River King 2 Field Guide

Titles · Versions · Series Context

Legend of the River King 2 Game Info

The Game Boy Color fishing RPG also known as River King 2, LotRK2, and Kawa no Nushi Tsuri 4. Use this page to identify the product, read release facts, and place the game in the wider series.

Fish
104
Maps
8
Gear
59
Routes
Kid + Teen

Overview

What this game is

Legend of the River King 2 is a patient fishing RPG: equip tackle, read bite tones, unlock maps, fill memos, and chase story kings. It is not a farm sim and not a combat-first JRPG.

Platform

Game Boy Color Dual-mode USA cart: enhanced on GBC, playable on original Game Boy, Super Game Boy ready.

Genre

Fishing RPG Skill loop is cast, continuous tone, fight, then map unlocks and collection memos.

Publisher / developer

Natsume / TOSE Western packaging and catalogs use Natsume; development credit is TOSE.

Story openings

Kid or Teen Two routes share the world but start at different maps and first upgrades.

Fishing skill loop

The continuous bite tone and rest-and-reel fight define the whole game. Equipment only helps after that loop is reliable.

Two routes

Kid opens at Lake with a freshwater exchange path. Teen opens at Beach with early saltwater gear pressure toward Ocean.

Collection memos

Track 104 fish plus bugs, flowers, and shellfish. Completion is the long-term goal after story kings.

Legend of the River King 2 title screen on Game Boy Color
Title screen from the USA dual-mode release (internal title RIVER KING2BRKE).

Interactive tool

Title & Version Identifier

Paste a marketplace title, forum post, or FAQ heading—or pick the clues you already see. The tool maps naming chaos onto a concrete product and next step.

Works with River King 2, LotRK2, Kawa no Nushi Tsuri 4, GBC, 3DS VC, sealed, loose, and similar phrasing.

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Collector notes
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This tool only labels products and collector conditions. It does not price a copy or host downloads.

Naming variants

Every name players actually type

Search and marketplace text rarely sticks to one spelling. Keep the H1 clean, but treat the variants below as the same game when context matches.
Variant Where it shows up Treat as
Legend of the River King 2 Canonical English title This game
River King 2 / LotRK2 Short form, fan shorthand This game
Legend of River King 2 Missing “the” in listings This game
… GBC / Game Boy Color / GameBoy Color Platform disambiguation This game on GBC
Kawa no Nushi Tsuri 4 Japanese series title JP counterpart
Kawa no Nushitsuri 4 Alternate romanization JP counterpart
Legend of the River King (no 2) First handheld entry Earlier game — not 2
River King 3 / Friends of Mineral Town crossover titles Later series / GBA era Different product

Version notes

Cartridge, Virtual Console, and region signals

Collectors and players mix physical and digital language constantly. Separate the product before you compare price, saves, or screenshots.

Primary

Game Boy Color cartridge

Original dual-mode USA release. Best everyday way to own and play the game on licensed handheld hardware.

  • Internal title: RIVER KING2BRKE
  • CGB flag 0x80, SGB flag 0x03, mapper 0x1B
  • 1 MiB cart with battery-backed save RAM
  • Label language often includes Natsume / Game Boy Color

Historical digital

Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console

Official GBC re-release for 3DS family systems. New eShop purchases are closed; prior owners can redownload on the same account and region.

  • North America: September 18, 2014
  • Europe & Australia: October 23, 2014
  • Store art is not the 2001 cardboard box
  • Not a first-time buy path after eShop closure

Japanese

Kawa no Nushi Tsuri 4

Japanese title used in catalogs and import listings. Packaging, language, and region codes differ from the NA English cart.

  • Also written Kawa no Nushitsuri 4
  • Import CIB photos can look familiar but are not NA packaging
  • Do not price-match NA and JP boxes blindly

Compatibility

Hosts that accept the cart

Authentic dual-mode carts run across classic Nintendo Game Boy family hardware when contacts are clean.

  • Game Boy / Pocket (monochrome mode)
  • Game Boy Color (native color)
  • Game Boy Advance / SP
  • Super Game Boy and Game Boy Player

ROM size

1 MiB USA dual-mode release footprint.

CGB flag

0x80 GBC enhanced, GB compatible.

SGB flag

0x03 Super Game Boy features enabled.

Mapper

0x1B MBC5 + RAM + battery.

Field-guide coverage

What is inside the GBC game

USA release coverage used by this field guide: fish, maps, gear, spots, and openings.
104

Fish Memo entries

Including three story-gated king encounters.
8

Maps

Lake, Stream, Summit, Beach, Shore, Moor, Ocean, Remote Island.
59

Gear items

Rods, hooks, bait, lures, flies, and trolling bait.
257

Fishing spots

Across route-shared encounter tables.
33

NPCs mapped

Useful for quests, shops, and exchange loops.
2

Story openings

Kid and Teen routes with shared late-game maps.
Kid and Teen route select screen in Legend of the River King 2
Route select is the first permanent product choice after naming your file.

Quick reference

Game info FAQ

What is Legend of the River King 2?

A Game Boy Color fishing RPG with Kid/Teen openings, eight maps, 104 fish, and story kings. Published by Natsume and developed by TOSE.

Is it the same as Kawa no Nushi Tsuri 4?

Yes at series level. English packaging says Legend of the River King 2; Japanese catalogs use Kawa no Nushi Tsuri 4. Region packaging still differs.

When did it come out?

The NA Game Boy Color cart is the 2001 dual-mode release. 3DS Virtual Console followed in 2014 (NA September 18; EU/AU October 23).

Does it run on original Game Boy?

Yes. The USA cart is dual-mode (CGB flag 0x80) with Super Game Boy support. Color looks best on Game Boy Color.

Should I play LotRK 1 first?

No. River King 2 is self-contained. Play the first game only if you want series history.

Is this a Harvest Moon game?

No. It shares cozy handheld energy and some publisher-era overlap, but the core loop is fishing skill and map unlocks—not farm building.