River City Ransom/Walkthrough

When you start the game you'll see the Technos logo, followed by a screen where you can choose the number of players (with ) and choose which player controls which character. Alex and Ryan play identically, so you only need to decide based on which you prefer the look of. If you want to rename the players, push.

When you are ready, push. Next you can set the message speed and skill level. For now just hit. After this you'll see the ransom note. Hit again to see the title screen. Hit once more and you begin gameplay.


 * ''Note: the Sharp X68000 version has additional optional areas, which are not covered here yet.

The game begins at Cross Town High. You'll soon be attacked by this area's resident gang, The Generic Dudes. Fight your way to the right then up to reach the Grotto Mall. Once here you can buy whatever you like, but you should get either Stone Hands or Dragon Feet as these techniques make fighting much easier (see Moves for more). If you don't have the cash go back and beat up the constantly-respawning gang members. Continue onwards.

In the next area you can go either up or right. At the moment going up leads to nothing, so continue to the right. Here is your first boss area. You must defeat all the gang members before the boss, Moose will appear. When you beat him continue upwards.

You're now at Waterfront Mall. Get Stone Hands or Dragon Feet if you didn't already; you only really need one of the two, as you can focus on buying items that boost the attack type you've bought the book for. There's also a pharmacy here; their products aren't consumed immediately and instead act as health kits, so if you've got some spare cash you may like to get a few. Head on to the right.

On the bridge you'll meet Roxy, who will give you some useful information on what you're up against. Head directly up into the red part to go under the bridge. Here you meet Benny and Clyde. They shouldn't be all that hard to defeat (especially if you bought a book) and you can knock them into the water if you need to. They give good money so you can keep going in and out to boost your funds. Once you're done, go back out.

Head right, up, right, and into the warehouse. After wiping out a few gang members you'll find the third boss, Rocko. After beating Rocko you need to backtrack to the park (the empty area mentioned above). Blade, the fourth boss and first of the Zombies, will be waiting for you in the park. After defeating Blade return to the warehouse.

Back at the warehouse, continue right into the tunnel. If you push up under the fourth light you'll enter Merlin's Mystery Shop. This place sells extremely expensive stat-boosting items. Anyway, head right to leave the tunnel. Once outside you'll fight the second Zombie, Turk. Beat him, then head up and fight the third Zombie, Mojo. Continue up and you reach Flatirons Mall. Buy what you want here, then continue to the right when you're ready.

Go right two more screens until you see another factory. Enter and continue to the right. It is possible to go back out of the factory if you wish but you will need to use a running jump. In the second area of the factory you fight Thor, the fourth and last of the Zombies. Continue right, then head up.

Here is Oak Hill Mall, followed by Burb Village. Here you'll fight Benny and Clyde again. If you wish you can repeatedly beat them for money and use the sauna to heal, and then go back to the mall and buy things. Anyway, head on to the right.

Go up a screen and you'll see the gates of River City High. Some enemies will appear, so defeat them. Afterwards, Ivan will come out if you've beaten all the bosses (if you haven't defeated all of the bosses, Ivan won't appear and you'll have to backtrack). You can now enter the school.

Once inside the school you'll meet Otis. Beat him then climb on the hoops to reach the upper door. Head upstairs and fight Tex. Beat him then head upstairs. On this floor you can enter a secret room from the far right set of white doors to see a quick bonus, but only after defeating the Dragon Twins. Anyway, continue further right to fight the Dragon Twins Randy and Andy. When you're ready, go through the doors they came through to fight the final boss. You can't run from him, so if you want to go buy anything do that now. Anyway, go through the doors.

You're now facing the final boss, Slick. Once he's dealt with you've won the game.

Here is the list of the bosses you need to fight to reach the end of the game. If you do all that is written above it will only take longer and is not necessary. The following list of the bosses is from a first place speed run on speedrun.com and confirmed because I played threw the game fighting only the bosses he fought to make sure it worked. It did. This route tends to cut out two or three of the bosses. I am only listing them in order and when I say you need to fight a boss in this area I am assuming you understand the game well enough to know before any of the bosses show up you need to fight the 10 or so gang members in the area to make the boss appear. Also not all bosses require you fight the gang first but most do. Exceptions to this rule would be the last boss, the boss in the back of the warehouse and the boss at the park. They all are just there waiting to fight. Now there are usually goons in the front room of the warehouse but they are not necessary to fight just get to the back of the warehouse and the boss should be waiting for you across the gap on the platform by the door leading to downtown. Ok so it is time for the list this is assuming you have a pretty good understanding of the layout of the game as there will be no direction telling how to get to the parts of the game I will list. This is a list of bosses and the order to fight them as well as the ones you can skip. So without further ado on with the list.

Skips the boss at the construction zone with a pit right before the first shop area.

Skips the bosses behind the bridge where the girl talks to you telling you the twins kidnapped and have your girl locked away.

First boss fight at warehouse

Next fight is with boss at park

Next boss is the boss after the tunnel where the mystery shop is.

Next boss is in the area with the big pipes one room over from the last boss after the tunnel.

Next is the boss at the back of the factory

Next is the boss in front of the school

Next is the boss in the gym

Next fight the twins as there is no need to fight the boss on the third floor of the school.

Then the final boss on the roof Simon.

That is it do it in the order laid out and you skip the bosses behind the bridge the boss at the construction zone area that has a pit as well as the second fight with the bosses behind the bridge which if you fought them earlier will take place in front of the health club, also you skip the boss on the third floor of the school. You obviously can fight them if you want but there is not a need to. Which kind of begs the question why are they there if you can just avoid them but it works I did this path and got to the end faster then going threw all the stuff the other walk through tells you to do. So I thought I would share this with you since I discovered it.