I really love the character animation as we saw people with features, clothing and everything. From the nit and gritty streets, warehouse, park, mountains, and fortress. I really like the background animation as it depicts each of the different areas, giving you a feeling that you are in a much broader world or that you actually are going on a journey, which was rare in video games at the time, where in most of the old games it just felt like you were in the same area with different challenges thrown in. The graphics I think are great, yeah sure this is a game from a different time, but I don't care like with a well preserved and maintained vintage race car, this game still looks and plays good to me. But like with most beat em ups they're not games totally concerned with story, their more concerned about the action and this game doubles up on it and more. Personally, I don't mind because at least it's a plotline that is simple and straight to the point, no complicated bullcrap and despite a somewhat cliché plotline saving an innocent life is important all the same. It's true that the story/plotline is rather basic as it's your damsel in distress scenario and you along with your brother are the only ones that can not just save her but the city from this vicious gang. There is just so much I love about the game. Though this game was also influential in my life as it was one of the inspirations to become a martial artist. This is another one of my favorite video games of all time, it was truly revolutionary for its time as it was or at least one of the first to throw the first punch in the beat em up video game genre. I can understand why, as it is very difficult for a cartridge to go up against a huge cabinet arcade game devoted to playing only one game, but still, why must the co-op always be taken out first? The fighting is still okay I guess, but no two player mode made for one disappointing day as I remember finally being able to rent this and having a friend over and then being saddened with the realization that we would have to take turns rather than team together to take out the trash! It is not the only time this has occurred as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would do the same thing as would multiple others. Fun way to waste quarters, for the finale you and the friend had to duke it out after battling a machine gun wielding maniac! Then there was the NES version, which took out the two players fighting along side each other and made a much weaker game out of what was a cool arcade game. Playing as the martial arts brothers you fight your way through multiple levels, battling various street thugs to rescue Marian, one of the brother's girlfriend. This was one of those awesome at the time arcade games that you and a friend could play together.
When doing this review keep in mind my score is kind of a combination of the arcade game and the NES version of the game. Graphics A Sound A+ Gameplay A+ Lasting Appeal A If you see this game, do not hesitate to spend all of your hard-earned pennies on it. Double Dragon was also released on practically every home platform (don't get me started on the awful C64 version) but none of them, not even the recent Gameboy Advance version, really ever matched up to the awesomeness of the arcade machine. So many themes, so many melodies and so bloody cool. Even 19 years later it hasn't dated a bit and still sounds brilliant. And the music? It's amazing! When I was 7 I'd be humming this at school or while I was walking down the road. The cartoonish graphics have just enough color and Manga to make them almost iconic. Or is it because the game is so good? But it ain't just it's high playability that makes it so good. By the time I was 12 I managed to finish it with a single credit. When playing as 2 players, this game is absolutely lethal. And I was only 7-years-old at the time! Despite the games that followed which were classics in their own right (Streets of Rage, Final Fight) none really ever matched up to Double Dragon. You'd hammer the buttons so hard that by the time the game had ended, you're arm would be tripled in size and you'd be sweating like crazy. It was almost as exhausting as actually beating up hundreds of thugs.
Back in 1987 me and my uncle spent a fortune on this game and it took us about 40 million credits to get to the end. It's not, there were a couple of minor hits before it, but it sure is the best that has ever dominated our arcades. Double Dragon is commonly referred to as the first side-scrolling beat-em-up.
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