, released as River City Ransom in North America and Street Gangs in PAL regions, is a 1989 action-adventure beat 'em up video game developed and published by Technōs Japan for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the third installment of the Kunio-kun series released for the NES, preceded by Renegade and Super Dodge Ball, and the first to be developed specifically for the system.
Gameplay is similar to that of Renegade, but set in a non-linear open world, a first for the series. It was the first console game published by the developer's North American subsidiary American Technos, without input from previous series publisher Taito.
Outside Japan, River City Ransom was not highly successful when initially released. However, it received positive reviews from critics for its innovative gameplay and humor, retaining a dedicated cult following to this day, while also making the Kunio-kun series prominent in the beat 'em up space. Remakes have been released for the X68000, PC-Engine Super CD-ROM², and Game Boy Advance.
Gameplay
thumb|left|Gameplay of River City Ransom
River City Ransom is a beat 'em up game with action role-playing elements. The game is non-linear, allowing players to explore an open world in a sandbox manner. The fighting style is similar to Double Dragon, in that the player can move freely around the screen while pressing buttons to punch, kick, or jump. The player can also use items such as brass knuckles, steel pipes, and trash cans as melee weapons or throw them at enemies.
The plot follows high school students Alex and Ryan as they cross River City in an attempt to reach River City High and rescue Ryan's girlfriend Cyndi from the clutches of a villain called "Slick". This version features enhanced graphics, an arranged redbook soundtrack and fully voiced characters, with the voices of Kunio and Riki performed by Ryō Horikawa and Nobutoshi Canna respectively. The player's progress is saved in this version on the PC Engine's backup memory. The rest of the game is almost identical to the Famicom version.
Game Boy Advance
thumb|North American cover of River City Ransom EX for the Game Boy Advance
A GBA version of the game, titled was released in Japan on March 5, 2004 and in North America on May 26. in PAL regions on February 21, 2008, and in North America on April 21. The western NES titles, graphics, and storylines for the latter two releases were left intact. Ransom was next released on the 3DS Virtual Console available through the 3DS eShop in Japan on November 28, 2012, PAL region on July 25, 2013 and North America on November 14. Like other 3DS Virtual Console games, the user is able to create a restore point in the game. It also features a two player mode via download play. Only one person needs to own a copy of the game in order to play, and restore points are disabled during two player mode. Three years later Ransom was then made available on the Wii U Virtual Console, and another three years later, it was also released as part of the Nintendo Classics service worldwide on September 18, 2018, complete with HD graphics and the ability to create save states, like the other NES games offered.