River City Ransom
Nintendo Entertainment System · 1989
About this game
The evil Slick has kidnapped Ryan's girlfriend and taken over the high school.
The player is cast as either Ryan or Alex (second player) and has to fight his way through River City's merciless gangs before confronting Slick and freeing his girl.
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River City Ransom is a side-scrolling beat-em-up similar to Double Dragon .
The player, or players, travel through the locations of River City, encountering various gangs along the way.
Gang members can be defeated with punches and kicks, or beaten up with objects scattered around.
Upon their defeat, gang members drop money which Alex and Ryan can spend in malls to buy items that restore health and improve their combat abilities.
The main characters have RPG-like numerical stats that can be improved this way, and can also buy books to learn combat manoeuvres.
To finish the game, the player(s) have to find and defeat all the bosses.
The Game Boy Advance port of the game adds a number of features, including the ability to recruit certain characters (including defeated bosses) to fight alongside you.
It also has different gangs and several new weapons.
About Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System (1983 in Japan, 1985 in the West) revived the North American video game industry after the 1983 crash and established conventions — cartridges, licensing seals, save systems — that shaped the industry for decades. NES collecting is one of the most established retro markets: common titles remain cheap, but a well-known handful of low-print-run games (many from smaller third-party publishers) are among the most expensive video games in existence.
Gamevaro tracks River City Ransom for Nintendo Entertainment System with separate market values for loose, complete-in-box (CIB) and factory-sealed copies, sourced from real eBay sales. Prices also vary by region — PAL, NTSC-U and NTSC-J releases of the same game often sell for different amounts due to print run sizes and regional collector demand.
Adding River City Ransom to a Gamevaro collection takes seconds — search by title or scan the box barcode, and the app fills in cover art, release details and current pricing automatically. This NES release dates back to 1989.
Price history
Market values by condition
NTSC-U
Recent sales
| Date | Type | Region | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-12 | Box Only | NTSC-U | €21.87 |
| 2026-07-12 | Graded New | NTSC-U | €1035.88 |
| 2026-07-12 | New (sealed) | NTSC-U | €443.39 |
| 2026-07-12 | Item only | NTSC-U | €41.65 |
| 2026-07-12 | Manual Only | NTSC-U | €17.73 |
| 2026-07-12 | Complete in Box | NTSC-U | €111.50 |
| 2026-07-10 | New (sealed) | NTSC-U | €443.20 |
| 2026-07-10 | Complete in Box | NTSC-U | €111.44 |
| 2026-07-10 | Box Only | NTSC-U | €21.86 |
| 2026-07-10 | Manual Only | NTSC-U | €17.73 |
| 2026-07-10 | Graded New | NTSC-U | €1034.89 |
| 2026-07-10 | Item only | NTSC-U | €42.18 |
| 2026-06-18 | Graded New | NTSC-U | €990.28 |
| 2026-06-18 | Complete in Box | NTSC-U | €120.46 |
| 2026-06-18 | Item only | NTSC-U | €38.81 |
| 2026-06-18 | Box Only | NTSC-U | €51.22 |
| 2026-06-18 | New (sealed) | NTSC-U | €437.12 |
| 2026-06-18 | Manual Only | NTSC-U | €21.57 |
| 2026-06-17 | Complete in Box | NTSC-U | €119.28 |
| 2026-06-17 | Item only | NTSC-U | €38.52 |
| 2026-06-17 | Manual Only | NTSC-U | €21.57 |
| 2026-06-17 | Graded New | NTSC-U | €990.28 |
| 2026-06-17 | New (sealed) | NTSC-U | €437.12 |
| 2026-06-17 | Box Only | NTSC-U | €51.22 |
| 2026-06-15 | Graded New | NTSC-U | €992.59 |
| 2026-06-15 | Complete in Box | NTSC-U | €119.56 |
| 2026-06-15 | Box Only | NTSC-U | €51.34 |
| 2026-06-15 | Item only | NTSC-U | €38.61 |
| 2026-06-15 | New (sealed) | NTSC-U | €438.14 |
| 2026-06-15 | Manual Only | NTSC-U | €21.62 |
Market insights
Rarity & condition
River City Ransom has a steady sales history on the tracked marketplaces, meaning enough copies circulate to establish a reliable market price.
Complete-in-box (CIB) copies typically command a premium over loose cartridges/discs because the original box and manual are more fragile and get discarded or damaged over time — fewer complete sets survive.
Frequently asked questions
How much is River City Ransom worth?
River City Ransom for Nintendo Entertainment System is currently worth €46.50 loose, €111.50 complete in box, and €443.39 factory sealed. Prices are based on real sales and update regularly on Gamevaro.
Is River City Ransom rare?
River City Ransom has a steady sales history on the tracked marketplaces, meaning it trades hands regularly and isn't considered particularly rare.
What's the difference between loose, CIB and sealed for River City Ransom?
Loose means cartridge or disc only, CIB (complete in box) includes the original box and manual, and sealed means factory-sealed and never opened. For River City Ransom, loose is €46.50 and CIB is €111.50 — CIB commands a premium because original boxes and manuals are fragile and often don't survive.
Ratings & Reviews
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