Double Dragon is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up originally developed by Technōs Japan for the arcades in 1987. The game was soon ported to several consoles and home computers, including to Sega consoles twice: the first time was for the Master System by Sega themselves in 1988, and later for the Mega Drive/Genesis in 1992 by Accolade.
The game is a spiritual and technological successor to Technōs and creator Yoshihisa Kishimoto's earlier beat 'em up, Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun (released outside of Japan by Taito as Renegade), but introduced several additions such as two-player cooperative gameplay and the ability to arm oneself with an enemy's weapon after disarming them. Double Dragon is considered to be one of the first successful examples of the genre, resulting in the creation of two arcade sequels and several spinoffs, as well as inspiring other companies in creating their own beat 'em ups, including Final Fight, Golden Axe, and Streets of Rage.
Plot[]
- In a city ravaged by war and corruption, law and order have taken a backseat to terror and violence. Ruthless gangs rule the streets. Crime and bloodshed are commonplace. The city lives in fear.
- Your name is Billy Lee. Your twin brother is Jimmy Lee. On the streets they call you the Spike, and your brother, the Hammer. That's because you are both masters without equal in the ancient martial arts of Kenpo and Kung fu. You've got what it takes to survive in the meanest streets in the world! And now, you've got troubles.
- The Black Warriors, the meanest of the street gangs, is out for revenge: They want you dead. To bring you out into their territory, they've kidnapped your sweetheart, the beautiful Mary Ann.
- Now you must venture out into the war-torn wasteland to rescue Mary Ann, defeat the Black Warriors, and return law and order to your city.
—Synopsis from Master System manual
Gameplay[]
The player takes control of martial artist Billy Lee, or his twin brother Jimmy, as they fight their way into the turf of the Black Warriors gang in order to rescue their common love interest Marian. The player's character has a repertoire of martial art techniques which they can perform by using the directional pad and two-to-three action buttons (kick, jump, and punch) individually or in combination. Techniques ranges from basic punches and kicks, to more elaborate techniques like hair grabbing moves or elbow punches. When playing with another player, one can assist the other by grabbing their partner's opponent from behind. The player begins the game with a certain number of extra lives and a life gauge which depletes as the player takes hits from enemies. If the life gauge runs out or the time limit reaches zero, the player will lose a life.
There is a small variety of enemy characters that the player will face thorough the course of the game. Certain enemies will carry a melee weapon which the player can use by disarming the enemy carrying it and then retrieving the item from the floor. The available weapons include steel bats, whips, throwing knives, and dynamite sticks, as well as large objects such as cardboard boxes, oil drums, and rocks, which the player can lift and throw at enemies or kick it towards incoming ones.
The game is divided into four different stages or "missions", which consist of a city slum, a factory, the woods, and the hideout of the boss. The game normally ends if a single player defeats the final boss alone. However, if two players manage to complete the game together then the two will be forced to fight each other in order to determine who will win Marian's affections.
Ports[]
Master System[]
Shortly after the release of the NES version, Sega acquired the rights to develop its own port of Double Dragon for the Mark III in Japan and the Sega Master System in North America and Europe. The game supports the optional FM Sound Unit sold separately for the Japanese Mark III, which is already integrated into the Master System models.
Due to the Master System's technical superiority, this version featured graphics slightly improved over the NES version, with brighter colors and the fact that the game could display up to three different enemies on-screen. The game retains the two-player co-op mode and has level designs that were closer to the arcade game than the NES version's were. This version features the character of Jeff, the second stage boss from the arcade version (who was replaced by Chintai in the NES version). However, the mohawk version of Abobo is missing in this version as well, being replaced by black and green palette swaps of the bald Abobo as stage bosses. Like many early Sega games (such as Shinobi), the Master System version allows for unlimited continues until the final stage. However, if a player performs a certain number of backward jump kicks at the start of the final stage, they would retain their unlimited continues.
Mega Drive/Genesis[]
In 1992, Accolade released a Genesis port of Double Dragon in North America and Europe under the Ballistic Software label. This version was released as an unlicensed third-party cartridge. Although it has a smaller color palette than the arcade original, due to the more powerful 16-bit hardware it actually fixes all of the slow down problems from the original arcade game. In contrast, it had a number of deficiencies (especially in sound quality) because Ballistic Software were forced to use a small 512 Kilobyte (4 Megabit) cartridge ROM for cost reasons. This version came closest to the arcade game at the time.
Reception[]
Master System[]
Double Dragon was well received on the Sega Master System. The Game Machine's (UK) fourteenth issue rewarded the title with an 81% rating on January 1989. They wrote, "The problem of flickering sprites on the Sega has previously been a relatively minor one, Double Dragon changes that with its colossal amount of flicker. When characters move in front of one another things get very confused. Fortunately gameplay is simply terrific – playability makes Double Dragon one of the best Sega games yet."[1] In their one-off special publication of The Complete Guide To Sega, Computer and Video Games (UK) gave a quick insight to the game with an overall score of 85%. It reads, "With great graphics and sound. Double Dragon is an excellent mini-replica of the classic arcade game, featuring all the original's thrills and spills. There's even a two-player link-up option for simultaneous vigilante antics!"[2] The title was also covered in EMAP first of their four part series on the Complete Guide to Consoles with an overall 82%. They summarized, "Featuring great graphics and gameplay, Double Dragon will appeal to anyone who enjoys a bit of on¬ screen ultraviolence." [3]
Genesis[]
Sega Pro (UK) reviewed Double Dragon for their May 1992 issue, scoring it with 72%. They commended the game for being an accurate translation of the arcade, but called it very old and too easy for its short length and many continues. They concluded, "Entry-level gamers, fans of the coin-op, and people who just like finishing games may find some secret pleasure hidden deep within its history-laden walls. They'll have to dig deep though."[4] Mean Machines (UK) rated Double Dragon with 59%. In spite of the improvements in slow down reduction, they felt the sound effects weren't as good though as the arcade, and criticized the lack of difficulty level. They were also disappointed by the end-game sequence.[5] Mega Action's (US) first publication from June gave a summary to the game in their beat 'em up section of the "Mega Library", rewarding Double Dragon with 75%. They wrote, "Identical, that's what this is. An arcade conversion perfect in every way. One of the minus points is the fact that all the bugs remain. Whoops! If you're a bit partial to giving out a good hiding left, right and centre, you'll love this. No excuses, just dive straight in."[6]
Credits[]
- Design and Programming: Tradewest
- Producer: Chris Bankston
- Programmer: Minoru Kidooka (Master System)
- Testers: Robert Daly, Steve Graziano
- Manual: Jeff Wagner
Trivia[]
- In the Mega Drive/Genesis port of Double Dragon, the game's synopsis and manual mistakenly uses the story from the NES version in which Jimmy Lee is the main villain.
References[]
- ↑ "Double Dragon" No. 14, p. 75 (January 1989)
- ↑ "Double Dragon", Computer and Video Games No. 1, p. 55 (May 1991)
- ↑ "Double Dragon", Computer and Video Games Complete Guide to Consoles 1, No. 1., p. 54 (October 16, 1989)
- ↑ "Doube Dragon", Sega Pro, No. 7, p. 34 (May 1992)
- ↑ Mean Machines Issue 19 (April 1992)
- ↑ "Double Dragon", Mega Action, No. 01, p. 64 (June 1992)
External Links[]
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