River City Melee: Battle Royal Special

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River City Melee: Battle Royal Special is a single player and multiplayer arcade sport game. It was developed by Arc System Works and was released on September 28, 2017. It received neutral reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

This is the most recent installment of the Kunio-Kun franchise recreated as a fun and easy fighting game with the fighting aspects taken and upgraded from River City Super Sports Challenge All Star Special.

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River City Melee: Battle Royal Special screenshot

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93%

Audience ScoreBased on 30 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

Classic Kunio-kun combat that appeals to fans of the series.
Fun gameplay with a variety of characters and stage gimmicks.
Trading cards add an extra layer of enjoyment and collectability.

Limited online player base makes online achievements nearly impossible.
Game lacks variety with only a few stages and repetitive gameplay.
Frequent crashes and freezes can disrupt the gaming experience.

story
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
80%
10%
The game's story mode is criticized for lacking depth and character development, with players noting that while each of the 25 teams has a unique storyline, the overall narrative feels underwhelming and repetitive. Despite the humorous elements and references to previous games, the plot is often seen as secondary to the combat mechanics, which resemble classic beat-'em-up styles. Fans of the kunio-kun series may appreciate the humor, but the story is not meant to be taken seriously.
- “The story is hilarious though, with the translation (which is a little improved but still not good enough) adding to the amusement.”
- “The game's 'single play' mode has the player going through a tournament with a plot different for each team.”
- “Each story contains 6 'tournaments': 3 times 3 battles of 4 teams, a battle with tigers or another team, plus a battle against a member of the wu wonfu team (main antagonists) and another fight with 2vs2 against the wu wonfu team, where the defeated member is replaced with Yuuji or Mitsuhide.”
- “This game doesn't really have a proper story mode; I mean, it kinda does, but it could've been better.”
- “Each character has some sort of story, but there's not enough game time to properly develop them, so overall, the narrative is pretty much lame.”
- “Despite having over 20 tracks, the story mode plays only 3 or 4 tracks repeatedly.”
gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
50%
21%
Gameplay is generally considered fun and strategic, with unique character skill sets requiring players to think tactically during matches. However, some users criticize "River City Melee" for its slow and simplistic mechanics compared to other games in the genre, despite some improvements. Overall, the game offers a casual experience, with players noting the balance between enjoyment and the game's market potential.
- “Considering the gameplay mechanics, each team has characters with a unique skill set and usually you have to play 3 rounds per match, so you may use strategy in order to select who's going to fight next.”
- “Not only is it fun, trading cards have a great market right now and about 6 hours of gameplay got me 50 cents, which doesn't sound like much but it's a game, not a job!”
- “Compared to its contemporaries, River City Melee features slow, cumbersome, and simplistic gameplay, regardless of multiple mechanical (and admittedly brilliant) improvements added by Arc System Works.”
- “The game makes a couple of additions, both for ease of access and during gameplay.”
- “It mostly happens during the award ceremony, but it can also happen randomly during gameplay and on the menus.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The music in the game is well-received, featuring a solid soundtrack and sound effects that maintain the quality of previous installments. While the overall musical style remains consistent, new tracks have been added to enhance the experience of the new stages and cutscenes.
- “The soundtrack and sound effects are nice as always, nothing to complain about these particular aspects.”
- “Most of these new music tracks are meant to complement the new stages and are also used in the game's cutscenes.”
- “The music and graphics of the game are the same as the previous game, though the game does include new tracks.”
- “Most of these new tracks are meant to complement the new stages and are also used in the game's cutscenes.”
- “The music and graphics of the game are the same as the previous game, though the game does include new tracks.”
graphics
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The graphics are generally praised for being significantly improved over the classic 8-bit style, offering a more polished visual experience. While they maintain a similar aesthetic to the previous game, the inclusion of new music tracks adds to the overall appeal.
- “As for the graphics, they're nice; I mean, way better than the classic 8-bit FPS stuttering.”
- “The music and graphics of the game are the same as the previous game, though the game does include new tracks.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's graphics are praised for their quality, significantly surpassing the outdated 8-bit style, and the overall performance shows improvement with reduced stuttering.
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the high replayability of the game, highlighting the inclusion of multiple playable characters such as Tiger Twins and Double Dragons, which encourages repeated playthroughs.
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Both games experience significant stability issues, with users reporting frequent crashes and freezes that occur independently of their internet connection.
- “Both games suffer from frequent crashes and freezes, regardless of connection.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with many finding the story to be hilarious. However, some users note that the translation, while slightly improved, still falls short, which can affect the overall comedic experience.
- “The story is hilarious, with the translation (which is a little improved but still not good enough) adding to the amusement.”

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59%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

River City Melee: Battle Royal Special Review
Videochums.com
59%

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6h Median play time

6h Average play time

6-6h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

River City Melee: Battle Royal Special is a arcade sport game.

River City Melee: Battle Royal Special is available on PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Windows and others.

On average players spend around 6 hours playing River City Melee: Battle Royal Special.

River City Melee: Battle Royal Special was released on September 28, 2017.

River City Melee: Battle Royal Special was developed by Arc System Works.

River City Melee: Battle Royal Special has received neutral reviews from players and neutral reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its story.

River City Melee: Battle Royal Special is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include River City Ransom: Underground, Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise Of The Dragons, Code of Princess, Double Dragon Neon, Double Dragon 4 and others.

River City Melee: Battle Royal Special

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