Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is going to gain new spirits that cut deep into Nintendo’s history – four spirits based on the Kunio-kun series are coming to the game.
Nintendo Life discovered that the Japanese Twitter account for Super Smash Bros. shared new information about spirits coming to Ultimate. The new spirits are the pixelated art style found in the old-school game called Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun.
Two of the four spirits are based on the two protagonists, Kunio and Riki, from the games, respectively. Kunio is in his iconic white uniform, whereas Riki is in his blue dress. One of the other spirits is the boss Goda; he’s the one in green. The last spirits are a pair of twins, who are referred to as the dragon twins in the games. They are most likely a reference of the protagonists in Double Dragon.
These spirits will be available in an event in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate starting Jan. 24.
Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun is a side-scrolling, beat-em game that was initially released in the arcades back in the 80s. The game centered on a high school delinquent named Kunio fighting against thugs to protect his school. The game kick-started the Kunio-kun franchise, which was the most prevalent in the 80s.
The Kunio-Kun series is known in the west under different titles. The localization changed the setting of the original games and rebranded the first game in the series as Renegade. Future titles in the franchise will eventually adopt the River City name in the United States.
While no longer as big as it once was, the Kunio/River City franchise continues to thrive to this day. Most recently, a spin-off game called River City Girls was released and developed by American studio WayForward. River City Girls centers on the girlfriends of the lead male characters from the original games, who go on a rescuing mission to save their boyfriends.
