Tyneisha Lewis
*Articles reflect the views of the author and or those quoted and do not necessarily represent the views of CCBC or The CCBC Connection.
*This review is for the digital version on Nintendo Switch.
River City Girls is a fun “beat ‘em up” style game where two girls have one mission; to save their boyfriends from danger.
Released on Sept. 5, 2019 River City Girls is a “beat 'em up” style role playing game that was developed by the video game company, WayForward.
As the game starts, players are greeted with an anime-style opening and catchy song that both introduces the plot of the game and sets the game mood as well. The two heroines receive a mysterious text message showing their boyfriends Riki and Kunio being kidnapped, which leaves them on a journey throughout River City to find and rescue them.
There are two main characters that players can choose from, Kyoko and Misako. Each girl has her own unique personality, charm, and fighting style.
Kyoko is Riki's girlfriend, and is voiced by Kira Buckland. She has the bubblier personality of the two and has an energetic fighting style of volleyball and cheerleading moves.
Misako is Kunio's girlfriend, and is voiced by Kayli Mills. She has a cool, ready-for-action personality and uses a combination of both wrestling moves and her trusty pink heart shaped backpack as her weapon.
Playing the game feels like a modern game at the arcade. Players can earn money and experience by defeating enemies.
Players can buy new fighting moves/combos, accessories, food, and more for their chosen characters through malls and stores throughout the game. Making sure to have money/cash throughout the game is important not only to buy things at the mall stores, but also to have lives/retry levels as well. Players can also switch between Misako and Kyoko each time they restart the game/load a save.
I found this a fun aspect as it gives the user an equal chance to experience the game and play as both characters. There's also a co-op mode for players to play with a friend to beat the game.
The pause menu is also cleverly designed, with the design of the girls' cellphone which highlights both of their personalities. On the pause menu, players can save their game/current progress, see maps of the stages/area, people recruited, game objectives, and more.
The pixel-art-style animation and design of River City Girls is wonderful. A lot of detail, creativity, and care can be seen throughout, and it appears Anime and Manga also served as an inspiration for the game. The game includes anime-style cut scenes, which not only suits the story and feel of River City Girls, but also appeals to modern audiences and Anime/Manga fans.
The Synth-pop music soundtrack for River City Girls is excellent, catchy, and suits the game well. The soundtrack was a collaboration featuring artists such as Chipzel, NateWantsToBattle, Dale North and Cristina Vee.
Singer and Composer, Megan McDuffee also created the tracks for the game's stages, shops, and menu, along with vocal songs. Catch Megan McDuffee's interview about the music for River City Girls here. The soundtrack is available to purchase on musical platforms such as Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music, and more.
River City Girls is available for purchase digitally on the Nintendo Switch eshop, Xbox store, Playstation store, and Steam. WayForward also has River City Girls Zero available as well, with the upcoming sequel River City Girls 2 this year.
My sincere thanks to WayForward for the digital code/copy of this game for my review.
You can learn more about WayForward and their other games here. Fans of the "beat 'em up" game genre will enjoy playing this game.
River City Girls, a fun game that anyone of all gaming levels can play!
