{{game disambig||the [[Game Boy Advance]] remake|[[River City Ransom EX]]}}
{{game disambig||the [[Game Boy Advance]] remake|[[River City Ransom EX]]}}
'''River City Ransom''' (ダウンタウン熱血物語, Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari?, "Downtown Nekketsu Story", known as "Street Gangs" in Europe) is part of the long-running [[Kunio-kun]] series of [[beat 'em up]]s and sports games. Unlike other beat-'em-ups of the era it features a somewhat free-roam environment, reusable weapons, and a shopping system.
{{nihongo|'''River City Ransom'''|ダウンタウン熱血物語|Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari|"Downtown Hot-blooded Story"}}, later released as Street Gangs in the PAL regions, is an open world [[action]] [[role-playing]] [[beat 'em up]] game for the [[NES]]. It was developed by [[Technos Japan]] and originally released in Japan on April 25, 1989. It is the third game in Technos' [[:Category:Kunio-kun|Kunio-kun series]] released for the console, preceded by [[Renegade]] and [[Super Dodge Ball]]. Like its predecessors, ''River City Ransom'' underwent great changes in its storyline and graphical presentation during its localization in order to make the game more palatable in the Western market. It was one of the first console games published by North American subsidiary American Technos.
The plot is simple: Slick has kidnapped Ryan's girlfriend, and has recruited gangs from the local high school to take over the River City. Alex and Ryan must fight their way into the school to rescue her, and save the city from Slick's cronies.
Remakes of the game have been released for the [[Sharp X68000]], [[Turbografx-CD|PC-Engine Super CD-ROM²]], and [[Game Boy Advance]]. The NES version was re-released for the Nintendo [[Wii Virtual Console]] in 2007 as well as the Nintendo [[Wii U Virtual Console]] in October 2015. It was also released on the Nintendo [[3DS Virtual Console]] in the PAL Regions on July 25, 2013 and in North America on November 14, 2013. It was released again on the [[Nintendo Switch Online]] service on its launch day, September 18, 2018. In 2020, it was translated in [[Double Dragon & Kunio-kun Retro Brawler Bundle]] as '''Downtown Nekketsu Story''', with the original story and characters.
River City Ransom was ported to two systems. The Super CD port uses Redbook music and digital sound effects as well as improved graphics, while the X68000 version features an expanded game world. The game was later significantly redesigned by a different publisher, Atlus, for the Game Boy Advance and released as [[River City Ransom EX]].
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File:Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari FC box.jpg|Famicom box
File:Downtown Nekketsu Story.jpg|Downtown Nekketsu Story
River City Ransom (ダウンタウン熱血物語,Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari?, "Downtown Hot-blooded Story"), later released as Street Gangs in the PAL regions, is an open world actionrole-playingbeat 'em up game for the NES. It was developed by Technos Japan and originally released in Japan on April 25, 1989. It is the third game in Technos' Kunio-kun series released for the console, preceded by Renegade and Super Dodge Ball. Like its predecessors, River City Ransom underwent great changes in its storyline and graphical presentation during its localization in order to make the game more palatable in the Western market. It was one of the first console games published by North American subsidiary American Technos.
