Review: Double Dragon - 29/04/2008 by Andrew
Beat em up
Double Dragon, for those who remember it when it was in the arcades, was one of the most popular games around. Having an unusual 'tri button' layout (three buttons shaped in a triangle) it allowed for multiple attack combinations (head butt, elbow, jump kick, spin jump kick, kick and punch) as well as having special moves such as knee attack, throws and double teaming someone in a full nelson.
The NES version was released in 1988 and was a far cry from the original arcade version. Unlike the Sega Master System (SMS) version, you couldn't play two player at the same time (the game took the Super Mario approach of taking turns), the missions didn't follow the arcade missions, you couldn't kick items like the box or barrel, the 'life' meter was different and the graphics weren't as good. All in all, the SMS version wins hands down.
The game did have a weird 'VS' mode, where you got to choose your character and battle it out against the computer or buddy. The characters in this mode were larger and more detailed. This is unique as it was absent from the arcade and SMS version.
Now that Double Dragon is available on the Wii's virtual console a lot of people will have to make the decision if it's worth it of not. The answer is simple: It's Double Dragon – of course it's worth it! Even for all of it's flaws, the game still has the feel of the arcade game and is still enjoyable to play, even if it's a heavily cut down version. However, if you have to decide between the NES version of the SMS version, pick the SMS version every time.
55/100