River City Ransom was one of those lost NES classics that begged for an update, something that's especially important because newer generations of gamers probably haven't heard of it. However, courtesy of Atlus and developer Million, River City Ransom has made a triumphant return, this time on Nintendo's Game Boy Advance, and the final product is about as good a pocket brawler as you'll ever find.

RCR's story was irrelevant in the NES original and it's the same way here, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. All you need to know is that a girl named Cyndi is in trouble, and there are two characters, Alex and Ryan to choose from. This is a situation where the gameplay is so stellar it's not necessary to harp over why you're beating a guy's head in with a rock. You just do it because you can! RCR's all about hitting the side scrolling streets and teaching a myriad of different street punks a lesson. Its gameplay is reminiscent of more famous brawlers such as Streets of Rage and Final Fight. Even though RCR preceded them, the idea is still the same. You and your computer controlled buddy (which is new to the update), wander through various locales beating the crap out of every threatening character that gets in your way using any means necessary. The game features a plethora of different moves, including jump kicks, punches, and slick-looking elbows thrown without even looking at the target. You can take the time to learn them all, or simply mash buttons. Either way, the gameplay is extremely satisfying, though it can be hard at times to hit people because neither character has a long enough range.

If your kicks aren't landing, you may want to pick up one of numerous weapons in the game. Some are held by thugs and need to be taken, while others are just lying on the ground. There are chains, pipes, rocks, traffic cones, crates, and bow staffs, just to name a few, and they all do a decent amount of damage. Also, unlike other games, you can continue to beat enemies while they're on the ground, which makes for some rather funny facial animations.

What I really love about this game is its freedom of choice. While other games in the genre require you to clear entire rooms before proceeding, aside from bosses, you really don't have to fight anyone. If a gang of baddies jumps out of nowhere and you're not in the mood, just take an alleyway or go off screen and you'll go to the next area, though it makes sense to beat them up since they drop coins, which, as you'll soon discover, is necessary for character building.

While RCR is loaded with action, what makes it unique are its RPG elements. Each character, including you, loses hit points depending on what's happening to them, and they conveniently appear every time you or the enemy takes various bumps. Also, as you progress, you pass through shopping districts that have stores you can enter, and using money obtained from fallen foes, you can purchase numerous items that upgrade your character. Believe me, the selection of stuff is quite diverse, including food of all types, mangas, books, moves, and other assorted goodies that improve power, defense, jumping ability, etc. It adds tons of depth to the gameplay, and it's a necessity, especially when facing boss characters. The game even features a stat tracking system so you can see how the character's abilities have improved.

Visually, RCR has definitely been beefed up over its 8-bit counterpart, though its graphics aren't the GBA's best. It almost looks like it's the NES original with a dull 16-bit sheen, but it's certainly passable. Again, like the story, the so-so graphics aren't that big a deal because the game is so much fun to play. Also, the bottom of the screen is where all of the text for the game is displayed, and it's rather amusing to read, especially when you're beating people up. "Barf!" was my most famous exclamation from a fallen warrior, followed by "Bizarf!" However, there are plenty of other notable quotables, including "This blows my day," "Urk," "I'm wasted," and "Biff!"

Honestly, there's not much to gripe about, though I do have some minor issues, starting with the "rubber" weapons. Things have a tendency of bouncing off the enemy and hitting you, and if you're not careful, you can get caught in a nasty chain by which precious bars of your life get drained by a rock you threw! Also, there's no co-op play (just file trading)! It just doesn't make any sense and it's really annoying, but it's something I can live with given the quality gameplay experience. Oh, and what's up with the save feature, or lack thereof? There's no auto save, meaning that if you die, the game starts you at a checkpoint, but those checkpoints may be several screens back! There's a battery-saved character file, but I yearned for some well-placed checkpoints. However, as with similar games, stuff like this is meant to be played in one sitting, so the lack of a great save feature only serves to add to this title's old school charm.

Lastly, RCR's presentation is very bland. There's no intro movie, the music isn't too catchy, and the story isn't fleshed out much. You just go out and beat everyone up, not that that's a horrible thing, but when I consider other games in the genre (Double Dragon 2 stands out the most), RCR comes up rather short in the "bells and whistles" department.

I've played my fair share of GBA fighters and River City Ransom reigns supreme. It's seriously lacking in presentation, but it more than makes up for it with lots of action and an innumerable amount of items to buy. A welcome addition to the GBA's library, it's one of those rare gems that stands alone, making it a welcome addition in any gamer's collection. However, the lack of multiplayer kicks this one down a notch. While developers could get away with stuff like that over a decade ago, I expected just a little more from a 2004 GBA title. "Bizarf!"