River City: Rival Showdown (ダウンタウン熱血物語SP, lit. "Downtown Hot-Blooded Story Special") is a role-playing beat 'em up game in the Kunio-kun franchise released on October 27, 2016 in Japan. It was developed by Aplus Co., Ltd. and published by Arc System Works. The Western versions of the game were released on November 21, 2017 and are published by Natsume, who previously published River City: Tokyo Rumble. The Japanese version originally had a release date of April 28, 2016, but was delayed twice.
The game celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Kunio-kun franchise and is the second remake of Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari, which was released in North America as River City Ransom and in Europe as Street Gangs (the previous remake was Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari EX, which was released in the West as River City Ransom EX). The game reconstructs and expands the plot and gameplay of the original game in such a way that it can be considered an entirely new game. The story is shown from Kunio's point of view in a span of four days.
A remaster of the game was announced on July 5, 2023 and was released worldwide on October 11, 2023 for the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Steam.
Development[]
Plot[]
This game acts as a sequel to River City: Tokyo Rumble with the events of River City Super Sports Challenge ~All Stars Special~ taking place directly after this game.
While on a walk late at night, Kunio is suddenly attacked by a mysterious duo that flee in the middle of the fight at the sound of police sirens. Following the attack, Kunio understood that it was planned with precision where he would be alone and the most vulnerable which had his intuition insisting that a much larger threat was at play. On the following afternoon, Kunio learns from Hiroshi that his assailants were two twins who recently transferred to Reihō Academy and took control over the school seemingly overnight. The twins have clashed with other schools and have targeted their top delinquents in an effort to gain control over them. On-top of this, it appears that Mami, the girlfriend of Kunio's rival Riki has gone missing. Kunio then spends the following three days unravelling the conspiracy at Reihō Academy and it's key players.
Gameplay[]
Hot-Blooded Story[]
The game's main story mode. In the single player mode, the player controls Kunio. Using Local Play, two players can play the game together. The Host (first) player controls Kunio and the Client (second) player controls Riki.
When players first begin the game, this mode has two difficulty levels Soft School (Beginner in the localized version) and Tough School (Intermediate in the localized version). Soft is for beginners, while Tough is for advanced players. Two more difficulty levels can be unlocked by the player: Tough Devil School and Hot-Blooded Tough School (Hardcore and Tough as Nails in the localized version). Unlike Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari and EX, the difficulty cannot be changed while playing the game.
The game has multiple endings and are achieved based on how the player decides to spend their three days. If players complete the game, they can play the game again on their clear save file. They will have two options, Start from the Beginning, or Load Save Point. The Save Point option will return the player to the last point they saved at while starting from the beginning allows players to switch their difficulty and start the game from the beginning with all of their items and status intact. Upon completing the true ending, the player will unlock Cold Blooded Yamada's Story, which depicts his actions leading up the main story's events.
In the localized version, this gamemode is named Story Mode.
Free Scenario System[]
Downtown Nekketsu Story and EX have non-linear progression with a linear objective where the player is able to freely explore any area they wish, though they cannot enter Reihō Academy until a series of bosses are defeated. Rival Showdown uses a Free Scenario System, similar to the Romancing SaGa video game series. The player has three days to unravel the conspiracy at Reihō and what's done during those days will alter how the fourth day is played. Each day has limited time events with the player being given the freedom on how they want to tackle them or is allowed to skip them entirely. This system has a day and night cycle that gives the player 8 hours before the day ends starting from 15:00 up until 23:00 (3PM to 11PM in the localized version). Days are from 15:00 to 17:00 (3 PM to 5 PM), evenings are from 18:00 to 20:00 (6 PM to 8 PM) and nights are from 20:00 to 23:00 (8 PM to 11 PM).
The characters present and events that take place vary by the time of day. Time will elapse overtime, though time will also skip ahead when certain story events are completed, the player eats at a restaurant or uses a specific item, or if the player gets knocked out. Most stores are closed during the night. If the player is knocked out during specific events, it is considered to be failed and cannot be attempted again. Regardless of what ending the player gets after completing the game, the Encyclopedia will become available and a new game can be started from the beginning of the story with the previous stats and items from the last playthrough carried over.
Pause Menu[]
- Items: Displays the player's inventory with all of their consumable items.
- Equip: Displays what Kunio has equipped and his stats. Players can switch his equipment here. By pressing the Y button, the player can save their current loadout in up to 12 slots (from A to L).
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| School Uniform (学ラン Gakuran) | Increases Stamina, Punch and Defense. |
| Bontan (ボンタン Bontan) | Baggy pants used by delinquents. Increases Agility, Kick and Throw. Pants in the localized version. |
| Belt (ベルト Belt) | Increases Punch and Luck. Makes it easier to learn punch, throwing and weapon skills. |
| Shoes (靴 Shoes) | Increases Agility and Kick. Makes it easier to learn kick, throwing and agility-centered skills. |
| Accessories (アクセサリー Accessories) | Increases Weapon, Throw and Luck. |
| Button (裏釦 Button) | Increases Weapon, Throw and Luck. Increases the chances to learn weapon skills. Charm in the localized version. |
- Status: Displays Kunio's stats, current level and experience. Next to the stats in parenthesis are the stat increases from the LP allocated. Pressing the X button allows players to allocate any LP they might be storing.
| Stat | Description |
|---|---|
| Stamina | The character's stamina, their physical health. It can be restored by eating. If the player runs out of Stamina, they will be returned to the front of Nekketsu High School an hour later. HP in Rival Showdown. |
| Willpower | The meter used to perform Special Moves. Dealing damage to enemies refills Willpower. Special Moves can use a Small, Medium, Large or Huge amount of Willpower when performed. SP in Rival Showdown. |
| Punch | The higher this stat, the more damage the character makes with punch attacks. |
| Kick | If this stat is high, kick attacks do more damage. |
| Weapon | Weapons do more damage when this stat is higher. |
| Throw | Grapple moves make more damage the higher this stat is. |
| Agility | This stat increases movement speed as it increases. It also slightly increases the power of attacks. In Rival Showdown, the stat is renamed Speed. |
| Defense | Characters lose less Stamina with each hit when this stat is high. Renamed Guard in Rival Showdown. |
| Luck | When this stat is high, players can get better item drops from enemies as well as an increased amount of critical hits. |
| EXP | This increases by defeating enemies. After gaining 100% of experience, the character levels up and gains LP, which they can use to increase their stats. |
| LP | Stands for Level Points. This are used to increase the above stats (with the exception of Stamina and Willpower), making the character stronger. |
- Special: Shows all of Kunio's currently equipped Special Moves. Kunio can equip a total of 10 special moves and he is free to use any combination of moves. However, if a move shares the same command, the move closest to the top of the list will take priority. Kunio learns Special Moves through the game after key events, or he can purchase books at stores which will teach him a new move. By using some Special Moves multiple times, Kunio can also learn new moves.
- Map: Displays a list of every area that the player can access. Pressing the Y button displays the area on the map, while the X button shows information about the area. Some areas have a vehicle icon, pressing the A button in these areas will call a taxi, which will take the player to the selected area. This uses 800 yen and takes 5 minutes from the in-game clock.
- Notes: Shows a list of every event the player has completed in the course of their current playthrough.
- Etc.: Has the option to return to the main menu and quit the current playthrough, and the option to view the game's Encyclopedia once it is unlocked.
FoDD2016 (Fighting of Double Dragon 2016)[]
Once every three years, the Reihō Budōkai is held. Billy Lee along with his older brother Jimmy, have been invited to the fierce tournament. There they will face the Reihō dojo students, who are also aiming to win.
This mode is a competitive 2D fighting game stylized like the fighting games of yesteryear. The game uses scanlines, has bonus stages, the intrusion of hidden characters and score rankings. The gamemode supports up to two players.
Similarly to Downtown Special Kunio-kun's Historical Period Drama! and River City: Knights of Justice, the characters of the Kunio-kun franchise play the role of new original characters, with the exception of Ryūichi and Ryūji, who are playing the roles of Jimmy and Billy Lee from the Double Dragon franchise. The game is treated as a new entry in the Double Dragon franchise as well, and uses music from the NES version of Double Dragon, Double Dragon II: The Revenge, and Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones.
The in-game controls are the default ones used in the main story mode and cannot be changed (if players changed the controls for the main story mode, their settings are ignored in this mode). Just like fighting games of the past, Special Moves can be used freely and infinitely, the Nekketsu Counter in the main story mode is not available and Super Special Moves can only be used when characters are low on health.
This mode is named Double Dragon Duel in the Western versions of the game.
Controls and moves[]
All buttons on the Nintendo 3DS are used in the game. The control scheme is the same from River City: Tokyo Rumble, but the remaining buttons also perform separate actions, which grants more control to the player. The game's controls can be changed so that most actions are performed using the same inputs from the Famicom/NES version.
The A button is used to Punch, the B button to Kick, and the Y button to Jump. Punches and kicks can be performed in midair. The X button is used to Grab enemies. Grab attempts will leave the character vulnerable if they miss. Grabbing an enemy will have the character perform a throw immediately. If the character has a Special Move throw, he will perform that throw instead of the normal throw.
The L button is used to Block. Pressing the X button and the L button at the same time activates the Nekketsu Counter. This move uses Willpower, and knocks all surrounding enemies away from the player. It can be used to recover when being knocked down or when the character is being hit.
The R button is used to Run. The button needs to be held so that the character begins running. When the player attempts to stop running, the character will stop similarly to Downtown Nekketsu March: Super-Awesome Field Day!, leaving the character vulnerable for a short time. By using the NES/Famicom setting, players can run by double tapping the directional pad left or right twice.
Options[]
The player has the ability to adjust the volume of the music and sound effects, switch between using the game's original soundtrack and the original versions of any songs remixed, rebind the controls, and have the option to format the game's data which will erase all progress the player has made and cannot be undone. All options must be confirmed by the player before they can be applied.
Areas[]
- Main article: Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari#Areas
The entire map is displayed at the bottom screen of the 3DS during gameplay. Although the areas in the game are the same from the original game the areas have been renewed, while new areas have also been added. Areas are split into two types: safety areas (designated yellow) and battle areas (in red). The player will randomly be attacked by opposing high schools and gangs in the red areas. Depending on the time of day and on the outcome of events, the designation of each area might change.
The player cannot travel to every area at the beginning, some areas become available at specific times of day and at a different day.
Just like in Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun Special and River City: Tokyo Rumble, most areas are populated by non-playable characters, which players can interact with. NPCs can be spoken to, but if an NPC shows an exclamation point, it will trigger an event.
If players accidentally attack an NPC, the screen will fade to black while they are scolded or questioned for the action, then a battle will be triggered. If players attack a high school student and that student belongs to any of the opposing high schools, they will be attacked by that high school. If they attack random NPCs, they will have to fight a police officer, who can easily take down the player.
In some areas, depending on the time, mysterious mascot characters will run across the screen. If the player attacks them, they will trigger a fight with them. They rarely fight back, but they drop rare items when defeated.
- Hoshinooka Fifth Street:
- Amamidai New Town: Amamidai Heights in Rival Showdown.
- Amamidai Third Street:
- Hanazono Shopping District:
- Hanazono Fifth Street:
- Hanazono Park South:
- Hanazono Park North:
- Hanazono Bridge:
- Hanazono Riverbank:
- Hanazono Sixth Street:
- Hanazono Park North:
- Kotobuki Second Street:
- Kotobuki Boulevard:
- Kotobuki Road:
- Kotobuki Fourth Street:
- Midori Town West Shopping District:
- Midori Town East Shopping District:
- Kobayashi Industrial Factory Site:
- Yumemi First Street:
- Yumemi Spa:
- Oceanside Drive:
- Maruka Transport Warehouse:
- Maruka Transport Abandoned Building:
- Sakae Resort: Eito Resort in Rival Showdown.
Main Facilities[]
The player can use their hard earned money in a number of different establishments throughout the game. Money is randomly dropped by defeated enemies, it is not always guaranteed like in previous games and depends on Kunio's Luck stat.
- Net Cafe West Village: The cyber cafe allows the player to save their game for free. They can also pay 1000 yen to spend some free time in the cafe, which will skip the entire day. Players can save their game after the day ends.
- Convenience Store Ori-Mart: These stores sell rice balls which can be used to restore Stamina, and raunchy magazines to increase Willpower.
- Restaurants & Public Baths: Restaurants sell food which completely restore Stamina and Willpower and temporarily rise the percentage of some stats for a time. Other than the use of yen, the player's selection will use up some amount of time.
- Clothing Store Recycling Shop: In the OUTLAW and BADGUY stores, players can purchase equipment. Both stores sell different type of equipment. Irie's Warehouse allows players to either buy equipment, or sell their collected equipment. The items sold at the warehouse change as time passes and the player can purchase rare equipment here.
- Fighting Club: Also known as the "Battle Club" ("Brawl Club" in Rival Showdown). The north area of Hanazono Park 3 has been turned in to a fighting arena. When the player enters the area, a battle will begin between two opposing groups, and the player can jump into the middle of the match. Players are free to leave and come back in whenever they wish and fight for experience and item drops. By fulfilling specific requirements, boss characters can also appear here.
- Tiger Hall: A gym run by the Double Tiger brothers. The player can face strengthened opponents in succession and be awarded new Special Move books by defeating each opponent.
Characters[]
All characters from the original Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari appear in the game. Characters introduced in River City Super Sports Challenge ~All Stars Special~ also appear in the game, the player gets to witness what they were doing prior to that game. Characters that were introduced in Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari EX do not appear in the game.
Playable Characters[]
Kunio[]
The game's main character, the banchō and a third year student of Nekketsu High School, known as the "Hot-Blooded Tough Guy" and the "Legendary Delinquent". His catchphrase is "Don't mess with me!" ("Come get some!" in Rival Showdown). Kunio is the righteous delinquent who fights for good and justice, and is talented in brawling and sports. Has weakness for pretty girls but is respected by everyone, his friends would put their lives on the line for him.
In FoDD2016, Kunio appears as Alex, the previous champion of the tournament. Alex is a hidden character and needs to be unlocked by the player. His special moves in the game include the Mach Kick, Screw and Nuts Shot. His Super Special Moves are the Accel Mach Punch and the Nuts Missile.
Riki[]
A third year student of Hanazono High School and the school's banchō, he is Kunio's friend and eternal rival. Years ago, Riki single-handedly defeated a gang that kept harassing the members of his school's soccer club. This eventually led him down a bad path until he first met and fought Kunio, who set him on the path to becoming the most respected tough guy in Hanazono. The conspiracy being orchestrated by Reihō Academy affects Hanazono, who target his girlfriend Mami. Riki cares about Mami, and when he confronts their kidnappers, his furious anger is well on display.
In a two player game, the second player controls Riki. During single player games, Riki joins Kunio in various battles, and tags along with him to Reihō Academy in the final day if the player met the necessary requirements. Riki's Special Moves include the Mach Punch, Mach Punch 2, Diving Punch, Tornado Punch and Overhead.
Riki does not make an appearance in FoDD2016.
Supporting Characters[]
Hasebe[]
Full name Hasebe Kazumi. A third year student and the vice-president of the Reihō Academy student council. A dependable, popular student with a cheerful personality. She was once a legendary sukeban. In middle school, she was a classmate of Kunio and the two have been in touch since then. Although suspicious of the events happening in the academy, she does not suspect Yamada, as he was another classmate of hers in middle school along with Kunio.
In FoDD2016 Hasabe plays the role of Roxy, the sensei of the other fighters. Like Alex, she needs to be unlocked by meeting certain conditions. Her Special Moves are Shùnhuá, Xiānhuā, and Luànhuá (Blast Punch, Lighting Chop and Spin Kick in Rival Showdown, respectively). Her Super Special Moves are Tiān-Cànhuá and De-Liánhuá (Heavenly Blast and Hellish Beating in Rival Showdown, respectively).
Mami[]
Full name Shimada Mami. A second year student at Hanazono High School and Riki's girlfriend. Her innocent, charming personality and kindness to everyone around allowed her to see past Riki's rough side and into his heart and gold. Mami went to middle school with Kunio and Hasebe. Her hobby is knitting. Since she is important to Riki, Reihō Academy targets her to weaken Hanazono.
Hiroshi[]
Kunio's best friend, a third year student at Nekketsu High School. An honor student with dreams of a being a delinquent, he looks up to Kunio and is always following him. Kunio's enemies often target Hiroshi, which leads to Kunio going after them. Hiroshi acts as a messenger for Kunio and provides him with information about the other schools, and is the first one to always receive any challenge messages that are issued for Kunio. His hobby is watching gangster movies.
Sugata[]
Full name Sugata Sanjūrō. A second year student at Nekketsu High School. He proclaims himself the disciple of Kunio and his right-hand man, as he holds deep respect and looks up to him. He has a strong sense of justice and dislikes "bad guys". However, he is hot-tempered and is prone to blowing his stack. Regardless, he is a good person. Sugata is out on the streets targeting delinquents to make the city peaceful. Sugata uses his trademark Special Move, the Bomb Punch.
Nanase[]
Full name Nanase Haruka. A second year student of Nekketsu High School and Sugata's close friend. A serious student, Nanase is not a delinquent, but he is a natural at everything, including fighting and academics. Nanase gets worked up easily, but when the chips are down he comes through for his friends. Nanase's Special Move is the Double Chop.
Momozono[]
Full name Momozono Satomi. A second year student of Nekketsu High School. A cheerleader with infectious cheerfulness, she is seen as an idol of the school. An airhead and flirtatious, Momozono has a stream of boys hitting on her. She is a classmate of Sugata and Nanase, and is always worried about the former's tendency to run out and look for delinquents.
Saotome[]
Full name Saotome Hikaru. A second year student of Hanazono High School, described as the school's "Crown Prince". Due to his affable personality, smarts and handsome looks in a school full of delinquents, he is popular with female students at the school. He treats Riki and the rest of his friends with respect. He views Sugata as his rival.
Maeda[]
Full name Maeda Tōru. A third year student of Hanazono High School. In the past, the school was split into two factions, one led by Riki and the other by Maeda. The two had a power struggle and eventually got to fight one-on-one, and the two came to a mutual respect after the fight. The two now have a good-natured rivalry. Although he has a short fuse and loves to fight, Maeda loves his school and his friends even more.
Wataru[]
Full name Wataru Sasaki. A third year student of Hanazono High School and the number two of Riki's delinquent faction. An ambitious person who does not hesitate to betray others if it will assist him in the end. He aims to become the strongest in the nation, but is well aware that he cannot defeat Kunio and Riki in a fight.
Nagatsuka[]
Full name Nagatsuka Satoshi. A third year student of Sakajuku Commercial High School. A regular, studious kid who somehow manages to get tangled up in any shenanigans that any school gets up to. He was a classmate of Kinoshita in middle school and is currently afraid of him, as he has changed after he transferred to Reihō Academy. Nagatasuka always keep a flyer from the Tiger Hall in his bag.
Nagatsuka is a new character introduced in this game.
Chiho & Shiori[]
New characters introduced in this game. Two second year Hanazono High School students who make an inseparable trio with Mami. Chiho is the brunette, while Shiori has black hair. When they heard that Mami was dating Riki, they were against it until they eventually realized that Riki was a good person. They are now supportive of Mami and Riki dating.
Masutā[]
The owner of the coffee shop bar "Small Park" (Starpark Bar in Rival Showdown). a shop on Kotobuki Road. A calm man with a tolerant personality, he opened the bar during the day as coffee shop to have an increased variety of clients, from good-natured people to delinquents. Named Barkeep in Rival Showdown, a new character introduced in this game.
Shinoda[]
Full name Shinoda Akira. A young business man who started his own company immediately after graduating from Reihō Academy. His company is currently going through problems, so he spends most nights drinking at the bar. He was a third year student in the academy when the Shitennō were in their second year, and has many stories to tell about them to Kunio at the bar. Shinoda is a new character introduced in this game.
Mika[]
Full name Sakagami Mika. A trendy and hip modern girl who works at the "Princess Cafe" (Three Castle in Rival Showdown) in Kotobuki Road to make money. She has two older brothers. She likes tough guys and is fascinated by the tales and exploits of delinquents. Mika is used by Taira to weaken and isolate Kunio so that he can take control of Nekketsu High School, though she is unaware of this. Mika is a new character introduced in this game.
Rina[]
Full name Deguchi Rina. A calm adult woman who was classmates with Shinoda at Reihō Academy. She is a childhood friend of Kobayashi and knows of his background, her father was an executive of Kobayashi Industries. After the company went under, her family fell on hard times, just like Kobayashi's and she started working at the "Princess Cafe" to make money for college. A new character introduced in this game.
Minori[]
Full name Yamagami Minori. The undisputed queen of the "Princess Cafe", she loves to listen to people to talk, which led to her getting the most fans among the clients. She was an orphan at a young age and always had to make it one her own. Her demure appearance hides a strong mental and physical strength. In Rival Showdown, her family name is Yamaguchi.
Gangs[]
- Main article: Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari#Opposing High Schools
Along with the opposing high schools from the original game, players will run into other gangs as well that are not tied to any schools.
Senridai High School[]
Sakajuku Commercial High School[]
Numaoka Industrial High School[]
Hoshikusa Agricultural High School[]
Hakutaka Industrial High School[]
Matagawa Industrial High School[]
Hōryō High School[]
Tanibana High School[]
Reihō Academy[]
Delinquents[]
Dark Maidens Bōsōzoku Gang[]
Violet Union[]
Bōsōzoku Gang[]
Orange Jokers[]
Bosses[]
Gōda[]
Full name Gōda Tsuyoshi. A third year student of Hōryō High School, he is the generous and charismatic, top banchō at the school and is idolized by everyone at his school and people outside of it. He helps people in need around the city, but also struggles to keep his beloved sister, Saori safe from harm. Although his fighting prowess is comparable to the Double Dragon brothers, he is threatened when Saori is used against him, so he has no choice but to work for Reihō Academy. He appeals to Kunio, who he believes is strong enough to defeat the brothers, and challenges him to test his abilities. His Special Moves are the Headbutt Special and the Bewildering Headbutt (Hyper Headbutt in Rival Showdown). His Super Special Move is the Critical Head (Bull Rush in Rival Showdown).
In FoDD2016, Gōda plays the role of Gordan (Ivan in Rival Showdown), a new student entering the martial arts tournament. His Special Moves are the Heabutt Special, Straight Fist, Back Drop and Bewildering Headbutt. His Super Special Move is the Critical Head.
Godai[]
Full name Godai Susumu. A third year student of Tanibana High School and the school's banchō. He has a cheerful and playful personality, but he is feared by everyone due to his volatile and violent temper. His fighting specialty is Bōjutsu and he is always seen carrying a bokken. Since he cannot stay still, he wanders around the city. He considers Gōda his best friend. Godai fought the Double Dragon brothers on his own to a draw, but eventually conceded and Tanibana is now being controlled by Reihō Academy. His Special Moves are the Bōjutsu Special, Snap (Berserk in Rival Showdown), Take out Bokken (Draw Wooden Sword in Rival Showdown) and Hurricane Crash (Typhon Slash in Rival Showdown). His Super Special Move is the Bōjutsu Special DX (Club Deluxe in Rival Showdown).
In FoDD2016, Godai plays the role of Gōi (Tex in Rival Showdown), a student who wants to purchase his favorite rice crackers with the tournament's prize money. He uses the same Special Moves that Godai uses in the main story.
Sawaguchi[]
Full name Sawaguchi Yasuo. A second year student and the self-proclaimed No. 2 of Hakutaka Industrial High School. He is constantly hovering over by the side of the school's banchō, Nishimura. Nishimura thus allows him to call himself his right-hand man. Although he is not that strong, he has guts. Sawaguchi's devotion to Nishimura is unwavering, even after he was defeated by Kinoshita. His Special Moves are the Fight Kick and the Jump Guillotine. His Super Special Moves is the Hakutaka Drop (Gray Lighting in Rival Showdown).
In FoDD2016, Sawaguchi plays the role of Sawarasu (Moose in Rival Showdown), his Special Moves and Super Special Move are the same from the main story.
Nishimura[]
Full name Nishimura Naritaka. A third year student of Hakutaka Industrial High School and the school's banchō. A bespectacled man with a big body, which he uses to throw out strong attacks to quickly end fights. He is lazy and weak, both physically and mentally, when taking blows. Although he is the No. 1 at his school, an "Anti-Nishimura Coalition" exists, led by Nedachi, who is trying to get rid of Nishimura. After being defeated by Kinoshita, his school is now under his control, and Nishimura is angling for revenge. His Special Moves are the Tame Punch, Hell Thrust and Tomoe nage. His Super Special Move is the Transcendental Punch (Gray Hook in Rival Showdown.
In FoDD2016, Nishimura plays the role of Nishirasu (Rocko in Rival Showdown), his Special Moves and Super Special Move are the same from the main story.
Kamijō[]
Full name Kamijō Tsuneo. A third year student of Kagemura Academy. The academy has no renown in the streets, and as a delinquent, Kamijō plans to change that by persistently targeting Kunio and attempting to defeat him. He fearlessly challenges him along with Yamamoto, which impresses some of the students at Matagawa Industrial High School. His Special Moves are the Swoop Kick and the Shining Knee. His Super Special Move is the Kagemura Two Platoons (Double Beatdown in Rival Showdown). In Rival Showdown, Kamijō is renamed Benny, the same name he had in River City Ransom. The character is not given a surname.
In FoDD2016, Kamijō plays the role of Kamikku (Benny in Rival Showdown). He aims to win the championship so that his win is broadcast on TV. His Special Moves and Super Special Move are the same from the main story.
Yamamoto[]
Full name Yamamoto Noriyuki. A third year student of Kagemura Academy. A laconic loner who had no friends until he was approached by Kamijō. Although he does not care if the academy gets any respect in the streets, he does enjoy spending time with Kamijō training to make it happen. His Special Moves are the Tornado Punch and Sliding. He has the same Super Special Move as Kamijō (the two perform the move together, even if the other character is already knocked out). Like Kamijō, Yamamoto is renamed in Rival Showdown to Clyde, the name he was given in River City Ransom. Also like Kamijō, Clyde has no surname.
In FoDD2016, Yamamoto plays the role of Yamakku (Clyde in Rival Showdown). His Special Moves and Super Special Move are the same from the main story.
Onizuka[]
Full name Onizuka Takashi. A third year student of Reihō Academy and its former student council president. His big and intimidating exterior conceals a rational personality. A studious and kindhearted gentleman, he was adored by the student body and he felt a deep sense of responsibility towards them. His resignation from the position shocked the entire school. During his sophomore year, he clashed with Kobayashi, who led the delinquents at the academy, while Onizuka wanted order. After their fight, the two came to a mutual respect, and Onizuka allowed Kobayashi to control the delinquents. He is currently brainwashed by Yamada, and the Dragon Twins control his every move. Onizuka's Special Moves are the Human Drill, Jump Elbow, Giant Swing and the Hammer Swing. His Super Special Move is the Human Giga Drill (Giga Buzzsaw in Rival Showdown).
In FoDD2016, Onizuka plays the role of The Ogre, a master and teacher. He acts as the final boss of the game mode, praising the attitude of his challengers. His Special Moves and Super Special Move are the same from the main story.
Mochizuki[]
Full name Mochizuki Shun. A third year student of Reihō Academy and one of the Shitennō of Reihō. He dubs himself the "Greased Lighting" (in Rival Showdown). When he first entered the academy, he was seen as a promising sports athlete due to his speed, but he would also get into scrapes here and there. He eventually challenged and lost to Kobayashi, which got him a place in the Shitennō. His breezy personality has earned him devoted fans in the academy, and the students of Numaoka Industrial High School, which his under his control, look up to him. Mochizuki founded the Fighting Club in Hanazono Park. His Special Moves are the Nitro Attack, Diving Punch, Swoop Kick, Tsubame Gaeshi and Screw. His Super Special Move is the Nitro System (Nitro Smash in Rival Showdown).
In FoDD2016, Mochizuki plays the role of The Speed (Turk in Rival Showdown). The tension of the tournament frustrates him, but he always enjoys it. His Special Moves and Super Special Move are the same from the main story.
Kinoshita[]
Full name Kinoshita Tadashi. A third year student of Reihō Academy and another member of the Shitennō of Reihō, a man with a scary face. Kinoshita was not a delinquent, but was challenged by an older student in his first year of high school, which he beat to a bloody pulp. Since then, he has been feared. Although he is not that strong, he has a high amount of resilience and is described as a "zombie", for his ability to get back up and keep fighting. He traumatized Nishimura and Sawaguchi and took control of their school. His Special Moves are Jump Guillotine, Fight Kick, Mach FumiFumi, and the Head Grab. His Super Special Move is Insanity (Infernal Change in Rival Showdown).
In FoDD2016, Kinoshita plays the role of The Wrath (The Zombie in Rival Showdown). He is a misunderstood fighter who is looking for a friend and a training partner. His Special Moves and Super Special Move are the same from the main story.
Taira[]
Fulll name Taira Kiyofumi. A third year student of Reihō Academy and another member of the Shitennō of Reihō, he was the one who coined the term. Taira had the ability to stand at the top of the academy, but he was defeated by Kobayashi easily and became a member of the Shitennō. Taira's expertise is gathering information to find an opponent's weakness, then striking when they are at their most vulnerable. He is sneaky, but has wrestling knowledge and can fight in a straight up brawl. Taira's followers work with him out of fear, unlike the other members of the Shitennō, who are respected by their underlings. Taira is planning to pit Hanazono and Senridai against one another, while also plans to humiliate and isolate Kunio from Nekketsu High School, so that he can take them under his control. His Special Moves are the Jump Elbow, Drop Kick, Mach Strike and Splitting Bamboo Chop. His Super Special Move is the Air Buster Bomb (Butcher Backflip in Rival Showdown).
In FoDD2016, Taira plays the role of The Hard (Mojo in Rival Showdown). His Special Moves and Super Special Move are the same from the main story.
Minamoto[]
Full name Minamoto Yorikazu. A third year student of Reihō Academy and Taira's best friend. They used to be known as the "Genpei Combination" ("The Tag Team" in Rival Showdown). Minamoto is unhappy with the current atmosphere in the academy, so he is immersing himself in FoDD2016 at the arcade. Minamoto holds himself responsible for Taira's change in personality. Taira was at one time defeated and humiliated, and his friends abandoned him with the exception of Minamoto, but Taira now wished to win at any cost, no matter the methods. Minamoto appeals to Kunio to defeat Taira, so that he can return his friend to his old personality.
In FoDD2016, Minamoto plays the role of The Friend (Aaron in Rival Showdown). He is the second opponent in the game and cannot be used by the player. His Special Moves are the Mach Punch, Mach Kick, Mach Strike and Screw. The Friend has no Super Special Moves.
Kobayashi[]
Full name Kobayashi Masao. A third year student of Reihō Academy and the head of the Shitennō of Reihō. His father was the head of Kobayashi Industries, a company that prospered in the Midori town area and built an era, but the company faced bankruptcy. This trauma warped and twisted his icy personality. At first glance, Kobayashi is cool and confident, which hides his formidable fighting ability and strength. His charisma rivals Onizuka, with whom he shares a mutual respect. Kobayashi started a business venture and restored his father's old factory, which he has refurbished as a hideout. Kobayashi once planned to take control of the academy, but after his fight with Onizuka, he agreed to only have control of the academy's delinquents. After the arrival of the Dragon Twins, Kobayashi instead decides to watch their actions, and he suspects that someone else is in control. He finds the idea of national domination interesting, but believes it can be done in a better way. Kobayashi's Special Moves are the Mach Chop, Double Chop, Noten Chop, and Knifehand Strike. His Super Special Move is the Knifehand Strike Dance (Chop-Socky in Rival Showdown).
In FoDD2016, Kobayashi plays the role of The Cruel (The Heartless in Rival Showdown). He is fought prior to The Ogre. The Cruel is aiming to become an instructor, just like The Ogre and Roxy. He also wishes to defeat Alex, who defeated him and became champion of the previous tournament. His Special Moves and Super Special Move are the same from the main story.
Ryūichi[]
Full name Hattori Ryūichi. The elder of the Dragon Twins, a third year student of Reihō Academy who transferred from Hattori Academy. His father is the headmaster of Hattori Academy. An educated ninja, his skill specialization in the martial arts is in kicks. Ryūichi has a dislike of dogs. After transferring to Reihō Academy, the brothers immediately took control of the school using their amazing martial arts skills. They then proceeded to take control of all the neighboring schools. The plan is for the academy to conquer the nation with the twins at the top, but Kobayashi knows that they are muscle, and someone else is pulling the strings. His Special Moves are the Ryūbi Ranpū Kyaku, Bakuma Ryūjin Kyaku and Ryūjin Zanshutō. His Super Special Move is the Double Dragon Incarnation - Red (Red Dragon in Rival Showdown). In Rival Showdown, Ryūichi is renamed Randy, just like in River City Ransom and River City: Tokyo Rumble. He keeps the Hattori surname.
In FoDD2016, Ryūichi plays the role of Jimmy Lee. Jimmy has confidence in his fighting abilities and displays arrogance towards his opponents, which he underestimates. His Special Moves and Super Special Move are the same from the main story.
Ryūji[]
Full name Hattori Ryūji. The younger of the Dragon Twins and a third year student of Reihō Academy who transferred from Hattori Academy, just like his brother. Educated by ninjas, he displays their high speed movement. In contrast to his brother, who is good with kicks, Ryūji choose to master punches. He dislikes cats. He has absolute confidence in his strength, and compared to his older brother, he is hot-tempered. However, due to his upbringing, he always respects authority. His Special Moves are the Ryūbi Ranpū Kyaku, Tensatsu Ryūjin Ken and Ryūjin Zanshutō. His Super Special Move is the Double Dragon Incarnation - Blue (Blue Dragon in Rival Showdown). In Rival Showdown, Ryūji is renamed Andy, just like in River City Ransom and River City: Tokyo Rumble. He keeps the Hattori surname.
In FoDD2016, Ryūji plays the role of Billy Lee and is the game's main character. Billy has a humble and curious personality, and enjoys the challenge of fighting strong opponents. His Special Moves and Super Special Move are the same from the main story.
Makoto[]
Full name Yamagami Makoto. A huge man with an unsettling presence, he was emotionally scarred by a tough upbringing. He has lost his sanity and has a powerful aura, which he uses to reign terror in the streets. Makoto is the man who gave the power of evil to Yamada, and taught him how to use it. However, Yamada eventually rebelled against him and defeated him.
Yamada[]
Full name Yamada Taiki. A third year student of Reihō Academy and the current student council president. Since middle school, he has been a rival of Kunio, who was his classmate at the time. He was friends with him and Hasebe, but Kunio's popularity eventually got to him, and the fact that he could not rival Kunio turned him into a hostile person. To gain renown, Yamada planned to take over the nation, but while he was working on this plan, Kunio gained national and worldwide fame, for destroying the Sanwakai and winning sports competitions. When he joined the Academy, using his evil power, he brainwashed Onizuka, took the position of student council president from him, and used his position to slowly take control from other schools. The evil power he took from Makoto has given Yamada enough strength to even defeat the Dragon Twins and bring them under his control. His special moves are the Mach Punch, Mach Kick, Art of Yamada and Brainwashing. His Super Special Moves are Art of Yamada - Revised, Brainwashing - Revised, Violence, and The Flowers of Evil (Simon Says Die, Ultra Brainwash, Outburst and Flower of Evil in Rival Showdown, respectively).
In FoDD2016, Yamada plays the role of Simon. His Special Moves and Super Special Move are the same from the main story, with the exception of Brainwash - Revised and The Flowers of Evil.
Remaster[]
A remaster of Rival Showdown was released on October 11, 2023 for the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Steam worldwide which made a number of changes compared to the original 3DS version:
- Online support has been added for the main story and the FoDD2023 gamemode.
- A side-story focused around Riki named "Riki's Story" has been added. The mode is unlocked by completing Yamada's Story or is automatically unlocked if the player has save data from River City Saga: Three Kingdoms on their system.
- The mode is accessed throughout the main story by finding NPCs during the afternoon around the town with a blue speech bubble over their head. Upon talking to them, Kunio will listen to them describe what they saw happen with Riki and the game will then let the player play as Riki to play the sequence being described. Riki's sequences do not elapse time and can be reattempted if failed. Completion of all the events throughout the three days will add the option to play through the final day from Riki's perspective.
- In any battle sequences, Riki is given a fixed amount of health and special meter with an array of special moves at his disposable similarly to Yamada's Story. Riki's special moves will not consume any of his meter and he is instead given an overdrive mechanic when the special meter is filled where he is given a set of stronger special moves while it's active.
- The story features an alternate timeline of events and does not serve as a prequel or continuation of the main story.
- The game has received a re-translation which overhauls the writing of the script but does not change any of the story around. Most characters who were originally given their localized names in the original 3DS English release now use their Japanese name.
- Toraichi and Toraji are still referred to by their localized names given in River City: Tokyo Rumble, Tigerfang and Tigerclaw respectively.
- Cutscenes with broken text on the 3DS version in English have been fixed.
- The amount of save slots have been expanded to four with the ability to copy save files and reset their story progress being added.
- The Tough School (Intermediate) difficulty level is no longer selectable by default and must now be unlocked by clearing the normal or true ending on the Soft School (Beginner) difficulty.
- Various aspects of the game have been made faster than before. Combat and movement flow much faster overall while cutscenes and shop animations are able to be skipped through much faster.
- While cutscene dialog can be skipped much faster, any motions characters may make can no longer be sped up.
- FODD2016 has received a variety of rebalances and miscellaneous changes.
- The gamemode's name has now changed to FoDD2023 (Fighting of Double Dragon 2023) and to Double Dragon Duel 2023 in the English version.
- All characters who were changed to use their River City Ransom counterpart's name in the English version now use the same names that are seen in the Japanese version.
- Ultra moves are now able to be used only once per round if the player less than half of their health. Before, ultra moves were able to be used an infinite amount of times when the player was nearly defeated.
- Special moves are now able to be changed around during an active fight. Additionally, Yamada is now able to view his special moves from the pause menu when playing as him.
- Certain gameplay improvements made in River City Saga: Three Kingdoms have been carried over.
- NPCs with an event are now marked with a bubble over their head at all times rather than having to walk up to them.
- All enemies including bosses now have the option to display health bars.
- Long battles with waves of enemies now have a visible counter for remaining enemies left.
- Random encounters will no longer briefly pause the game as a card is flashed on screen.
- Lighting has been redone and backgrounds have been upscaled. The textures have increased in quality with some background objects being changed to 3D models. In addition to this, character sprites no longer have a blurry filter placed on them and are now rendered sharply at all times.
- The Tiger Gym have added remixes of Nekketsu Fighting Legend's title screen theme and the game's final battle theme from River City: Tokyo Rumble and River City Melee Mach!! respectively.
- Dropped coins from enemies will no longer make any noise when bouncing.
Codes & Secrets[]
Encyclopedia[]
By completing the game on any of the endings, the player unlocks the Encyclopedia. This section is a gallery that contains a list of characters, special moves, skills, events, locations, and music featured in the game.
Mysterious Store Unlocks[]
The Mysterious Store in the parking lot of the Maruka Transport Abandoned Building can be accessed at any time, but it will have no items when first playing through the game. To unlock items for the store, the player must defeat Yamada once on each difficulty level. The player can unlock a total of four items, one for each difficulty.
Harder Difficulties[]
The Tough Devil School (Hard) difficulty level can be unlocked by completing the normal or true ending on the Normal difficulty level. The Hot-Blooded Tough School (Tough as Nails) difficulty level is then unlocked through completing the Tough Devil School difficulty.
Cold Blooded Yamada's Story[]
To unlock this mode, the player must complete the true ending of the main story.
FoDD2016 Unlocks[]
To unlock Alex, the player must defeat The Ogre without losing any rounds throughout the game. After defeating The Ogre, Alex will challenge the player and is unlocked after being defeated.
To unlock Roxy, players need to defeat The Ogre with over 350,000 points in their score. After defeating The Ogre, Roxy will challenge the player and is unlocked after being defeated.
Trivia[]
- The localized version of the game mistakenly lists all Sophomore characters as Juniors.
Gallery[]
External links[]
- Official site (Japanese)
- Official site (Remaster)
- Game information from Natsume
- Strategy wiki (Japanese)
References[]