City Hunter from Clouded Leopard Entertainment, Red Art Games, and SUNSOFT brings back a classic 2D action game, ready for a new generation. Check out your City Hunter review!
Please enter your date of birth to access this video:
City Hunter from Clouded Leopard Entertainment, Red Art Games, and SUNSOFT brings back a classic 2D action game, ready for a new generation. The game was originally released way back in 1990, and it’s the first and only official home console video game based on the beloved anime classic, which is based on the Manga from Tsukasa Hojo that got its start in 1985. It’s now 35+ years later, and the PC Engine City Hunter, which was only released in Japan, is getting a new shot on Nintendo Switch 2 on a worldwide launch. And before we continue, do know that this one is a Rated M for Mature experience!
The game places you in the role of Ryo Saeba, also known as City Hunter. He’s what you would call a professional “sweeper,” ready to take on a variety of jobs that require his unique set of skills. This can include protecting beautiful women from danger… to carrying out assasinnations. Think of him as a bodyguard, a hitman, and a private detective rolled up into one. You’ll be working alongside your partner, Kaori, who happens to be the younger sister of your deceased best friend.
What’s new for this particular release? We’re getting access to the original version, just like it was presented decades ago, an Enhanced Mode version, as well as a Hard Mode version. The Enhanced Mode version has controls that feel more responsive, fixes lag issues and various bugs, keeps your character centered when scrolling the screen, so that you can always see more of the screen, the flinch period after a jump has been lowered from 8 to 2 frames, you can turn around and switch weapons while crouching, and you can switch weapons while invincible after being hit by an enemy or an ttack.
As for the Hard Mode version, just like its name suggests, it will dial up the challenge to 11! Hard Mode uses the Enhanced Mode version of the game and moves items around, increases the damage you take from enemies while also increasing how much damage you can deal, boosts enemy speed and makes them more aggressive, with more challenging boss fights, and traps that are also faster and deadlier. At least the hit boxes have been resized!
Once the intro cutscene is over, you’ll be taking control of Ryo by using the left analog stick or the D-Pad as you run through each stage, jumping by pressing the A button, and shooting at enemies by pressing the B button. Enter a room, go upstairs, or try to enter a door by pressing up on the left analog stick or the D-Pad, and crouch or go downstairs by pressing down on the left analog stick or the D-Pad. You can change weapons by pressing the – button on the Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con or the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller as needed.
You can use save states to take things at your own pace, saving your progress to continue exactly from that moment. There’s also a rewind feature that you can activate by pressing the ZR button, so that you can go back in time in case you make some mistakes. There’s also a CRT filter to give the game that old-school classic TV film from the 1990s. You can change the aspect ratio between 4:3, pixel perfect, native, or a stretched widescreen image. There’s also a music player so that you can enjoy the game’s soundtrack, as well as a bonus gallery with anime scene stills and key visuals. You can even check out a digitized version of the game’s original game box for the PC Engine, including a 3D HuCard and a digitized manual!
City Hunter brings back a classic 2D action game, ready for a new generation. The game was originally released way back in 1990, and it’s the first and only official home console video game based on the beloved anime classic, which is based on the Manga from Tsukasa Hojo that got its start in 1985. It’s now 35+ years later, and the PC Engine City Hunter, which was only released in Japan, is getting a new shot on Nintendo Switch 2 on a worldwide launch in a Rated M for Mature experience.
You’ll be jumping into the role of Ryo Saeba, a.k.a. City Hunter. He’s what you would call a professional “sweeper,” ready to take on a variety of jobs that require his unique set of skills. This can include protecting beautiful women from danger… to carrying out assasinnations. Think of him as a bodyguard, a hitman, and a private detective rolled up into one. You’ll be working alongside your partner, Kaori, who happens to be the younger sister of your deceased best friend.
The game has now been localized into multiple languages, which means that you can play the game in Japanese, English, French (including the Nicky Larson version), German, Italian, Spanish, Korean, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese. City Hunter is out on Nintendo Switch 2 with a $24.99 price tag. There’s also a Nintendo Switch version of the game available for the same price as a separate purchase.
Disclaimer
This City Hunter review is based on a Nintendo Switch 2 copy provided by Red Art Games.
