Walkthrough
Moves
The Review:
| Difficulty: Moderate | Length: 1-3 hours |
Gameplay: | Replayability: |
| Graphics: | Sound: |
| Multiplayer: 2 player co-op | Story: |
Difficulty:
You have 2 choices here: Easy and Normal. You will not be able to get the best ending on Easy, however you can cheat the system by using a password to put you on the last stage on Easy mode. Easy mode is not that much easier, but you will be able to kill enemies faster.
Speaking of passwords, the game is very generous with passwords and you can start just about anywhere. They are easy to type and remember as they are only 4 digits. The River City Girls Zero front end to the game also has some save states you can use, but they tend to be very buggy. I tried to utilize more than the standard 3 by changing my language and using 3 more. It seems like this was a good trick, but eventually it will lead to some glitches so I don’t recommend it.
You can die infinite times and restart any section. The final bosses along with Misuzu do way too much damage compared to the rest of the enemies you have fought before them. This is likely to catch players off guard, but you will be able to adapt and practice due to the continues.
Length:
A fast player can beat this in an hour, but if it is your first time it can take 3 hours. Be sure to utilize the password system and the save state system.
Gameplay:
This game is a classic side scroller fighter. There are no branched paths or decisions to make. It is very straightforward. With the exception of the first fight which has 3 enemies at once, the game will limit opponents to 2 at once. Executing the special moves are a bit clunky (press block and follow up with another button) and landing them is even harder. In fact, is quite likely that a moderate player can get through the entire game without doing a special move. The game will still be entertaining either way. Don’t bother to try the special moves at the start of the game, you need to be out of your prison uniform first.
There are 4 different playable characters and you can swap between them with a single button. Riki and Kunio are similiar except for their special moveset. The same is true for Misako and Kyoko. All 4 characters have similiar power. The girls do move faster, but cannot grapple or sit on enemies.
Jump kicks are a safe way to handle enemies and bosses. You will notice right away that unlike many side scrolling fighters, you may not have a lot of luck getting the first attack or following up with your attacks. The enemy AI is quite fast with their responses once you are in their attack range.
One of the big draws to this game is the motorcyle sections. The gameplay is very much like Outrun or Road Rash. On the straightaways, biker gangs will be closing in on you and you need to kick them before they take you down. These bike sessions can actually be unforgiving and you will find yourself dying quite often at first. These are still quite an enjoyable way to break up the fighting sequences. There are only 3 of these during a normal playthrough.
Replayability:
There are 4 characters to choose from and passwords to take you to your favorite parts. If you just are killing some type it is therapeutic to play around for 30 minutes and try a section you enjoyed or were struggling on. Despite the story being a big draw to this game, there is almost nothing you can do to speed up the text and the cutscenes. If you came to just do some fighting, be prepared to get the talking out the way first.
Graphics:
The graphics are fairly standard for the time of the Super Nintendo. They are pleasing to the eye and the storyline close ups are a nice touch of immersion. The River City Girls Zero release added introductions and ending additions are also very well done, but you will be wishing there was more embedded into the base game.
Sound:
The River City Girls Zero release added amazing music from Meghan McDuffy! In fact, I think the only thing preventing this section from being a perfect 5 is that it is missing a toggle option to have Meghan’s music playing during the entire game. As for the music from the original game, it has some pretty catchy tracks, but there are few that seem sort of strange (Misuzu’s theme comes to mind). But, they still have a way of playing in your head throughout the day so that is a sign of a good track.
Multiplayer:
The game is 2 players local Co-op. When the 2nd player is along for the ride a couple of the screens with add an extra enemy or 2. But, overall having the battlefield as a 2v2 instead of a 1v2 can be to your advantage. In 2 player, you are less likely to be surrounded. During the bike rides, one player can kick while the other drives. If either player kicks it will mess up the driver’s turning ability, so there needs to be good teamwork involved (failure usually leads to some laughs here if you are in good company).
Story:
The River City Girls Zero release is the first time since 1994 that the story has been in English! This is quite a monumental for the series, because it means that the developers might dig in to other older titles and translate them for western audiences in the future.
One of the biggest draws to this game is the storyline. Usually, side scrolling fighting games and especially Kunio games tend to have very short if any storyline. This game tells a story and keeps you motivated on an objective throughout. You also get to experience a lot of personality from the main characters and side NPCs.