Double Dragon

Game Gear fanatics who missed the excitement of Double Dragon, which has hit every system from hand-helds to 16-bit units, now have Double the power, Double the fun, and Double the trouble! Gear up, Gear-heads, 'cuz Double Dragon is here!

Look What the Cat Dragon'd In

Double Dragon by Virgin is a one-player, side-scrolling beat-em-up that takes you through four murderous, multi-stage levels. You play Billy, one of the Lee brothers, who's on a quest to save his brother, Jimmy, from a fate that's worse.. .er, is death.

Using the two Game Gear buttons to punch and kick, Billy's got a few other moves up his t-shirt. Beside his two staples, he can also somersault and pick up weapons, such as a gun, a baseball bat, a shotgun, and a crowbar. Your control of his movements is kind of haphazard. If you try to kick and end up with a somer-sualt, don't worry-it's not you.

This fist-rate adventure takes Billy through some desperate places, like the slums, the waterfront, and the subway. Desperate places require desperate people, and this cart is littered with enough malevolent miscreants to make San Quentin look like Sunnybrook Farm. In addition to end-level bosses, Billy will encounter maniac motorcycle mamas, chainsaw-wielding chumps, and firebreathing femme fatales, just to name a few. There are plenty more bruisers, and you can bet that Billy will have to fight 'em!

Looks Like Fun

The Game Gear graphics are spectacular with every sprite movement well-detailed. The game moves very fast (even faster than some of its 16-bit counterparts) and scrolls across the screen smoothly. The backgrounds are well-drawn and intricate, plus some clever advertising is thrown in. Check out the subway ads for Chuck Rock, The Terminator, and other Virgin titles.

The music is funk for punks, and it adapts itself for different moods. There are a few sound effects, such as a motorcycle roar and a chainsaw buzz, but they basically all sound the same.

The Fist of It's Kind

If you find yourself tearing out your hair over the difficulty of the game, join the club. This challenge is not for the weak of arm (or thumb). Hang in there, though, because this cart gets to be more fun as it rolls, punches, and kicks its way along. You'll love this Double Dragon twice as much as any other.

Double Dragon is a beat ‘em up video game released for the first time in 1987 by Technos Japan Corporation. The series feature two twin brothers, Billy and Jimmy Lee, as they fight against different rivals. The game was followed by sequels and was released for incredibly lots of other platforms over the time.

The versions for NES came in 1988, while the Game Boy version was published in 1990. Other games were published for Master System, Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and Lynx, while the sequels were published on even more platforms. The first game had a remake published for iPhone in 2011 and one for Game Boy Advance in 2003.

The two main characters were also featured in other games, including the NES version of Super Spike V’Ball, WWF Superstars, River City Ransom, Battletoads & Double Dragon, Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer and Rage of the Dragons.

The player can control either of the twin brothers as they fight in the turf of the Black Warriors in order to rescue Marian, a girl whom both of the fighters were in love with. Each character has its own set of skills and attacks which can be performed by using the joystick and three action buttons individually or in combination. Players can throw punched and kicks, but also grab hair or throw elbow punches. The game can also be played by two persons in the same time. In this case the second player can help the first one by grabbing their partner’s rival from behind.

Each player begins the game with a certain number of lives. If he gets hit by the enemies, their life gauge will deplete. If the life gauge reaches zero or the player runs out of time, one life will be lost.

There are not too many enemies during the game. The player will face certain enemies all the time. The available weapons in the game are steel bats, whips, throwing knives and dynamite attacks, but also oil drums, cardboard boxes and rocks, which the players can pick up and throw.

The game has four levels. The first one is a city slum, then a factory, then the woods and then the hideout of the boss who has to be defeated in order for the player to finish the game. If there is only one player, the game will end when the boss is defeated. But if there are two players, then after the boss is defeated the two brothers will have to fight each other.

The game was very popular and due to its popularity was later on followed by spin-offs. Double Dragon was listed as one of the 200 Greatest Games of their time by Electronic Gaming Monthly. The huge toy store, Toys “R” Us, reported the NES Double Dragon game was sold out in the first two weeks after the release in the United States.

You cannot talk about Double Dragon without bringing up games like Streets of Rage, Final Fight, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The thing is, it is kind of unfair as Double Dragon came out many years before those games and you could argue that if it was not for the success of this game, we would not have gotten those other ones. This game was ported to pretty much anything that was capable of playing a video game. The version I am checking out today is the Sega Genesis version which was released a whole five years after the game was first released in arcades.

They Took My Girl!

The start of the game is kind of brutal as a young girl gets punched in the stomach and then kidnapped. The heroes of Double Dragon are Billy and Jimmy Lee, two badasses who will not stand for this, especially as the girl that was taken is the girlfriend of Billy. You wage war on the Black Warriors gang to get her back and clean up the streets. It is like something out of an 80s action movie and I like it.

Better Than Arcade Perfect

I would say that visually, the Sega Genesis version of Double Dragon is as good as the arcade, but there is one area that it actually trumps it and that is with the slowdown. The arcade game could slow down when a bunch of stuff was happening on the screen, but that is not the case in this game. The soundtrack though has taken a real hit. It sounds pretty bad and it can really get on your nerves after a short while.

Taking Your Time

One of the reasons that many people seem to hate on this version of the game is the way it plays. You cannot just mash the buttons like a maniac in this version. You have to be a bit more deliberate with your punches and kicks. When you button mash, the game will often not register a hit. I get that this is clearly some kind of issue or glitch with the game, but it is what it is and if you are willing to work around it you will have fun.

You can play the game with a buddy if you want, but it is not the deepest of beat em ups. The reason I say this is because you turn the game on and you just jump right in. There are no difficulty options, no extra modes, or anything else. It is as bare-bones as you can possibly get. It does not make it a bad game, but a very limited one. Especially when you consider by the time this came out, we had already had Streets of Rage 1, 2, Final Fight, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

I think that Double Dragon certainly has its place in history. One of my best arcade memories is in the late 80s me and this other kid actually beat the arcade game. I did not know this kid, we just started playing together and we clicked! The Sega Genesis version of this game came way, way too late. If it had been a launch game it may have faired better, but by the time this was released the genre already had bigger and better games.

Pros:

• The game looks good
• It has next to no slowdown
• You can play with a friend
• It is very easy to pick up and play
• The game offers a decent challenge

Cons:

• There are far better beat em ups on the console
• The game overall is very bare-bones

Long before there were Mortal Kombatants or Street Fighters, the Double Dragons ruled the arcade-fighting game scene. Telegames brings a decent translation of this now-dated beat-em-up to the Lynx.

Decrepit Dragon

Double Dragon is so old that the dust will blind you. This version is a reasonable facsimile of the coin-op and even includes the two-player mode. You play as Billy Lee, and a friend can ComLynx and play as Jimmy. Four short levels and lots of street punks stand between you and the kidnapped Marion.

The same old punches, kicks, elbows, and hair pulls are yours for the beating. The moves are solid, but somewhat slow and uncomplicated by contemporary fighting standards. Fortunately, most of the weapons from the coin-op are here, so you can swing baseball bats, throw knives, and swing chains.

While the original arcade game was only a bit sluggish, its unresponsiveness has been magnified by a factor of five on the Lynx. The controls are inconsistent: Sometimes they're fine, sometimes you'll jam on the button and nothing will come out.

DD has adjustable difficulty. It's somewhat challenging due to a lack of continues, but you'll probably be able to crack it after a few tries. The game's not as long as the original, and some parts are missing.

The graphics and sounds are surprisingly faithful to the arcade. Although the character animation is pokey, the sprites are very big, and the backgrounds, such as the city streets, the forest, and the hideout, have what it takes. The classic Double Dragon theme song and level music have that old blippy Lynx effect, but most of the classic fighting strains were replicated.

No Mas!

Double Dragon still kicks after all these years. However, in the face of newer and better competition, such as MK for the Game Gear. DD is past its prime.

The adventures of Billy and Jimmy Lee are about to hit the portable gaming market. Once again, Marian has been kidnapped and the brave brothers must face the terrors of the Abobo brothers and Rowper. Some of the levels have been redesigned to add a futuristic look and feel to this action packed fighting game.

Billy and Jimmy Lee are back yet again for seriously over-the-top chop-socky, this time dueling in SF2 style. The brothers bring their brand of maximum violence to the Neo-Geo for the first time and they are pumped and ready! They had better be, as they'll be facing intense competition from a motley crew of vicious foes who want to depose the siblings in this big, 144-Meg brawler.

This game also marks the official debut of Technos Japan as a Neo licensee. Like all other Neo titles, it will make its debut at arcades followed by the home version in several months.

It's not certain whether or not a cartridge version will be released, or if Technos Japan will go directly to CD-ROM for the Neo CD system which sold out immediately in Japan upon its launch in September. Neo fighting fans have never had it so good.

Jason Hess and his brother, both of Clinton, Michigan, have found a new move not mentioned in the instruction booklet. To do the move you must be in the two-player mode. Have Billy and Jimmy Lee stand next to each other and use the Cyclone Spin-Kick. Both characters will lock arms, back to back, and the kick will be twice as long and powerful. Thanks for the great Easter egg, guys.

2 Joysticks

When a character comes out holding a stick of dynamite, you can make him, blow himself up instead of you. Mike Strane of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, says to stand on the vertical line as the character and start walking backward when the bad guy tosses the dynamite. If all goes correctly, your opponent will stroll toward you - right into the explosion. Good strategy, Mike.

When fighting an Abobo, the jump kick seems to work the best. The problem with the jump kick is that it takes quite a few solid hits to get rid of an Abobo, and if you are pressed for time, this simply will not do. If you have at least seven bars of energy, then try regular kicking: it works most of the time, and puts the Abobos out of commission much quicker. Do not attempt to punch an Abobo. It does not work and you will only lose energy!

Double Dragon is "fighting" its way into the Game Gear! You control Billy Lee in a battle to the death with the city's worst scum! Kick and punch your foes to make your way to the final Boss and save poor Marion! This is a top fighting game made even better for this system!

More Attack!

Double Dragon, the hit arcade game, has now made it to the Game Gear featuring the deadly punch and kick attacks that have made it a classic among fighting game fans.

Control Billy through gang-infested areas such as the city streets, urban trains and even the countryside. Danger lurks everywhere so watch your back and fight off the enemies with your martial arts skills. Where the going gets really tough, pick up a weapon or two.

Slip on your brass knuckles and unleash your Double Dragon!

Flex your muscles for the original of the fighting games. Virgin brings Double Dragon kicking and punching to Game Gear.

Billy and Jimmy Lee must rescue the beautiful Marion from the evil Abobo brothers. These guys have the muscles to do it! Use attack moves like kicking, punching and throwing to annihilate your opponents. Set in futuristic cities, Double Dragon will knock you out!

Tradewest had a mega-hit a while back with their NES version of Double Dragon. Now they have shrunk this cart down to Game Boy size and even though it is only black and white it still captures all of the excitement and thrills of its NES big brother.

Once again you assume the role of vigilante Billy Lee and you must rescue your girl from the clutches of the gang leader and also make the streets safe for the people.

Unlike other Game Boy titles which offer either great graphics or decent gameplay, Tradewest's Double Dragon does both! Can you make it through the four intense levels of fast and furious punch and kick action before the Shadow Boss takes over?

This black and white version of the NES original combines the familiar sights and sounds with all new techniques and some minor animations borrowed from Part Two.

Incorporated into the game play are all-new backgrounds, although the enemies remain the same. Along the way, you can retrieve whips, bats, boxes and other weapons that will help you dispatch the bad guys and get your babe back!

The martial arts masterpiece still holds up as one of the best and most sought after carts around!

It's no secret that those body slammin' Double Dragon boys, Billy and Jimmy, (also known as Spike and Hammer), have been through the video mill a time or two, or three. Now, at last, they're in first-class graphical form on the Genesis in an original, knuckle-busting adventure.

Take That, Street Scum

Billy's girlfriend, Marion, has been beaten and taken hostage by a group of street thugs. Always the honorable bad boys, Billy and Jimmy set out to free her from her captors and give them a taste of their own painful medicine. Punching, kicking, jabbing, knife stabbing, baseball whacking, you name it, it all happens during the four levels of gut-busting action.

If you select the single-player option, you hit the streets as Billy. If you prefer to play Jimmy, plug the control pad into the second slot and off you go. They both have identical moves.

The three basic moves are a simple kick, a punch, and a jump-punch. Each move corresponds to a Controller button. The super moves, such as the elbow jab and the flying roundhouse kick, require simultaneous button press combinations, but they're real sure-fire scum busters.

Fighting the Good Fight

Accolade's done an excellent job of translating this arcade-based version of Double Dragon into the Genesis format. The "fist fly-boys" have all their moves down pat and they're easy to control.

This, combined with the two-player simultaneous option, makes DD really hot. What more could you ask for? Maybe another level or two. Then again, perhaps Accolade's just trying to keep us hungry for more.

Double Dragon is a beat ‘em up side scrolling game that revolutionized the genre back in the late 80s, leading to many sequels, spin offs and other companies creating their own geat ‘em up games.

The story is pretty shallow, but at least it’s there. Two brothers, Billy Lee and Jimmy, are powerful martial artists living in a city overrun by the Black Warriors gang. When the two refuse to train them to be stronger fighters, Billy Lee’s girlfriend Marion is kidnapped and he sets off to rescue her, defeating all crooks, thugs and henchmen he encounters.

In Double Dragon, you play as Billy Lee as he fights various enemies that appear on the screen, using basic and, later, more complex moves. As you beat up your foes, you gain experience and unlock more abilities, like a jump kick, and you can also take any weapon that they drop and use it against them. It should be noted that there can only be two enemies on the screen at once, and you cannot carry the weapons that you picked up over to the next part of the stage.

There is also a so called co-op mode, which is actually playing the game in turns, instead of side by side. Aside from this, Double Dragon also features a “versus” mode, which lets you pick between Billy Lee, Jimmy and five other antagonists from the game and fight. This mode can be played alone or against another player.

The graphics may not seem all that impressive right now, but back in the 80s, they were pretty top notch. The previously mentioned “versus” mode also uses bigger and more detailed sprites instead of the tiny ones from the beat ‘em up part of the game. The levels are decorated to the best of the technology’s ability, and, truth be told, you wouldn’t play this game for the graphics.

To sum up, Double Dragon was and still is a shining example of how a beat ‘em up should be done and, although there were many versions available at the time, they all followed the same pattern. As mentioned, the visuals aren’t the key point of interest, but the nostalgia and the desire to see how it all began.

Double Dragon features:

• RPG-like system which gradually unlocks more moves
• Versus mode which lets you fight the computer or another player
• Co-op mode which lets you take turns with a friend

The Lynx finally gets a shot at Jimmy Lee and Billy Lee, the twin brother stars of Double Dragon. The brothers use their expert knowledge of martial arts, as well as various weapons and street smarts to rescue their friend Marian from the Black Warriors, a savage street gang that follows the mysterious Shadow Boss. This one- or two-player beat-em-up supports the ComLynx.