River City Girls Nintendo Switch Review

River City Girls is an arcade style brawler in the Kunio Kun series of games published by WayForward back in 2019. The game features 1-2 players with local co-op and online co-op as well. The inclusion of online play is a welcomed feature, one that I am very happy to see! The game even made our list of the best Nintendo Switch games for girls.

This is a nod and callback to the original game that released back in 1994 on the Super Famicom, Shin Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-tachi no Banka. Many readers of this site will likely be more familiar with the other game in the series, River City Ransom.

Previously played games in the River City franchise are absolutely not a must as the gameplay and storyline itself are easy to pick up and play. This time, in River City Girls, you play as Kunio and Riki’s girlfriends Kyoko and Misako as they battle through the streets on a quest to rescue their boyfriends Kunio and Riki. The two gals make their escape from school detention to punch and kick their way through hoards of enemies on a journey to free their love captured love interests.

As is to be expected with the Kunio Kun series, the game has strong anime vibes, but makes sure not to take itself too seriously. You will find yourself fighting against gang members, cheerleaders, baseball team members, and fighting back against the retaliating students who decide to come after you once they realize you’ve ditched class.

The game’s graphical pixel art style is stunningly animated and comes equipped with previously mentioned anime cutscenes which help the player get into the storyline and resonate with the heroines. The two main gals are awesome, each beaming with their own unique personality and style. The game’s musical soundtrack is also amazing and had me jamming out multiple times during my initial playthrough. The upbeat quick paced tracks go perfectly with the quick gameplay’s beat ’em up style action and do well to keep players hyped and ready to fight the next wave of baddies.

Speaking of gameplay mechanics, things feel polished and well done. Snappy intuitive controls are a must for this style of game and River City Girls definitely delivers. Whether playing solo or with a friend, the fighting is done well and feels spot on. There is a unique RPG inspired mechanic to the game reminiscent of previous entries in the series, the ability to pick up new character attacks as well as items that can be used to become more powerful.

Due to the game’s design, players may find themselves confused on where to go next at some points. Backtracking and going through previous areas is something that I did find myself doing multiple times during my playthrough, so for players who loathe “nonlinearity” in games, you’ve been warned. I put “nonlinear” in quotes because the game absolutely is a linear style of gameplay, but has elements of being nonlinear at times, ensuring you go exactly where you are intended to.

All that being said, this game is an absolute must for fans of both the River City series and the genre as a whole. It is charming, the graphics are fantastic, the music is superb, and it is a whole bunch of fun both by yourself and with a friend in co-op mode.