Alex
One of the two playable River City students and the game's primary hero.
Documented for this version
Which controls does this version use?
Actions
Arrow LeftArrow Right | Move left or right |
|---|---|
Arrow Up | Enter doors and shops or move upward where permitted |
Arrow Down | Crouch or move downward where permitted |
A | Punch |
B | Kick |
AB | Jump Press both buttons together. |
A | Confirm menu selections |
B | Cancel menu selections |
Control notes
Controls can vary slightly between gameplay and menu screens.
Two-player mode assigns the second controller to Ryan.
How it plays
How does River City Ransom play?
The game uses a side-view perspective across connected city areas. Alex and Ryan move through streets, alleys, shops, and gang territories while defeating groups of enemies and locating bosses.
Players can punch, kick, jump, grab opponents, throw objects, and use weapons found in the environment. Money dropped by enemies can be spent in shops on food, manuals, and other items. Food restores health or raises statistics, while manuals unlock special moves. Progress is saved through passwords rather than battery-backed saving, and two-player cooperative play is available.
Plan your run
What is the best way to play River City Ransom?
- Buy food early to restore health and raise useful statistics before difficult gang encounters.
- Prioritize manuals that teach special attacks, then practice their inputs in safer streets.
- Use nearby barrels, tires, rocks, and other weapons to control groups rather than trading blows with every enemy.
- In two-player mode, avoid throwing enemies into your partner and divide targets when large groups appear.
Meet the cast
Who are the key characters?
Ryan
Alex's friend and the second playable character, available for solo or cooperative play.
Cyndi
The kidnapped student held by the Slick gang.
Slick
The leader of the gang controlling River City and the final adversary.
Documented inputs
What cheats and unlocks are documented?
Documented unlockInformation is not available for this title yet.
Before you begin
What should you know before playing?
- 1
Explore shops instead of rushing directly toward the next gang area; several useful upgrades are purchased rather than found.
- 2
Enemy weapons can be more effective than unarmed attacks, but dropped objects disappear after use.
- 3
Passwords preserve progress, so record them carefully when continuing later.
Community discussion
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