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gaslight gatekeep girlboss
(pt. 1 / pt. 2)
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blackhakumen · 3 years
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Mini Fanfic #771: Burgers Date Night (Super Smash Bros Ultimate)
7:34 p.m. at Big Bang Burgers.......
Kyoko: (Giggles Softly While Sitting Next to Her Girlfriend and Boyfriend Together on a One Sided Table) I still can't believe you actually wore a tuxedo on our date night, Pitto-Kins~
Misako: (Starts Snickering) Yeah. (Playfully Pulls Dark Pit's Cheek Next to Her) Were you planning on wooing us for the rest of the night, babe?~
Dark Pit: (Scoffs While Rolling his Eyes) You wish. I'm only wearing this cause mom told me that I should look presentable in these type of occasions....
Kyoko: Was it your goddess mom that told you that or your witch mom?
Dark Pit: Both of them.....But speaking of which, why exactly didn't you guys wanna go to your school prom tonight? Not that I mind spending the night here eating out or anything, but isn't attending prom suppose to be more important or something?
Misako: (Simply Shrugs) Nah. We just never really been interested in going to that kind of stuff.
Kyoko: Yeah. (Slumps Her Head Down on the Table) It also doesn't help the fact that stupid Hasebe and Mami are attending there too. One of them probably already won Prom Queen as we speak....
Misako: (Starts Rolling her Eyes in Annoyance) Or both of them at the same time.....
Dark Pit: You really don't like those girls, do you?
Misako: Not in a million years. They've been a pain in our asses since kindergarten.
Kyoko: Always thinking they're so much better than us in every way.....
Dark Pit: ('Tch') Please. There's no way those stuck up twerps are better than either of you girls.
Misako: Tell that everyone else in our classes.....
Dark Pit: Well, your classmates obviously have piss-poor taste. You guys are a lot more amazing than anyone gives you credit for. Or at least....(Starts Blushing a Little) I....think you're both amazing.....
Kyoko: (Heart Begins to Melt in Pure Happiness as She Hugs Dark Pit on her Side) Your such a sweetheart, Pitto-Kins~
Misako: (Hugs Dark Pit and Kyoko on Her Side) Yeah. Not to mention a handsome cutie too~ (Gives Dark Pit a Kiss on the Cheek)
Dark Pit: (Blush Turns Brightly Red as He Starts Bashfully Looking Away) W-Whatever.... Can we just order something already?
Kyoko: Ooh! (Excitedly Points at a Picture of a Giant Looking Burger on Front of Her Menu) We can totally do the Big Bang Burger challenge together!
Misako: (Raised an Eyebrow in a Bit of Confusion) "The Big Bang..." what now?
Kyoko: The Big Bang Burger challenge! It's this really cool challenge everyone been talking about in school. We'll be King and and Queens in this establishment if we can beat!
Misako: King and queens, huh? (Turns to Dark Pit) What do you say, DP? Wanna give this challenge a go?
Dark Pit: (Simply Shrugs) Eh. I'm down. Might not gonna be that much of a challenge any-
Few Minutes Later......
The trio widened their eyes in horror at how big and wide the Big Bang Burger in front of them, really is.
Strength..... Courage.....Wit..... Endurance.....All these skills and more are cruial to completing THE BIG BANG BURGER CHALLENGE!!!
Kyoko: I-I-Is this really that big of a burger?.....
Waiter: (Smiles Brightly) Yep! Biggest one we've made so far. We here at Big Bang Burgers would like to wish you lovely couple the best of luck. (Walks Away) You are gonna need it....
'Door Close'
Misako: ...................This is a mistake.
Dark Pit: I'd say we get the hell up out of here before anyone noticed.
Misako: Agreed. (Was About to Leave Out of Her Table With Dark Pit Until....)
Kyoko: (Stops her Girlfriend and Boyfriend While Pouting at Them) Guys!! We can't leave here yet! We have to do the challenge!
Dark Pit: (Turns Back to Kyoko) Kyoko, have you SEEN how big this fucking shit is!?
Misako: There's no way we can finish that!
Kyoko: ('Sigh') Look, I know this burger is big, scary, and could probably give us a menacing looking glare if it has eyes, but if we're able to beat mean girls, jocks, and thugs into submission, then I'm sure we can handle a measly big burger, am I right?
Misako: (Takes her Girlfriend Words into Consideration Before Sighing in Defeat) Our adorably dense girlfriend is right?
Kyoko: Hey!!!
Misako: (Turns to Dark Pit While Ignoring Kyoko Altogether) We can't back out of this challenge now. Not without fight.
Dark Pit: ('Sighs in Defeat') Damnit, you're right. (Turns Back Towards the Burger Along With his Girlfriends) on the count of four: we eat this motherfucker like hell. In a one....in a two....in a one, two three, four-
Twenty Minutes Later.....
Dark Pit/Kyoko/Misako: (Groans Miserably and Slumped Their Heads Down onto the Table While Being Completely Full in the Process) 'Ughhhhhhhhh'
Kyoko: My tummy can't take anymore.....
Misako: Tell me about it.....I don't wanna see another damn burger for as long as I live......
Dark Pit: (Turns Back to the Waiter Standing in Front of their Table) Please tell that we were AT LEAST this close of the beating the challenge......
Waiter: Can't say that you have I'm afraid. (Smiles Brightly) But you're efforts this evening was spot on to say the at least.
Misako: (Starts Rolling her Eyes Again) Spare me the enlightenment crap already....
Kyoko: (Rest her Head onto One Side of Dark Pit's Shoulder) So....full......
Dark Pit: (Gently Rubs Kyoko's Head) Who would be this crazy enough to finish a challenge like that.
Waiter: Well, if you must know....(Shows the Trio a Taken Photo of the BBB Challenge's Hall of Fame on his Tablet)
Kyoko: (Amazed by the Picture in Question) Woah.......
Misako: Hey, wait. (Points at the Frame Up Top of a Very Familiar Face) DP, is that your older brother at the top.
Dark Pit: (Takes a Look at What Misako is Pointing at Before Groaning in Annoyance) ('Ugh') Should've fucking known.....
.........................................................
Dark Pit: Hey.
Ren: Hey there, champ. How your little date goin' along?
Dark Pit: Exhausting. We tried that stupid Big Bang Burger Challenge and failed miserably.
Ren: Lol really?
Dark Pit: Yeah. REALLY!
Dark Pit: Pain.jpg
Ren: Wow. You guys looked pitiful lol.
Dark Pit: No shit Sherlock.
Dark Pit: Word has it that you were known as the King of the place.....
Dark Pit: Is that true?
Ren: I...... don't know what you're talking about I'm afraid.
Dark Pit: The Champion.jpg
Ren: That obviously could've been someone else in that frame.
Dark Pit: You're really gonna start lying to me right now, Joker boy?
Dark Pit: I thought your Queen specifically told you not to take the challenge anymore....
Ren: She did!
Ren: I just...Think that could've been anyone in that picture, ya know?
Dark Pit: I'm five seconds away from texting her right now, man.
Ren: Okay! Okay! Fine! You win! I did take that challenge last year! Back when Banjo and I went to their grand opening
Ren: I wanted to impressed him. So I.... decided to take on the challenge.
Ren: Still surprised I completed it TBF....
Dark Pit: Interesting.....
Ren: Please don't tell Makoto about this.
Ren: Graduation is coming in a couple of days. And the last thing I want for her right now to be worried about my health.
Dark Pit: That depends really....
Dark Pit: It'll cost ya.
Ren: Fiiiine..... I'll give you ten bucks.
Dark Pit: Give me Twenty and you got yourself a deal.
Ren: Don'tcha think you're pushing it there, Pitto-Kins?
Dark Pit: Oh look. Makoto's name is already showing up on my contact list
Ren: Alright! Alright! Twenty dollars! Take it or leave it!
Dark Pit: You got yourself a deal, Joker boy.
.....................................................
Eventually Outside of the Burger Joint............
Dark Pit: (Walking Next to his Two Girlfriends on the Sidewalk) Sorry this date isn't as glamorous as some prom night...
Kyoko: Are you kidding? (Happily Rest her Head on One Side of DP's Shoulder While Hugging one of his Arms) This was the best date night ever~
Misako: (Rest her Head on the Other Side of DP's Shoulder While Hugging his Other Arm) I agree. We rather spend the whole night with our sweetheart of an angel than attend some dumb-
'Limousine Horm'
Without warning, a white luxurious limousine suddenly coming next to the sidewalk with none other than Hasebe & Mami standing on the sunroof with smug looks on each of their faces.
Hasebe: Well, what do we have here? A bunch of peasants walking alone on the sidewalk.
Mami: Like, guess who won Prom Queen this year?~
Misako: (Starts Rolling her Eyes in Annoyance) Both of you?
Hasebe/Mami: Both of us!~
Kyoko: Go figure.....
Mami: Like, who would've thought being ridiculously popular and obviously better than you two losers could give us both the title?~
Hasebe: I know, right?~ What a crazy world!~ By the by....(Points at Dark Pit) Who's the angel freak in the middle?
Dark Pit: (Eyes Widened in Anger) The fuck did you just called m-
Misako: (Gently Squeezes Dark Pit's Arn to Calm Him Down) His name is Dark Pit. (Smiles Softly at the Angel) Our boyfriend.
Kyoko: (Happily Snuggles her Head Onto her Side of Dark Pit's Shoulder) Whom we love very much~ (Gives DP a Kiss on the Cheek)
Dark Pit: (Smiles a Little While Blushing)
Hasebe: ('Ugh') Of course you two would date s weirdo like him.
Dark Pit: Takes one to know one, bitches. (Gives the Middle Finger at the Duo)
Misako: ('Heh') Yeah. (Gives Hasebe and Mami The Middle Finger as Well) Up yours, assholes.
Kyoko: (Giggles Softly at What is Going On Right Now)
Mami: ('Ugh') Whatever. We were like, leaving anyways.
Hasebe: Takes us away, Limo Driver!
And with that, the limousine begins to drive off. Leaving the couple behind.
Dark Pit: ('Sigh') I think I'm starting to see why you guys hate them so much....
Misako: Told ya they're bitches. (Turns to Dark Pit) You okay, babe?
Dark Pit: Yeah. I'm already over it. (Turns to Misako and Kyoko With a Small Smile) Mostly cause I got you two with me. Thanks.
Misako: (Smiles Back at DP) Oh please. You don't need to thank us for that.
Kyoko: (Smiles Brightly) Yeah, Pitto-Kins. We got your back no matter what!~
Dark Pit: Yeah. I know. You guys wanna spend the rest of the night back at my place?
Misako: Lead the way, handsome~ (Starts Walking Back to the Living with Her Boyfriend and Girlfriend With Her)
Kyoko: (Want Back to Resting her Head on Dark Pit's Shoulder While Walking) Can you give us lot of cuddles once we get there?~
Misako: Yeah. I second that request~
Dark Pit: Anything you desire, your highnesses~
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iamvoid0 · 3 years
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How these two female characters took the Beat-Em-Up Genre to new heights – River City Girls
This article was originally published on Void0Media’s official blog here.
I originally began writing this review in 2019 when I first played River City Girls. I absolutely adored this game. It was a standout game for me personally back in 2019, and it continues to deliver great fun almost three years later. Stunning pixel art, fun, engaging combat mechanics, distinct locations, unique bosses, and a sense of humor to match.
This review is an amalgamation of my original thoughts that I never completed and the updates to the game since.
I will walk you through the plot, game mechanics, music, and art that I think make River City Girls a standout game. One that can easily hold its own against any other in its genre.
2. What Is River City Girls?
River City Girls is a 2D side-scrolling beat-em-up game created by WayForward and published by Arc System Works. The game was initially released in September 2019.
River City Girls is a spin-off game in the Kunio-Kun franchise. A long-running franchise started all the way back on the NES in 1986 with the release of “Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-Kun.” River City Girls, however, is billed as a canonical game in the franchise.
River City Girls follows the story of Kyoko and Misako. Initially, the girlfriends of the franchise’s main guys, Rikki and Kunio — for one game, mind you — as they battle through hordes of enemies to save their boyfriends from their captors.
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3. The Story of River City Girls
River City Girls has an exciting story. There was a clear decision to separate the continuity of the story from its source material. You are hit with what I can only describe as a back-handed slap by the time the game ends.
That’s coming from someone who didn’t even know about the source material. Let’s look at the original Version 1 story, followed by the updated narrative.
3.a Version 1 — The original
River City Girls openings with a fantastic cut scene and a heart-pounding soundtrack. We are introduced to our primary characters, Misako & Kyōko. The girls were sent to detention. It’s here that we also learn that Kyōko doesn’t even go here.
Kyōko receives a text message from an unknown number stating that their boyfriends, Riki & Kunio, have been kidnapped. Misako becomes enraged, insults her teacher, and literally performs a WWE chair attack. This triggers the game to begin.
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Misako & Kyōko then proceeds to literally break out of school so they can go and save their boyfriends. This opening tutorial sequence also gives us a deeper look into the characters of Kyōko & Misako and how they generally banter with each other. We learn a couple tidbits here and there that provides us with an idea of their friendship and respective personalities.
We soon come across Hasabe & Mami. They serve as the arch-nemesis for Misako & Kyōko. The girls banter with each other, but it’s here that we learn that Hasebe & Mami are acting suspiciously.
Hasebe & Mami implies that they are the ones who are dating Kunio & Rikki. Upon hearing this, Kyōko becomes angry, and Misako tries to calm her down.
The principal announces over the PA system that the student body should stop Misako & Kyōko from continuing along their journey.
We then arrive at the gym, where we encounter Misuzu. We learn she’s part-time security who has been in high school for seven years. After defeating Misuzu, she points the girls to Crosstown, where she noticed their boyfriends with someone creepy.
She then, and I kid you not, body shames Kyōko & Misako. They leave school, and Kyōko immediately forgets why they left school in the first place. They then proceed to Crosstown.
The game then guides you throughout the city as you battle various enemies, explore multiple parts of the city, and have several battles with the game’s bosses.
The first time you reach the end of the game, you are presented with Sabuko, the daughter of Sabu. She is the current leader of the ‘group of people who don’t do illegal activities what-so-ever’. She is an exciting boss battle, but it was quite a shock to learn that we are presented with a New Game+ Option upon defeating her, and it is not the actual ending of the game.
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Once you complete the game the second time, you will encounter Hasebe & Mami as the game’s true final boss. This only happens if you receive the charms associated with the characters.
Once you win, you are granted with the origin of Kyoko & Misako. We learn about when Kyoko & Misako dated Kunio & Rikki in a ‘16-bit game that never made it to the US’. We also find out that they dated only for that one game, and Rikki & Kunio doesn’t even know, nor do they care who Kyoko & Misako are.
Kyoko kicks Hasebe & Mami out the window, and then we get the same ending as before. Kyoko receives a message on her phone, potentially indicating a sequel.
3.b Version 1.1 — The Updated Ending
In the updated version, Version 1.1, the game sees a new ending that brings it in-line across multiple regions and provides new artwork and dialogue.
In this version of the ending, the girls land in the spa, encounter Rikki & Kunio, and the boys indicate that they were not kidnapped. They then decide to go on a date to get burgers.
That’s it. That’s the updated ending.
3.c What…?
Here is a raw draft of how I felt after completing the game for the second time to receive the Version 1 ending.
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The updated version 1.1, both English and Japanese, makes the boys less of assholes. The revised ending also makes the main characters seem less terrible.
This time around, I don’t really feel that bad, the ending is acceptable, not what I expected, but it was still okay, nevertheless.
I am still annoyed that I needed to do the game twice, but New Game+ makes the second play-through worthwhile. Typically, New Game+ is just for doing things you didn’t get to during the main play and maybe unlocking a few secrets here and there. In this regard, the game makes New Game+ much more appealing.
Throughout the game it is implied that Misako & Kyoko are their girlfriends. It isn’t actually true and a bit disappointing. This is a shame since the rest of the game is far above average for these games.
The first version makes the girls seem desperate and outright foolish for going after someone else’s relationship with such violence. The updated version also doesn’t really help.
4. Gameplay
River City Girls is a side-scrolling beat-em-up brawler game inspired by those who came before it. You initially take control of one of two characters, and you play through the game with that character. When you complete the game for the first time, two additional characters are unlocked for you to mess around with.
Each character has a light attack, a heavy attack, a button for jump, and one for a power move. The game allows you to perform different actions based on the location of the enemy. Using a Heavy attack facing the enemy will cause the enemy to be thrown while using a light attack from behind will perform a knockdown attack.
Characters can also pick up various objects to use as weapons. These weapons can break after a predetermined number of uses or be thrown for ranged damage.
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4.a.i Kyoko
Kyoko is an agile character. It makes sense given that most of her power moves surround the use of her feet, an explicit call-back to Chun-Li’s thousand kicks, and a tornado/drill kick. She also has a few other neat power moves, including bashing her enemies with her feet.
She also has a dab move that acts as a deflect. Which objectively is cool. She also has an action to use her enemies as a springboard. She has a tornado kick which allows her to cover up the entire screen at times.
Overall, she feels floaty, but it matches well with her personality and the way you intended to use her in-game. That floaty nature accents her speed quite nicely.
I used Kyoko on my first play-through because I rather the mobility and agility she offered over the raw power output of Misako. When Kyoko performs the thousand kick move, the little embellishments make all the difference. It makes a move set even more satisfying to pull off.
Kyoko was my personal favourite throughout the game. She is a fun, loud, brash character who constantly see-saws between quirky and murder.
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4.a.ii Misako
I enjoyed playing Misako. She is a brawler-style character who values pure power over all else. While I’m sure both characters’ movement logic was similar or the same behind the scenes, Misako’s move set was more about hard-hitting and pummeling her enemies.
I didn’t use Misako much, other than just trying the character for the sake of testing the character.
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4.a.iii The Boys (TM)
Once you complete the game, you gain access to Riki and Kunio. Both characters play much like their counterparts in Kyoko and Misako.
I only played these characters to test what they were capable of, but I didn’t use them during my play-through. They certainly feel more heft in the way they move and the way hits land, but for the most part, they resemble Kyoko & Misako.
4.b Game Mechanics
The game employs several tactics lifted from the original games and some new tricks to keep the player engaged and active.
Every time you defeat an enemy, the enemy drops money and provides experience points. Each of your characters has a level 30 cap. You will need to level up individually if you want all the characters to be the same level. The money you gain can be used to purchase items from vending machines and stores littered through the map.
These shops offer items and moves that you spend money on. Different shops unlock additional activities and items.
Among these are the ability to equip each character with specialized items that help the player plan their fight style. From increasing damages, making power and health bars fill up faster, and some items affect item drops from enemies and vending machines. There are many unique items that you get, either from buying them in stores or getting them as a boss reward.
The game’s combo system starts you off simple with a three-button combo that can be extended as you level up and gain access to new moves.
The combos can be extended by using directional inputs with either light or heavy attacks to chain combos together.
Each character has its own specific actions and must be purchased separately at dojos and as that character.
4.b.i Items
This has got to be one of the more unusual parts about this game; only holding two items at a time seems pretty limited given how specific the bonuses are. At least until you get to the part where you can find a hidden shop and basically get a massive boost. Although those items are $5000 apiece, I wish I had known as it was easier to amass that amount of money during the play-through and not have to grind for the $10,000 that you would need for both items, which make you a tank.
The items can be swapped at any point, even during boss battles, from your pause menu screen. Once you acquire an item, it is automatically added, so you can simply browse through the items to pick and choose what you’d like without any form of inventory management.
Several items drop throughout gameplay, and these items can be used as weapons, from baseball bats to guitars, to items in the environment such as chairs and large wooden boxes.
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The items in the game are interesting. They give small bonuses. I’m sure I’ve felt the rewards working. The game lets you swap these items on the fly, so I imagine the developers intended for you to constantly switch between boss battles or just battles in general. Although in my play-through, these didn’t seem as intuitive as they wanted. I often forgot about it during my time playing. Once I was in that new game plus mode and grinding away for currency and levels, I found myself constantly swapping items to make the grind less noticeable.
The food items in this game held an exciting mechanic. Eating them for the first time would provide a stat boost to one of your stats. I assume you were supposed to get enough money from the play-through to purchase all of them and use it, so you would get the stat boost in addition to the ones you would gain from leveling up. This did make the game a bit easier, or at the very least noticeable. I didn’t notice this on my first play-through and was almost at the end when I realized that, hey — When I eat food, I get stat bonuses. Either way, it was an interesting mechanic.
4.b.ii Combos
You get accustomed to the game’s combo system quickly, and it allows you to chain together enormous sequences for maximum damage. It is also choreographed to you well enough to know when to stop your combo to either throw, grab, or do something else entirely.
The best part of this game was the very comprehensive combo system. If you really got deep into it, you could generate some insane sequences that not only look satisfying to pull off but looks damn good while it does it.
Each character has their own move sets, which change how their combos play out. Each combo also carries embellishments that train you to keep doing it just because.
4.b.iii Grinding
Holy shit, I didn’t expect this game to be this grindy. I wanted to complete this game as best as I could, secrets included, but the share amount of grinding required was staggering. At the time, I didn’t have the time to complete the game to 100%.
I ultimately just decided to stick with Kiyoko, as she was my pick in the game’s first run. She was max level by the time I decided I wanted the secret items.
The game scales the enemies every time you defeat a new boss or enter a new area. The non-boss battles were easy enough to get through, and I never found myself frustrated when fighting the enemies. I did enjoy wailing on the enemies as Kyoko. However, when it was time to find all the secret statues and other unlockable, the game really slowed down for me personally.
I couldn’t care to level up the fellas, as I simply didn’t care.
4.b.iv Leveling
This game is capped off at Level 30 for each character. At first, you level up quickly, and then it tapers off. By the time you are level 20–25, it becomes more of a slug through, but then by that time, you would have ended up in New Game + mode, and now you have more than enough time to get to Level 30. If you played with the same character, you would probably get to lv30 quickly. However, if you picked another character, get ready to do it more and longer.
4.b.v Quests
This game has a form of quests too. Once you begin playing the game, you will come across Godai. A neighbor and childhood friend to Kyoko & Misako. He regularly gives you quests throughout the game. He may have you perform fetch quests for him or go and randomly beat up some yakuza members.
Once these quests are completed, you will be awarded experience points and money.
4.b.vi Friends
Upon beating an enemy hard enough throughout your play-through, you can recruit the enemy to play for you. They will be activated by a button press. They will usually jump into the screen and perform an attack of some kind, which could work as a screen clear or an area of effect.
You can recruit almost every single common enemy. It would have been cool if you defeated the bosses under certain conditions, they could be recruited too. In the New Game+, that would have been a great feature.
As the system is now, it lets you pick from various enemies, each with their own unique attack, while it would be nice if you could keep the ones you wanted for as long as you like. The characters you recruit have a 3 hit maximum. If they get hit 3 times, they will die, and you’ll have to recruit a new one.
4.c. World Mechanics
Despite being a 2D side-scrolling game, River City Girls employs a great deal of exploration. The developers crafted a well-thought-out world. Each map is interconnected very seamlessly. It really does feel like an entire town. The game also includes buses to really incorporate the notion that you’re traveling to a far-off part of the city.
However, this comes at a price. The massive 2D world has you backtracking several times throughout the game’s run.
4.c.i Exploration
I do commend the exploration in this game. While it takes you to most of the map as you do your first play-through, it’s in your second play-through that you will be visiting all of the locations on the map.
Your map is always accessible when you open the pause menu. It’s integrated into the phone UI of the menu, which makes the map stand out. The map is coloured differently depending on where you’ve been and where you’ve yet to go is a great touch that makes exploration much more manageable.
You’ll end up in a sprawling nightlife part of the city, places where the downtrodden exist, a ship, and quite a lot more. The game keeps the exploration fresh by having multiple locations that really pop and has so much charm and individuality that feels great to walk around in.
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Whenever you come across a new part of the map, the girls would often quip about it, giving you a sense of the world that you’re supposed to be inhabiting. Sometimes it’s something simple other times, it tells you that you shouldn’t be in this place.
Other parts of the map also might be a different time of day. Some streets are available at night, the school and the main town are typically daytime, and others like the areas leading up to the beach and the pier are often in the dusk. This is a great way to keep the game visually interesting, and I enjoyed seeing the different pixel art styles in the backgrounds.
4.c.ii Backtracking
There is a significant amount of backtracking in this game. It isn’t overwhelming, but the fact that you end up having to redo the entire game — I would count as backtracking. Whether it’s doing quests for Godai or just trying to get to your next objective, you’ll end up having to walk through several areas you’ve already been in.
This isn’t too bad, as the game keeps the action up. Backtracking also allows you to find new areas that you might have missed before. It takes you to the location of a Sabu statute that is needed to acquire the true ending.
4.d Boss Battles
What is a beat-em-game without some challenging bosses to beat you down? River City Girls excel in this department, as each of their bosses is unique and challenging in multiple ways. There is one boss who I despise, but I’ll get to him soon.
Each boss has its own gimmick that informs how you will defeat them. It isn’t any different from any other game that has you, fight bosses. Here, however, the game makes it a point and purpose not only to give each boss their own personality but also to ensure each boss mechanic is wholly different from what you’ve seen before.
The game ramps up the difficulty of bosses a bit inconsistently, but it evens out by the mid-game. Each boss (except for one) was mechanically sound and fun to play. Every boss was so unique in their style and presentation that they all made a fun experience.
4.d.i Misuzu
Misuzu is the first boss you encounter in the game. She is the ‘guard’ of the school, and she is a decent introduction to how the boss battles work in River City Girls.
She isn’t all too difficult, and once you get a handle on her abilities. Truthfully there isn’t much to say about the Misuzu fight.
4.d.ii Yamada
Who the fuck designed Yamada? Even on normal difficulty and on my second play-through, Yamada was an absolute nightmare to fight. I had less trouble with the final boss than I had with Yamada.
He has a large hitbox and multiple unblockable hit combos. There was too much randomization of his abilities. None of which choreograph well, and to top it all off, his stage has an actual hazard that costs you a significant % of your health. Yamada has several attacks where the hitboxes are these big boxes that even extend to his back.
The only way I could beat him was by banging my head against the wall until I got lucky. No other bosses in the game had this much luck in defeating them. It felt downright unfair. When I lost to other bosses, I knew I messed up. Either I didn’t have enough items, or I mistimed my combos.
Yamada was just downright unfair, and I absolutely hate him and his pathetic backstory, seriously. Fuck that dude.
4.d.iii Hibari
Hibari is a fashion designer in River City Girls.
Hibari’s Boss Battle was exciting, an unusual cross between a Megaman-style boss and a bullet hell boss. Hibari would often shoot hundreds of purple charged balls towards your character as your attempt to dodge it and put her back in her own path, which she then hurts herself. You then get to lay damage onto her.
She would also shoot out a sword you can guide via trajectory to hit her. Hibari was a fair boss. Everything had a pattern to it. It was satisfying memorizing the patterns and then dodging it was fun. This was a great boss battle, not too unfair, the right amount of randomization, and when I failed, it was my fault, no doubt. Also, this battle theme gave me some real Touhou vibes. I loved it.
Hibari’s 3 phases were interesting, fun, and engaging.
4.d.iv Abobo
Abobo is a guest character from the Double Dragon series.
He wasn’t too hard, but he wasn’t too interesting. Usual stuff. His hitboxes were a tad bit annoying, though. It took me a few tries to beat him in normal, and then a couple tries as Misako in Normal+. All in all, it was a bit uneventful.
4.d.v Noize
Noize was hinted at various points from the beginning of the game, much like Abobo. However, Noize is way more relaxed than I expected. Her character design, and backstory, while a trope — still fantastic, and the fact that Nozie’s music is a part of the game’s soundtrack is incredible.
As for her boss battle, she had some annoying patterns. One of her battle phases is a guitar hero-style sequence where you dodge the notes as they descend from the top of the dance floor. In another phase, her ‘fans’ jump the security barriers and attempt to kill you because you’re fighting Noize.
The boss battle was fun, though it took quite a lot since the guitar hero section took me out way too many times.
4.d.vi Sabuko
Sabuko was amazing. Her design, her skill set, her difficulty. All fits well with her characterization of the top Yakuza in the city. She is a fantastic ending boss for the first play-through. With a vast array of dazzling moves and unlike the other bosses, she has one more phase rather than the standard three. Also, Sabuko’s anime-style introduction is fantastic.
Saburo has several move sets, such as teleportation. She also uses a sword. Multiple times during the fight, she would call her grunts to help her burst down your health. You’ll have to contend with her several times using these different medallions/charms found in the background. Which she uses to accent her base move set, making the fight more challenging.
When you kill Sabuko for the first time, when she loses her 3 bars of health, the game slows down, and she recovers and entire health bar. What a rush. Her move set increases, she has more aggressive attacks and heightened damages.
Ultimately, while hard on your first play-through, the battle was fun and engaging, with a thunderous soundtrack that really kept you going.
4.d.vii Hasebe & Mami
The only way to access the game’s final true boss is by breaking all the Sabu statues and then equipping the Hasabe & Mami charms in your inventory slots. Once you’ve done that and walk into the game’s final boss battle, you’ll get an introduction for Hasabe & Mami. Misako & Kyoko makes a quip about Subuko being the final boss and them kicking her through the window. Hasabe & Mami insults the girls, and the fight begins.
This was underwhelming. Having spent the entire game bashing my head against annoying boss battles, creepy boss battles, super cool boss battles, metal boss battles, and even the best fake ending boss battle in the game.
Hasabe and Mami were woefully underwhelming. I know I’m not one to criticize, but I can’t help but feel far emptier at this game’s ending than when I started. I guess the developers wanted you to just win as quickly as possible since you did slug through the game twice at this point. Looking at every nook and cranny trying to find the Sabu statures to actually end up at the game’s real ending.
With a max-level Kyoko and a bunch of items, I was able to take down Hasabe and Mami in one battle. No restarts, nothing. I just played the boss battle the first time and crushed them. Again, this is probably more of you’ve been slogging through the game, so here’s a win. We ended up with the same ending, which left a bad taste in my mouth.
Overall, the boss battle was fun. There were some interesting ideas here, and even if I only played through this battle once, I probably haven’t seen all their moves. It was decent. A few cool things happened here and there. The banter between the characters was pleasant. The synergy between Hasabe and Mami was great. However, I wished they offered more of a challenge, seeing as the final true boss. Still, it was fine, given the circumstances, I understand.
5. Aesthetic
River City Girls is stunning. Constantly barraging you with a variety of colours, intricate and expressive pixel art, and just exudes charm from every aspect. The sound, art, and aesthetics combine to form a unique, intriguing experience that makes the game stand out from its contemporaries.
There’s a lot to talk about in the overall design of River City Girls. Still, I’ll be focusing on what I think are some core elements that often push it over the edge.
5.a. Music
Overall, the music and sound design are so masterfully put together that it’s hard not to get hyped from the moment you start the game. A thundering opening theme song sets the pace for the game, and it never stops. Every aspect of the game’s sound design leans into the overall old-school aesthetic that blends the 8-bit, chiptune style with more modern grandiose productions.
5.a.i Sound Design & FX
I’m calling out the Sound Design & FX because behind the multiple densely layered music soundtracks, each sound fx pops. You push the pause button or enter a new area from the moment you press the pause button. It’s not just that the game reduces the volume of the music. Still, it accentuates the background music while also being distinct from it, ensuring that you won’t miss the call-out that you need to hear.
The menu clicks, the item pickups, the select screen. All wonderfully immersive. I can’t help but feel like I’m playing a beat-em-up from long ago — but better.
5.a.ii Background Music
As you explore various stages enter boss battles, the game quickly changes up the background music to more match the environment you are in. There are times when you’re in a mall, and the music reflects a more pop, happy-go-lucky style, while at other points, the game features a dull dragging soundtrack that helps keep tensions up.
Several times, the background music has vocals in it, and it often added to the lure of the world around it. Particularly in the night-time street sections, the background music made it seem like you were walking through a late-night lively street.
5.a.iii Boss Battles
This is where the game’s music really stands out to me. Every single boss has its own unique boss theme track. The music of each boss battle complements the nature of the boss battles.
Hibari’s boss music is very fast-paced. She often reminds me of old bullet hell games, which is fitting since her boss battle devolves a few times into a bullet hell game.
Noize is another excellent example of this. She is a rockstar in-universe. Her boss battle music features her vocals, with clear influences from punk rock laced throughout the soundtrack that really sells the image of Noize being a rockstar. The mini guitar solos which play alongside also help a ton since her weapon of choice is her guitar.
Sabuko’s battle music is pure boss music. The song’s entirety is laced with this strenuous, constantly building synth that keeps climbing, carrying the tension of the battle with it. It’s a tension that can be felt even when listening to the song without playing the game.
5.a.iv Main Game Theme
I’m surprised this isn’t more popular. It beautifully explains the game’s premise without feeling like an exposition dump — even though it is. The punk rock-inspired soundtrack gets your blood pumping right from the get-go. It keeps the vocal melody in the soundtrack background as the vocals end and continues to carry it forward.
It’s not often that we get a whole punk rock as the central theme of video games. Or any rock/metal — despite DOOM 2016’s success, most video games opt for EDM or orchestral as their main themes. The song perfectly matches the aesthetic of River City Girls and the girls’ general punk rock attitude that carries with them throughout the game.
5.b. Art
The art in River City Girls is a vibrant display. Every single choice of the colour palette in this game just makes every single character pop and stand out no matter where they were in the game. Every enemy was detailed and unique — though you end up fighting the same group of enemies in the region.
Each boss character was unique in every way. Their designs were easily recognizable and genuinely outstanding. Even their stages were designed so that they obviously complemented the way you were supposed to battle them.
Each character was able to stand out in front of the diverse backgrounds, all of which were so meticulously constructed. From the school of the opening stage all the way to dark neon-clad streets.
This is an absolute testament to the artist working on this game. Each background was always so vibrant and rich in detail that it was fun just running around and exploring the scene. There was always something going on in the background.
I can sit here and spend hours talking about how beautifully crafted this world is. The care put into the world design seamlessly transitioned between sections, making moving from area to area so smooth and fluid.The game features a colourful cast of background characters that consistently provide a sense of living in this small world.
6. What’s Next for River City Girls?
River City Girls 2. It got announced at the Tokyo Game Show 2021. A small gameplay trailer showed off what seems to be the same engine running a new, more polished world with potentially Riki and Kunio playable from the start. Either way, I’m looking forward to this playing the sequel.
7. Conclusion
River City Girls is simultaneously a love letter to old school beat-em-ups and the franchise which spawned it. And quickly becoming one of the best modern 2d beat-em-ups around. The game’s fluid fight mechanics, gorgeous pixel art, and thumping soundtrack make River City Girls a titan in its field.
Anyone who values their 2d side-scrolling beat-em-ups needs to play River City Girls.
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fictionkinfessions · 4 years
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legitimately don't trust anyone who says that mami and/or hasabe are their favorite characters! not saying y'all can't have that opinion but uhhhhhhh they both mentally abused me like my entire life and full offense i actually hate them. like rip to y'all but i have taste. - kyoko!! 💕 (river city girls) who's decided that i'm mean now/s
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twsted-princess · 5 years
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Obligatory River City Girls insert cause Kunio and Riki stole my heart, tell them to give it back. Also tagging @dokiquents cause delinquent lovers gotta stick together. (character maker linked here)
* I’m new to River City as my family moved here so that my dad could run a local bento shop. My parents works at the shop, and I attend the highschool a grade above Misako and Kyoto. 
* While everyone in my family (even my little bother) are willing to throw hands at anyone……….I’m a pacifist. I don’t like fighting and get intimidated easily, begging for my life to be spared/please don’t kick my ass I’m babey. 
* However I can and will punch someone hard enough to knock them out cold until I’m scared enough. Basically if my fight or flight response is in overdrive I will scream and deck somebody in the face.
* How I met Kunio and Riki is an alternate route where they break up with Hasabe and Mami cuase they’re kinda rude bitches. The boys get into a street brawl and win as usual but they didn’t expect to see me after the fight with bags of groceries trembling like a leaf. I’m thoroughly convinced that they’re punks who are gonna beat me up in a back alleyway so I beg and plead with them to spare me from the asswhooping. When they try to tell that no, they aren’t gonna fight me I get scared and clobber them into a double K.O. Realizing what I’ve done I panic and drag the two home so I can patch them up (and apologize/ beg for forgiven). They forgive me and are impressed with my hidden skill, thus begins our friendship/dating.
* My hobbies are drawing and making cute bento boxes, favorite food is a katsu sandwich and I hate street thugs.
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