River City Girls 2

Last updated
River City Girls 2
River City Girls 2 cover.png
Developer(s) WayForward
Publisher(s) Arc System Works
WayForward
Crunchyroll Games (Mobile)
Director(s)
  • Bannon Rudis
  • Matt Bozon
Series Kunio-kun
Platform(s)
Release
  • JP: December 1, 2022
  • WW: December 15, 2022
Android, iOS: 20 November 2024
Genre(s) Beat 'em up
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

River City Girls 2 [a] is a 2022 beat 'em up video game developed by WayForward and published by Arc System Works. It is the sequel to the 2019 game River City Girls , itself a spin-off the Kunio-kun franchise. The game was released for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, in December 2022. [1] A mobile port, published by Crunchyroll Games was released on Android and iOS on November 20, 2024. A spin-off of the Kunio-kun franchise, the game continues the story of friends Kyoko and Misako following the events of the 2019 game as they face a new threat to their community. Together they team up with their boyfriends Kunio and Riki to defeat this threat.

Contents

Gameplay

River City Girls 2 is a beat-em-up brawler. The player can initially choose between Kyoko, Misako, Riki, and Kunio, with more characters becoming unlockable as the player progresses through the game.

Reception

According to review aggregator Metacritic, River City Girls 2 received "generally favourable reviews" for all versions. The Nintendo Switch version received a score of 78 out of 100, the PlayStation 5 received a score of 75 out of 100, and the Windows version received a score of 81 out of 100. [6] [7] [8]

Critics praised the animation and soundtrack. In particular the addition of new playable characters and new areas was well-received. Some criticisms reflected the lack of a mini-map and a largely similar experience to the previous game.

IGN Jarret Green reviewed the game positively, giving the game a 8/10. Green praised the art direction, dense combat and sense of humour, but noted that he had to "spend an awful lot of time backtracking through parts of the city to check boxes to progress the main story", but that the areas "deserves to stand shoulder to shoulder with beautiful retro contemporaries like Streets of Rage 4 and TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge". He also noted that the combat took some time to gain complexity, referring to the early game as "particularly shallow" but "once you get further down the combo rabbit hole the offensive options feel spectacular." [9]

Notes

  1. Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun Gaiden Ribā Shitī Gāruzu 2 (Japanese: 熱血硬派くにおくん外伝 River City Girls(リバーシティガールズ) 2) lit. Hot-blooded Tough Guy Kunio Side Story: River City Girls 2

Related Research Articles

<i>River City Ransom</i> 1989 video game

River City Ransom, known as Street Gangs in PAL regions, is an open world beat 'em up video game originally for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is an English localization of Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari for the Famicom. The game was developed by Technōs Japan and released in Japan on April 25, 1989.

<i>Kunio-kun</i> Video game series

The Kunio-kun (くにおくん) series is a video game series started by Technōs Japan. The series is now handled by Arc System Works who purchased all of the intellectual property rights from Technōs' successor, Million Corp. The first game in the series is fully titled Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun (熱血硬派くにおくん), which roughly translates to "Hot Blood Tough Guy Kunio", with Nekketsu being the name of the series' title character Kunio's high school. The kun suffix after his name is an informal Japanese honorific usually applied to young males. The series originated in arcades, before appearing on the Famicom console. Kunio later became Technōs Japan's main mascot, appearing on the company's logo in several games and television commercials.

<i>Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects</i> 2005 video game

Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects is a fighting game for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable, which ties into the "Marvel Nemesis" comic book series. It was released in North America in September 2005 and in PAL territories in October 2005. The game focuses on Marvel Comics characters facing a new team of super villains known as The Imperfects. Upon release, the game received mixed to negative reviews from critics. A sequel, Marvel Chaos, was announced in 2007, and was to be developed by EA Chicago for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but was cancelled the following year.

<i>4x4 Evo 2</i> 2001 video game

4x4 Evo 2, also known as 4x4 Evolution 2, is a racing video game developed by Terminal Reality for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Microsoft Windows, and Mac. It is the sequel to 4x4 Evolution and features more trucks and more racing tracks than the original game.

<i>Frogger Beyond</i> 2002 video game

Frogger Beyond, known in Japan as Frogger, is a 2002 video game from Konami, released for GameCube and Xbox in 2002–2003, for Windows in March 2003 in North America, and for PlayStation 2 in June 2003. It is a sequel in the Frogger series of games.

<i>Zapper: One Wicked Cricket</i> 2002 video game

Zapper: One Wicked Cricket! is a platform game for the Xbox, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, and Microsoft Windows. For most platforms, it was developed by Blitz Games and published by Infogrames Interactive; Atomic Planet Entertainment developed the Game Boy Advance version. Zapper was released in North America in 2002 and 2003 in Europe. On November 17, 2008, Zapper became available on Xbox Live as part of the Xbox Originals range. On February 15, 2024, Zapper was rereleased for Microsoft Windows on GOG and Steam platforms.

<i>Cars</i> (video game) 2006 video game

Cars is a 2006 adventure racing game published by THQ. The game is based on the 2006 film of the same name. It was released for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable in June 2006, with versions for the Xbox 360 and Wii released later that year. The Wii version includes functionality geared towards its Wii Remote controller and was a launch game for the system. Taking place after the events of the film, the game follows Lightning McQueen as he participates in the new racing season with his goal set on finally winning the Piston Cup. While doing so, he races and trains with the local community of Radiator Springs.

<i>Justice League Heroes</i> 2006 video game

Justice League Heroes is a 2006 console video game for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox platforms. It was developed by Snowblind Studios, published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in conjunction with DC Comics and was distributed in Europe by Eidos Interactive. Based on the long-running comic book series Justice League, it was written by comic book writer Dwayne McDuffie. It uses the Snowblind Studios game engine.

<i>Chicken Little</i> (video game) 2005 video game

Chicken Little is a 2005 action-adventure game developed by Avalanche Software for GameCube, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2 and Xbox and by Artificial Mind and Movement for the Game Boy Advance; both were published by Buena Vista Games. Based on the film Chicken Little, they were released in October 2005.

<i>Tak: The Great Juju Challenge</i> 2005 video game

Tak: The Great Juju Challenge is a platform video game developed by Avalanche Software and published by THQ for the GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2 and Xbox in 2005. It is the sequel to Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams and the third installment to the Tak and the Power of Juju series.

<i>Cars Mater-National Championship</i> 2007 video game

Cars Mater-National Championship is a 2007 racing game published by THQ for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, and Wii.

<i>The Incredible Hulk</i> (2008 video game) 2008 video game

The Incredible Hulk is a 2008 video game published by Sega and developed by Edge of Reality for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PlayStation 2, and Microsoft Windows. The game, based on the film of the same name, follows scientist Bruce Banner as he defends himself from the military and the Enclave organization while searching for a cure to a condition that transforms him into a monstrous being known as the Hulk. The game takes place in an open world recreation of Manhattan, and the Hulk has a variety of attacks and abilities for destroying enemies and causing environmental destruction. Apart from the main story, there are numerous mini-games and collectibles that can unlock new content.

<i>River City Girls Zero</i> 1994 video game

Shin Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-tachi no Banka is a beat 'em up video game developed by Almanic Corporation and published by Technos Japan for the Super Famicom in 1994 exclusively in Japan. It was the fourth game in the Kunio-kun series released for the Super Famicom.

<i>Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game</i> 2011 video game

Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Disney Interactive Studios. Released in May 2011, to coincide with the release of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the game is based on the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, and its storyline covers the first four films. The game is available on the Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360.

<i>River City: Tokyo Rumble</i> 2013 video game

River City: Tokyo Rumble is a beat 'em up in the River City series published by Natsume in the west. It is similar to River City Ransom with RPG-like mechanics and doing jobs to learn new moves. It also features a 4-player arena and dodgeball modes that use download play. Unlike other games in the Kunio-kun series, Tokyo Rumble did not alter its characters and setting upon localization.

<i>River City Girls</i> 2019 video game

River City Girls is a 2019 beat 'em up video game developed by WayForward and published by Arc System Works. A spin-off in the Kunio-kun franchise, the game stars Misako and Kyoko who fight their way through enemies and obstacles to rescue their kidnapped boyfriends, series protagonists Kunio and Riki. The game was released for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in September 2019, and for Amazon Luna in October 2020. A PlayStation 5 version was released on January 18, 2022.

<i>Bayonetta</i> Video game series

Bayonetta is an urban fantasy action-adventure video game franchise created by Hideki Kamiya. It is developed by PlatinumGames, owned by Sega, and, since the release of Bayonetta 2 in 2014, published by Nintendo. The franchise was introduced in 2009 with Bayonetta, which was followed by two sequels, Bayonetta 2 (2014) and Bayonetta 3 (2022), as well as a spinoff, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon (2023). The games follow the titular character, a witch who wields dual pistols, shooters in her high heels, and long, magically transforming hair which becomes a supernatural weapon.

<i>NBA 2K22</i> 2021 basketball video game

NBA 2K22 is a 2021 basketball video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K, based on the National Basketball Association (NBA). It is the 23rd installment in the NBA 2K franchise, the successor to NBA 2K21 and the predecessor to NBA 2K23. The game was released on September 10, 2021, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. The NBA 2K22 Arcade Edition was released for iOS, macOS and tvOS through Apple Arcade and Android on October 19, 2021. As of May 2022, the game has sold over 10 million copies.

<i>Code Shifter</i> 2020 platform video game

Code Shifter is a 2020 action-platform video game both developed and published by Arc System Works. The game was released worldwide on January 30, 2020, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It was released on January 29, 2020 in North America, and a day later in Europe, for the Nintendo Switch.

References

  1. "River City Girls 2 launches December 15 worldwide". Gematsu. 2022-12-06. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  2. "River City Girls 2 Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  3. "River City Girls 2 Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  4. "River City Girls 2 Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  5. "River City Girls 2 Review". 14 December 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  6. "River City Girls 2 critic reviews". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
  7. "River City Girls 2 critic reviews". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
  8. "River City Girls 2 critic reviews". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
  9. Green, Jarrett (2022-12-14). "River City Girls 2 Review". IGN. Retrieved 2024-11-15.