Double Dragon? On the Neo Geo? Most gamers only know the very popular Beat 'em Up series by Technos, initiated with the same-named Arcade game in 1987. The game was ported to many consoles and soon received a cult status among gamers around the world.
This one, released in 1995, may have the same name or protagonists, but this time Technos developed a proper Fighting game for SNK's Arcade hardware. The whole game design is partly based on the Double Dragon Live Action movie from 1994, which was in general poorly received by the fans.
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Double Dragon
Genre: Fighting Players: 2 Size: 178 MEGS Released on: MVS, AES, NGCD, PSX
Brief Description:
Double Dragon is a 1995 fighting game spinoff of the Double Dragon series developed and published by Technos Japan. It is based on the 1994 Double Dragon movie, which in turn was based on the original arcade game. It was originally released for the Neo Geo (in AES and MVS formats) and later released for the Neo Geo CD and PlayStation (the latter ported by Urban Plant). It was Technos Japan's last Double Dragon game before the company went out of business.
Honestly there was no option for what I wanted to vote on. I used to hate this game with a passion. But, recently I went back to it and got hooked on it. I actually think this game is very fun to play.
I actually really like this game, sure its very losely attached to the movie, but I won't hold that against it. It has good controls and is quite responsive, very good for vs play.
Double Dragon is usually a big hit with my friends when they come over and see it running a demo in my 4 slot. lol
Yeah, I love the AES, but collecting has become far too expensive. It's why I bought that arcade cab actually. MVS prices can get quite high as well, but the majority of MVS games can be collected without really breaking the bank.
As for Double Dragon, a lot of my friends have fond memories of NES Double Dragon and the average gamer never even knew that a Double Dragon for the Neo existed, so when they see it in fighting game form with these big beautiful sprites, you can see the nostalgia in their eyes.
The original Double Dragon (kicking ass since 1987) is my favorite arcade game of all time. Back in the day, I could 2cc the coin-op in single player until it slowly vanished from the arcades (which have since vanished as well). That said, when I first saw an MVS cabinet with a new DD title among its selection of games, I freaked the f*ck out...until discovering it was a one-on-one fighter. My hopes of scrolling-fighter ecstasy crushed, I was further dismayed that series-creators Technos had themselves developed this dream-killing departure from what DD always did best. The movie tie-in could've added further insult to injury, but thankfully the only affiliation with the disastrous live-action film was the FMV clip in the intro.
Upon further examination, it became clear the Neo incarnation of DD was actually a good little fighter with good gameplay, colorful, cartoon-y sprites and cool (in some cases interactive) stages. The sound effects are standard, quality Neo Geo fare and the music does add some DD nostalgia to the game's atmosphere.
While the Neo Geo's Double Dragon incarnation isn't the genre-defining arcade blockbuster that the legendary original was, nor a system-selling AES killer-app, it's undoubtedly good and above average for an old-school, 2D fighter. I've played it via emulation just enough to decide its worth owning and a future AES purchase for me.
Still, I can't help but imagine the awesome side-scrolling beat-em-up that Technos could have created, harnessing the power of SNK's hardware to develop a truly iconic, epic game that could've given Capcom's best efforts of the time some serious competition! Sadly, the scrolling-fighter genre (with a scant few exceptions) remains one in which the Neo comes up comparatively short, forever outclassed by Capcom. A proper Double Dragon title could've and should've been the one to prove the NG was more than capable of delivering a scroller for the ages...
Ahem! Back on topic. DD is "pretty good", as my vote reflects and stands out, if little else, for its unique visual character and style and some nostalgic elements courtesy of its pedigree.
Edited by Chiba3010 on 04. July 2012 03:59
What image consultant group did Technos hire to revamp the series? I always thought the cartoonish, kid's version of Double Dragon was corny and stupid... I understand Technos was trying to cash in on its most well-known series, but this was pretty shameless. Regardless, this game is good. The engine is solid. Did anybody know there was actually an even more obscure beat 'em up version (of the kid's series) developed for the Game Gear? Although it never became an official release, the proto has been linked to ROM sites.
Well i guess it didn't turned out to be a famous game because it was on the neogeo but if it was on capcoms hardware even them publishing it i think that this game would have been considered a classic lol and people would have been playing it even now just like sf2 (i do play this game even now more often than any other fighter that there is)
Because capcom fan boys. overrate every fighting game that came out of them(and yes not just fighting games lol)
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Back in the day, I could 2cc the coin-op in single player until it slowly vanished from the arcades (which have since vanished as well). That said, when I first saw an MVS cabinet with a new DD title among its selection of games, I freaked the f*ck out...until discovering it was a one-on-one fighter. My hopes of scrolling-fighter ecstasy crushed, I was further dismayed that series-creators Technos had themselves developed this dream-killing departure from what DD always did best. 
The movie tie-in could've added further insult to injury, but thankfully the only affiliation with the disastrous live-action film was the FMV clip in the intro.
DD is "pretty good", as my vote reflects and stands out, if little else, for its unique visual character and style and some nostalgic elements courtesy of its pedigree.
