The European version of River City Ransom under the title Street Gangs. Same Technos beat'em up with RPG excellence. Street brawls, character improvement, co-op. Essential in any version.
Your verdict
Category
Beat-'Em-Up2 players12+
Co-op
Description
European version of River City Ransom featuring European characters in a similar city. Published by Technos Japan, released in Europe in 1991. Alex and Ryan liberating friends with weapon and technique shops. European version of Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari on NES.
Street Gangs review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Blending street brawling and role-playing in an open city: you punch, scoop up money and spend it in shops to grow stronger. This unexpected freedom and the good-natured humour make it a beat-'em-up unlike any other. With two players, the adventure becomes shared joy with no downtime. Clever, funny and hugely endearing, a cult little masterpiece.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
Compare prices
Loading eBay listings…
Alert active — budget
$
Collector interest
The European PAL NES edition of 'River City Ransom' rebadged Street Gangs for the PAL market, with American school references stripped in favour of a generic street branding. The PAL cart is scarce in boxed CIB and stands as an identifiable piece for PAL Kunio-kun collectors. The cote climbs steadily, sustained by physical scarcity and by the coherence of a complete PAL Technos collection distinct from the Japanese Famicom trilogy.
Better with friends
A street beat-'em-up tinged with RPG where two pals roam the city, thrash gangs and spend their cash on techniques and snacks to grow stronger. Cooperation dominates, savored in shared progression, punctuated by a teasing rivalry when scooping up the loot. Funny and surprisingly rich, it turns every outing into a shared adventure you want to see through to the end.
Is Street Gangs still worth playing in 2026?
Street Gangs is the European version of River City Ransom under a localised title. Same beat 'em up RPG excellence from Technos: street fights, character progression through shopping and two-player co-op. Still one of the best NES games full stop. An absolute must to try today, especially in two-player.
