Kunio-kun facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kunio-kun
Arcade flyer of Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun, the first game in the Kunio-kun series
Developers	Technōs Japan Arc System Works
Publishers	Technōs Japan Million Corp. Atlus Arc System Works
Creators	Yoshihisa Kishimoto
Platforms	Famicom, Game Boy, Mega Drive, Sharp X68000, PC-Engine, Super Famicom, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Virtual Console, mobile phone, personal computer, PlayStation 2, WiiWare, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, Linux, MacOS
First release	Nekketsu Renegade Kunio-kun JP May 1986
Latest release	Stay Cool, Kobayashi-san! A River City Ransom Story WW Nov 7, 2019

The Kunio-kun series is a super fun collection of video games that started with a company called Technōs Japan. Now, another company named Arc System Works owns all the rights to these games.

The very first game in the series was called Nekketsu Renegade Kunio-kun. This name roughly means "Hot Blood Tough Guy Kunio". "Nekketsu" is actually the name of Kunio's high school! The word "kun" after his name is a friendly Japanese word often used for young boys.

The games first appeared in arcades and on the Famicom console. The main character, Kunio, was named after the former president of Technōs Japan, Kunio Taki. Kunio even became the company's mascot! He showed up in their logos and TV ads. While Yoshihisa Kishimoto created the first game, many later games were made by Mitsuhiro Yoshida and Hiroyuki Sekimoto.

Some early Kunio games for the NES were changed for players in North America. For example, Renegade, River City Ransom, Super Dodge Ball, Crash 'n the Boys: Street Challenge, and Nintendo World Cup were all "Americanized" versions of the Kunio-kun games. Technōs Japan made over twenty Kunio-kun games for various consoles in Japan.

Awesome Kunio-kun Games

The Kunio-kun series has many exciting games! Here are some of the most well-known ones:

Renegade (Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun)

• First Game: This was the very first game in the series, released in 1986 for arcades.
• Story: You play as Kunio, who fights different gangs to protect his friend Hiroshi.
• International Version: The game was changed for other countries and called Renegade. The graphics looked more Western, and the story changed to the hero rescuing his girlfriend.

Super Dodge Ball (Nekketsu Kōkō Dodgeball Bu)

• Sports Fun: This 1987 arcade game was the first sports game starring Kunio.
• Gameplay: Kunio leads his high school dodgeball team, Nekketsu High, against rival schools and even international teams!
• American Version: In the United States, it was called Super Dodge Ball. The Japanese teams became American, and vice versa.

River City Ransom (Downtown Nekketsu Story)

• Console Original: Released in 1989 for the Famicom, this was the first Kunio game made especially for home consoles.
• Team Up: Kunio joins forces with his rival, Riki, to save Riki's girlfriend from a gang.
• Unique Style: It's a side-scrolling fighting game with cool role-playing game (RPG) elements. You can buy items and equipment to make your character stronger or learn new moves!
• Other Names: It was known as River City Ransom in North America and Street Gangs in Europe.

Nintendo World Cup (Nekketsu High School Dodgeball Club: Soccer Story)

• Soccer Action: This 1990 Famicom game features Kunio and his dodgeball team playing soccer!
• Goal: They help the soccer club manager, Misako, compete in a national soccer tournament.
• Worldwide: Nintendo released it internationally as Nintendo World Cup, giving it a global soccer theme.

Crash 'n the Boys: Street Challenge (Surprise! Nekketsu New Records! The Distant Gold Medal)

• Athletic Events: This 1992 Famicom game is a sequel to Downtown Nekketsu March.
• Competition: Nekketsu High competes against other teams in four different athletic events. Up to four players can join the fun!
• American Release: It was released in North America as Crash 'n the Boys: Street Challenge.

River City Girls

• New Heroes: Released in 2019, this game features Kyoko and Misako as the main characters.
• Rescue Mission: They go on an adventure to rescue Kunio and Riki!

Cool Characters in Kunio-kun

Many awesome characters appear in the Kunio-kun games. Here are some of the most important ones:

Main Heroes

Kunio as he appears in Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari EX. In the North American version (River City Ransom EX), he is known as Alex.

• Kunio: He's the main hero of the series! Kunio protects Nekketsu High School from rival schools. He's also the captain of his school's Dodgeball team and is great at other sports like soccer and ice hockey. In some American versions, he's called Alex or Crash Cooney.
• Riki Samejima: Riki is often called Kunio's biggest rival, but he's also a good friend. He's the guardian of Hanazono High School. In Downtown Nekketsu Story, Riki teams up with Kunio. In American versions, he's known as Ryan or Jack.

Other Important Characters

• Hiroshi: Kunio's best friend from the first game. He often gets picked on by bullies, and Kunio always steps in to help him.
• Shinji: The leader of a tough gang. He's a boss in several games and is also a playable character in some.
• Misuzu: A very tall and strong girl from an all-girl school. She's a powerful boss character and sometimes playable.
• Sabu: The leader of a dangerous gang. He's often a final boss and a major enemy for Kunio.
• Mami Shimada: Riki's girlfriend and a cheerleader for Hanazono High. She often needs rescuing! In River City Ransom, she's called Cyndi.
• Taiki Yamada: The main bad guy in River City Ransom. He used to be Kunio's friend but became jealous and wanted revenge.
• Misako: A student and manager of Nekketsu High's Soccer Club. She's one of the two main characters in River City Girls.
• Mamoru Tōdō: The rich and powerful Student President of Reihou Academy. He dislikes Kunio and tries to make him look bad.
• Ryūichi and Ryūji Hattori: These twin brothers are known as the "Double Dragon Twins" because they look and fight like the heroes from the Double Dragon games. They are very strong fighters.
• Kyōko: A student from Hanazono High and Riki's fighting partner. She's one of the two main characters in River City Girls.
• Sabuko: Sabu's daughter and the final boss in River City Girls. She's a skilled fighter with a katana and magic.

Kunio-kun Manga

There's even a funny manga (Japanese comic book) series based on the video games! It's called Ore wa Otoko Da! Kunio-kun. It was drawn by Kosaku Anakubo and was published from 1991 to 1996. This manga even won an award for children's manga in 1995!

See also

In Spanish: Kunio-kun para niños