River City Ransom: Underground

River City Ransom: Underground is a continuation of the quirky beat'em up series. The plot takes place 20 years after the original River City Ransom. Alex and Ryan, retired from their fighting days, are now running an auto repair shop, while the infamous Slick rots in jail. After a mysterious kidnapping jolts the town, the gang of high-schoolers known as "The Flock" is framed for the abduction, but Alex and Ryan figure this has Slick's handiwork all over it. It's up to the player to find out what truly is going on in River City and stop the culprit once and for all.

The game is a beat 'em up with a lot of similarities to the original River City Ransom. The player controls one of the playable characters (members of the Flock, or others who can be unlocked throughout the game), freely exploring River City, and fighting against the numerous gang members encountered on the way. The gangs all differ in appearance and fighting tactics. Some places are safe "hideouts" where the player can switch to a different character or save the game. Running out of stamina (the health meter) causes the player to lose half of his money and respawn at the last visited hideout.

Each character has a variety of different moves. Some moves consume the "special" bar that regenerates on its own over time. It's possible to grapple foes, as well as to pick up downed opponents and toss them. The player can also pick up weapons such as baseball bats, rocks, crates or trashcans, either to fight with, or to throw at the enemies.

Defeating the gang members gives the player experience and money. Experience increases the character's level, which determines his maximum stats. Money can be spent in shops on items such as food or books. The items can increase stamina (the health meter), willpower (a backup source of health), maximum length of the "special" meter, and/or a variety of stats such as "attack" or "throw" that determine the character's combat skills. New fighting moves can be bought in specific shops as well.

In the "story" mode the player must find and defeat a number of bosses throughout the city. The clock plays a factor: some boss encounters only happen at a specific time (day or night), and most shops are closed at night. There is also an "arena" mode where the player can fight single battles with any chosen characters.