Lost Classics: River City Ransom (NES)

Although Technos’s River City Ransom never gained much in the way of commercial success, it gained a cult following amongst fans with its humor and RPG-like gameplay. The game follows high school students Ryan and Alex as they take on River City’s toughest gangs in order to rescue Ryan’s girlfriend from the villain Slick. You (and a second player if playing co-op) travel around the city taking on each of its gangs. You can earn money to purchase new techniques, food to restore your health, and recovery treatments at the spa. The game featured a complicated password system to save stats, although various remakes (such as the 2003 Game Boy Advance remake) use a battery backup system. For those who missed it the first time, it’s available on the Wii Virtual Console for 500 points. Oh, and for giggles, check out Seanbaby’s River City Ransom Page.

Little Known Fact: River City Ransom is actually the third game in what’s known in Japan as the Kunio series. The first two made it over here as Renegade and Super Dodgeball.