Double Dragon - NES Review
Though a Bit Watered Down, Double Dragon on the NES Still Delivers
Oct 27, 2009
If there were ever two genres that remained popular throughout the existence of the Nintendo Entertainment System, they were platformers and beat ‘em ups. Though not as prominent today as platformers, many a beat ‘em up title provided gamers with countless hours of playtime. In 1988, Double Dragon, one of the most popular arcade beat ‘em ups of all time, made its way to the NES.
The game received a massive overhaul from its arcade counterpart. The graphics and sound were brought down to the NES’s capabilities; two-player co-op was scrapped for a two-player alternating mode; and a level-up system was introduced to the game. Despite these changes, Double Dragon on the NES is still a fun, though limited, port that holds up surprisingly well today.
Double Dragon Storyline
In Double Dragon, players control protagonist Billy Lee as he makes his way through four locales in a fighting effort to rescue his girlfriend Marian. The game’s hero will fight his way through various thugs and gangs in order to ultimately reach the Black Warriors, the gang responsible for Marian’s kidnapping.
Double Dragon Gameplay – A Beat ‘em Up with Action RPG Elements
At its core, Double Dragon is a simple beat ‘em up. Players progress through stages by fighting waves of enemies and bosses. Unlike the arcade iteration, the NES version of Double Dragon is only able to support two enemy characters onscreen at any given time. This is due highly to the technical limitations of the NES.
One of the things that makes Double Dragon unique is the game’s addition of a level-up system. After accruing a certain number of points, Billy will go up a level. Each time Billy levels up, he gains a new ability that he can add to his martial arts repertoire. As players level up, they will be able to execute jumping kicks, spinning kicks, knee strikes, and more.
Stripped out of the game is the arcade version’s simultaneous co-op mode. Players can’t team up to take on the Black Warriors as a team in the NES version. Instead, the game includes alternating play, with each player taking control of Billy after the other player is defeated. This is the game’s biggest flaw, and it’s a shame that players can’t play alongside one another, considering that’s what made the arcade game so much fun.
The game also includes a throwaway battle mode where players one and two can fight against one another. (If there is only one player, then that person fights against the computer.) The mode is very bare-bones, and both players are forced to play as the same character, albeit with palette swaps.
Graphics and Sound
Double Dragon’s presentation is decent and does the trick. There’s nothing revolutionary going on in the graphics department, even for a NES game. Sprites and landmarks aren’t highly detailed, but they do contain a nice array of colors. It’s really a shame, though, that the console’s technical specs don’t allow for more than two characters on the screen at any given time.
Like every other aspect in the game, Double Dragon falls short in the sound department in comparison to the arcade game. That’s not to say that the game doesn’t contain a few catchy and memorable tunes. The music is good, but it pales when compared to the rich sound included in the arcade original.
Lasting Value
With only four missions, Double Dragon isn’t a very long-lasting game. The size of each stage is decent, and there are a number of enemies, bosses, and obstacles to keep players busy, but after some memorization of enemy attack patterns, the game won’t be keeping anyone who plays it busy for long. The game is worth playing multiple times, though, due to its fun factor and legendary status in the beat ‘em up genre.
Double Dragon – NES Version vs. Arcade Version
Double Dragon on the NES is, for all intents and purposes, a really fun game that succeeds due to its beat ‘em up action as well the implementation of a level-up system. While not the definitive version of the game, there is still some fun to be had with the cart. The downgrade in graphics and sound works against the game, but the omission of two-player co-op is the bigger letdown.
Those looking for the ultimate (and original) Double Dragon experience need look no further than the arcade version of the game. However, those who just want a fun beat ‘em up will find exactly that in the NES port of Double Dragon. Despite not being as good as the original, the title still offers a fun experience worth playing.
Score: 7.5/10
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