Double Dragon (Neo Geo)

Double Dragon[lower-alpha 2] is a 1995 fighting video game spinoff of the Double Dragon series developed and published by Technōs Japan. It is based on the 1994 Double Dragon movie, which in turn was based on the original arcade game. It was originally released for the Neo Geo (in AES and MVS formats) and later released for the Neo Geo CD and PlayStation (the latter ported by Urban Plant). It was Technōs Japan's last Double Dragon game before the company went out of business, and the fourth and final Double Dragon game released in arcades.

Double Dragon
Developer(s)Technōs Japan[lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)SNK
Technōs Japan
(Neo Geo CD/PlayStation)
PlayStation Network
Producer(s)Kazuyuki Kurata
Designer(s)Minoru Yamaguchi
Muneki Ebinuma
Programmer(s)Naoki Kashiwabara
Shinji Hirao
Tadamichi Obinata
Artist(s)Akiko Maruyama
Chihiro Kushibe
Fujimi Ōnishi
Composer(s)Chiaki Iizuka
Fumio Suzuki
Kiyomi Kataoka
SeriesDouble Dragon
Platform(s)Arcade, Neo Geo AES, Neo Geo CD, PlayStation, PlayStation Network
Release
Genre(s)Fighting
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade systemNeo Geo MVS

Overview
Gameplay screenshot showcasing a match between Billy Lee and Rebecca.

The game plays like a conventional one-on-one fighting game. One of the unique aspects of Double Dragon is the lack of specific punch and kick buttons like other fighting games. Instead, there are four attack buttons of varying strength and speed, which can perform punches or kicks depending on the character's position. The player's character and his or her opponent have a super move meter called the "charge meter", overlaid over the character's health gauge. The less health the character has, the quicker it will fill up. "Charge moves" are usually performed by executing the command of a regular special move and pressing two attack buttons simultaneously at the end instead of just one. Other techniques available in the game include dashes, air guards, air throws, and down attacks (which allows characters to jump over and attack their opponent while they are momentarily unconscious on the ground).

The characters and settings are inspired by the Double Dragon movie, which featured prominently in the game's intro. This includes the appearances of a submerged Hollywood Sign, the appearance of the Dragon Wagon in Billy's stage, the Lee brothers' transformation technique, Marian's depiction as a gang leader, and the inclusion of Koga Shuko as the game's final opponent. However, the characters are depicted in a more anime-like style and only five of the game's twelve fighters are actually featured in the movie; Burnov and Duke are from previous Double Dragon games and the rest are new characters created specifically for this game.

Characters
See also: Double Dragon § Characters

There are ten regularly selectable characters in the game and two boss characters, for a total of twelve characters. In the single-player mode, the player competes against all ten of the regular characters (including a clone of their own) before facing against Duke and Shuko in the game's final two matches. The first opponent can be chosen by the player.

In the home versions, both Duke and Shuko are playable by entering a secret code.

The game brings back Abobo and Marian from the original installment, as well as Burnov from Double Dragon II: The Revenge as playable characters. The game also introduces 5 different characters created specifically for the game: Amon, Dulton, Rebecca, Eddie and Cheng-Fu.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Double Dragon for Neo Geo on their April 15, 1995 issue as being the thirteenth most-popular arcade game at the time.[6]

On release, GamePro gave the Neo Geo AES version a negative review. They praised the charge meter and the accuracy of the controls, but criticized the "remarkably subdued graphics" and concluded, "Normally, Double Dragon would just be average, but the silly aspects (the announcer) and goofy fighters (with some very standard moves) get in the way."[3] Reviewing the Neo Geo CD version, Maximum found the game lacked originality, had poorly defined sprites, and suffered from subpar gameplay compared to other Neo Geo CD games. They scored it two out of five stars.[5]

Next Generation reviewed the Neo-Geo version of the game, rating it one star out of five, and stated that "The template from which this one came should certainly be retired, but in the meantime Double Dragon is another in a long line of mediocre fighters for all those fighter junkies who somehow have made room in their heads for 50 different sets of super moves. You could do better."[4]

See also

Notes
  1. Ported to PlayStation by Urban Plant
  2. Japanese: ダブルドラゴン, Hepburn: Daburu Doragon, also known as Double Dragon '95[1]

References
  1. CyberYagami (15 July 2015). Double Dragon (NEOGEO) Special Ending + Caricature Character Select. YouTube. Archived from the original on 2 March 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  2. Knight, Kyle (1998). "Double Dragon (Neo Geo Advanced Entertainment System) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 15 November 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  3. Axe Grinder, The (July 1995). "ProReview: Neo•Geo - Double Dragon". GamePro. No. 72. IDG. p. 69.
  4. "Finals - Neo-Geo - Double Dragon". Next Generation. No. 8. Imagine Media. August 1995. p. 71.
  5. "Double Dragon CD". Maximum: The Video Game Magazine. No. 1. Emap International Limited. October 1995. p. 157.
  6. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - TVゲーム機ーソフトウェア (Video Game Software)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 493. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 April 1995. p. 21.
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