'River City Girls' is the game 'Scott Pilgrim' hoped to be

Even the now-venerated "Streets of Rage 4," which made The Washington Post's best games of 2020 list, hued so closely to original formula that its fighting systems are not nearly as robust as the one in "River City Girls." New moves and abilities are earned through leveling up and collecting thousands of dollars from downed, would-be boyfriend kidnappers. You can also buy dozens of even more powerful moves from the Double Dragon brothers Billy and Jimmy, voiced by YouTube creators Game Grumps. This same progression mechanic is in "Scott Pilgrim," but that game becomes entirely too easy once you play it enough. "River City Girls" scales up the challenge so you're always engaged in the fights.