Downtown Nekketsu (ダウンタウン熱血, which roughly translates to "Downtown Hot-Blooded") is a series of action video games with role-playing elements originally developed by Technōs Japan. The first game in this series was a sequel to Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun: Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari, which was released on April 25, 1989 in Japan for the Famicom. The game was created by Hiroyuki "Mokeke" Sekimoto and Mitsuhiro "Yoshimitsu" Yoshida, with Kunio-kun franchise creator Yoshihisa Kishimoto acting as producer. Sekimoto and Yoshida wanted to create a Double Dragon video game that parents could play with their children together.
While Kishimoto worked on arcade games in the Double Dragon and The Combatribes, Sekimoto and Yoshida worked on Kunio-kun games on the Famicom and later on the Super Famicom. Their sequel to Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari is the most popular game in the franchise: Downtown Nekketsu Kōshinkyoku: Soreyuke Daiundōkai, an action-based sports game which could be played by up to four players and included a battle royal mode. The next game in the series was Downtown Special: Kunio-kun no Jidaigeki da yo Zen'in Shūgō!, the successor to Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari which expanded on everything that the game had to offer.
The next game in the series was done by Technōs Japan's Niigata team with Koji Kai (at this time Sekimoto and Yoshida were starting to test the Super Famicom). This game was Bikkuri Nekketsu Shin Kiroku! Harukanaru Kin Medal, another action sports game and a sequel to Soreyuke Daiundōkai. Sekimoto and Yoshida worked on Kunio-kun no Dodgeball da yo Zen'in Shūgō, a dodge ball game that expanded the gameplay of Nekketsu Kōkō Dodgeball Bu and followed the design philosophies of Downtown Special.
Sekimoto and Yoshida's final Downtown Nekketsu game with Technōs Japan was Downtown Nekketsu Baseball Monogatari: Yakyū de Shōbu da! Kunio-kun The game had Sugata as the protagonist with Kunio in a supporting role. To expand on the world of Downtown Nekketsu, Sekimoto and Yoshida wanted to make more games like these that fleshed out the secondary characters and placed Kunio in a secondary role. However, Technōs Japan was against this. Sekimoto and Yoshida eventually left the company to create Miracle Kidz.
The Downtown Nekketsu series consists of the following titles:
- Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari (1989)
- Downtown Nekketsu Kōshinkyoku: Soreyuke Daiundōkai (1990)
- Downtown Special: Kunio-kun no Jidaigeki da yo Zen'in Shūgō! (1991)
- Bikkuri Nekketsu Shin Kiroku! Harukanaru Kin Medal (1992)
- Kunio-kun no Dodgeball da yo Zen'in Shūgō (1993)
- Downtown Nekketsu Baseball Monogatari: Yakyū de Shōbu da! Kunio-kun (1993)
- Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari EX (2004)
- Downtown Nekketsu Kōshinkyoku: Soreyuke Daiundōkai DX (2007)
- River City Dodge Ball All-Stars!! (2007)
- Downtown SMASH Dodgeball! (2009)
- Downtown Nekketsu Dodgeball (2011)
- River City: Knights of Justice (2014)
- River City Super Sports Challenge ~All Stars Special~ (2015)
- Downtown Nekketsu Jidaigeki (2015)
- River City: Rival Showdown (2016)
- River City Melee: Battle Royal Special (2016)
- River City Melee Mach!! (2019)
- Stay Cool, Kobayashi-san!: A River City Ransom Story (2019)