Graphics: 7
For the NES, they are pretty decent, and let me tell you, i have seen worse (just think about Pitfall, no offense, though yes it was a good game). But overall, I give it a 7.

Sound: 9
The sound in this game is... Perfect. The tunes in this game will keep you rockin' on (hehe) for many years to come. I played this game when I was around 5 or 6, and I (still) remember the songs. The music will live on in your mind.

Gameplay: 5
Decently easy controls, but I don't like how you have to hold down the 2 buttons to jump, still, it was only a 2 button controller (if you don't include the start and select buttons.)

Overall: 9
Excllent game... Juego Excelente... Gioco Eccellente... Excellent Jeu... Ausgezeichnetes Spiel... Anyway you say it... It's a good game.

Excellent game... oops, already did it.

Graphics: 9
No one has made better graphics on the NES. They are cartoony, but it a way that really works. You could almost say that it is the Super Dodge Ball cover of Double Dragon. However, not even the classic Double Dragon is this good in terms of smoothness.

Sound: 9
For NES, it is great. Good music, and solid sound effects.

Gameplay: 10
Two players run about fighting thugs. It is a classic premise for NES games, but none did it with this much style. What other game gives you a choice of resturants to buy food for your heroes, and then lets them get it to go? There are other games that allow you to buy better attacks, but how many allow you to accessorize your foot wear? You can go where you want to, beat up who you want to, and even take the thugs money when you are done. Pick of any weapon and smack some one with it, or maybe just throw the thing. It has never been done better.

Overall: 9
Absolutely the best game out there for NES. Play it for 10 minutes and you will know what I am talking about.

The End

Graphics: 7
Okay, I didn't rate it top notch here, but there's a reason why. Ever play Super Dodge Ball? Ever play World Cup Soccer? The people are built and animated the same way. The backgrounds, on the other hand, are done fairly well. Scenes range from the front of a schoolhouse, to the inside of a warehouse, to a playground, to several busy city streets.

Sound: 9
Again, the shadow of Super Dodge Ball and World Cup Soccer surfaces. If you've played those games, then you've heard the same type (if not the exact same tunes) in those other games. That's not to say the music is bad; obviously the composer wouldn't have been featured in two other game paks if their music stunk. Nice catchy fight tunes, and good transitions when the scene changes. The fighting sounds are well done, and fit the objects that make them, whether its a fast uppercut to the jaw or clobbering someone with an oil drum.

Gameplay: 10
This category is where the game shines like no other on the NES, and deserves complete and utter devotion from those amateurs named Leonardo, Michaelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael. Your fighter is incredibly customizable, from how many punches to the face they can take before passing out, to the strengths of the various types of attacks they can make. The system to build up your character is quite simple. When you beat a thug, you get the money from his pocket. You can take this money and buy improvements to your fighter in the towns. Go into a bakery and buy a Croissant or a Muffin; these will improve one of the various attributes for your fighter. Buy a Spy comic book at a magazine stand and read it, and you'll improve other skills. Buy a complete steak dinner, and watch various scores skyrocket! Buy a manual on a special fighting technique, and be able to delve out lightning-fast kicks or punches, or throw your enemies further across the screen than you ever thought possible. This directly translates to fighting in-game; one of the most pleasing feelings comes when you've improved your throwing skill so much (by eating $80.00 worth of sushi, no doubt) that you can knockout a thug by hitting him with a single thrown rock.
Anything is a weapon. I mean anything. Pick up rocks, chains, two-by-fours, tires, oil drums, crates, or even the downed thugs themselves and bust some heads. Did I mention the secret magic shop where you can buy (for exorbitant prices) the weapons of the gods themselves? It's even easier when you play simultaneously with the second player; with some practice you can combine jumping and throwing attacks with the other player to be more devastating.

Overall: 9
This game will easily offer you hours of playtime. Even if you beat the game, and you're bored with the monotonous level design, you'll want to go back just to master a new type of attack, or eat a different type of food to see how it will improve your character. The difficulty levels can be modified if you want to see how much more punishment is _too_ much. A password feature is included and remains accessible at all times, to let you stop the game and continue later where you left off.

River City Ransom is without a doubt the reigning master of gameplay for the NES, and this more than accomodates its shortcomings in the graphics department. You will not want to put this game down for a while, count on it.

I was able to find this very-very-rare game at my local used game store, and didn't balk at the $15.00 price tag; instead I snatched it up quicker than a Dragon Punch. It is definitely worth it. Check out the ROM if you're not believing me.