Phantasy Star III pays a River City Ransom on Virtual Console

50 Comments by Ross Miller Apr 21st 2008 8:45AM
Filed under: Retro, Nintendo Wii, Action, RPGs

That landfill of crappy Virtual Console titles has just been given a swift kick-punch of revitalization. Not only that, but we've got a second helping of Phantasy Star for you to digest.

River City Ransom (NES,1-2 players, 500 Wii Points): Save your girlfriend from such heinous foes as "The Generic Dudes" and "The Frat Guys." This beat-em-up was obviously ahead of its time in poignant social commentary and butt-kicking awesomeness.
Phantasy Star III Generations of Doom (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points): Having already given us Phantasy Star II, Sega decided to move forward and continue the series, while still forgetting to back up and bring the original Phantasy Star to Virtual Console. It's pretty much exactly like River City Ransom in that way that it's nothing like RCR.

Videos of the titles after the break.

Tags: nintendo, phantasy-star, phantasy-star-3, phantasy-star-iii, river-city-ransom, virtual-console, virtualconsole, virtualconsolemonday

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(Page 1) Reader Comments

Donald: Apr 21st 2008; 8:49AM

BARF!

capt_carl: Apr 21st 2008; 9:56AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpLsDehM58k

Superstar90: Apr 21st 2008; 9:00AM

River City Ransom is the best sidescrolling beat-em up game involving two New York born young men trying to save a girl.

NOW THATS FUCKING SOMETHING!

boulderhorn: Apr 21st 2008; 9:06AM

Phantasy Star III had some of the best midi-music in a game. I think it was PSIII anyway.

Laggy: Apr 21st 2008; 9:56AM

Metroid had some pretty damn good music for what was available at the time too.

nerrrrrrd: Apr 21st 2008; 9:09AM

Dragon Feet FTW!

FOXHOUND: Apr 21st 2008; 9:19AM

All beat'em up fans that own the Nintendo Wii owe it to themselves to buy RCR. Especially since the genre's almost non-existant these days... pretty sad; considering it used to be some of the best multiplayer gaming around back in the day.

Despite no online play for this VC title(I wonder if they'll ever plan to do so?); I'm snagging this as soon as I get off work... it'll take my mind off the MGO delay.

Farseer (GDI): Apr 21st 2008; 10:51AM

I agree - this was a killer game. Also, if you have a GBA or DS, they re-made this game for GBA a few years back with improved graphics, music, and save features.

goboColossus: Apr 21st 2008; 9:24AM

How I love playing Halo 3 with my friends into the wee hours of the morning. While not exactly revolutionary, it still features the most enjoyable coop mode in any game currently on the market. You and three other friends blasting through the entire unabridged campaign. Pure awesome!

...It just got 1-upped by a *nearly* 20 year old NES game. We'll be playing my Wii this week!

mr mobius: Apr 21st 2008; 12:18PM

That comment looked so troll until the end. Kudos.

Blue_Falcon: Apr 21st 2008; 9:37AM

RCR's a must buy, no doubt.

PojoMofo: Apr 21st 2008; 9:40AM

I have played a heluva lot of NES games in my younger day, but I have never heard of "River city ransom", doesnt look like I missed much

Fernando Rocker: Apr 21st 2008; 9:45AM

What?!

Superstar90: Apr 21st 2008; 9:46AM

It's incredible, you should buy it. Great co-op mode.

PojoMofo: Apr 21st 2008; 10:32AM

Was it really that popular of a game??? Must have missed it because of the oh-so-cool boxart.

Jansperus: Apr 21st 2008; 10:19AM

Are you joking or are you trying to bait somebody into telling you how awesome it is? If so, then open your eyes to the TRUTH!

-Revolutionary Side-Scrolling 8-Bit Graphics!
-Innovative Beat-Em-Up Mechanics!
-Challenging Adapting AI!
-Intensive Co-Op Mode!
-Hours of Replayability!

I think I made my point. Buy River City Ransom or go to hell!

lol: Apr 21st 2008; 11:20AM

the box art? The box art!?!?

You can't be serious. If I went by box art, I'd never have played megaman. And boy was that art awful.

Yourself: Apr 21st 2008; 9:40AM

Been dying to play PSIII. Too bad it had to come out the same week as The World Ends With You.

capt_carl: Apr 21st 2008; 9:59AM

River City Ransom > Double Dragon.

Yes, I went there.

SillyShiggy WSN (if it had one): lovsatan: Apr 21st 2008; 10:22AM

However...

Double Dragon 2 > River City Ransom

Yourself: Apr 21st 2008; 11:16AM

Streets of Rage 2 >>> Double Dragon 2 > River City Ransom

riggs: Apr 21st 2008; 11:47AM

i hate math.

BPM [SSBB: 5026 4120 1186]: Apr 22nd 2008; 3:58AM

Lies!

RCR >>>>>> DD2 >>>> DD

Seriously. It was like after making Double Dragon, Technos took many steps forward with River City Ransom, but then a few steps back with Double Dragon 2.

Jody Anthony (cookingrebels.com): Apr 21st 2008; 10:00AM

while I want both of them, I'm saving my remaining 2200 wii points for wiiware.

JakubK666 (Ninja Defence Force): Apr 21st 2008; 10:00AM

So it's $5 and $8 for 20-year-old games.

I am aware that average Wii owner is a 10-year-old(j/k),but sweet Jesus haven't you people heard of ROM's?

FOXHOUND: Apr 21st 2008; 10:15AM

Before people flame the hell out of that comment quoting legality and all that mess... let me just say that as a person who has a good couple of gigs in ROMs/emulators; I usually support what I like by also buying it. And if I've bought a copy, I don't bother to keep a ROM of it.

Jansperus: Apr 21st 2008; 10:15AM

Yeah, because nothing beats playing a game on a keyboard!

Jackass.

Kevin: Apr 21st 2008; 10:17AM

Why play a game on a 42" TV from my comfy couch with neck support when I could stare at my 21" monitor and use a keyboard?

Although, I suppose I could hook my laptop up to the TV and buy a couple USB gamepads....

JakubK666 (Ninja Defence Force): Apr 21st 2008; 10:18AM

@ Jansperus

I'll pick keyboard over over-priced 30-year-old games anyday.

SillyShiggy WSN (if it had one): lovsatan: Apr 21st 2008; 10:23AM

Did those games just age ten years in the 18 minutes it took for you to make that follow-up reply?

JakubK666 (Ninja Defence Force): Apr 21st 2008; 10:49AM

No...but isn't that how old majority of them are?

Jansperus: Apr 21st 2008; 1:06PM

Is $5 for a game really that much of a setback for you? If so, you really should ask for a raise on your allowance.

JakubK666 (Ninja Defence Force): Apr 21st 2008; 1:33PM

It's not about who "doesn't have 5 bucks".It's about how overpriced a 20 year old game can be.

Especially compared to XBLA titles.

BPM [SSBB: 5026 4120 1186]: Apr 22nd 2008; 4:02AM

Goddamn kids these days. Always think that free stuff is legal.
It's not, okay? Downloading ROMs is illegal. Virtual Console = legal.

And $5 for RCR is hardly overpriced. It goes for at least $10 on eBay (and I've seen it go for even more in local shops). And since it's one of the best games ever, it's definitely worth it.

So what if it doesn't have additions, like online multiplayer or leaderboards? RCR is perfect as it is.

Lord Thisiwig von Trundlebottom: Apr 21st 2008; 10:31AM

Jansperus, you forgot:

- Lead pipe flinging action!
- First-ever revolutionary Merv Burger system!
- Free Smiles!
- BARF!

PojoMofo: Apr 21st 2008; 10:34AM

Well I choose River city ransom over eternal damnation any day!!

Mr.ESC: Apr 21st 2008; 10:43AM

Phantasy Star III is good too,you people should check that one too.

In my opinion Phantasy star IV is the best game in the series and is awesome.

arrakisman: Apr 21st 2008; 12:45PM

III was cool with the genarations thing and Wren was neat too. The combat system was by far the worst out of all four. What were some of those monsters. It also wasn't till the end of the second generation(if you picked the right bride) how the story fit in with the other Phantasy Stars. I think IV is probably the best, but I still have a soft spot for both I and II.

A Pissed-off English Gamer: Apr 21st 2008; 10:44AM

The guy on the left of the RCR picture looks like a young Jon Stewart.

FOXHOUND: Apr 21st 2008; 12:07PM

THIS SPRING:

JON STEWART AND LOU DIAMOND PHILLIPS STAR IN...

RIVER CITY RANSOM!

Tim The Enchanter: Apr 21st 2008; 12:55PM

Sh*t! I'd go see that! Tire throwing action!

samfish: Apr 21st 2008; 11:00AM

Damn, I was trying to save what little space is left on my Wii for Wii Ware. Looks like RCR is going to take a chunk out of it when I get home, though.

Hot$auce_Magik: Apr 21st 2008; 2:23PM

I'm still waiting for the videogame related anime porn website link.

samfish: Apr 21st 2008; 2:39PM

You have to use teh magik googlez to find it, Paheal.

Yourself: Apr 21st 2008; 11:21AM

Like I normally do with VC games, I'll download a ROM of RCR, and if I like the mechanics, I'll get it on VC. This is one of those games I'm wary of, though. It falls into the category of games that people love talking about but don't always love playing. Additionally, my best friend and I play tons of old beat-em-ups, and he said that compared to others in the genre it's pretty low grade stuff.

DCBlack: Apr 21st 2008; 11:36AM

Once I have $5 to piss away, I'm downloading RCR because every console needs a cheesy, "generic" yet totally awesome side-scrolling beat em up.

DCBlack: Apr 21st 2008; 11:37AM

So, are they ever going to release the original Smash Bros?

Yourself: Apr 21st 2008; 12:09PM

Unlike releasing SMB3 when Galaxy came out, Super Metroid when MP3 came out, releasing SSB anytime near the present would be idiotic. Sure some seriously old-school fans will buy it, but there are plenty of people (myself included) who would never find a reason to choose playing SSB over Brawl, and would therefore never buy it. Unlike the other Nintendo franchises, this one hasn't changed so much as just gotten better.

Alzheimers: Apr 21st 2008; 2:53PM

Still waiting for Tetrisphere

Knoxximus: Apr 21st 2008; 11:44PM

RCR is worth it just for not having to fuck with that 33 character long password of gibberish ALONE.

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