The fact that the River City/Kunio-Kun/Nekketsu/Downtown series is still going strong makes me extremely glad. For my current preferences, River City Ransom was a foundational game. As a game, I don't enjoy it as much as I adore River City Girls. On the other side, I really like the music and visual design.
The NES/Famicom art style of the series was, to be honest, something I was virtually attached to. I always felt like something was lost whenever it moved away from those rectangle brutes with muscular arms. That artistic approach has, nonetheless, been maintained in subsequent years. I think the reason I related to River City Girls so strongly is because some of those games that rely heavily on the classic 8-bit visual style have even seemed a little empty underneath the aesthetic.
I like Misako and Kyoko because they have grown from being unimportant supporting characters to being main characters in their own right. WayForward grabbed the license, put their own energy and ideas into it, then removed their own portion.
An extraordinarily well-produced example of it is the Art of River City Girls.
The art from River City Girls 1 and 2, as well as River City Girls Zero, which was WayForward's localization of , is collected in The Art of River City Girls. Shin Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-tachi no Banka. With concept drawings, sprite sheets, sketches, and even manga-style cutscenes, it's a really comprehensive look at the artwork.
It's everything enclosed in a cover that looks like an old-fashioned yearbook. Above that is a somewhat more product-like plastic slipcase. While we're talking about the actual characteristics of the product, it's over 300 pages (325 by my count).
Adam Tierney provides a preface to introduce it. Starting with "It's hard to believe," the introduction delves into some behind-the-scenes information, briefly recalling the initial pitch to Arc Systems Works, stating that WayForward's dream project was working on the River City/Kunio-Kun/Nekketsu/Downtown series, and showcasing the original concept artwork of Kyoko and Misako (which is still used in promotions).
What I like most about this art book is summarized in the preface. There's artwork, history information, and a clear indication of the team's passion for the subject.
I also like The Art of River City Girls because of its abs. This book has more six-packs than an alcohol shop, and I'm all for that. Of course, there's Marian's abs. She was a playable protagonist in River City Girls 2 and the former damsel from Double Dragon. The opponent of Kunio, Riki, is too cool to wear a jacket and would rather wrap his stomach in worryingly tight sports tape. However, I feel like we don't get to see nearly enough of Kozuki and her incredible washboard. Oh no, girl. Yum!
Brief summaries of the behind-the-scenes details are often included with the artwork. They give many of the characters context and backstory, which makes them rather intriguing. Sonny Lee, the third Double Dragon character (the Triple Dragon?) is one example of this. or Crash is based on the box art of Bikkuri Nekketsu Shinkiroku! (Crash 'N' the Boys: Street Challenge). Kin-Medal naru Haruka .
The advertising artwork introducing us to Santa Abobo, Vampire Misako, and Pirate Kyoko is another amazing sight. It's interesting to have these works archived in this book since I'm not even sure where they were initially placed or what they were used for.
Ontario Online Casino created the imageWayForward contributed a lot of their own style to the River City/Kunio-Kun/Nekketsu/Downtown, and The Art of River City Girls reflects that. Even while WayForward's work is the subject of the vast part of the book, it helps explain its position within the property as a whole.
Based on the games themselves, the art team seems to have had the most fun creating them. While remaining remarkably original, the style pays homage to the games from which it originated. In an affectionate portrayal of the games, characters were chosen from around the Kunio-verse. It's like having them in your living room, eagerly pointing out everything you could have missed, with The Art of River City Girls.
Fangamer has The Art of River City Girls for sale.