models.
Sound 9: Catchy background music really compliments the aforementioned scenery.
Playability 9.5: Non-linear, polished, and awesome.
Entertainment 10: Better than Final Fight and Double Dragon put together.
Replay Value 9.5: One of those games you'll be playing for a long, long time.
