Developer: Technos Japan
Publisher: Tradewest
Release Date: June 1988
Double Dragon is a hard game to review. It’s one of those NES games that everyone seemed to have a copy of even if they didn’t remember buying it. Everybody played it and everybody liked it. It went on to influence a whole generation of games and even had its own bad 90s movie like other giants Super Mario Bros and Street Fighter. It’s such an indelible part of late 80s culture that it’s hard to look at objectively. When I play it I’m transported right back to my childhood. So many warm memories come flooding back just by seeing those opening screens and hearing a little bit of the music. However, of all the fondly remembered NES games this is one of the least great from a modern perspective. As an adult in 2020 I can’t help but see all the late 80s flaws. It is a fun game, but it is certainly not a great one.
(It's about to be conveyor belt 1 and Abobo 0)
Probably the most famous part about Double Dragon is the difficulty. Its arcade credentials are on full display. There are only three lives and no continues, and despite having only four levels it is practically impossible to finish. My experience with Double Dragon as a kid is based solely on the first two and a half levels. I never got any farther until I played it with save states. Still I always loved those levels. I think they knew they were making a hard game so they put the better levels at the front. Everyone remembers the conveyor belt and skyscraper sections. Sadly by the third level it’s mostly rocks and ladders. Of course by then you will be so busy fighting you won’t have time to notice. There is also a clock constantly ticking so there’s not much time for strategy. You have to be aggressive if you want any chance to win. Also this version of the game has levels to gain that unlock new moves. That was a very clever way to make it feel more like a console game. It also makes the player want to make sure they fight every enemy even if it can be skipped.
(Enjoy the final well-designed level!)
So what keeps this game from being one of the greats? As I alluded to earlier it all falls apart after level two. By the end of level two you’ve seen just about everything. All the enemies start being recycled over and over to the point of tedium. Even most of the bosses are the same enemies only slightly harder. The first two levels have a great urban look and allow for a full range of movement. Level three starts with a long forest section with nothing but the same enemies to fight over and over. Most of the fun weapons are gone by this point leaving nothing but hand-to-hand combat. What’s worse is that it then moves into a cave where the game becomes strictly side scrolling. I appreciate the extra hazards in the cave, but for a game focused on combat they sure work hard to make it boring with the side scrolling sections becoming almost strictly button mashing. Also, of the moves I unlocked the only ones I used much were the jump kick and the behind-the-back punch. All of the other moves were usually triggered by accident. So what starts out as a well-designed combat game becomes a tedious side scroller where the best strategy is to spam the same moves over and over again. I think the only reason they added a timer was to keep people from only jump kicking. You have to mix in some quicker moves if you want to win.
(Different color, same Abobo quality)
It all culminates with one of the most intense boss fights in the history of gaming as you are bombarded with practically every enemy in the whole game plus a few extra difficult new ones. I just don’t see how anyone could’ve beaten this game back in the day. It’s hard to even get there with the final section taking place on a cliff that is very easy to walk off of. I know if I had ever gotten there as a kid I would’ve walked right off the side and never made it back again. It’s the type of NES boss fight that is both impressive and annoying at the same time. I know if I was playing it legitimately on an NES it would drive me absolutely bonkers. Every time I died I’d have to start the game all over again. Still, I have to applaud the audacity of making such a challenging section in a game mostly played by kids. I think I could’ve done it if I had been more persistent back then. I could’ve been the king of the playground with bragging rights like that. I was more interesting in playing a lot of games, however, than getting good at just a few. Some things never change.
Double Dragon is a game that I both really like and really don’t like. It starts out as a very good brawler but fades as it goes along. I am a little unsure why it became such a cultural phenomenon, but it probably has something to do with the martial arts boom of the 80s. Now I know that is was also a popular arcade game that was multi-player and had more advanced graphics, but it’s the NES version that almost everyone played. Since I have such mixed feelings it is going to go right in the middle of my rankings. I am putting it right below that old favorite Metro Cross. It’s a game that belongs in every NES collection, but it’s also one that’s only good for short bursts. Hey at least it’s always fun watching Abobo slide off that conveyor belt and into oblivion.
NES quality percentage: 7/12 = 58.33%
1. Super Mario Odyssey
2. The Legend of Zelda
3. Galaga
4. Donkey Kong
5. Exodus: Ultima III
6. Pac-Mania
7. Wrecking Crew
8. Super Pac-Man
9. Pac-Man
10. Viva Pinata
11. Dragon View
12. Excitebike
13. Drakkhen
14. Arc the Lad
15. Clu Clu Land
16. Artifact Adventure Gaiden DX
17. Mickey’s Racing Adventure
18. Metro-Cross
19. Double Dragon
20. Ice Climber
21. Gaplus
22. Dragon Spirit
23. Pinball (NES)
24. Ninja Golf
25. Super Soccer
26. Walt Disney World Quest: Magical Racing Tour (GBC)
27. Red Sea Crossing
28. Baraduke
29. Tennis
30. Hogan’s Alley
31. Gamma-Attack
32. The Legend of “Valkyrie”
33. Galaxian
34. Evoland
35. Cosmic Commuter
36. Hot Pixel
37. PocketBike Racer
38. Wild Gunman
39. Defunct
40. Gyruss (2600)
41. Looney Tunes Racing
42. Squidlit
43. Baseball
44. Birthday Mania
45. Bad Street Brawler
46. Burly Men at Sea
47. X-Men (HyperScan)
48. My Name is Mayo
49. Marvel Heroes
50. Ben 10
Another good one, sounds our experiences with this one was the same. As a kid, first 2 1/2 levels and then dead, every time. The first levels were definitely the best ones to play anyway. I feel like this series really took off with Double Dragon 2 when it had the option for co-op mode. Being able to play with a buddy at the same time in a non arcade game is awesome, like in Ninja Turtles 2.
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