The Japanese plot is probably a little more developed and pivotal to the series. I believe this is the first game where we see Riki and Kunio joining forces... enough about story, though.
In this whacked out teenage power fantasy you'll walk, run, and acro-circus through a series of screens. The city is pretty big, and you'll have to travel back and forth a lot to hunt down all the bosses and find all the items you want (although it's not exactly non-linear). You'll find a number of weapons, including a trash can and a lead pipe. Most of the road to RCHS is gang turf, and you'll be beating up a lot of guys. Hit them enough and they'll say something like "BARF!" or "Is this fun yet?" and drop coins of varying value (depending on their strength) which you can use to buy food, books, and oddities at one of the many mall areas.
Buying food is a huge part of the game, since it's the only way to raise your stats. I get extremely hungry playing River City Ransom. Books are another vital buy, because they teach you techniques like Stone Hands (rapid punching), the aforementioned Acro-Circus (dangerous flip attacks) and Javelin Man (the ability to toss people very, very far). Other goods include toys, magazines, occult items, shoes, a relaxing sauna, and the famous Merv Burger Smile (tm).
All in all, very fun to play. Having a second player makes it one of the most ridiculously fun cooperative games of all time. If you were wondering about any differences in the European version, see the "Street Gangs" title shot at right. That's all.
