You are, once again, a high school student called Mr. K (in the Japanese version, he is Kunio, who ended up starring of a long-running series of Kunio-kun games, some of which were localized overseas), although instead of looking for your kidnapped girlfriend or even your bullied school chum, you are simply "surrounded by gangs of blood-thirsty thugs" whereby "only you can put these punks in their place—face down in the gutter". Or so the manual claims.

Like the arcade game, there are four areas to visit: the subway platform, the wharf (you know, all the cool kids and the tough renegades hang out at the local wharf), the alleyway, and... actually, the fourth area is different! Instead of just the simplistic gang headquarters, you are subjected to a maze of doors, with each room containing a group of foes waiting to punch you in the neck. It's very easy to get lost there, and having to fight wave after wave of ruffians while confused as to where you're trying to end up can be rather frustrating. Some of the environments have been significantly altered to better reflect the changes of the arcade version when localized overseas, but they don't affect the gameplay, with the exception of the addition of a motorcycle-riding scene, which is neat.

Except for the ending, which normally would have Kunio shaking hands with Hiroshi, the student he "rescued" from bullies. Here, it's just a jump cut to the credits. How sad. I worked hard to get to the end of this game, and there isn't even a picture of Mr. K being proud of his supposed success. Seems like the work of a very hastily produced port. Thank goodness the rest of the game looks like effort was wedged in.

Be a renegade while laying on the couch.

Luckily for him, Mr. K has a single ace up his sleeve to get through most situations: the trusty jump-kick. Every enemy is susceptible to this above all else; no foe is too burly to protect themselves from a dreaded hoofprinting on the forehead! Oh, sure, Mr. K can punch and kick like any other secondary school fighter/algebra competition champion, but those are relatively weak compared to the mighty jump kick! Add to this a lethal socking to the face once they're down, and you have yourself a cold-blooded killer student on your hands. Without using the jump kick frequently, this game is downright dastardly; only this special move can bring the game down to tolerable as far as difficulty goes. (Kim, the nasty lady boss in Mission 3, is practically impossible without the jump kick. And even then, it's not always going to be effective... Nasty, nasty boss...)

Renegade on the NES improves on the arcade original in other ways. Each stage features multiple fighting locations, not just one two-screen scene per stage. Typically, you'll head to two or three. As well, thanks to the limitations of the console, only up to three enemies will come at you at one time, as opposed to an entire gang of hoodlums circling you.

Unfortunately, that dastardly timer still remains, and all screens still have that two-minute limit. Thank goodness it resets between scenes, even within the same level. Same for your health bar! Huzzah!

The graphics reflect the arcade version rather well, right down to Mr. K's Crocodile Dundee outfit. Seriously, what high school student wears this without violating the dress code? Is he that one Backstreet Boy who was frequently showing off his bare nipples? You know which one. Everything looks basic, but it's definitely functional. The soundtrack has also been faithful converted to the NES and given some extra pep in the process, injecting the player with that extra bit of energy he or she needs to keep going when the going gets tough! For an early NES game, Renegade holds its own. It's not as presentable as later titles in the NES' lifespan, but it definitely looks better than most NES games of 1986.