info

platform:

Genesis

Genre:

Beat-'Em-Up

Publisher:

Ballistic

Developer:

Technos of Japan

Difficulty:

Moderate

No. of Players:

1 or 2 players

Released:

1992

Media

In Game Picture

In Game Picture

In Game Picture

In Game Picture

In Game Picture

In Game Picture

In Game Picture

In Game Picture

Review

Double Dragon

By: Vince Thornburg | August 23, 2004

Final Fight. Streets of Rage. TMNT: Hyperstone Heist. Whenever you are asked or are justing thinking of classic Sega beat-'em-ups, these are what is usually mentioned. What most people don't mention is the original game that started it all, Double Dragon, mostly because people refer to Genesis Double Dragon as the crappy Double Dragon V fighting game. But what many people don't know (unless they are Genesis collectors, and know almost every game made for the Genesis) is that the original Double Dragon actually came out for the console. It's pretty hard to track down in complete form, which could be why. The game itself is still a nice little break from life. Even if the game is, you know, just fifteen minutes long.  

It's you basic story from the arcade original. Your girlfriend is walking around an alley but is then punched in the stomach by a random bad guy and taken away. Suddenly, you jump out of the garage (which happens to be right next to where your significant other was just taken away from) and automaticly know that A: She was taken, B: Where she was taken, and C: Who took her. Anyway, Billy (the blue one, and player one) goes on a four level adventure to get her back. He soon meets up with....  

Oh yeah, I shouldn't give away everything. The game itself is not just a graphically enhanced copy of the NES classic. It's a direct port of the arcade game. One of the big differences between the two is that the Chinese kung-fu characters have been absolutely taken out of the game. Also, this version seems to be a little easier. Finally, since it's the normal two-player mode, Jimmy is NOT the evil ruler of the shadow gang (even though the game box SAYS he is, it's the guy that....crap, almost gave more away.)

The graphics are pretty good at emulating the arcade version. The backgrounds look great and are not too distracting from the fighting. The sprites are a good size, although determining exactly where you should be to actually punch a guy can be frustrating in the beginning.  

The music is classic retro style (which is what it should be, since it is based on an older game). The sounds seem a bit generic, and don't really sound like fighting. The guns sound realistic, but that seems to be the only thing (I just gave away another ending part, didn't I? Crap.). You may find yourself adding your own versions of the sound effects, because the provided ones may not be good enough for you, except if you like the old-time smacks and crunches.  

The game play can be a bit confusing sometimes, especially when the game randomly switchs the buttons you selected for fighting and jumping. You get your basic jump, kick, and punch moves, but you can also use a special back elbow and back kick, if you know the right combinations. Moreover, the jump kicks are odd. If you want to use a jump kick to the left, press jump and kick. If you want a jump kick to the right, press jump and punch. Why it's like this, I don't know. You also have a "five knees to the face" move, and a throw. Another thing to be aware of other than the bad guys is the holes. I've lost more than one game because I kept falling into holes, or being thrown into holes (you'll love the bridge!).  

The bad guys are almost all the same. The latin drug smuggler, Red head wroper (The "W" is silent), Blonde wroper, bridge guard wroper and the whip chick all use the same moves, and all take the same amount of hits to kill. They all can use any weapon on the screen, except for the woman, who can only use the whip. Then you have the special suit wropers. The two green ones are used as mini-bosses on the bridge. There is a teal one in the second level, and you face two golden twins in the final batt....(Oops! I DID IT AGAIN!). Also, you get to face ABOBO! Our favorite African-American muscle man who actually is your biggest threat other than the final fight itself. The final boss fight is probably one of the most annoying battles in recent memory and you may just smash a controller against a wall.

If I had any problems with this game, it'd be its shortness. There are only five levels, and the second level has a total of only NINE bad guys. NINE! Ballistic felt it needed to shorten the game, apparently. Other than that, the game is really fun, and a nice way to waste away a half hour.

Reviewer Score: 6.0   |   Avg. Reader Score: 5.6
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User:Score:Date:Comment:
nspesia 9 January 22, 2010 just wanted to point out. pictures 2 & 5 are from a different game. this game IS in my opinion the best port of the original. the controls are awkward AT FIRST. but after playing for a short while you will have complete control. my only complaint is how short it is, other than that.. its one of my top 5 favorite genesis games of all time. dont hesitate on picking it up today!!
 
goldenband 3 January 10, 2010 I just picked this up, and beat it on the hardest difficulty (2 credits, 2 lives) on my second try. This is despite the VERY flaky control which ignores half of my button presses (and I still haven't figured out how to jump kick to the right). Even so, elbow smash everything and you'll be done in 15 minutes. Music is pretty ragged, too. The NES, SMS, and arcade versions are all far better.
 
christuserloeser 1 August 20, 2009 This game's music gets an award for being the worst music ever produced on a YM2612. Thus the game itself is only playable with the TV on mute.
 
jesus.arnold 7 July 14, 2009 This is pretty much the only port of Double Dragon I've played that retained any of the original arcade's feel. The game was a little bit dated by the time this was made though unfortunately. Avoid the NES and Master System versions they're completely dire.
 
john8248 6 November 28, 2008 Graphically, this is the closest home version available. However, the sound is atrocious, and the controls could use a little tweaking. The Sega Master System remains my favorite port of the classic quarter muncher.
 
vintagegamecrazy 5 August 26, 2008 WOW! What an average and overly easy game,I think I beat it in less than 30 minutes the first time. It even looks bad on the console and has questionable control quality!
 
TheEdge 3 August 22, 2008 The combat system is horrible. The NES versions were 1000 times better. This is complete crapola. Also this is and the others are just ports from arcades.
 
trekbone87 9 January 13, 2008 THE ARCADE CLASSIC PERFECTLY TRANSLATED FOR HOURS AND DAYS OF FUN. I thought id capitolize it so people can understand how cool this game is. This game is also why I was grounded in 2nd grade for playing it so much. I didnt give it a 10 because its much too short.
 
GameUser-16-32-128 7 November 29, 2007 Gameplay is not frustrating or confusing. Though the game is too short and it's missing some sound effects. An almost perfect translation of an arcade classic!