River City Girls Zero includes a full password system to skip to any level. This is due to the game being a meta-port of Shin Nekketsu Koha: Kunio-tachi no Banka, a 16-bit era Super Famicom game that had no save feature. This is further highlighted by the latter just being a fictional console game within the River City Girls universe.
The password feature is nice as players can only initially play as River City Ransom heroes Kunio and Riki. Additionally, the two male protagonists have limited move sets while in their prison uniforms. Using passwords, players can get a feel of expanded moves, as well as recruit Misako and Kyoko to the team.
River City Girls Zero has two layers of menu selections, the main overlay is the updated user interface used to set options and save progress. The second is the virtual game console used to play Shin Nekketsu Koha: Kunio-tachi no Banka. In order to input passwords, players will need to use the latter’s title screen.
Console Passwords in River City Girls Zero
Passwords allow players to select any encounter they wish from Shin Nekketsu Koha: Kunio-tachi no Banka. This includes combat stages, boss fights, vehicle sections, and some cutscenes. Passwords are identical for both one and two-player sessions. The final digit determines the difficulty level, with odds being easy and evens being normal – however, normal mode is required to progress to the bridge level or beyond.
Easy/Normal Mode passwords
- 210x: Start of the game – Prologue
- 310x: Inside the Prison Cell
- 410x: Gouji boss fight
- 510x: After defeating Gouji
- 610x: Hiroshi’s visit cutscene
- 710x: Planning to escape Prison
- 810x: Prison escape attempt
- 910x: Prison Guard encounter
- 011x: Main title – end of Prologue
- 111x: Takayama boss fight
- 211x: Nekketsu High School Entrance
- 311x: Swimming Pool
- 411x: Nekketsu High School main floors
- 511x: Taiki boss fight
- 611x: Hanazono High School Entrance – Misako joins
- 711x: Hanazono High School main floors
- 811x: Hanazono High School roof
- 911x: Ryuuta boss fight
- 012x: Hanazono High School exit – Kyoko joins
- 112x: Amusement park entrance
- 212x: Ferris wheel encounter
- 312x: Rollercoaster fight
- 412x: Rollercoaster ride
- 512x: Getting off the Rollercoaster
- 612x: Go Kart cutscene
- 712x: Shinji boss fight
- 050x: Bike stage to docks
- 812x: Highway exit cutscene
- 912x: Dock arrival cutscene
- 013x: Warehouse part 1
- 113x: Warehouse part 2
- 213x: Warehouse part 3
- 313x: Shinji rematch boss fight
- 413x: Exiting the warehouse
- 513x: Takayama arrives at the docks
- 613x: Highway entrance cutscene
- 060x: Bike stage to the disco
- 713x: Joe and Lisa boss fight
- 813x: Entering the disco
- 913x: Kinji boss fight
- 014x: Leaving the disco
- 070x: Bike stage to Pachinko Parlor
- 114x: Pachinko Parlor arrival
- 214x: Hitmen outside the Pachinko Parlor
- 314x: Entering the Pachinko Parlor cutscene
- 414x: Misuzu boss fight
- 514x: Parlor second floor
- 614x: Confronting Sabu
Normal Mode only passwords
- 7142: Leaving the Pachinko Parlor
- 0802: Bike stage to the Lake Bridge
- 8142: Crossing the Bridge
- 2152: Inside the cave
- 3152: Villa entrance
- 4152: Villa part 1
- 5152: Villa basement
- 6152: Villa part 2
- 7152: Misuzu rematch boss fight
- 8152: Villa part 3
- 9152: Encountering Ken cutscene
- 0162: Ken boss fight
- 1162: Sabu boss fight
- 2162: Ending
Watching the entire ending to Shin Nekketsu Koha: Kunio-tachi no Banka will also trigger the updated ending to River City Girls Zero. One can also quickly save in the middle of the cutscene, though loading will continuously exit out of the virtual console. For the most part, it is typically better to use passwords to re-advance already completed stages instead of skipping ahead without context.
River City Girls Zero is available on Nintendo Switch.