Double Dragon

"This is what it's all about..."

Introduction- If there's one game that could be forgiven for being very different from the arcade original, it's the NES port of Double Dragon. Levels were changed, a strange heart system was implemented, and worst of all, two-player cooperative mode was gone. There was also a tournament fighter as a bonus on the cart. Despite these changes, this manages to be one of the absolute best fighters on the NES. Even though the SMS port was more faithful and had two-player action, it was also more difficult and flickered badly. This is the one we all remember from back in the day.

Gameplay (9/10)- If you're expecting arcade perfection, run away now. As previously stated, there were some weird changes. You start out with punck/kick and headbutt, and the more points you accumulate, the more moves you earn (shown as hearts at the bottom of the screen. It sounds weird at first, but it keeps you striving for that next move, the best of which is the ability to sit on an enemy and punch him in the face until he dies. Awesome! Right out of Renegade!

Two-players can play, but not at the same time, you have to take turns. The whole point of DD was great buddy action, so this was a major disappointment. Still, the controls are dead on, everything registers perfectly, and it's completely satisfying to wield a baseball bat and beat down some thug.

Story (7/10)- Basically, your girlfriend Marian has been kidnapped by The Black Warriors. You play as Billy Lee, whose only option is to walk the streets, beat down punks, and make your way to their hideout. SPOILER: The only real change to the story is that now Jimmy Lee, Billy's twin brother, is working with the enemy gang, if you defeat Willy (the leader of The Black Warriors), you'll take on your own brother! Different from the arcade in that you're never partners (you did get to fight each other in the coin-op, when two people were playing), but still pretty cool.

Graphics (9/10)- Very nice graphics. The levels have been changed around, made a little longer, but they're very detailed and fun to play through. Also, they avoid becoming linear, there are things to climb up, things to pick up and throw, and thing to jump over. The characters look good. Everything is bright and colorful.

Sound (9/10)- The music is butt kickin', just like the arcade! Title screen and Missions 1 & 2 sound awesome coming out of the NES. Mission 3 is weird with it's blown speaker sound effect. Mission 4 and end theme aren't bad. Some of the most recognizable tunes on the system, they still sound good today.

The sound effects don't sound very realistic. These were improved in Double Dragon II, but here they're not bad, and defintiely not distracting or anything.

Replayability (9/10)- No two-players in the main game hurts replayability a little bit, but it's always fun to go through the game and kick some butt. Besides, if you get tired of the main game, you can always mess around with the tournament fighting game. It's not Street Fighter II, mind you, but it's an okay time killer.

Final Recommendation- If you have an NES and don't have this, go out to GameStop and buy it! Now! This is one of the best and most recognizable games for the system. It would be the best fighter available for the NES, if not for the lack of a two player cooperative mode. Instead, the honor of the best fighter goes to Double Dragon II, with this game close behind (and after this one, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III). Still, this is a definite must have.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 10/27/03