Double Dragon 
Developer: Technos Publisher: Technos/Taito
Introduction:
The year is 1987. Technos, who had recently just made a mega hit in Japan with its game, Kekketsu Kouha Kunio-kun (Hot-Blood Bad Boy Kunio or Renegade to western gamers), was now considered a strong Japanese game developer. However, the company was still having major money problems and they decided to develop a game that would try to rid them from going bankrupt (and getting them enough money to move into their own building as opposed to working in a one bedroom apartment). Their prayers were answered when they released a game that is still considered one of the greatest of all time, Double Dragon. Although DD wasn't the first game of it's genre (Renegade being the first), it was considered to be the finest for it's time (and according to some, the finest...period) and many companies would soon follow the trend. The story involves the Lee twins, Billy and Jimmy, on a quest to rescue Billy's kidnapped girlfriend Marian from a gang called the Black Warriors and it's leader...a crazy ass guy with a machine gun named Willy. However, the Lee brothers have developed somewhat of a rivalry since Jimmy has fallen secretly in love with Marian. Yes, the plot is not it's strong point by any means, but the game itself more than makes up for it!
Reviewed By: Legend
Graphics: A
Seeing how this game came out in 1987, the graphics are quite good. The character models are bright and very well detailed. The backgrounds are also very colorful. Again, Technos' trademark coloring and lighting really go into effect here...and it shows! Billy and Jimmy move at a very fluid pace, as o the enemies. It pretty much gives you that sense of the gritty ally graffiti feel that the series revolves around...even for a 1987 game! So all in all, the graphics are topnotch.
Sound: A
If anyone doesn't know this by now, Double Dragon has some of the most memorable music in gaming history. Although for it's time the music in the game itself was considered cutting edge, it doesn't quite hold up well by today's standards seeing how some of the tunes sounds like something I could play on a Fisher Price toy (however, Double Dragon Advance makes up for this). But that doesn't mean that the music isn't memorable at all. I can promise you that you'll at least be humming a few of the themes from this game. And it'll bring a smile to any old school gamer's face once the hear the always legendary Double Dragon theme in the final showdown with Willy. The punches and kicks sound very crisp also, although they don't sound any different from one another. Also, which is a trademark for Technos games, the enemies will yell a humorous "bluah!" noise everytime they're defeated. An A for how memorable the sound is.
Control: A
Another strong point for this game. Your punches and kicks will respond right on command as well as your jump kicks and elbow smash. Although at times I did find using a weapon to be alittle sluggish, but that could just be the game...I don't know. But overall, the controls are very tight and well executed.
Gameplay: A
The gameplay is very solid! There's a reason why this is considered the best beatemup! The game goes at a very fast pace with nothing but action. From the start of the game you'll encounter Williams and Roper, the common thugs in this game and in the series. They are pretty weak at first, but as the game progresses, they become more tough and difficult. Next is Linda, the female member of the group. She's generally a weakling, but just don't let her hit you with her whip because she swings it pretty fast. Then is Abobo. Everyone's favorite villain in the series. There's a reason he's well liked by many. His power is unmatched and his punches are really fast and strong...that it's considered ridiculous. Also, he'll throw you around like you're yesterdays garbage with his famous "dynamite throw". Next is Jeff. He's nothing more but a Billy and Jimmy clone, so his moves are identical to yours. And finally, is Big Boss Willy. DO NOT walk far away from him or he'll shoot his machine gun and kill you instantly. But overall, he's a weakling and can easily be defeated.
Other things that give the gameplay a strong point is the ability to grab you stunned opponent by the hair and constantly knee them or perform a shoulder throw (although this only works on Williams, Roper, and Jeff). There's also a big variety of weapons at your disposal such as the baseball bat, the whip, the knife, and the oil drum (or boxes and boulders). Of all of the weapons though, the knife does the most damage to you and your enemy. You can also kick the oil drums, boxes, and boulders towards your opponent too in case you don't feel like getting your hands dirty by throwing them. Also, this game was hugely known for it's infamous elbow smash and headbutt. You can perform an elbow smash by looking the opposite way of your enemy and push the hit and jump button at the same time. The enemies will always fall for this and it makes for easy kills. With the headbutt, you can perform this by pressing the forward twice on the controller or or joystick. It doesn't really work that often, but when it does connect, it does alot of damage and it'll send your enemys flying back. Also, which is pretty cool, if two people complete the game, you will have a final showdown between each other to see which is the better Lee brother and who will get the kidnapped and hanging Marian on the wall! Overall, the gameplay is solid despite that the CPU is pretty dumb and easy.
Overall: A
Double Dragon for the arcade is a true legendary and epic game...and for good reason! The main characters, the enemies, the weapons, the music, and the gameplay was a start of things to come in the beatemup genre. Until the release of Double Dragon Advance, there was no true port of the original game that could hold a candle to the arcade version. Technos pulled a huge rabbit out of it's hat with this game! You can still play this game at retro arcades or through use of an emulator. Whatever the case is, DO NOT pass the opportunity to play this epic gem of a game...you won't regret it!
Developer: Technos Publisher: Technos/Taito
Introduction:
The year is 1987. Technos, who had recently just made a mega hit in Japan with its game, Kekketsu Kouha Kunio-kun (Hot-Blood Bad Boy Kunio or Renegade to western gamers), was now considered a strong Japanese game developer. However, the company was still having major money problems and they decided to develop a game that would try to rid them from going bankrupt (and getting them enough money to move into their own building as opposed to working in a one bedroom apartment). Their prayers were answered when they released a game that is still considered one of the greatest of all time, Double Dragon. Although DD wasn't the first game of it's genre (Renegade being the first), it was considered to be the finest for it's time (and according to some, the finest...period) and many companies would soon follow the trend. The story involves the Lee twins, Billy and Jimmy, on a quest to rescue Billy's kidnapped girlfriend Marian from a gang called the Black Warriors and it's leader...a crazy ass guy with a machine gun named Willy. However, the Lee brothers have developed somewhat of a rivalry since Jimmy has fallen secretly in love with Marian. Yes, the plot is not it's strong point by any means, but the game itself more than makes up for it!
Reviewed By: Legend
Graphics: A
Seeing how this game came out in 1987, the graphics are quite good. The character models are bright and very well detailed. The backgrounds are also very colorful. Again, Technos' trademark coloring and lighting really go into effect here...and it shows! Billy and Jimmy move at a very fluid pace, as o the enemies. It pretty much gives you that sense of the gritty ally graffiti feel that the series revolves around...even for a 1987 game! So all in all, the graphics are topnotch.
Sound: A
If anyone doesn't know this by now, Double Dragon has some of the most memorable music in gaming history. Although for it's time the music in the game itself was considered cutting edge, it doesn't quite hold up well by today's standards seeing how some of the tunes sounds like something I could play on a Fisher Price toy (however, Double Dragon Advance makes up for this). But that doesn't mean that the music isn't memorable at all. I can promise you that you'll at least be humming a few of the themes from this game. And it'll bring a smile to any old school gamer's face once the hear the always legendary Double Dragon theme in the final showdown with Willy. The punches and kicks sound very crisp also, although they don't sound any different from one another. Also, which is a trademark for Technos games, the enemies will yell a humorous "bluah!" noise everytime they're defeated. An A for how memorable the sound is.
Control: A
Another strong point for this game. Your punches and kicks will respond right on command as well as your jump kicks and elbow smash. Although at times I did find using a weapon to be alittle sluggish, but that could just be the game...I don't know. But overall, the controls are very tight and well executed.
Gameplay: A
The gameplay is very solid! There's a reason why this is considered the best beatemup! The game goes at a very fast pace with nothing but action. From the start of the game you'll encounter Williams and Roper, the common thugs in this game and in the series. They are pretty weak at first, but as the game progresses, they become more tough and difficult. Next is Linda, the female member of the group. She's generally a weakling, but just don't let her hit you with her whip because she swings it pretty fast. Then is Abobo. Everyone's favorite villain in the series. There's a reason he's well liked by many. His power is unmatched and his punches are really fast and strong...that it's considered ridiculous. Also, he'll throw you around like you're yesterdays garbage with his famous "dynamite throw". Next is Jeff. He's nothing more but a Billy and Jimmy clone, so his moves are identical to yours. And finally, is Big Boss Willy. DO NOT walk far away from him or he'll shoot his machine gun and kill you instantly. But overall, he's a weakling and can easily be defeated.
Other things that give the gameplay a strong point is the ability to grab you stunned opponent by the hair and constantly knee them or perform a shoulder throw (although this only works on Williams, Roper, and Jeff). There's also a big variety of weapons at your disposal such as the baseball bat, the whip, the knife, and the oil drum (or boxes and boulders). Of all of the weapons though, the knife does the most damage to you and your enemy. You can also kick the oil drums, boxes, and boulders towards your opponent too in case you don't feel like getting your hands dirty by throwing them. Also, this game was hugely known for it's infamous elbow smash and headbutt. You can perform an elbow smash by looking the opposite way of your enemy and push the hit and jump button at the same time. The enemies will always fall for this and it makes for easy kills. With the headbutt, you can perform this by pressing the forward twice on the controller or or joystick. It doesn't really work that often, but when it does connect, it does alot of damage and it'll send your enemys flying back. Also, which is pretty cool, if two people complete the game, you will have a final showdown between each other to see which is the better Lee brother and who will get the kidnapped and hanging Marian on the wall! Overall, the gameplay is solid despite that the CPU is pretty dumb and easy.
Overall: A
Double Dragon for the arcade is a true legendary and epic game...and for good reason! The main characters, the enemies, the weapons, the music, and the gameplay was a start of things to come in the beatemup genre. Until the release of Double Dragon Advance, there was no true port of the original game that could hold a candle to the arcade version. Technos pulled a huge rabbit out of it's hat with this game! You can still play this game at retro arcades or through use of an emulator. Whatever the case is, DO NOT pass the opportunity to play this epic gem of a game...you won't regret it!
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