The latest announcement from Aksys games includes two surprises. It doesn't come as a shock that the company would choose to localize Kunio-kun no Chou Nekketsu Daiundokai (Kunio's Extreme Hot-Blooded Athletic Meet) for DS -- Aksys is fairly reliable about picking up everything Arc System Works releases in Japan, and it published the last new Kunio game for DS, Super Dodgeball Brawlers, in 2008.However, in addition to the multi-sporting event game (a sort of sequel to the NES game Crash 'n the Boys: Street Challenge), it also announced a new Kunio soccer game that hasn't even been announced in Japan. You may be familiar with Nintendo World Cup for the NES -- that was originally a Kunio game too. Much like Super Dodgeball Brawlers, you can expect both of these to be revivals of NES sport classics.
The other big surprise is the naming scheme Aksys has adopted. Building on the popularity of the best-known Kunio game -- River City Ransom -- these games are being localized as River City Super Sports Challenge and River City Soccer Hooligans. That's basically enough for us to pretend they're really odd River City Ransom sequels. Aksys hasn't dated either game yet.
