Do You Need to Play River City Girls Games in Order?

With River City Girls 2 about to appear, it might get people wondering about the games. This spin-off series is tied to the Kunio-kun line. Two of them are entirely original adventures created by WayForward. However, the existence of River City Girls Zero mucks things up a bit. Do you need to play it? (I mean, do you want to?)

So, here’s a quick explainer to help you out.

If you want to play River City Girls and River City Girls 2, then yes, it is a good idea to play them in order. The first game establishes and introduces Misako, Kunio’s girlfriend, and Kyoko, Riki’s girlfriend. It sets the stage for the two of them being kidnapped, in need of a rescue. It also shows why Marian, a Double Dragon staple, is in these two games. People can find it on the PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, PC, and Amazon Luna service.

River City Girls 2 could be enjoyed as a standalone experience. It does involve an entirely new adventure with Misako, Kunio, Kyoko, and Riki. However, since the relationships are established in the previous game, it is a good idea to start there. It is available on the PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.

River City Girls Zero only became a “River City Girls” game after the fact. It originally appeared on the Super Famicom as Shin Nekketsu Koha: Kunio-tachi no Banka. This was a straightforward Kunio-kun game in Japan, starring Kunio and Riki. However, it did mark the playable debut of Misako and Kyoko. So retroactively, WayForward and Arc System Works made it a part of this series as essentially a spin-off, “prequel” adventure when it appeared on the PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and PC in February 2022. As such, you don’t need to play it at all if you are interested in the mainline games. It’s supplemental, and even Misako and Kyoko in the fourth wall-breaking introduction seem to suggest it is a fun game to know about.