Nekketsu Koha Kunio-kun
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Kunio.jpg
Million Corp., a company founded by former members of Technos, purchased all of Technos' assets (including the Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun game series) several years after Technos went defunct. It originated on the Arcades and the Famicom. The game's title and its main character Kunio were named after Technos Japan's former president, Kunio Taki. The original game was created by Yoshihisa Kishimoto, who later designed Double Dragon as well, although many of the later games (particularly those under the Downtown Nekketsu moniker) were the creation of two men by the names of Mitsuhiro Yoshida and Hiroyuki Sekimoto. Yoshida currently works for Million Corp. and was involved in the creation of Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari EX.
Western gamers who grew up with the NES knew the game series through Renegade, River City Ransom, Super Dodge Ball, Crash n' the Boys Street Challenge and Nintendo World Cup, which were heavily localized versions of the Kunio-kun games. Technos Japan has released over 23 Kunio-kun titles for the Famicom, Game Boy and Super Famicom in Japan. In addition, licensed ports of the games were made for other platforms such as the PC-Engine (through Naxat Soft), Sega Mega Drive (through Pal Soft) and the X68000 (through Sharp).
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Games in the Kunio-kun series
| Title (Japanese) | Title (romaji) | Platform | Release Date (JPN) | Localized Title/Version |
| 熱血硬派くにおくん | Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun | Arcade | 05/1986 | Renegade |
| 熱血高校ドッジボール部 | Nekketsu Kōkō Dodgeball-bu | Arcade | 11/1986 | Super Dodge Ball |
| 熱血硬派くにおくん | Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun | Famicom | 4/17/1987 | Renegade |
| 熱血高校ドッジボール部 | Nekketsu Kōkō Dodgeball-bu | Famicom | 7/26/1988 | Super Dodge Ball |
| 熱血高校ドッジボール部 | Nekketsu Kōkō Dodgeball-bu | X68000 | 9/1988 | |
| ダウンタウン熱血物語 | Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari | Famicom | 4/25/1989 | River City Ransom (US), Street Gangs (Worldwide) |
| 熱血高校ドッジボール部
ＰＣ番外編 | Nekketsu Kōkō Dodgeball-bu: PC Bangai-hen | PC Engine | 3/30/1990 | |
| ダウンタウン熱血物語 | Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari | X68000 | 4/1990 | |
| 熱血高校ドッジボール部
サッカー編 | Nekketsu Kōkō Dodgeball-bu: Soccer-hen | Famicom | 5/18/1990 | Nintendo World Cup |
| 熱血高校ドッジボール部
サッカー編 | Nekketsu Kōkō Dodgeball-bu: Soccer-hen | X68000 (licensed port) | 10/1990 | |
| ダウンタウン熱血行進曲
それゆけ大運動会 | Downtown Nekketsu Kōshinkyoku: Soreyuke Daiundōkai | Famicom | 10/12/1990 | |
| 熱血硬派くにおくん
番外乱闘編 | Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun: Bangai Rantō-hen | Game Boy | 12/17/1990 | Double Dragon II (altered graphics and music) |
| 熱血高校サッカー部
ワールドカップ編 | Nekketsu Kōkō Soccer-bu: World Cup-hen | Game Boy | 4/26/1991 | Nintendo World Cup |
| ダウンタウンスペシャル
くにおくんの時代劇だよ全員集合！ | Downtown Special: Kunio-kun no Jidaigeki da yo Zen'in Shūgō! | Famicom | 7/26/1991 | |
| 熱血高校ドッジボール部
強敵！闘球戦士の巻 | Nekketsu Kōkō Dodgeball-bu: Kyôteki! Tōkyū Senshi (Dodge Soldier) no Maki | Game Boy | 11/8/1991 | |
| 熱血高校ドッジボール部
ＣＤサッカー編 | Nekketsu Kōkō Dodgeball-bu: CD Soccer-hen | PC Engine | 12/20/1991 | |
| いけいけ！熱血ホッケー部
「すべってころんで大乱闘」 | Ike Ike! Nekketsu Hockey-bu: Subette Koronde Dairantō | Famicom | 2//7/1992 | Crash 'n the Boys: Ice Challenge (unreleased) |
| 熱血高校ドッジボール部
ＰＣサッカー編 | Nekketsu Kōkō Dodgeball-bu: PC Soccer-hen | PC Engine (licensed port) | 4/3/1990 | |
| びっくり熱血新記録
はるかなる金メダル | Bikkuri Nekketsu Shinkiroku: Harukanaru Kin Medal | Famicom | 6/26/1992 | Crash 'n the Boys: Street Challenge |
| ダウンタウン熱血行進曲
どこでも大運動会 | Downtown Nekketsu Kōshinkyoku: Dokodemo Daiundōkai | Game Boy | 7/24/1992 | |
| 初代 熱血硬派くにおくん | Shodai Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun | Super Famicom | 8/7/1992 | |
| 熱血高校ドッジボール部
ＭＤサッカー編 | Nekketsu Kōkō Dodgeball-bu: MD Soccer-hen | Mega Drive | 8/7/1992 | |
| ダウンタウン熱血行進曲
それゆけ大運動会 | Downtown Nekketsu Kōshinkyoku: Soreyuke Daiundōkai | PC Engine | 12/11/1990 | |
| 熱血格闘伝説 | Nekketsu Kakutō Densetsu | Famicom | 12/23/1992 | |
| くにおくんの熱血サッカーリーグ | Kunio-kun no Nekketsu Soccer League | Famicom | 4/23/1993 | Crash 'n the Boys: Soccer Challenge (unreleased) |
| びっくり熱血新記録
どこでも金メダル | Bikkuri Nekketsu Shinkiroku: Dokodemo Kin Medal | Game Boy | 7/16/1993 | |
| くにおくんのドッジボールだよ全員集合！ | Kunio-kun no Dodgeball da yo Zen'in Shūgō!! | Super Famicom | 8/6/1993 | |
| 熱血！すとりーとバスケット
～がんばれＤｕｎｋＨｅｒｏｅｓ～ | Nekketsu! Street Basket: Ganbare Dunk Heroes | Famicom | 12/17/1993 | |
| ダウンタウン熱血べーすぼーる物語
野球で勝負だ！くにおくん | Downtown Nekketsu Baseball Monogatari: Yakyū de Shōbu da! Kunio-kun | Super Famicom | 12/17/1993 | Diamond Challenge (unreleased) |
| ダウンタウンスペシャル
くにおくんの時代劇だよ全員集合！ | Downtown Special: Kunio-kun no Jidaigeki da yo Zen'in Shūgō! | Game Boy | 12/22/1993 | |
| ダウンタウン熱血物語 | Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari | PC Engine | 12/24/1993 | |
| 新・熱血硬派
くにおたちの挽歌 | Shin Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-tachi no Banka | Super Famicom | 4/29/1994 | |
| くにおのおでん | Kunio no Oden | Super Famicom | 5/27/1994 | |
| 熱血！ビーチバレーだよ くにおくん | Nekketsu! Beach Volley da yo: Kunio-kun | Game Boy | 7/29/1994 | |
| くにおの熱血闘球伝説 | Kunio no Nekketsu Tōkyū (Dodgeball) Densetsu | Neo-Geo | 1996 | Super Dodge Ball (1996) |
| ダウンタウン熱血物語ex | Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari EX | Game Boy Advance | 3/5/2004 | River City Ransom EX |
Nekketsu Koha: Kunio-Kun (original game)
The original Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-Kun is the Kunio game that Renegade is based on. It involves Kunio of Nekketsu High School of Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. The gang of students from Hanazono High School led by Riki attempted an invasion against Nekketsu High, but Kunio fought back, and Riki reconciled. Then on the next scene come the bousouzoku (biker gang) named Yokohama Funky led by Shinji. The third scene is a fight with those female students led by Misuzu. Then final scene is somewhat a maze leading to the game's antagonist Sabu, who is behind the whole Yakuza gang. Renegade is a localized version of Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-Kun, using American-based settings in place of Japanese settings, and a damsel-in-distress storyline similar to later beat-em-ups such as Double Dragon and Final Fight. Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-Kun is considered to be canonical, while Renegade is non-canonical, and they actually have different sequels, being Shin Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio Tachi no Banka and Target Renegade respectively.
Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari
Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari is known in the United States as River City Ransom and in Europe as Street Gangs. The script and the graphics were altered for the U.S. version. Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari was originally developed for the Famicom/NES in 1989 and later ported to the Sharp X68000. The game would be enhanced-remade for the Game Boy Advance as Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari EX, which is to be known in the United States as River City Ransom Advance and in Europe as Street Gangs Advance. In this game you see Kunio and Riki join forces for the first time.
Shin Nekketsu Koha: Kunio Tachi no Banka
Shin Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio Tachi no Banka, or simply Kunio Tachi no Banka, is the interquel of Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-Kun and Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari. It was released exclusively in Japan, for the Super Famicom in 1994. However, it was unofficially translated into English by an online translation group called Aeon Genesis Translation Proclamation (http://agtp.romhack.net/) in 2003. At the beginning, Kunio and Riki are framed for a hit-and-run accident and get incarcerated in Cell 218 by Takayama, father of Kunio's classmate Mamoru. Hiroshi visited the jail telling Kunio and Riki about the conflict with Nekketsu and Hanazono High Schools being attacked by Daiki and Ryuuta, who are Sabu's servants. Also, other students of Nekketsu and Hanazono High Schools were forced to work abroad, such as in the Amusement Park, where Kunio meets Ryuusaku. Kunio and Riki waited until after dark and then broke out of prison. Later in the game, after Kunio takes care of business with Nekketsu High School, Mamoru pulls Takayama over as Kunio runs for Hanazono High School. After Hanazono High School, Kunio and Riki meet Shinji at the Amusement Park, and after Shinji, they get acquitted of their charges. Then they head on to Roppongi and then to Pachinko Hall to reach Ken who is behind the Sanwa gang, and who is behind Ken is Sabu, also the antagonist of the original Nekketsu Kouha: Kunio-Kun. Shortly after an argument, Sabu fired two pistol bullets and then drove off with Ken to Izu. Meanwhile during the final confrontation at Izu, when Sabu's mansion is on fire, the Tokyo police arrests every last one of Sabu's henchmen who fled his mansion. Finally, Kunio and Riki return to Tokyo from Izu.
Notes
Nekketsu Kōkō; Dodgeball-bu; Soccer-hen (Nekketsu High School Dodgeball Club: Soccer Edition) is known in the United States as Nintendo World Cup.
In Japan, the games are all part of the Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-Kun series, focusing on Nekketsu High School and Hanazono High School, particularly two students, one student of each school, Kunio and Riki. Nekketsu is Japanese for "hot-blooded", and hanazono is Japanese for "flower garden." Kunio was the guardian of Nekketsu High School. He is often summoned when the students are being threatened or have a sports tournament to win. He always cross onward with yakuza, motorcycle and street gangs, and rival schools along with his counterpart Riki of Hanazono High School.
External links
- The Nekketsu Typhoon (http://www.angelfire.com/games3/johnnyundaunted/), a site covering the Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-Kun series. This site is dormant.
- River City High School Class Reunion (http://www.classicgaming.com/kunio/), another site covering the Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-Kun series. This site is dormant.
- Double Dragon Dojo (http://www.classicgaming.com/doubledragon/), another site covering the Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-Kun series. This site normally covers the Double Dragon series.ja:熱血硬派くにおくん