Kobayashi (小林, こばやし), full name Masao Kobayashi (小林政男, こばやし まさお), is a third year student at Reihō Academy that was first featured in Downtown Nekketsu Story. He is the leader and the strongest member of Reihō's Four Kings. He has the power, fighting prowess and confidence to rule over the school, but he chooses not to.
Although he comes from an upper-class background, he is currently living in poverty due his father's mismanagement of his business venture. The harsh life that Kobayashi faced since that time changed him. Though he acts calm and polite, Kobayashi is harsh, nihilistic and has a twisted mind.
Appearances[]
Downtown Nekketsu Story[]
Kobayashi debuts in Downtown Nekketsu Story as an antagonist.
Following Ryūichi and Ryūji Hattori's kidnapping of Tsuyoshi Gōda's sister Saori, Hōryō High School is placed under the control of Kobayashi. During the game, Tadashi Kinoshita and Kiyofumi Taira will mention Kobayashi's name after being defeated with Taira informing Kunio and Riki that they'll be able to find him at the back of his father's abandoned factory. Once Kinoshita, Shun Mochizuki, and Taira are all defeated, Kobayashi is then able to be fought inside of the factory. Once he is beaten, he will warn Kunio and Riki of Gōda's headbutt, in which the two are now able to face off against him at the gates to Reihō Academy.
In the localizations River City Ransom and Street Gangs, Kobayashi is renamed to Thor.
Downtown Nekketsu March Super-Awesome Field Day![]
Kobayashi appears as a member of Reihō Academy's team. He is described as being a character comparable to the captains of the other teams, as Ryūichi acts as their team's captain. In the Battle Royal minigame, he will have access to the Mach Chop. This move is the fastest of the Mach attacks in the game as it has the least amount of frames.
Kobayashi is the second character that can trigger the Weapon Throwing Bug in the game. The other character that can perform this is Kenichi Morimoto.
Downtown Special Kunio-kun's Historical Period Drama![]
Kobayashi plays the role of Heishichi.
Heishichi first appears later in the game as a boss fight. Upon being defeated by Kunimasa, Heishichi will compliment his strength and tell him that Jinroku is even stronger than him. Heishichi will appear again farther into the game as a messenger and first informs Kunimasa that Torazō and Asajirō are working together.
His special move is the Hyper Guard, which will help block incoming attacks and deflect the equivalent damage to his opponent.
Surprise! Nekketsu New Records! The Distant Gold Medal[]
Kobayashi returns as a member of Reihō Academy's team.
In the localization Crash 'n the Boys: Street Challenge, Kobayashi was renamed to Worthington "Monty" Montgomery, a member of Lincoln High School's team.
Kunio-kun no Dodgeball da yo Zen'in Shūgō[]
Kobayashi is one of the default characters that the player can use when creating their teams.
Downtown Nekketsu Baseball Monogatari: Yakyū de Shōbu da! Kunio-kun[]
Kobayashi appears as a member of Reihō Academy's team.
Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari EX[]
Kobayashi appears in the same role as he did in the original versions of the game. New to this version, Kobayashi is given the Hyper Guard from Downtown Special Kunio-kun's Historical Period Drama! and is given a new move called the Glide Chop. Kobayashi is able to be recruited if the player has a high amount of reputation and have not recruited any other member of Reihō's Four Kings. If the player completes the game with Kobayashi recruited, the ending is slightly changed by mentioning that shortly after Taiki Yamada left Reihō Academy, Kobayashi also left the school and was never heard from again.
In the localization River City Ransom EX, Kobayashi retains his previous name of Thor.
Nekketsu Kōkō Online: Yamada no Fukushū[]
River City Super Sports Challenge[]
Kobayashi appears as a member of Reihō Academy's team.
River City: Knights of Justice[]
River City Super Sports Challenge ~All Stars Special~[]
This remake of Super-Awesome Field Day re-imagines the events of that game. The story takes place after River City: Rival Showdown.
In the story mode, Kobayashi is first seen alongside Reika Gojōin and Takashi Onizuka to partake in a practice match against Nekketsu High School before the tournament. Nekketsu High School is left worn out by the end of it and the three take their leave. The three later reappear before the semi-final match to get a rise out of each other, proclaiming that their respective teams will be the winners. When Nekketsu High School wins the semi-finals, Kobayashi admits defeat and hopes to compete against the team again another time.
Kobayashi appears as the captain of the Reihō Top 4 team and is a member of the Reihō Academy's team. Kobayashi is able to be played outside of the story mode and is able to use the Mach Chop and Double Chop as his specials.
Downtown Nekketsu Jidaigeki[]
River City: Rival Showdown[]
River City: Rival Showdown is a remake of Downtown Nekketsu Story. The game takes place before River City Super Sports Challenge ~All Stars Special~.
Kobayashi after being confronted by Taiki Yamada.
Three months prior to the main story, Kobayashi is approached by Yamada in his abandoned factory where he is looking to pick a fight with him as a way to enlist him as one of his subordinates. Kobayashi was able to read ahead of Yamada and figured he was getting ready to make a move ever since he enrolled at Reihō Academy. Upon being defeated, Yamada attempts to brainwash him though is told right to his face that Kobayashi will be the one deciding if he wants to work under Yamada. In the main story, Kobayashi is able to be seen in various parts of the town during the first few days though will not conversate with Kunio. During the second night, Kobayashi sends a message to Hiroshi after the other members of Reihō's Four Kings are defeated to tell Kunio that he will be waiting for him at Reihō Academy on the following afternoon.
Kobayashi threatening to attack Nekketsu High School if Kunio doesn't comply with his demands.
Upon meeting Kunio on the third day, he informs him that he will be waiting for their showdown at his abandoned factory until the evening, where he threatens that an attack on Nekketsu High School will occur if he does not show up in time. Inside of Kobayashi's factory, he puts Kunio to the test by requiring him to obtain a set of keys from his subordinates within a time limit. Kunio successfully reaches the room Kobayashi is staying in where he'll then briefly mention the factory's history before he tells Kunio what his plans are. Kobayashi states that he has no real interest in the takeover of the other schools and informs Kunio that Ryūichi and Ryūji are not the ones behind the whole operation with someone above them truly pulling the strings. Kobayashi will ask Kunio to return Reihō Academy back to normal with the only reason as to why he doesn't put a stop to it himself being that he finds watching the Four Kings at work to build a system for ruling the other schools interesting. Kobayashi admits that he hasn't been too involved in the whole scheme and that he decided to jump in at this point to see if he can bet on Kunio to return things at Reihō back to normal. Upon being defeated, Kobayashi will then tell Kunio that the Dragon Twins are leading an attack on Nekketsu High School tomorrow as the students all have the day off for the school's founding day. Before leaving the factory, Kobayashi tells Kunio that Gōda is currently waiting outside of Reihō Academy and is looking forward to meeting him.
Kobayashi after his second loss to Kunio.
On the final day, Kobayashi meets Kunio and Riki on the fifth floor of Reihō Academy to where he'll say he's impressed with how far the two have made it so far, though appears angry for taking out the other members of the Four Kings and vows that they will not be stepping any further. Upon being beaten in the fight, Kobayashi accepts his defeat and lets Kunio and Riki pass through, though feels a new sense of determination in wanting to beat Kunio in a fight before they graduate.
In the Double Dragon Duel mode, Kobayashi is renamed to The Heartless and appears as a playable character and an opponent in the tournament.
River City Melee: Battle Royal Special[]
Kobayashi returns as the captain of the Reihō Top 4 team and is a member of the Reihō Academy's team, being involved in their respective stories. Kobayashi is able to use the Mach Chop, Hyper Guard, and Grand Slam.
River City Melee Mach!![]
Stay Cool, Kobayashi-san!: A River City Ransom Story[]
Kobayashi appears as the main protagonist of the story. He is controlled by the player and is able to be switched into the partner's spot, though is required to stay alive at all times regardless or else the player will game over. He is voiced by Ryuichi Kijima.
Kobayashi introducing Kunio to Kōki Mizoguchi.
Months after the events of Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari EX, Kobayashi would befriend Kōki Mizoguchi while he was travelling back to the past in pursuit of an evil organization. Mizoguchi tells Kobayashi that he has no information on him in the future, but recognizes his power and decides to team up with him. Kobayashi later introduces Kunio to Mizoguchi who states that he's heard a lot about Kunio and warns him that he'll need to stay on guard and fight any evil time travelers. Kunio appears suspicious of Kobayashi and worries if they're playing him or trying to pull something, so he decides to keep watch of him. Kobayashi then asks Mizoguchi for the current location of their enemies and is told that they're all gathering in their area and that it'd be best to take them all down at once. Kyōsuke Otonashi suddenly arrives and warns Kobayashi that his friend was taken away by the evil organization which immediately worries him, though he regains his cool as he thinks to himself that he'll be able to rescue him while on his pursuit of the evil organization. From this point on, Kobayashi is accompanied by Mizoguchi and Kunio.
Kobayashi during his first meeting with Takeru Tōdō.
Otonashi leaves to the get the help of Sayo Marugami and returns shortly after to inform Kobayashi that Sayo confirmed that their enemies are in the area and that taking out a large number of them will draw out their leaders. Kobayashi later meets Mamoru Tōdō and is asked by him to refrain from any activities that'd diminish Reihō Academy's reputation. He recognizes Mamoru as the school's Student Council President and is questioned by him if what he's doing is his hobby, though Kobayashi corrects him in saying that it's only his hustle. Mamoru then tells Kobayashi that he plans on waiting a bit before he makes his decision on whether or not he'd like to cooperate with him. Sometime after, Kobayashi meets Takeru Tōdō at the destroyed bridge and is warned to not pursue the evil organization if he doesn't feel like he's strong enough to take them on, though Takeru has the feeling that Kobayashi will still make his move regardless. He mentions how his brother Mamoru is seemingly cooperating with him and asks Kobayashi to not be careless.
Mamoru Tōdō sending Ryūji Hattori to assist Kobayashi.
Upon destroying the first batch of aircraft, Takeru will meet Kobayashi once again and point out that he didn't listen to his advice, though assures that it's not an issue. He asks Kobayashi to be careful again before telling him that the enemies are being brought in by aircrafts. Realizing that the group is suspicious of his intentions, Takeru points out that they have a good intuition before leaving and states that they'll need to get through a lot of half-truths in order to get to the bottom of things. Mamoru later meets with Kobayashi again to reveal to him that he's had Ryūichi tail him in order to figure out if he'd be of any use to him. He believes it was a good call to leave Kobayashi to deal with what's going on, and in turn sends Ryūji to also assist him and assures that they'd never betray him under any circumstances.
Kobayashi enraged after Hirukesu killed his friend.
After the defeat of the evil organization's leaders, Kobayashi runs into Sayo after not seeing each other for a while and is bewildered by how loud she is, though he immediately recognizes her after making the comment. Sayo worryingly asks why he sounded so disappointed and begins to think about how little he's changed since they were kids. She then informs Kobayashi that the evil organization's supposed top leader Hirukesu has come out and mentions that Kobayashi has a slim chance in beating him. Kobayashi points out how she said such a thing without hesitation, though she assures that she believes he'll be able to handle himself fine and will succeed with Mizoguchi at his side. Kobayashi later finds Hirukesu with his friend captured and unconscious. Hirukesu is angry over the two being able to purify the area from all of the negative energy and that they were able to take out all of the organization's leaders. The two then face off against Hirukesu in a fight. Once Hirukesu's armor is broken, he is astonished by Kobayashi's strength and believes that he'll need to use his secret weapon, though is disappointed that he'll no longer be able to bring the sample into to the future. In an attempt to make the negative energy take control of Kobayashi, he kills his friend under the presumption that Kobayashi's spirit will become their energy. Enraged by his friend's death, Kobayashi goes all out to the shock of Hirukesu over his sudden increase in power. The fight then continues with Kobayashi succeeding in putting an end to Hirukesu's scheme.
During the ending of the game, Hirukesu reveals the purpose of his scheme and admires how Kobayashi was able to skillfully stop him, though assures that it won't happen again. He opens up a portal in an attempt to retreat, though is sucked into a limbo between two dimensions because his technique required the use of negative energy which he no longer had. Kobayashi appears disappointed over the loss of his friend, though is surprised to see him standing in front of him suddenly alive. He reunites with his friend and expresses his gratitude towards Mizoguchi's friend Yugo Yamada, who they believe was responsible for helping revive Kobayashi's friend.
River City Saga: Three Kingdoms[]
Kobayashi plays the role of Xu Huang, a modest general in Cao Cao (Yamada)'s army.
Xu Huang is first seen during the third chapter being sent out to Chen to take out Yuan Shu (Yūji) where he meets Liu Bei (Gōda) and Guan Yu (Kunio), where the former was sent a letter from the Emperor requesting him to also deal with Yuan Shu. The meeting is shortly lived as Zhang Liao (Hasebe) interrupts to inform Liu Bei and Guan Yu of Lu Bu (Misuzu) taking over the castle in Xiapi. Liu Bei then asks Xu Huang to pass his request for assistance on dealing with Lu Bu to Cao Cao, which he obliges and takes his leave.
Xu Huang during the generals meeting in Cao Cao's castle.
In the fourth chapter, Xu Huang can first be seen in Xu's stables and is able to spar with Guan Yu. During the generals meeting in Cao Cao's castle, Guan Yu volunteers to take on Yan Liang (Kamijō), though Xu Huang suspects it as an easy way for Guan Yu to run away. Xu Huang's worries are eased when Zhang Liao volunteers to accompany him to make sure Guan Yu does not attempt to run away. Xu Huang later makes a brief appearance during the finale of the fifth chapter as a boss fight alongside a plethora of Cao Cao's troops while Guan Yu goes out to look for Zhao Yun (Sugata) in Changban. During the Battle of Red Cliffs in the final chapter, Xu Huang appears as a boss fight once again and will state he regrets not properly scouting out Guan Yu while he was temporarily with Cao Cao's army.
Kobayashi was added to the China Heroes gamemode as a bonus character that is unlocked by default in the English release of the game. In this gamemode, Kobayashi is able to use his Mach Chop, the Hawk Fist, a counterattack equivalent of the Human Drill, the Wood-Chopper when equipped with an axe, and the Vacuum Double Chop as his super special.
Other video games[]
CODE SHIFTER[]
Kobayashi appears as a playable character. He uses his design from Stay Cool, Kobayashi-san!: A River City Ransom Story.
Other media appearances[]
Ore wa Otoko Da! Kunio-kun[]
Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun: Rantō Enbu-hen[]
Kobayashi would be played by Zenitsu Hashimoto.
Localized versions[]
- In River City Ransom, Kobayashi was renamed to Thor, the leader of the Zombies.
- In Crash 'n the Boys: Street Challenge, Kobayashi was renamed to Worthington "Monty" Montgomery, a member of Team Lincoln High School.
Trivia[]
- In River City Melee: Battle Royal Special, Kobayashi's name is misspelt as Kobayasi.
Gallery[]
Artwork[]
Sprites[]
Screenshots[]
Other Media[]
