Super Double Dragon

"This sure is a beat-'em-up!"

The Double Dragon series, making its first appearances on the Nintendo, is often credited for single-handedly opening the now entry-laden side-scrolling brawler genre. This is not a discussion on katana-wielding ninjas or gun-toting maniacs; we’re talking about hand-to-hand nose-bloodying fistfights. Street fights! In times since the NES titles (Double Dragon I-III) the Super Nintendo saw domination from the Final Fight trilogy of beat-‘em-ups, while Sega’s various systems, on the other side of town, was where Streets of Rage reigned supreme. Who knows what would have happened if the set of characters gracing each series from opposite sides of the track by chance met up! They may have had a rumble and intense finger-snapping showdowns.

Double Dragon is a different westside story. A member of the series can be found on a plethora of different platforms, including the Commodore 64, in the arcades, and even on the Turbo CD. Considering any and all systems as a possible home, this impressive brand name of brawlers has thrown itself at such a wide audience that avoiding the bloody things is more of an accomplishment than conquering one.

Super Double Dragon does for the series what every “Super” prefixed title does for a multi-chaptered endeavor making an NES-to-SNES jump: jack up the graphics, lengthen the adventure, and gracefully sidestep any potential innovation. “Leave everything as is or the universe could implode in an instant!” the developers shrieked in defense when questioned about any possible changeups in the revered line of titles.

They failed at this, because unlike its predecessors, SDD doesn’t even sport an obviously effortless “the evil underground empire crime lord has kidnapped the girlfriend of a considerably athletic gym-loiterer” plotline to back up its otherwise mindless beatings and bloodbaths. Instead you leave a wake of terror, unleashing vicious attacks upon anyone you cross on the streets for no reason whatsoever! If authorized law enforcement agencies were to ever approach and question the culprits of these brutal thrashings, they’d have no reply of reasoning—no just cause!

“Why did you pummel these fourteen hundred charity workers who were on their way to have lunch with the seniors citizens at the retirement center?” questioned the policeman, poking his nightstick into Jimmy’s chest.

“Well, you see, Technos, the developers said that we--.. hey, wait a second..what the hell? I have no idea! My girlfriend is at the mall! She hasn’t been kidnapped! What am I doing!”

It was a long decade in prison for our supposed “tough guy heroes.”

It is with no indicated purpose that you absolutely batter the same eleven enemies over and over throughout seven “missions” or levels. Be he the yellow-jacketed commoner or the grotesquely oversized clown who likes somersaulting back and forth across screen, there is no need to consider the crimes that these fellows may or may not be guilty of, or the no-good organizations or factions they may or may not have ties to, because you’re just going to punch and kick them all into oblivion. Every one of ‘em! That’s what you get for lurking in the streets in the cover of afternoon.

In your arsenal are a punch, a kick, a jump kick, and the most interesting, a block/counterattack technique. It is the latter of this arsenal that is the most fun to witness in action. Use this move to assume a defensive technique, and when the enemy goes to punch you in the face, grab his arm and have him at your mercy! Punch him or kick him in the face three times, and then the final blow will actually be a flurry of either punches and kicks, back and forth across his head as if this goon were a red-headed stepchild. From this “grapple” you can also toss the weirdo aside with a throw.

A fun but somewhat senseless practice of these brawling brothers is a rage-building psyche-out technique that allows for more powerful blows at the expense of a defenseless few seconds. Hold either of the shoulder buttons of the controller and watch the meter slowly fill. Depending on when you release and unleash a punch or kick, it is possible to throw a short spinning punch or kick, a cyclone of pain, or if the meter fills completely, to walk around with a temporary rage, punching and kicking, successfully knocking over any sized foe with a single swing as that vein in your forehead grows to frightening sizes. Although this can be helpful in a spur-of-the-moment situation, it’s almost pointless considering the time it takes to prepare the onslaughts. Getting struck by an opponent at any time during the charge-up period results in a stoppage and depletion of the meter, so it’s really dependent on your ability to stall from confrontations!

And this is how it goes on for seven “missions”. Is a man walking along the street or along an airport runway or through a factory? Punch him until he falls over many times! Some enemies have minor ploys that are extremely difficult to find weaknesses in. For example, one enemy, the Chinese robe goons, will not let you kick them in the face. This sounds logical! However, it is perfectly acceptable to punch them in the face, so just go that route. This is a common and accepted downfall of every game in the genre—repetition is inevitable. The lack of any variation in enemies is a bit disappointing however; not even Final Fight had this few distinct antagonists.

Thankfully, the game is challenging, and at times the enemies align and attack so carefully and cruelly that it appears that the barrage is really being orchestrated by some gang members who are actually threatening. One will find themselves with an enemy on each side, who are unleashing blows on you as if you were a punching bag, bounding back and forth (like in the gym stage, where you can strike actual punching bags to send them hurling at enemies to knock them over! Interactive environments—a rare occurrence in the beat-‘em-up!). One sword-wielding dork will slash at you as a sunglasses-sporting thug takes cheap shots at your gut. This can be at frustrating, but at the least makes for a challenging experience. Getting through the title on five credits will be difficult at first.

I like to think that the detailed backgrounds and flashy lights are enough to offset the tiny characters (dwarfed embarrassingly by those of FF and SoR) and the indescribably slow gameplay (contributed to by at times choppy frame-rates). Bright neon lights and clear backdrops make things easy on the eyes, but I don’t understand why everything is so sluggish! On the other hand, the characters are not as detailed as they should be; they’re boring and generic.

And the same can be said for the supposedly “action-packed” soundtrack that drones on in the background. Somewhat muffled, unspectacular tracks that are of no significance in terms of contributing to any sort of mood fill each and every stage, and none really sound that much different from the others. They all sort of just ‘blur’ together, if you notice them at all. There are about five basic sound effects, as well, ranging from the “punch-to-face” striking noise to the “foot-to-face” bashing sound to the death-indicating grunts of pain. Final Fight set the standard for atmospheric beat-‘em-up music—SDD doesn’t bother.

As far as two-player action goes, there is a pair of modes: A, and B. A is a teamwork mode where you’ll tackle the games seven levels with a friend. B is the same thing, except it allows the two players to either accidentally or purposefully harm each other with punches and kicks, just as they would with enemies. The first makes more sense, and the second would only seem to cause trouble if something “accidental” happened, like sticking a knife in your comrade’s stomach.

Just because Double Dragon unofficially busted open the side-scrolling brawler genre doesn’t mean that it’s latest entries can escape the very same pitfalls that it created: repetition, lame storyline (in this case, none at all!), dull music tracks and sound effects, and a lack of enemy and technique variation. The genre hasn’t evolved a whole lot, but despite the apparent, logical complaints, it’s still fun to mindlessly engage in simplistic combat every now and then, and Super Double Dragon knows this best. If NES brawlers were your thing, then this souped-up edition will be right up your alley. Otherwise, this is just another lengthy punch-quest with a cool but often useless gimmick in the rage meter, and, for once, a defensive ability in the counterattack. It's a good time-waster, but doesn't quite reach the competition.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/24/03, Updated 07/24/03