WayForward has been pretty busy in the last few years. On top of carrying on with the beloved Shantae franchise and working on a variety of games based on outside IPs, WayForward found significant success with its beat 'em up River City Girls. Technically, River City Girls isn't a WayForward original; it's a spinoff of the Kunio-kun franchise, and its development was overseen by Kunio-kun owner Arc System Works. Nonetheless, WayForward has really made River City Girls and the Kunio-kun characters its own, earning high praise for the game's writing, combat, art, and more. It's no surprise, then, that River City Girls 2 has already been confirmed by WayForward.
However, WayForward recently told fans that it has another project in the works that it's referring to as River City Girls Zero. As the title suggests, the game could be interpreted as a prequel to 2019's River City Girls, but it's actually not a new game at all. Rather, it's an upgraded and newly translated version of the Kunio-kun game in which River City Girls stars Misako and Kyoko first fight alongside their respective boyfriends, Kunio and Riki. River City Girls Zero will offer a lot of fans the first opportunity to experience Misako and Kyoko's origins.
River City Girls Zero Explained
River City Girls Zero's original name is Shin Nekketsu Koha: Kunio-tachi no Banka. Released in 1994 for the Super Famicom as a Japan exclusive, Kunio-tachi no Banka sees Nekketsu High School students Kunio and Riki sent to prison for a hit-and-run that they swear they didn't commit. When they catch word that a Kunio lookalike has been spotted around Nekketsu High, Kunio and Riki break out of prison to find the lookalike who they believe framed them. Along the way, they reunite with Misako and Kyoko, who join them in their quest to clear their names.
Kunio-tachi no Banka is a beat 'em up similar to River City Girls, although all four protagonists form a party that players switch between, rather than encouraging players to focus on one character. Kunio-tachi no Banka also features two-player co-op, meaning fans can hand a controller to a friend just like in River City Girls. Overall, the game's story is certainly all about Kunio and Riki's plight, but Misako and Kyoko are still central to their journey. In fact, considering the upgrades and story tweaks that WayForward has teased for River City Girls Zero, they may have an even more prominent role than before.
River City Girls Zero's Changes
While WayForward has remained faithful to the 16-bit look of the Super Famicom, River City Girls Zero has polished up some of Kunio-tachi no Banka's presentation. WayForward promises an anime intro with a new theme song for the game, as well as cutscenes presented as manga panels. As a result, River City Girls Zero looks like it'll be a charming blend of old and new content. It probably won't have much of an impact on the current River City Girls storyline, since it's just a translated port of an older title in the franchise, but it's a valuable piece of history.
River City Girls Zero could serve as a great appetizer for River City Girls 2 if it releases before the sequel. River City Girls 2 is aiming for a summer 2022 release, but River City Girls Zero will start preorders for physical copies through Limited Run Games on January 28. That could mean that River City Girls Zero's early 2022 release date is right around the corner. The next installation in the River City Girls subseries looks promising, introducing new playable characters Marian and Provie as well as broad upgrades to combat, but River City Girls fans might enjoy experiencing the franchise's past before focusing on the future.
River City Girls Zero releases in early 2022 for PS4, PS5, and Switch.