River City Fighters

Kunio no Nekketsu School Fighters (a.k.a. River City Fighters) is this really cool fanmade love letter to River City Girls. Instead of the usual side scrolling beat 'em up stuff, it throws Misako, Kyoko, Kunio, Riki and the whole crew into a 1v1 fighter, which is a fresh take. The vibe is totally on point, nailing the series aesthetic with bright sprites ripped straight out of the source material and animated backgrounds that make the whole thing feel way more alive.

Getting into the mechanics, it's clear the people who made this knows their fighting games. The controls feel tight and it's got a proper training mode. Movement is snappy and there's a decent amount of technique involved. You block by holding back on the D-pad, which I guess is pretty standard for 2D fighters, but it can feel a little weird if you're more used to games like Mortal Kombat that use a button. There's also a dodge and a counter attack system that uses a Rage Art bar, adding a nice layer of strategy.

The roster has some familiar faces and the balance seems to have been a big focus through its updates. While most matches feel fair, a couple of the boss characters, like Abobo and Mibobo, have a reputation for being seriously tough, even on the normal difficulty setting. It's the kind of challenge that makes you wanna master the systems rather than just button mash.

So, this is one of those passion projects that just feels polished and made with genuine care. For a free homebrew game you can just download, it's honestly impressive how much depth and personality it has. It's a must-try for any River City fan or anyone into retro style fighters.

Download

Listen up, scrub! The streets of River City are calling your name, and they ain't taking a 'no' for answer. This is where reputations are made with fists and feet. Grab the goods below. The second that download hits 100%, the whole crew's gonna be waiting on your HOME Menu. So pick your fighter, tighten those headbands, and not tryna get yo ass beat. Let's rock!