Arc System Works has revealed the Technos The World: Kunio-kun & Arcade Collection (thanks to Gematsu), a new compilation of some of Technos Japan’s lesser-known gems. More importantly, it’s bringing some titles that weren’t included in a few later Kunio-Kun/Nekketsu/Downtown/River City titles that weren’t included in Doub?le Dragon & Kunio-kun: Retro Brawler Bundle. It’s coming to PS5, Switch,? and PC, on?? April 24. No word yet on a North American release.

It’s a pretty gr??eat list. I’ll go over some of them in a bit more depth, but before we get into th??e weeds, let’s go over what’s actually in the package.

• Super Dodge Ball (Arcade)
• Kunio-kun no Dodgeball da yo Zen'in Shūgō! (Super Famicom)
• Shodai Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun (Super Famicom)
• Downtown Nekketsu Baseball Monogatari: Yakyu de Shobu da! Kunio-kun (Super Famicom)
• Kunio no Oden (Super Famicom)
• Xain’d Sleena (Arcade)
• China Gate (Arcade)
• The Combatribes (Arcade)
• The Combatribes (Super Famicom)
• Shadow Force (Arcade)
• Sugoro Quest++: DICENICS (Super Famicom)
• DunQuest: Majin Fuuin no Densetsu (Super Famicom)

Groovy. For the Kunio-Kun/Nekketsu/Downtown/River City games, you have baseball, a classic beat-’em-up, a puzzle game (seriously), and two flavors of dodgeball. While I’d say that the Super Famicom Kunio games are decent but not fantastic, the NEOGEO Super Dodgeball is prett??y spectacular. It uses a much brighter and more cartoon-y artstyle, which makes it even flashier and more over the top. It’s also something that has never been ported before.

Big ol�?mixed bag with everything else. China Gate is known in Saiyuu Goumaroku: Ryuubouyougi no Shou in Japan. It’s a strange beat-’em-up based somewhat on Journey to the West. It’s kind of short, but it’s interesting. Combatribes is in the same vein. It’s a ridiculously brutal beat-’em-up in the same vein as the Kunio-Kun/Nekketsu/Downtown/River City. You can drive clown faces into the pavement.

DunQuest is a dungeon-dwelling action RPG, which is uncharacteristic for the developer. Similarly, Sugoro Quest++: DICENICS is something of a cross between an RPG and a board game. Xain’d Sleena is a run-and-gun sometimes better known as Solar Warrior or Soldier of Light over here. Shadow Force fits their M.O. a lot better, as it’s an ar??cade beat-’em-up.

While there’s no word on whether or not we’ll see this collection over in the West. It may seem unlikely because many of the titles didn’t see release outside of Japan and would require different levels of translation, but Double Dragon & Kunio-kun: Retro Brawler Bundle did the impossible and localized a tonne of older Kunio-Kun games, so all bets are off. I know for sure that I’d be thrille?d to get ??my hands on it.

Technos The World: Kunio-kun & Arcade Collection is coming to PS5, Switch, and PC on April 24.

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School bell getting set to ring

Tomorrow sees the launch of WayForward's double-fisted schoolyard sequel River City Girls 2... At least that's true for players in Japan, who will be taking Kyoko, Misako, and their newfound friends on another rambunc?tious rumble through the mean stree??ts of the trouble-filled 'berg.

And yet, western fans are still to receive an official release date for this side of the globe �?This is a curious development, given that WayForward is a U.S.-based developer and the game is seemingly ready to rock. To this end, the studio has released a new statement offering an update on the situation.

"We need a bit more time in the oven for the North America/European version in order to deliver the best, most ful?l-featured experience possible," writes WayForward on Twitter. "As of now, we're still expecting to launch the game before the end of 2022. When we have an exact date nailed down, or if anything changes, we'll let you know. We know you're all eager to battle your way back through River City [...] and we're just as eager for you all to play it."

//twitter.c?om/WayForward/status/1597742562902777862?s=20&t=jJdQYvY6s0MQLI80EsDvHA

While the statement still does not provide full clarity, it can be perhaps taken that the Japanese version of River City Girls 2 might not feature all of the features planned for launch, such as the all-new four-player co-op modes. Previous advertising for the JPN launch did note that multiplayer action would "follow in a later update". So perhaps the game doesn't quite feature all of its expected content, even this close to launch. The Japanese version has English language supp?ort, so it would seem that localization is not the p??roblem.

Whatever the reason, it seems that our favorite schoolgirl sluggers will have to remain in detention for now, eagerly awaiting the moment when they can take to the avenues and alleyways alongside Kunio, Riki, Marian, and Provie. Will we see RCG2 this side of?? the holidays? It's looking pretty tight, to be honest. But we can probably rest assured that the smack-'em-sequel is en route.

River City Girls 2 is in development for PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. Be sure to check out our previous write-ups on both River City Girls and River City Girls Zero, as well as our interviews with director Adam Tierney, and awesome composer Megan McDuffee.

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Beat Street

WayForward is still showing out the upcoming roster of River City Girls 2 �?We already know that Kunio, Riki, and Double Dragon's Marian will be joining Kyoko & Misako on their latest rampage through the thug-filled 'berg, and now we can take a look? at sixth scrapper Provie, rounding out our raucous roster??.

If this cool-looking lass feels familiar, then you might have seen her kicking ass and taking names in Conatus Creative's cult 2017 release River City Ransom: Underground, where she made a name for herself as a hip-hop lovin' pop '?n' lockin' fighter �?having combined her love of breakdancing with Brazilian martial art capo?eira. Taking time out from her own vigilante squad, "The Flock", Provie will be ably helping the River City Girls in their fist-flinging battle against the powerful Sabu crime family.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9rJZMWam-A

River City Girls 2 was first revealed way back in the summer of 2021, with the team at WayForward drip-feeding characters, features, and rad new 'choons since the title's initial reveal. While we are still yet to receive a western release date for the sequel's launch, (it's getting a little tight on that "2022" release date now). The sequel, though simila?r in design to the 2020 original, will feature several new features including simultaneous four-player co-op action, and a variety of stylishly designed new boss characters.

River City Girls 2 is in development for PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch platforms. Be sure to check out our previous write-ups on both River City Girls and River City Girls Zero, as well as our interviews with director Adam Tierney, and awesome composer Megan McDuffee.

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Who needs Bimmy & Jimmy?

WayForward has released an eye-bruising new trailer for its upcoming sequel River City Girls 2, which is currently waiting in the wings for its inevitable launch on PC and consoles �?The new video allows Kyoko and Misako to take a moment? out of the spotlight, instead focusing on one of the duo's new sister-in-arms, the mighty Marian!

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oIrSsN-MSE

You might remember the sexy slugger from her turn in the classic arcade brawler Double Dragon, where Marian pl??ayed the unenviable role of the Damsel in Distress. Bored of waiting for brothers Billy & Jimmy Lee to get the job done, Marian focused on honing her body, mind, and fighting abilities to ensure that if there was any future beatdowns to be dished out, she would be the one doin' the dishin'.

Marian appeared in the original River City Girls as one of a number of cameo shopkeepers, but is finally strapping on the gauntlets to take to the street herself. Armed with an array of ground and pound grapples and haymaker strikes, this former abductee turned MMA monster is ready to help Kyoko, Misako, and her other allies in another adventure, (or should that be "ABventure. God...DAMN), against the ruthless Sabu crime family.

If our heroes weren't tough enough b??efore, then shit just got a whole lot tougher.

River City Girls 2 will launch later this year on PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch platforms. Be sure to check out our previous write-ups on both River City Girls and River City Girls Zero, as well as our interviews with director Adam Tierney, and awesome composer Megan McDuffee.

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Back 2 (old) Skool

Back in 2019, the global gaming community was introduced to two totes-adorbs, totes-dopey schoolyard sluggers: Kyoko and Misako, collectively known as the River City Girls. Essentially a rebirth of sorts for the legendary Kunio-kun series, WayForward's River City Girls revitalized the franchise for modern audiences, retaining the open-world nature and nose-busting brawling of its predecessors and dressing it up with dazzling colors, a badass soundtrack, slick artwork, and cool new characters. River City Girls reinvented not only the Kunio-kun series, but also brawlers themselves.

However, in news that still surprises folk today, River City Girls was not the debut adventure for Kyoko and Misako. No, our excitable and somewhat obsessive teens made their original video game debut way back in 1994, in Japan-only Super Famicom release Shin Nekketsu Koha: Kunio-tachi no Banka, which saw series leads Kunio and Riki team up with their respective ga??ls to get to the bottom of a case of mistaken identity. One broken jaw at a time.

While many of the Kunio-kun titles are playable today via the Double Dragon & Kunio-kun: Retro Brawler Bundle, Shin Nekketsu Koha: Kunio-tachi no Banka remained unavailable to western players. Until now, as Arc System Works and WayForward has finally localized this lost sequel for these shores. So fire up the Switch, it's time to rumble with River City Girls Zero.

Our story begins with a hit-and-run tragedy, as a bystander is hit by two dudes on a speeding motorcycle, with one of the riders identified as Kunio-kun's titular hero and badass school boss, Kunio. Quick as a flash, our boys find themselves sped through the courts and thrown in the slammer, acc??used of a crime that they did? not commit. This being the video game world, they quickly escape solitary via amusingly easy means, before setting out on a cross-country jaunt to uncover the truth behind the hit -n- run �?a jaunt that will see a lot of fists and feet thrown before justice is ultimately served.

It should be noted, first and foremost, that River City Girls Zero is quite unlike a lot of the other titles in the Kunio-kun series. The 16-bit adventure eschews much of the open-city adventure and backtracking of its contemporaries, switching it up for sequential, linear stages as our gan??g of heroes follows the trail of breadcrumbs to the villains ??of the piece. For the most part, this consists of very straightforward 2D belt-scrolling action, as Kunio, Riki, Kyoko, and Misako throw down with the bullies, street thugs, gangsters, and other Bad Dudes that have the lowdown on the boys' mistaken confinement.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpJ-UYq9T1k

River City Girls Zero is a simplistic brawler. Immensely so. It features the typical punch/kick action that typifies the series' combat, complete with the classic back-attack, the satisfying ground-and-pound system, and ugly, unwieldy jump kicks. Each character can also put up their dukes to defend against incoming attacks, and all four fighters have their own cool special moves, activated by hitting block and then the requisite attack button. Misako gets her Street Fighter hurri??cane kick on, while Kyoko opts for seriously overpowered lightning ?legs.

For the most part, however, River City Girls Zero is a slugfest, exchanging finesse and ?skill for exploitation, tolerance, and p??atience.

Whereas the best brawlers, then and especially now, understand the flow of the fight, and the importance of smooth, rhythmic combat, River City Girls Zero is somewhat raw, with stiff movement and ultra-strict hitboxes. The "overlap dead zone" is in effect, and quite often victory is to be achieved through "working" the opponent (for example overlapping from above, walking the opponent into corners, or otherwise tricking the A.I.), rather than through smart combat, an admittedly clunky strategy style demonstrated in Technos' arcade brawlers such as Double Dragon and The Combattribes.

This stiffness is a problem with many early brawlers, but by 1994, the genre had already moved beyond what is offered in Shin Nekketsu Koha: Kunio-tachi no Banka, which, from a gameplay standpoint, feels years older than contemporaries such as Capcom's Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, or Sega's Streets of Rage 2, both of which had released over two years prior??.

The cute Super Famicom sprites offer much personality to our heroes and villains, and the combat is meaty and relentless, but the game's design barely advanced from the earliest Kunio-kun titles, when other series had already begun experimenting with much deeper combat mechanics.  As a result, standard enemy encounters are incredibly samey, while boss battles an exercise in "trickery". The new engine utilized for River City Girls Zero does work to improve the notorious input latency of ?the original Super Famicom release, mak?ing the action here a little more forgiving and responsive to the player.

In the title's favor, its nicely animated and colorful sprites, variety of citywide locations, and legitimately smooth SNES synth punctuate the action. The anarchic story is also a lot of fun, (you gotta love the police telling our gang of renegade high school kids that it's fine to take the law into their own hands). Aesthetically and narratively, River City Girls Zero lives its cool and compelling "outlaw" vibe, reminiscent of?? Toe??i's excellent array of '70s gangster flicks.

As the story progresses and our heroes travel around the country, the side-scrolling stages are linked with Road Rash style motorcycle sections, where the player guns the hog to the next location, while indulging in footsies with enemy riders. These sections are pretty disappointing, dated even by '94 standards. The overall problem with Shin Nekketsu Koha: Kunio-tachi no Banka/River City Girls Zero is that the title lacks a sense of "electricity", despite its fun story and great soundtrack. Still, as is the case for so many brawlers, the enjoyment i??s increased with the addition of a second player.

Shin Nekketsu Koha: Kunio-tachi no Banka is, without doubt, a piece of gaming history. WayForward recognizes this, and has dressed up the title in a wonderful presentation package. We open with a fantastic anime sequence, (when's the OVA!!?) backed by an absolute fire song from series composer Megan McDuffee. We also get a delightfully meta manga sequence, as Kyoko and Misako pick up a copy of Shin Nekketsu Koha: Kunio-tachi no Banka for the Super Famicom and attempt to get it running on, (what must be to them), anci??ent hard?ware. Kids these days.

We roll credits with another awesome new tune, and scans of the original artwork and instructional manual are also available to peruse as a fun extra. In regards to localization, there are two English translations on offer: A "Literal" translation, which closely follows the original Japanese text, and a "New" translation which is a little tidier and omits the swearing and misogynistic language of the original script. A useful save state function also helps out in some aggravating boss battles. Ironically, River City Girls Zero fits the bill as a preserved ??historical rel?ic better than it does as a retro experience.

As both a Kunio-kun and a brawler aficionado, I think it's marvelous that Shin Nekketsu Koha: Kunio-tachi no Banka has been given this new lease of life. It's gaming history that needed to be archived, both for the legacy of Kunio-kun and for protagonists Kyoko and Misako, a duo who only have further fantastic adventures ahead. Fans of the series, who can better tolerate its gameplay shortcomings, will squeal with delight that this long-standing hole in their collection has finally been plugged �?though even they wouldn't deny that this?? entry is?, ultimately, one of the series' weaker offerings.

River City Girls Zero is available now on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, PC, and Xbox. River City Girls 2 is curren?tly in development for PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch??.

_{[These impressions are based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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Killed by Math

It's time for Kyoko and Misako to pull on their best ass-kicking sneakers, as WayForward has announced that RPG/brawler River City Girls will be making its debut on new-gen platforms later this ??morning. The cartoonish head-buster will launch on PS5 January 18, and best of all, PS4 players will be able to bag the upgrade ?free-of-charge.

So, what can the mighty PS5 bring to the modest world of River City? Well, admittedly there's not a whole lot of extra gubbins on offer. River City Girls is, after all, a game that relishes the aesthetic style of the old-school Kunio-kun franchise. The?? PS5 port will, however, support Acti?vity Functionality and will also incorporate DualSense features, so at least you'll be able to feel the impact of each and every Stone Cold Stunner and room-clearing Dab Strike.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HbVv3hpZK4

Originally released in the summer of 2019 (yes, it's already been that long...) River City Girls is the tale of two anarchic and excitable school girls who, after receiving some sinister text messages, embark upon a two-woman scrap through the streets, docks, arcades, beaches, and hotels of their comic-book 'berg. Featuring gorgeous sprite work, passionate adherence to franchise lore, bone-breaking combat, and a wicked soundtrack from Megan McDuffee, River City Girls is a very worthy entry in the long-running Kunio-kun franchise, and a bar-raiser for the braw?ler g??enre.

River City Girls is available now on PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The PS5 edition will launch January 18. A sequel, River City Girls 2, is headed to PC a??nd consoles this coming summer.

//twitte??r.com/WayForward/status/14787888919309926??42?s=20

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Bringing history to life... and kicking it in the balls

Arc System Works released the opening movie for its curious, even dubious new brawler River City Saga: The Three Kingdoms, which will see the classic Chinese works adapted in the cutesy, ass-kicking, Kunio-kun style. The strange new title is currently expected to launch on Nintendo?? Switch in December, with PS4 and PC to follow in the?? spring of 2022.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=owljs_MWN1Y

As we have previously reported, River City Saga: The Three Kingdoms will adapt the ancient Chinese fable of “Sangokushi�? perhaps better known to westerners as the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. River City Saga will be a stylized retelling of the warfaring tale, with familiar faces from the Kunio-kun universe stepping into the roles of its lead characters. The new title will combine narrative storytelling and deep RPG elements with the knock??-down, dra??g-out brawls that are the series' trademark. Consider it a lesson in culture... but with far more roundhouse kicks and piledrivers.

Previously released screens spotlight the retro/modern fusion that ArcSys is affording River City Saga's aesthetic �?with typical 2D action and Famicom-style sprites, polished with something of a more contemporary sheen. River City Saga: Three Kingdoms is one of a number of Kunio-kun titles in the works, joining upcoming releases River City Girls Zero and 2022's River City Girls 2 ??as three new sluggers currently prepped for the series' 35th ??anniversary celebrations.

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Slapstick mayhem in the Han Dynasty

Arc System Works has released the first details and screens pertaining to its upcoming historical scrapper Kunio-kun no Sangokushi dayo: Zeiin Shuugou!. The brawler RPG �?currently in development at A Plus Games �?is said to be around 70% complete, and will launch in Japan on Switch th?is December, with PS4 and PC to follow in the spring of 2022.

As previously reported, the latest in the long, long, long-running series will be taking time out from its Japanese high school roots and taking a trip into Ancient China, adapting the legendary fable Romance of the Three Kingdoms for its uppercutting, knee-smashing action. These early screens show that A Plus Games is choosing to blend the old-school Famicom style sprites with a WayForward-esque cartoon world, creating a look that holds true to the River City Ransoms of ??yes??terday while still having a little post-2020 polish.

Set in the Han Dynasty, Kunio-kun no Sangokushi dayo: Zeiin Shuugou! will see Kunio take up the role of hero Guan Yu, with all of the Kunio-kun regulars cast in various roles pulled directly from the legendary tales of Sangokushi �?including Gouda as Liu Bei, and Godai and Zhang Fei. Despite the unusual choice of setting, the new sequel will still feature all of Kunio-kun's trademark, open-world, conveyer belt adventure, complete with shopping, skill upgrades, sight-seeing, and lots of slapstick, fi?st-throwing action. Be s??ure to keep an eye out for secret rooms and passages.

While no localization has been announced, the Kunio-kun series has been going through something of a western renaissance in recent years, thanks to the arrival of River City Ransom Underground, River City Girls, and the Double Dragon & Kunio-kun: Retro Brawler Bundle. With at least two more titles also planned for the near future, it ??would make sense for ArcSys to push out this quirky new release on western shores. We'll keep you posted!

In the meantime, you can find more screens over on the official Kunio-kun no Sangokushi dayo: Zeiin Shuugou! website.

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War & Romance

The latest issue of Japanese publication Famitsu features new details pertaining to Kunio-kun no Sangokushi dayo: Zeiin Shuugou!, an upcoming entry in the legendary Kunio-kun brawler-RPG series. Famitsu confirms that the new title �?one of many releases set to coincide with the franch??ise's 35th anniversary �?is in development for PS4, PC, and Switch.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOIEbGHf6vQ

As predicted from the recent teaser trailer, the Kunio-kun will be taking time out from its typical Japanese high-school setting, and will instead be taking its rock-'em, sock-'em action to the Chinese fable of "Sangokushi", perhaps better known to westerners as the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Video game fans will, of course, recognize this tale from Koei Tecmo's RPG series of the same name �?itself a spin-off from the Dynasty Warriors franchise.

Developer A Plus Games has noted that the new adventure is already 65% complete, with hopes to release in Japan on Nintendo Switch in December 2021, with PS4 and Steam ports to follow in the spring of 2022. A localization is yet to be confirmed, but given the recent success of titles such as River City Girls and Double Dragon & Kunio-kun: Retro Brawler Bundle, it? would make sense that publisher Arc System Works will continue to bring this bra??nd of mayhem to the west.

In the meantime, check out some early shots over at Famitsu, as reported by Ryokutya2089.

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