More Than River City Ransom / Super Dodge Ball: Kunio! (Kunio Three Kingdoms/RCG2 at TGS, Oct. 2/3)

[Oddball]

I think the River City Spirit Even was kinda odd. It just seemed conspicuously lacking in spirits. Just four of them and they all came from the same game.

No sports titles, no Alex from River City Ransom, none of the SNES stuff, no River City Girls, not even any actual artwork was used.

It makes me wonder if maybe something larger is being planned.

 

[DarthEnderX]

I think the River City Spirit Even was kinda odd. It just seemed conspicuously lacking in spirits. Just four of them and they all came from the same game.

All the stand-alone spirit events have been like that. Sword/Shield, Astral Chain, Daemon Ex Machina, Resident Evil...all only 4 spirits.

I mean come on, if they couldn't do more than 4 for RESIDENT EVIL then clearly they're capping themselves at 4.

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

Besides, we all know how much of a blatant love affair ArcSys has for the NES Kunio sprites. It takes either the original series creators or other outside developers for any other aesthetic to be used for that series nowadays. I bet they told the smash staff to specifically only use sprites.

Anyway, Code Shifter is out, I guess.

 

[Oddball]

All the stand-alone spirit events have been like that. Sword/Shield, Astral Chain, Daemon Ex Machina, Resident Evil...all only 4 spirits.

I mean come on, if they couldn't do more than 4 for RESIDENT EVIL then clearly they're capping themselves at 4.

You're right. My mistake. I was thinking of the other spirit events where they used a bunch of spirits that were already in the game and fit them into one theme, not the original spirits.

 

[BigShad]

So, uh, Code Shifter is out.

It's already leaving a confusing taste in my mouth. Like this is someone's very first... something.

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

Basically, it's someone's self-insert fan fiction story, a flash cartoon from the '00s, Pocket Rumble and a fan-made game all put into a blender, then set to the purée setting.

I want to know who wrote and directed this game so that I can question their thought process, if this is their rebuttal to not getting Kunio playable in Smash.

 

[BigShad]

Basically, it's someone's self-insert fan fiction story, a flash cartoon from the '00s, Pocket Rumble and a fan-made game all put into a blender, then set to the purée setting.

I want to know who wrote and directed this game so that I can question their thought process, if this is their rebuttal to not getting Kunio playable in Smash.

Well let's see... looking at the thumbnail it's... copyrighted in 2015?

Surely they must have updated the copyright since that long ago... right? Right?
But regardless, that's on the very freaking title screen.

I tried to see if any of the companies involved might have to do with who wrote this absolute mess, but it seems they're all mostly small game companies, one of them known for making not-Lego/not-Minecraft games. I guess we'll have to wait and see who beats this game. Or, god I don't want to judging by impressions, play it ourselves.

 

[Oddball]

So, you're controlling characters that control characters that turn into other characters.

There's at least one level too much there. The fact that each level of character has it's own art style really doesn't help.

 

[BigShad]

#DoubleDragon & #Kuniokun Retro Brawler Bundle is coming to the PS4 and Nintendo Switch on February 20, 2020.

It comes with 18 classic titles from the 80’s and 90’s, and 11 Kunio-kun games that have been localized into English for the first time ever!#RiverCity #DDKKRBB pic.twitter.com/17RLexCzRy

— Arc System Works America (@ArcSystemWorksU) February 5, 2020

Now HERE'S something worth looking at! Officially announced, and it's gonna be out near the end of this month!

 

[DarthEnderX]

Oh dip, they're actually localizing all those other games?!

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

Oh dip, they're actually localizing all those other games?!

Honestly, it seemed pretty obvious to me, since the leak listing had translated titles on the game's main graphic.

Doesn't make it any less sweeter though. The cancelled release for the hockey game has finally been done justice. I'll have to see if I can get some more PSN funds for this.

From what I can gather, it appears that you get to play both the Western and original versions of the Kunio games that were brought over decades ago.

 

[Megadoomer]

I pre-loaded the Double Dragon and Kunio collection; I'm a sucker for retro collections, and it seems like there's quite a bit of variety in there. Kunio seemed to be like Technos's version of Mario or Mega Man back in the NES days, seeing as he was in way more sports games (or game genres in general) than I expected. (I was under the impression that his games were all beat-em-ups)

Out of the games in the collection, I've only played a bit of River City Ransom and a small amount of Double Dragon, so I'll be interested to see what the other games are like!

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

I pre-loaded the Double Dragon and Kunio collection; I'm a sucker for retro collections, and it seems like there's quite a bit of variety in there. Kunio seemed to be like Technos's version of Mario or Mega Man back in the NES days, seeing as he was in way more sports games (or game genres in general) than I expected. (I was under the impression that his games were all beat-em-ups)

Out of the games in the collection, I've only played a bit of River City Ransom and a small amount of Double Dragon, so I'll be interested to see what the other games are like!

The only downside is that Technos relied on Kunio to the point that they just did games for him after a while, and that bankrupted them, whoops.

That said, the collection is so fantastic that it's a shame that only the Game Boy and Super Famicom entries are missing.

Granted, all of the sports in here involve close contact or hitting people, so...

 

[Megadoomer]

I played a bit of the Double Dragon and Kunio-Kun Retro Brawler Bundle. My plan, as of now, is to play the games in release order so I can see how they evolved, though the first game (Nekketsu Renegade Kunio-Kun) is a bit rough. (the controls take some getting used to, since the button inputs seem to change completely depending on which way you're facing - punching is A if you're facing right and B if you're facing left, for example)

I figure the game's going to be tough (one of the achievements is for beating the first level), so I might try another game rather than sticking with this one.

 

[DarthEnderX]

the controls take some getting used to, since the button inputs seem to change completely depending on which way you're facing - punching is A if you're facing right and B if you're facing left, for example

A better way to think of it is "B attacks Left, A attacks Right"

But yeah. Renegade is different than the other games because Renegade(at least in the arcade) is just straight up 1 player Double Dragon.

It's not till RCR that all the things that the series considers, the Kunio-kun series, come into existence.

 

[shinhed-echi]

I played a bit of the Double Dragon and Kunio-Kun Retro Brawler Bundle. My plan, as of now, is to play the games in release order so I can see how they evolved, though the first game (Nekketsu Renegade Kunio-Kun) is a bit rough. (the controls take some getting used to, since the button inputs seem to change completely depending on which way you're facing - punching is A if you're facing right and B if you're facing left, for example)

I figure the game's going to be tough (one of the achievements is for beating the first level), so I might try another game rather than sticking with this one.

Oh, like Double Dragon 2!
Yeah I hated that scheme. But like DarthEnderX said, think of it like attack left and attack right. Kick is good for retreating.
But at least I gotta give DD2 props for improving the hitstun that DD1 lacked.

Can’t wait for your full opinion of all games to see if I should pick it up in the future. Considering DD1 and DD2 are already on the NES Online service, so it would be mostly for the Kunio games, from which we only have 2.

 

[Megadoomer]

I skipped ahead to try Double Dragon and River City Ransom, since the collection had fairly easy achievements for both (beat level one of Double Dragon, eat all of the meals from the Sushi Bar in River City Ransom). Either I haven't played Double Dragon 1 before, or I forgot that it had a leveling system where you unlock new moves. (though I probably would have only known about the new moves part thanks to the manual in this collection)

I'm surprised at how forgiving River City Ransom seems to be, especially for an NES game. There don't seem to be any lives (at least, as far as I can tell) - if you die, you just respawn in the nearest town with half of your money (which can easily be regained by beating up thugs). By contrast, running out of lives in Double Dragon forces you to restart the game, and dying in Nekketsu Renegade Kunio-Kun forces you to restart the level.

I don't know if I'll focus on River City Ransom or the newly-translated Japanese version (by my understanding, they're basically the same game, with RCR being re-skinned for a western, or at least non-Japanese, audience), but I'll stick with one of those for now when I play this collection, and I'll likely pick up River City Girls when my next paycheck comes in.

 

[Oddball]

I downloaded the pack.

I'd forgotten what it was like to start playing a game with no idea where to go or what to do. I think I've gotten too used to game holding my hand and forcing tutorials on me.

Also, I'd love to see a Crash and the Boys costume for Alex/Kunio. Maybe give him a historical drama Kunio costume to even it out.

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

The fact that the big-name site NL gives the collection a stamp of approval is mighty good for us.

http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/switch-eshop/double_dragon_and_kunio-kun_retro_brawler_bundle

 

[Megadoomer]

I beat River City Ransom (or rather, the Japanese version in the Switch collection, Downtown Nekketsu Story). It was fun, felt surprisingly ahead of its time in a lot of ways, and made me want to play the Scott Pilgrim game again. That isn't available digitally, however, so I'll try River City Girls now.

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

The mystery of Code Shifter's devs has mostly been solved, as I came across this Twitter convo:

https://twitter.com/1988StevenM/status/1222757441789710336

 

[BigShad]

Well boys, we may or may not be back in business!
With Min Min around (and a very big congrats to those who wanted her in, ARMs is first party so that's always great), spirits should be back on the table for the realm of possibility now.
Of course, Min Min is a base and Kunio is an extra spirit, so if you're really wanting to stretch the "rules" a bit Kunio may still have a bit of trouble, but regardless, this is gonna be interesting.

 

[Oddball]

Of course, Min Min is a base and Kunio is an extra spirit, so if you're really wanting to stretch the "rules" a bit Kunio may still have a bit of trouble, but regardless, this is gonna be interesting.

Yeah, but anyone trying to stretch the rules like this is just being contrary for the sake of it.

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

As far as I see, DLC anything seems to have a more definite intent. It'd be a bit of time crunch to put out a DLC spirit, then turn around and make one of them playable, when there are other things to prioritize. Barely a stretch at all, if you ask me.

I'm just grateful that River City Girls is getting some new stuff, at least. Especially after Code Shifter...

 

[BigShad]

As far as I see, DLC anything seems to have a more definite intent. It'd be a bit of time crunch to put out a DLC spirit, then turn around and make one of them playable, when there are other things to prioritize. Barely a stretch at all, if you ask me.

I'm just grateful that River City Girls is getting some new stuff, at least. Especially after Code Shifter...

I dunno man, the Kunio spirits, as nice as they are to have, look like they'd take basically no time to put out. They probably quite literally just used the stock sprites they've had lying around for decades.

That being said, holy HELL Code Shifter was a disappointment. I think everything in it had great potential, even the whole weird plotline, but it just felt like shovelware from my experience.

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

I dunno man, the Kunio spirits, as nice as they are to have, look like they'd take basically no time to put out. They probably quite literally just used the stock sprites they've had lying around for decades.

That being said, holy HELL Code Shifter was a disappointment. I think everything in it had great potential, even the whole weird plotline, but it just felt like shovelware from my experience.

Yeah, but not every company can get someone playable in the same game at once, especially since Sak recently reiterated how Pass 2 is this game's final DLC wave. I'm fine with Kunio only getting those sprites for this time, because at least a lot of prospective new supporters got exposed to his series.

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

Tangentially related, but the Scott Pilgrim game is finally back as a complete edition.

 

[BigShad]

I guess now's a better time than ever to bump the thread a little for exposure.
But check THIS out.

This is from a baseball gacha mobile game in Japan that recently had a Kunio-kun crossover. Look at how clean that damn model is.

 

[DarthEnderX]

Head's a bit big for that body.

 

[BigShad]

Just an FYI for any River City Girls fans, the game's free on the Xbox Game Pass.

The knuckle-busting co-op action of River City Girls has arrived on Xbox Game Pass! Grab a friend, hit the streets with Misako and Kyoko, beat up bad guys, and rescue Kunio and Riki — free with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate! https://t.co/1klfzlyCIs pic.twitter.com/4pf8msLqEQ

— WayForward (@WayForward) November 19, 2020

 

[RealLuigisWearPink]

i'll support, River City Ransom rules. I've also played some of the Japan-only Kunio games, I particularly like the tag team wrestling one

 

[BigShad]

i'll support, River City Ransom rules. I've also played some of the Japan-only Kunio games, I particularly like the tag team wrestling one

Added, glad to see we're still getting supporters.
The tag team wrestling one honestly has to be my favorite out of all of the classic games. Like, sure it's a cakewalk until the Tiger Twins, but like most games of its time it's just got stuff no other game in the NES library could offer.
Really surprised they haven't remade it yet like how ArcSys likes to keep on remaking the triathlon sports games. I know there's fan games out there, but still.

 

[DarthEnderX]

I feel like River City Melee is just meant to replace the wrestling one.

 

[BigShad]

I feel like River City Melee is just meant to replace the wrestling one.

Meant, yeah, but it can't in my heart ;_;
Like, I'd seriously argue the wrestling one (especially with the upgrades from the Retro Collection) is still a much more fun time overall. For some reason ArcSys has always been hellbelt on the remakes having a slower pace than their originals.

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

According to you, is Knights of Justice decent? I've been considering that one.

 

[BigShad]

According to you, is Knights of Justice decent? I've been considering that one.

A good question and I wished I could've answered this sooner.
It's what I'd like to call "decently bad."
Like, there's a novelty to getting to punch and kick the hell out of dragons and other monsters as Kunio and a rather expendable squad, and the game can get pretty tough if you don't know what you're doing (like with all games, but still)
But, it is a very short and very rushed game, like in the vein of all of the Kunio 3DS games excluding Rival Showdown. I still personally enjoyed it when I played it, I just really wished there was more to it.

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

Okay.

I had managed to acquire Super Dodgeball Brawlers on the DS, so how does it stack up to the original?

 

[BigShad]

Okay.

I had managed to acquire Super Dodgeball Brawlers on the DS, so how does it stack up to the original?

I'd say it's overall more flashy and complicated than the original, so if you like being able to factor in extra stuff (like extra moves, super meters and whatnot) then I'd say it's a perfectly fine game on its own. Whether or not it actually "beats" the original is up to you.

 

[BigShad]

Some madman actually made Rival Showdown Kunio in MUGEN, like by the looks of it, it's a faithful recreation.

There was a problem fetching the tweet

 

[DarthEnderX]

Is there more footage than just that little clip?