Kunio-kun and his gang of Japanese high school delinquents are returning to the Nintendo 3DS. Only this time, they are playing to our Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest nostalgic roots by delivering a full blown JRPG quest with their original beat 'em up roots still intact.
Fans from the days of the NES might recognize Kunio-kun and friends from River City Ransom, where our hero was known as Alex and wore a white tank-top. Aside from the classic beat 'em up from which they are most famous, the crew has also appeared in a wide variety of sport games like Crash n' the Boys: Street Challenge, Nintendo World Cup and Super Dodgeball.
In fact, this parent series, known as Kunio-kun in Japan, extends to a lot of other sports like basketball, hockey, baseball, and other fighting games. Kunio-kun and his tough guy rabble have a long history of hilarious and quality sport and fighting games which rarely see the light of day beyond Japan's borders.
It's a tradition which extends into today. Three Kunio-kun games have been released in Japan over the past three years, and none of them have made it stateside. We are hoping that modern day publishers Million Corp. throw its American fans a bone and lets us join in on the fun once again.
Keep in mind that this is being developed separately from River City Ransom: Underground, a sequel that is under independent development after a successful Kickstarter run. Maybe if that game succeeds, we can open the doors for Kunio-kun once again here in the West and finally give his influential series the legacy it deserves.
