Play Gokinjo Boukentai (Japan) Online

Game Overview

Gokinjo Boukentai is one of those SNES games that makes you wonder how it never left Japan. You play as a kid leading a ragtag gang through their neighborhood, smashing weirdos with yo-yos and recruiting stray cats like some kind of pint-sized mafia. The first time I played, I spent way too long just messing around with the slingshot—turns out it’s weirdly satisfying to ping enemies with random junk you find lying around.

The whole thing feels like someone took River City Ransom and cranked up the chaos. The sprites are bursting with personality, especially when you’ve got a friend jumping in for co-op (because everything’s funnier when you’re accidentally whacking each other mid-brawl). And the puzzles? Just the right mix of silly and clever—like that one where you have to bribe a cat with fish to unlock a path. It’s the kind of game where you’ll finish a level and immediately want to replay it just to see what dumb antics you missed.

If you’re into retro games that don’t take themselves too seriously, this one’s a blast. Just don’t blame me when you start humming the soundtrack for days.