River City Ransom EX Game Boy Advance

The NES sleeper hit River City Ransom, which integrated role-playing elements with side-scrolling combat, makes its Game Boy Advance debut with a number of enhancements. Cast in the role of teenagers Alex or Ryan, players must fight to reclaim River City High School from a gang led by a dangerous character named Slick. Yet before the teens can reach the school, they must first deal with River City's thugs and riffraff looking to "educate" them in the ways of the street. Both lead characters will be able to punch, kick, climb surrounding structures, perform team-up moves, as well as throw weapons or even other enemies.

What sets River City Ransom EX apart from similar beat-'em-ups is its character development system. Players earn coins for defeating enemies and can use this money to purchase food, apparel, or other items to increase certain attributes, such as jumping, weapon proficiency, health, and more. Featured game modes include Story, playable alone or cooperatively with a friend, and Battle, which pits two custom characters against one another. Solo players can also link two handhelds together: one to play the game and the other to use as a display for character stats and level progress. A character's special techniques and various other data can further be customized to trade with players. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide