Double Dragon

"Awesome nostalgia! Love the red pants!"

Double Dragon came out in the early eighties on the arcade. Later incarnations yielded an awesome NES trilogy and a horrible movie. However, we are here to review the ARCADE version of Double Dragon. Overall, this game is a great trip of nostalgia, especially if you ever played the original ARCADE machine.

GRAPHICS 7/10: This game used to have those great sprites that made your eyes hurt after a while. The X-box version uses some neat cell shaded type graphics that make the game easy on the eyes and very colorful. Both Billy and red pants Jimmy look buff and pretty cool. They still have all the classic moves, like the knee to the face then-throw combo and the honorable elbow smash that will take out any enemy. The backgrounds are colorful and exactly the way you may remember them. The game can also be set for the original graphics, but the remix looks fantastic. Overall, Double Dragon has been remixed in excellent form.

MUSIC 7/10: The game begins with this weird remix of the title song, but the in game music is still great. Who could forget the 1st level theme? It's all here. Every grunt and punch effect is present. Realistically, this game's sound is crap compared by today's standards; but need I remind you that you are playing a game from the 80's? Moreover, the sound is dated, but the music in Double Dragon is timeless. It's really one of those timeless soundtracks that really stays with you.

GAMEPLAY 7/10: SLOWDOWN??? For those of us who remember the old days, the arcade Double Dragon had it's share of slowdown. More than three enemies on screen and things started to lag. Well, it's the same here. Although the slowdown is minimal, it's there and some gamers may get annoyed. However, the fighting is clean and the combos are impressive for it's time. This was one of the first beat-theme-up games and it's amazing to see how well it has aged. The fighting is pretty crisp and hardcore for such an old game. Some gamers a have complained that the enemy sometimes hits you in the middle of the combo. Yeah, that may happen, the game was designed to munch quarters; not make you feel better about your lack of gaming skills. The game takes it's cheap shots at you, but this game is all about being a MAN... in red pants. However, this game is still quite easy. It can be beaten in less than 20 minutes. There are some tough achievement points to be earned. So that may inspire those of you that like to suffer. Every move is here and the gameplay is cleaner than the arcade version. There may be some cheap parts, like the trap sections, but hey; Don't you remember the old days when games weren't always fair?

STORY 10/10: (SPOILERS!!!!)This story is pure brilliance. Billy and Jimmy are both REAL men. (Even with the red pants) One day, a gang kidnaps Billy's girlfriend, so they decide to kill everyone they encounter on their way to the gang's hideout. In the eighties, real men killed to solve their problems, now we simply file lawsuits... Anyway, the kicker in this story is that your girlfriend, Marian, will be in love with whichever brother is left alive. Sorry you risked your life to save her Billy, but this chick will shack up with your brother if he kills you at the end. Oh, those women...

FUNFACTOR 10/10: I love beat-them-ups, and they simply have not made any in the last ten years. This is a breath of fresh air into the X-box Live Arcade. There is nothing better or more basic than the need to beat someone and throw them off a cliff. Double Dragon is great alone, and even better on LIVE. It's just a great trip for the seasoned gamer who still remembers the days when games only cost a quarter.

OVERALL 9/10: Double Dragon is a timeless classic. Even if you have never heard of it before, you should still give it a whirl and see where games came from. It's also just good old fun. It has a few slowdown issues, but those frustrations are the trademark of classic gaming. Red pants... No sleeves... AWESOME!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/11/07