Review – City Hunter – Gamerview

With the return to modern consoles, after the adaptation made by Netflix, Ryo Saeba’s name finally appears on the screen again, but not as a breathtaking remake, but rather as a respectful port of a 1990 game that has always had a cult reputation.

This new remaster, developed by Red Art Games and published in partnership with Clouded Leopard Entertainment, brings the original PC Engine version with a package of extras and modern resources, and fulfills the role of a historical document of the franchise, but without overcoming the repetitive structure and confusing phase design that already marked the game on the shelves of that generation.

The hero of Shinjuku has returned

The story of City Hunter focuses on the famous Shinjuku mercenary, Ryo Saeba, precisely the character who, in Tsukasa Hojo’s version, became the icon of the perverted and dangerously efficient detective. The game is based on the first season of the anime, building an original narrative in which Ryo is involved in a conspiracy by a megacorporation that threatens the world, forcing the protagonist to invade buildings, gather evidence and face bosses in each of the four missions that make up the campaign.

The plot is simple, functional and faithful to the spirit of the work, mixing action, comedy with double-meaning jokes and an air of urban investigation, with Ryo’s perverted streak even being used as a life recovery mechanic, transforming the characteristic tone of humor into something integrated, although not deeply explored, into the gameplay itself. Narratively, the game does not require the player to know the manga or anime, but it also does not offer a remarkable script, remaining more in the field of fanservice for those who follow the franchise.

In terms of mechanics and gameplay, City Hunter is a traditional action side‑scroller, with Ryo advancing through building corridors, shooting enemies, opening doors and collecting items to unlock progression. The structure is quite simple, you can choose between breaking into the criminal organization’s building, finding the necessary evidence and facing the boss at the top, until the fourth and final mission is released, functioning as the climax of the campaign.

Enemies vary between armed mobsters, flame throwers, opponents who jump and use bombs, and bosses with specific attack patterns, but the repetition of the phase logic ends up dissolving this variety, as the player soon realizes that much of the challenge does not come from strategic combat, but from simply discovering which door leads forward. There is no map, little visual distinction between doors that can or cannot be opened and no clear guidance, which turns each level into a labyrinth of trial and error, where the big obstacle is the level design itself, and not the ability to shoot or react accurately.

A classic from 1990, but only for fans?

Among the new features of the relaunch, the game delivers some adjustments that try to soften the initial experience, but without changing the core of what was done in 1990. Enhanced mode brings small technical improvements, with adjustments to enemy behavior and general fluidity, while Hard mode reorganizes attack patterns and positioning to increase the challenge, but without changing the feeling of endless fights in corridors.

There are also more modern screen options, such as 4:3 mode, Pixel Perfect, widescreen and CRT filters, as well as features such as save states and rewind, which help to reduce the frustration caused by poorly planned respawn, in which some enemies appear immediately at the exit of rooms, shoot from outside the screen or cause damage in uncontrollable situations, which could have worked in 1990 as a way of extending the game’s duration, but today ends up becoming dated. It is also worth mentioning that even with several languages, unfortunately we do not have a PT-BR version, which may frustrate part of the Brazilian public.

In terms of art direction, City Hunter maintains the typical 16‑bit look of the PC Engine, with well-defined but relatively simple sprites of Ryo and enemies, and building scenes that do not explore the visuals much, remaining repetitive and little differentiated from stage to stage. The aesthetics are competent given the limitations of the time, but do not impress with their nostalgic charm.

The original soundtrack is pleasant, taking into account the original, with battle and exploration themes that accompany the rhythm of the levels, but the great sound highlight of the new re-release is the addition of the anime’s iconic ending theme (Get Wild, from TM Network), to be selected on the game’s jukebox. As an extra, the developers included an image gallery, scans of the original manual and a 3D version of the original PC Engine game card, reinforcing the fan appeal.

Sunsoft managed to make City Hunter return in a respectful, technically competent remaster that preserves the original 1990 game, but without worrying about the limitations of the original and its generation. Ryo Saeba’s return to consoles is a celebration for Tsukasa Hojo fans, who finally have access to this rarity, but perhaps for the average player it will be a very brief and repetitive experience. However, Red Art Games’ work is worthy of curiosity, nostalgia and historical preservation.