Developer: Technos Japan
Publisher: Taito
Release Date: January 1988
(Even the box art can't make it past the first screen)
Although Renegade plays like a proto-Double Dragon it is actually the first entry in the long running Kunio-kun series. This is a series that North Americans are familiar with probably without even realizing it. It’s more of a setting than an actual series so each game can be radically different. Most people who have played Super Dodge Ball and River City ransom probably didn’t know they were part of the same universe even with the similar sprites, but they are all Kunio-kun games. So if anyone ever asks you what is the sequel to Renegade you can tell them it is Super Dodge Ball. Hey you learned something today.
Renegade is a game I remember renting several times as a kid and never getting past the first screen. Its brutal difficulty is both intentional and a consequence of bad design. Unlike in Double Dragon where the enemies will enter from off screen and give you a chance to mentally prepare, Renegade plops you down into a battle already in progress. There’s almost no time to get ready. Sometimes the new screen will load with the enemies already attacking. That is not a good thing especially since Renegade doesn’t need any extra help being difficult. Unlike in Double Dragon you punch and kick in opposite directions. Because of this the developers felt like it was okay to have you constantly surrounded by enemies. Other than a brief section on a motorcycle the whole game is fighting groups of bad guys on fixed or slightly scrolling screens. It is overwhelming to say the least, but when it works it can be fun.
(The one time you're not standing and punching)
Renegade only takes about fifteen minutes to play through so I don’t have as much to say as I usually do. It’s about half the length of Double Dragon even though it has more levels. It’s really just fight and move on with very little complexity. I did enjoy the urban setting however. Early NES games tended to have a more fantasy look, but Renegade keeps it mostly in the real world. Levels take place on city streets and back alleys, and each one of them fits thematically. Of course they had to throw in a confusing maze level. Developers loved these during the NES era even though most gamers hated them. It was a way to add fake difficulty in a game where you just walk and punch. Still, I did enjoy stumbling onto a motorcycle gang in the middle of a house. They had to include a little Nintendo weirdness after all.
(Hey no motorcycles in the house!)
I had an alright time playing Renegade, but it certainly has its flaws. It’s too short and difficult to leave that much of an impression. I was playing it on Evercade with save states so I was able to see it through to the end, but in its original state I have never been able to make much progress and never felt that motivated to get better. It’s not a complete failure, but it’s fitting right into the purple section between other early NES games Tennis and Hogan’s Alley. I also moved Evoland up a few spaces because I thought about it too hard. Hey this list is final and definitive, but that doesn’t mean I can’t change it.
Nintendo quality percentage: 7/13 = 53.84%
1. Super Mario Odyssey
2. The Legend of Zelda
3. Galaga
4. Donkey Kong
5. Exodus: Ultima III
6. Pac-Mania
7. Wrecking Crew
8. Super Pac-Man
9. Pac-Man
10. Viva Pinata
11. Dragon View
12. Excitebike
13. Drakkhen
14. Arc the Lad
15. Clu Clu Land
16. Artifact Adventure Gaiden DX
17. Mickey’s Racing Adventure
18. Metro-Cross
19. Double Dragon
20. Ice Climber
21. Gaplus
22. Dragon Spirit
23. Pinball (NES)
24. Ninja Golf
25. Super Soccer
26. Walt Disney World Quest: Magical Racing Tour (GBC)
27. Red Sea Crossing
28. Baraduke
29. Evoland
30. Tennis
31. Renegade
32. Hogan’s Alley
33. Gamma-Attack
34. The Legend of “Valkyrie”
35. Galaxian
36. Cosmic Commuter
37. Hot Pixel
38. PocketBike Racer
39. Wild Gunman
40. Defunct
41. Gyruss (2600)
42. Looney Tunes Racing
43. Squidlit
44. Baseball
45. Birthday Mania
46. Bad Street Brawler
47. Burly Men at Sea
48. X-Men (HyperScan)
49. My Name is Mayo
50. Marvel Heroes
51. Ben 10
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