River City Ransom                        *
General FAQ/Walkthrough                  *
Version 0.1                              *
Jason "Tyrant" Velez                     *
http://sages.ign.com                     *
GameSages- The Cure for the Common Code  *
******************************************


This River City Ransom General FAQ/Walkthrough may not, by any circumstances, be
reproduced, modified, used in profitable contests or in any other way without
the expressed written permission of Jason Velez, the owner of this FAQ.
Actually, don't even ask if you can because the answer is NO! I worked hard on
this FAQ and I don't want no lamer to republish it with or without my
permission, since this is a copyrighted piece of work. This FAQ should only
appear on GameFAQS and possibly GameSages. This FAQ is copyrighted to Jason
Velez (c).


What's New?

Version 0.1-  Ugh! That's what I get for rushing! Several bad typos, including
the URL to my River City Ransom review! Why am I rushing? Anywayz, its been
cleared up. I'm still considering a full blown Walkthough, but for now, I will
opt not to. But, however, I MIGHT add a section of all the items in the game
(yes all one billion!!). But I just want to see if people are clicking this link
to read this FAQ.


*****************
Table of Contents
*****************


I:     What is River City Ransom?
II:    Why am I writing a River City Ransom FAQ?
III:   The Storyline
IV:    Controls
V:     The Main Characters
VI:    The Gangs
-  The Names
-  Their color shirt
-  Typical Hangouts
-  Their "cash value"

VII:    The Bosses
-  Their "cash value"
-  Strategies

VIII:  Weapons
IX:    Techniques
X:     Tips & Tricks
XI:    My GameSages review of River City Ransom
XII:   Final Word


*****************************
I: What is River City Ransom?
*****************************


River City Ransom is a one player or two player simultaneous Double Dragon-type
game. Choose one of two players and slug it out through the mean streets. A
touch of RPG elements have been added in the form of level ups, increasing
attributes and many stores to stop by and purchase various items.


*********************************************
II: Why am I writing a River City Ransom FAQ?
*********************************************


Two reasons. The first is to get my total KB in FAQ's higher =O). The second
reason is that I have been meaning to do a River City Ransom FAQ for a good year
now. Now that I have a little more experience writing a FAQ, I have finally
completed my long planned River City Ransom FAQ.


******************
III. The Storyline
******************


Two friends by the names of Alex and Ryan were out of town for a day. On that
day, all the gangs in the town banded together and took over. Worst of all, the
head honcho, Slick, kidnapped Alex's girlfriend and has her captive at River
City High! You must guide Alex and/or Ryan throughout the town, taking the gangs
down one at a time until they reach Slick himself.


************
IV: Controls
************


Up-         Move character up
Down-       Move character down
Left-       Move character left
Right-      Move character right
B-          Punch, swing weapon
A-          Kick, throw weapon
B+A-        Jump, Aero Circus (when learned)
Left x2-    Run to the left
Right x2-   Run to the right
High Jump-  Run 8 steps then jump


**********************
V: The Main Characters
**********************


Alex-           friend of Ryan and the stronger one of the two
Ryan-           friend of Alex and the faster one of the two
Slick-          the head honcho of this gang union
Moose-          territory boss
Rocko-          territory boss
Benny & Clyde-  territory bosses
Blade-          zombie (boss of the territory boss)
Mojo-           zombie
Turk-           zombie
Thor-           zombie
Ivan-           River City High Gate Guard
Otis-           Ground Floor Boss
Tex-            Second Floor Boss
Dragon Twins-   Top Floor Bosses


************
VI: The Gangs
************


This section will describe each gang, from their color shirt to their "cash
value" or as my dad refers to it....their milk money =O)


The Generic Dudes
Members-      Barry, Cary, Harry, Jerry, Larry, Perry, Ralph, Terry
Shirt Color-  Cyan
Cash Value-   $.50
Hangout-      From the beginning on up to the boss Mojo


The Frat Guys
Members-      Biff, Clark, Grant, Skip, Trent, Trip, Tyler, Logan
Shirt Color-  Pink
Cash Value-   $.55
Hangout-      Anywhere other than near or in River City High


The Jock
Members-      Brad, Curt, Dirk, Jake, Lance Matt, Mike, Nick
Shirt Color-  Lime Green
Cash Value-   $.60
Hangout-      Anywhere other than near or in River City High


The Homeboys
Members-      Bob, Brady, Chip, Doug, Ernie, Greg, Peter, Robby, Steve
Shirt Color-  Yellow
Cash Value-   $.75
Hangout-      Anywhere other than near or in River City High


The Mob
Members-      Lefty, Louie, Marco, Max, Mouse, Sid, Tony, Vinny
Shirt Color-  Grey
Cash Value-   $.90
Hangout-      Typically after the factory, rarely found in or near River City
High


The Squids
Members-      Berni, Byron, Erwin, Felix, Herb, Howie, Linus, Monty, Waldo
Shirt Color-  Brown
Cash Value-   $1.00
Hangout-      Anytime after beating Blade, location past factory


The Internationals
Members-      Akbar, Andre, Boris, Fuji, Hans, Juan, Lars, Wang, Yemi
Shirt Color-  Dark Green
Cash Value-   $1.10
Hangout-      Anytime after beating Blade, location past factory


The Cowboys
Members-      Bart, Bubba, Duke, Dusty, Jed, Like, Merie, Shane, Slim
Shirt Color-  Black
Cash Value-   $1.20
Hangout-      Only in or near River City High


The Plague
Members-      Blaze, Edge, Mooky, Slash, Snake, Stick, Sting, Tonto
Shirt Color-  Red
Cash Value-   $1.25
Hangout-      Only in or near River City High


**************
VII: The Bosses
**************


This will be a very brief layout of how to defeat them.


Moose

Like with every boss from here on out, lay the smack down while they talk to
you. Grab a box or trash can and just whale away. If he falls over the edge,
exit the screen then reenter and defeat him.


Rocko

Take a tire and hit him upside his head. Do not let up because Rocko is
relentless, ruthless and can be difficult if mistreated as a regular boss.


Benny & Clyde

Since there are two bosses to simultaneously fight, the battle, if solo, can be
pretty frustrating. Its recommended that you have Aero Circus (refer to section
VIII: Techniques). Run and perform the Aero Circus. Try to use their own weapons
against them as well. If you can, have them next to each other an initiate an
attack of some sort.


Blade

Knock him down as fast as you can and take his chain, From there, beat on him
and don't let up. Without his chain, he uses strong punches and kicks so be sure
to whale away without him retaliating.


Turk

Take the box located near by and beat him senseless with it.


Mojo

Very strong. Try not to go hand to hand with Mojo. Heave tires at him or bash
his face in with a rock. Whatever you do, do NOT let Mojo move!


Thor

Immediately exit to the right of Thor and pick up a trash can. If there is not a
trash can there, exit then reenter the section until you get a trash can! The
battleground is tight so try not to fall and not to let Thor fall over or else
you will have to exit then re-renter the section. Hit him repeatedly with the
trash can.


Benny & Clyde (again!)

They are much stronger than last time but since you have had more time to power
yourself up, they could be taken down fast. Once you are strong enough for the
elusive "one hit kills", defeat them repeatedly and you get a lot of money!


Ivan

This punk is fast and tough! Either grab a trash can from the previous section
or grab a tire that is laying around and go into battle. Immediately go after
him and smack him down! Don't let up because Ivan has this incredibly strong
headbutt move that could take you down in three hits or even less, if you are
not properly powered up. Don't let up and hang in there!


Otis

I strongly recommend a lead pipe for this one for its speed and average
strength. Run and smack Otis down from the start. As soon as he gets up, whack
him again and again until he falls to his defeat.


Tex

Get that stick out of his hands ASAP! Try to enter the battle with a small, weak
weapon like brass knuckles or a rock. When you pop the stick out of his hands,
he'll pick up the weak weapon and not resort to his strong hand to hand
combating. With his stick, Tex is ruthless, performing power swings that will
take chunks of your energy bar away. Once the stick is out of his hands, go
after him and beat him senseless, even with his own stick!


The Dragon Twins

From the start, you'll know the battle will be a tough one when the last thug is
defeated and the Double Dragon theme comes on (wonder if Technos of Japan got
permission from Tradewest to emulate the music....). Walk down the hallway and
you will encounter two fast, strong twins ready to beat you down. Make sure you
are maxed out in terms of overall stamina and will power. Also, have the
technique Grand Slam and a trash can with you to take on the twins. Run at them
and start swinging! Try to pin them in a corner, next to each other and DO NOT
stop smacking them down! If they even knock you down, get ready to be thrown all
over the place by both twins! Try not to let one sneak behind you. If you do all
of this, you'll only lose a little bit of health.


Slick

Ok, I admit. Most of these bosses are pretty easy, but if taken lightly, they
will crush you and crush you bad! But fighting the last boss, Slick is one of
the easiest final boss battles in gaming history! Just take the same "run and
gun" approach you did with the Dragon Twins and the battle is over! He has a lot
of energy, so you'll have too keep hitting him over and over again.


*************
VIII: Weapons
*************


Rating system for weapons and techniques:

*-      Worthless
**-     Sub Par
***-    Average (basically a perfect balance)
****-   Good
*****-  Excellent


Rock

Small, weak and basically useless. Good if used in conjunction with your
character running then throwing it. Other than that, play baseball with a second
player (throw the rock and swing the stick....it works too!!!)

Rating-  *


Brass Knuckles

Just as useless as the rock, but slightly stronger.

Rating-  *


Stick

Medium range, not overly dominating. If there is a lead pipe laying near by,
leave the stick behind in favor of the pipe.

Rating-  **


Lead Pipe

Technically the best overall weapon in terms of average strength and average
swing. Stick with the lead pipe until you find either the chain or trash can.

Rating-  ***


Chain

Like the lead pipe, the chain is average. The only tradeoff would be its
slightly faster speed for slightly less power.

Rating-  ***


Box/Crate

Slow swing, with minimal power compared to the likes of the chain, pipe and
trash can. Pass it up in there is either a trash can, pipe or chain near by. You
could also kick the box/crate into others.

Rating-  **


Tire

Strong weapon with a slow swing. Best used in conjunction with a run and throw.
The wheel, when bounced off a wall, rolls back, taking down anyone in its path.
You could also heave it against a wall, jump on it and have a free ride while
taking down your enemies.

Rating-  ****


Trash Can

Power, with a slow swing. The best weapon in the game, regardless of its slow
swing. Try to stick wit it for as long as you can because its the only weapon
you'll really need. As with the box/crate, you can kick this into your enemies.

Rating-  *****


**************
IX: Techniques
**************


Stone Hands

Rapid Punching. In the beginning of the game, choose Dragon Feet over Stone
Hands for it is more versatile than Stone Hands. Strong technique, but not the
strongest, nor the best there is.

Rating-  ***


Dragon Feet

Rapid Kicking. Excellent technique to start out with. Buy Cowboy Boots near the
end of the game to add strength and speed to your technique. Very versatile.

Rating-  *****


Aero Circus

Spinning Jump.  Strong, yet not very overpowering. Becomes stronger as you get
stronger.

Rating-  ***


Fatal Steps. Stomping Fun? Utterly useless. Jump on opponent while they are down
to deal next to nothing damage. Save your money.

Rating-  *


Javelin Man

Twirling Throw. Not very strong. Actually, its more useful than Fatal Steps, but
at a price of $78.25, its a must pass, unless you intend on purchasing all six
of the techniques.

Rating- *


Grand Slam

Fast Swinging. The best technique aside from Dragon Feet. It gives you the
ability to rapidly swing your weapon, making the most insignificant weapon, such
as the rock or brass knuckles a more formidable weapon. Combine Grand Slam with
a Trash Can and running attacks and you could beat enemies in a snap!

Rating-  *****


****************
X: Tips & Tricks
****************


-  Always have a trash can with you for as long as you can.

-  Stop by fast food restaurants often. Eat there mostly but take some food out
often.

-  Visit Vitamin Shops as often as you can and buy the most expensive vitamins
as often as you can. This will boost your statistics up fast!

-  Near the end of the game, after you battle Benny & Clyde for the second time,
enter the Sauna as often as possible. This boosts your Will Power up fast as
well as your Stamina.

-  Beat Benny & Clyde outside the Sauna often to gain a lot of money.

-  Visit every store you can and test out the local delicacy.

-  Even if the Texas Boots are $99.95, I strongly recommend picking a pair up.
Not only will your speed increase significantly, but your kick power is boosted
sufficiantly!

-  Never at anytime be without something to raise you energy when you are down.
The Vitamin Shop holds the best items that you will need to rejuvinate during
the heat of battle.


*********************************************
XI:  My GameSages review of River City Ransom
*********************************************


You could locate the review at this URL:

http://sages.ign.com/reviews/nes/river_coty_ransom.html

...or you could read Most of it here (to see the entire review, please visit
that URL)....


River City Ransom is best described as a Final Fight type game, where you walk
from left to right, up and down through many different locations. The rest of
RCR is a blend of a lotta action, great multiplayer fun with a very small dash
of RPG elements.

The basic premise is simple. While Alex and Ryan, brothers, missed a day of
school, all the local gangs teamed up to take over the town. What's worse is
that they kidnap Alex's girl! You gotta dismantle the gangs, make your way to
your high school where she is being held and take down the mastermind of this
sick operation. Generic, yes. Does the story really matter when you play? No!

Being an 8 bit game, RCR will not wow the crowds with polygonal, CG rendered,
bitmapped mumbo jumbo like these days, but rather simple looking sprites that,
surprisingly look decent. The characters themselves, although suffering from a
slightly bloated head, are clean and work with the scenery. The buildings are
surprisingly detailed somewhat and nothing ever glitches up.

Like Double Dragon, the fighting engine is simplistic, yet effective. Basic
controls are watered down to B being punch, A being kick and B+A activating a
jump. But, throughout the game, if you collect the "milk money" dropped by gang
members when they are defeated, you can purchase books on the "Art of Fighting"
(as I put it). Buy a book called Stone Hands and your punches become rapid
punches instead of singular ones. Buy a book called "Dragon Feet" and your kicks
become rapid. There are about 8 different books to buy, each enhancing your
attacks.

The RPG element stems from buying different things throughout your quest.
Scattered all around the game are stores that offer different items for you. One
place might be an Italian restaurant where you could buy some Lasagna to refill
part of your health and make your overall statistics higher. Another store might
be a Shoe Store, where, if you have $99.95, you can purchase Cowboy Boots, which
make you run extremely fast and enhance the power of your kicks. Another store
could be a Burger Shack where you can either sit in the place and eat or take it
out, to heal yourself during your quest. Although most stores are just
restaurants rather than anything else, there is still variety among how many
stores there are and how different most of them are.

Where River City Ransom really excels is when a second player enters the fray.
Double teaming bosses with one player smacking him in the back with a pipe while
the other player takes some brass knuckles to the opponents face is just off the
wall fun! But be careful because if you swing that pipe at your teammate, he
will get hurt!

Lets talk longevity....this game is not long at all....in one sitting, you could
rush through the game in less than 20 minutes (really!) because the game is
basically both too short and too easy. But by doing that, you are only depriving
yourself from the fun that River City Ransom presents. Sure, at times the game
seems repetitive, But if you take it slow, look around and visit all the places,
you'll have a much better time. Taking your time through this game will ensure a
lot more replay value and, by having a second player around, the value jumps
significantly!

Finally, the password system is absolutely wacky! You have to type in more than
two dozen characters, which could take from 2-5 minutes to input. Ahh, too bad
it did not incorporate battery back up, then again, the game is so short that it
would not make a difference.


***************
XII: Final Word
***************


Well, the dust has settled, the FAQ is done. I will only update this as I see
fit. I might add a full blown walkthrough, but that would take another day for
me to write out and I am busy as hell with GameSages reviews/previews and forum
moderation's.

That's the unofficial end to this River City Ransom General FAQ. Thank you for
reading it and I hope it helps someone out there. This FAQ is copyrighted to
Jason Velez (c)

...have a nice day!!

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